Alto Molino

Transported back to SFO in 2019, I am experimenting with making pea purée with oven-roasted zucchini and salmon for dinner, accompanied by a new budget find from the Uco Valley in Argentina (available only as a 25 cl can at Systembolaget).

This afternoon, I finally cracked the code with the governance book and am now back to speed-making lecture slides for the autumn. I also managed to run out to Erikshjälpen and pick up a new lamp for the living room. Slowly but surely, Hallandsgatan is turning into a home after all the fires, floods, and separations.

Hovs hallar

 

Drinking coffee from my orange Santa Cruz mug, I am struck by the fact that I am much more familiar with the Central Coast in California than with our own stretch of coast here at home. To give just one example, I have never been to Hovs Hallar (where the blueberries are from), despite it being only fifty kilometres away and renowned for its natural beauty.

As I look towards the autumn, I hope to make up for my lack of local geographical knowledge. There are still so many places along the Halland and Skåne coast that I have never properly explored, and my run to Båstad alone gave me a couple of new favourites. For now, I am happy to put dreams of distant shores on hold. Still, it is unusual for me not to have a single trip to look forward to (Stockholm for work in September does not really count, lovely as it is), and with plenty of miles expiring later this year, something tells me that I will come up with something before long.

Reason prevailed

While still technically on vacation for another week, I have spent this Monday eating bagels and reading Elgar's Advanced Introduction to Governance for one of the courses I am teaching in September. In between, I have done the laundry, run ten kilometres in the sunshine, and ended the day with a swim at Simstadion Brottet. Open from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, it is simply incredible to have free access to a 50-metre lap pool in the neighbourhood.

In a weak moment, I briefly considered registering for the 100-kilometre edition of Halland Ultra Beach on Sunday but, fortunately, reason (and a closed registration window) prevailed. After failing to complete the Essex Way Ultra just over a month ago, I feel a bit like I did in 2022, when I simply had to run Ultravasan 90 to set the record straight.

Sydney simulator

When visiting Jon in Sydney, one of the things I appreciated most was the city's public swimming pools, like the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool next to the Royal Botanic Garden and, of course, Icebergs out in Bondi. Here in Halmstad, we have “Simstadion Brottet”, which has been temporarily closed for repairs but reopened today, something that Eddie and I celebrated with a short swim in the afternoon sunshine.

Offering free admission, it is an incredible asset to the municipality, and I hope to return a few more times throughout August before it closes for the season.

Run to Båstad

Heading out into the midday heat, I began my birthday adventure by exploring the non-fording option of Halland Ultra-Beach (HUB) across Fylleån in southern Halmstad, a body of water that I have crossed many times further upstream in the woodlands of Halland but now got to share with all the cyclists following Kattegattleden.

Keeping a steady pace around 5:45 min/km, I then crossed the birdwatchers' paradise of Tönninge Meadows and the golden fields beyond. After cutting the HUB ultra race short twice, I was eager to finally see the coast between Halmstad and Båstad in earnest. Not racing, I allowed myself plenty of stops, including at the most lovely garden cafè in Påarp, overlooking the glittering sea and wind-sculpted pines. After a smørrebrød, I felt energized to continue into Gullbranna Nature Reserve on highly runnable trails.

Nineteen kilometres into my run, the trail headed out onto sand dunes that quickly proved difficult to navigate and slowed me down considerably. The preceding two nights with only a few hours of sleep made the whole thing feel like some kind of SEAL training exercise as my mind drifted to Coronado, sand filled my trail shoes, and the sun kept blazing. At Hökafältet, I finally plunged into the cool water before continuing on towards Mellbystrand.

Talking to Eddie on the phone, he said he wanted to come down to Halmstad tonight, so instead of running along the beach, I followed the bike path all the way to the railway station in Båstad. Finishing the full 38 kilometres in just under four hours of moving time, I was reasonably happy with my performance and already planning another run on the Bjäre Peninsula.

Excess kilometres

The last twenty-four hours have been absolutely wild as Anna moved out of Ängtegsgatan and into her new apartment in Gamlestaden. Crisscrossing Gothenburg to pick up various pieces of new furniture, I got to see everything from exclusive pool villas in Askim to social housing in Mölnlycke and, by the time I finally reached Halmstad around midnight, I was beyond exhausted. Throughout it all, I had great help from Anna's brother Erik and the kids.

Unfortunately, I had to get up again at 4:30 this morning to return the truck to Gothenburg, a misery compounded by having to pay 1,700 SEK for the excess kilometres. At least I was rewarded with beautiful misty fields as July gave way to August and, now, I finally have all my things in place at Hallandsgatan.

Caractère

Drinking a black coffee from Pressbyrån, I am now on an Öresund train to Gothenburg, ready to help Anna move into her new apartment in Gamlestaden. Behind me lie a couple of incredible days in Bakareboda, just on the border between Småland and Blekinge, waffles with my parents in their garden in Kalmar, and an early birthday dinner at Hallandsgatan over a glass of Weszeli Caractère Grüner Veltliner.

Driving all 242 kilometres of Road 25 in a white Škoda, yesterday was a true coast-to-coast adventure, with plenty of amusements along the way, including listening to the absurd story of the 31-year-old Swede who attempted to build a nuclear reactor at home. Sticking to safer hobbies, I am planning my own guerrilla version of Halland Ultra Beach this weekend by running from Halmstad to Båstad – the section I never completed in 2024. If I succeed, I will finally have one continuous red line on my Strava heat map from Åskloster to Båstad.

3x Bakareboda

The Odyssey

Turning fourteen in the City of Birches, Eddie and his girlfriend got to walk along the river in the sunshine, revisiting all the places that once signalled home and that now, for me, mark the breathtaking passage of time. Looking through old photos, like the one above from Broparken, I am reminded of what an immense privilege it is to be a parent.

After building supertall structures at Curiosum and having dinner at Basta, we all got to watch Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey, which spoke directly to our own times: of worlds descending into darkness, and of how violence – be it in Gaza or Ukraine – ultimately distorts our souls.

A short sleep later, we are now on SK25 to Arlanda with breakfast being served above the clouds, as my own odyssey continues. Before nightfall, I hope to be in Bakareboda, but looking back on these two days in Västerbotten, it is above all with a sense of warmth.

Norrland

Taking off from runway 01L/19R at Arlanda, our CRJ900 banked right and then turned sharply towards the north. Flying into sunshine, I looked down on the blue waters of the Gulf of Bothnia, thinking back on all the years when this was my gateway to the world.

By the time we were on final into Umeå Airport, the plane was surrounded by heavy rain clouds. Yet, after a couple of hours on the ground, the sun had made it up to Umeå as well, and I got to repeat my signature river run with Elin followed by coffee at Kulturbageriet – all while Eddie reconnected with his Umeå friends at Nydalasjön.

Ending the evening with pizza at Ruccola in Haga, we passed by the house on Hemvägen where we lived during our first year back from Korea. With every turn came memories of stroller walks, playgrounds, and pre-school drop-offs.