Jogen to Raska Minas
Distance: 40km.
Third rainy day in a row, 95 percent road walk. A day to forget? Not at all!
Three hours into a pretty boring road walk, I sit down at the side of the road for my breakfast. While opening my food bag, I am approached by a friendly local. She
invites me for coffee, sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and fresh, delicious cherry tomatoes from their garden. After hiking in the light drizzle for 15 minutes, it's a great feeling to warm up with
coffee. Together with her husband, we have a wonderful chat about my journey south. As they are attending a car race and I still have a good 25 kilometers ahead of me, we soon say
goodbye.
From their place, it's only a short hike to the industrial part and shopping malls of Ulricehamn, a rather large city. Being a Saturday morning, the are is rather
busy and I don't feel like going shopping in my full rain gear. I have a hard time navigating through the area, take some wrong turns but eventually make it out of there.
Shortly after I miss a sign again and find myself in the middle of nowhere. According to the map I am on the right track but there are no signs and only a faint
track, which I follow and eventually, after taking another wrong turn, reunite with the track. There, I soon enough stumbled across Dino, an English man, who is walking his dog. Without any
hesitation, he invites me for a warm meal. I follow him to his and Marta's cozy hideaway in the forest. While he is cooking, he offers me to take a shower. After nearly 2 weeks of cleaning myself
in rivers and lakes, I quickly agree.
Out of the shower, a delicious English breakfast, or fry-up as it's apparently called at 2 in the afternoon, consisting of beans, bacon, tomatoes and eggs, is
awaiting me. A very enjoyable meal, especially as it brings back wonderful memories from the breakfast made by George in Te Whare Kererū.
Dino is a well-traveled man, has plenty of stories to share and I really like listening to them.
Eventually, it's time to continue again. It's not too far anymore though. As the rain is getting heavier again, he offers me an umbrella. Might sound strange but
it's in fact a perfect addition to my gear. With all the roadwalk from here to Halmstad, I can exchange my hiking poles with the umbrella in case of rain.
It works like a charm and completely dry I arrive at Raska Minas. An old cottage from the 19th century. It's not meant for sleeping though so I make myself
comfortable in the brand new vindskydd right across the cottage. I skipp dinner as I am still completely full from my two breakfasts.
While hiking-wise it might have not been a memorable day, the amazing hospitality, which I had the opportunity to enjoy today, turned this day into a wonderful one.
Especially after the last, rather lonely couple of days.
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Fredy Koster (Saturday, 28 August 2021 20:15)
It 's so very good to know there are such wonderful peopel around to make some long distance hiker happy.
Dino and marta. (Monday, 30 August 2021 09:02)
Hi Sandra. I been helped many times in my thirty years of travling. You got to keep your yins and yans at the same level. Lol. But nice to meet you. Heading down to Switzerland on way to Turkey for the winter. May see you then. The guy I was trying to think of is named Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The book is called Mad Bad and Dangorous to know. He's got a few other books also. Good luck my friend. Stay dry. Lol. Bon voyage. Dino. Marta.