Happy days! Today I bumped into two people with whom I had a chat. I had decided to walk only half a day today, because I have a longer day with a lot of tarmac and gravel road ahead of me. Tomorrow I will start my detour to my cousin’s house.

Today I walked in the woods all day on narrow paths, which was heavenly. However, the last few kilometres before the shelter were unexpectedly good training for the mountains. It was really up and down. Steeply down for 10-15 metres altitude and then straight back up the same. I did that maybe 8-10 times. So it was great to arrive at the shelter early in the afternoon.

Once there, I meet Johan who arrived there not long after me. A cyclist who was on a round trip on his mountain bike. He had to get home before the kids got home from school, but he happily accepted a cup of coffee that I offered him. It was really nice to have a chat.

And later in the afternoon, William arrived. A young guy who was the first long-distance hiker I had met so far. He had started in Smygehuk, which is the southernmost point in Sweden. And he also wants to go to Treriksröset. But he’s now going to take a 2-3 week break because he doesn’t live that far away. We talked about and compared some equipment and food. I wonder if I’ll meet him again later in the year? He’s young and fast.

I really enjoy these meetings with people of all kinds. And two in one day! How lucky can you get?