Today was a tough day. It turned a lot colder and it started to rain, which usually doesn't bother me much, but my old worn-out lungs didn't agree, so I spend my 300+ km to Kalmar huffing and puffing. Finally got things under control with a hot cup of coffee and my usual medicines. But this was a situation which I had hoped to avoid. Luckily, I've ended up in a very healthy place and I'm feeling much better. More about that place later.

So I arrived at Kalmar and took a look around. It's mainly known for its big castle (sadly no picture, but you can look it up). That big castle was put there for a reason. It turns out I've been riding the old Danish-Swedish border today. That region, called Skane or Scania (depends whom you ask, Dane or Swede) has been fought over for 500 years, until Denmark finally had to admit defeat in the 1800s. They're still a bit sour about that today, but the funny thing is: the new Oresund bridge (the one I rode on yesterday) between Copenhagen and Malmo is actually leading to a practical reunification, economically at least. Just don't call it that in Sweden (shh, ssh).

After visiting Kalmar (nice enough but quite provincial) I took another bridge, this time to the isle of Oland. Comfortably nudged between the mainland and the Ostsee, it's a land of strong traditions and history, quite separate from the Swedish mainstream. The isle used to house thousands of windmills (about 400 survive) and runestones. Makes for great walks through the countryside, highly recommended.

I wasn't visiting Oland for the history though, interesting as it is. I came to stay at the Linnee scientific research station, which doubles in the summer as a hostel. Oland has a unique natural environment, which differs from the Swedish and European mainland. This inspired the famous Swedish biologist Linnaeus (sounds familiar Amsterdammers?) to make some of his discoveries in the 18th century, and it still continues to attract scientists to this day. The research station provides them with the possibility to stay and work here. If that sounds romantic, it isn't really. The place is basically an army barracks, albeit one with personal amenities and a bookshop. And everybody is working like mad; the conference room is still filled late at night. But I'm happy to provide some funding for them to keep going. Let's hope they don't snore too loud.

See you tomorrow, hopefully with better weather and less coughing