Wildfire gets a near-criminal record in Sweden.

MS. WILDFIRE GOES TO SCANDINAVIA

Stockholm on Two Wheels: Expressways, Excellent Salads & One Near-Criminal Brompton

Three days, two countries' worth of carbs, and one police escort we did not plan for.

Day One ~ Arlanda to Sigtuna

📍 Arlanda Airport → Sigtuna🚴 ~22 km⛰️ Gloriously flat☀️ Vibe: Chef's kiss

Landed at Arlanda. Unfolded Ms. Wildfire. Found the cycle path on the third attempt. Sweden, we are already getting along.

The fact that a cycle path begins right from the airport is one of those small things that makes you want to write a thank-you letter to an entire country. I wish every airport did this: land, click the bike together, and off you go. No taxi queue, no lugging bags onto trains. Just open road.

The cycle path that had me fall in love with Sweden before I even left the airport.

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A quick tip on the airport: all the direct buses and airport trains carry a hefty Arlanda surcharge (130 SEK, since you asked). The smarter move is a bus to the tiny village of Märsta (a couple of cafés, a grocery shop, perfectly pleasant) and from there a very reasonable train into Stockholm city centre at 42 SEK. But since Ms. Wildfire was with me and the weather was being cooperative, we made our way straight to Sigtuna.

The roads are flat, sparsely populated, and so quiet on the cycle path that I'd actually get a little thrill when another cyclist appeared on the horizon. Kindred spirits.

I am completely in love with Sigtuna. Quaint cafés, cobbled streets, and that particular Scandinavian ability to make everything feel simultaneously cosy and effortlessly stylish. The meal sealed the deal: at Strandvillan's café on the Sigtuna beach walk, I had a chicken and feta salad and a Chokladbollar with my coffee. The Chokladbollar alone is reason enough to visit Sweden. Write that down .

Strandvillan’s café, Sigtuna. Left: the salad. Right: the reason I came back to the counter twice.

                                            My STRAVA for the day .🚴‍♀️

Day Two ~ The Uppsala Incident

📍 Arlanda airport  → Uppsala🚴 ~37 kms (plus a deeply unnecessary detour)⛰️ Flat🚔 Vibe: Unplanned police escort

Day Two was always going to be about Uppsala. What it was not supposed to be about was Swedish traffic law. And yet. Here we are.

Here is what happened. I was in my zone, that particular flow state that only cycling gives you, and I made a bold navigational choice. I decided to trust my instincts over Google Maps. I found a broad, wide path and committed to it. There were no signs saying no pedestrians or cyclists. There was just a smooth surface, a slight unsettling quality to the vehicles around me, and then: honking. A great deal of honking.

Something wasn't right. I checked Google Maps. I was on an expressway.

I took a U-turn. The Swedes, who are generally extremely woke and civil, absolutely blared their horns at me. Fair enough, honestly. But then the police arrived. Ms. Wildfire and I were pulled over, escorted to a small side road, and had our credentials noted. No fine. Just a very memorable moment and a story that will be told at every dinner party for the foreseeable future.

Ms. Wildfire officially has a near-criminal record in Sweden. Pffffttt. I managed to embarrass a bicycle."

Anyhow. We dusted ourselves off and continued from Knivsta to Uppsala, which turned out to be absolutely gorgeous and therefore very good at making you forget your crimes.

Uppsala: home to one of Sweden's most famous universities, thousands of students, and my greatest ever salad.

Uppsala is a university city with the energy to match: students, tourists, and a castle on the hill. Güntherska Hovkonditori & Schweizeri is a must. Outdoor and indoor seating, a view of the river if the street isn't too crowded, and the kind of food that tastes like someone actually cared about every ingredient. The best part? Complimentary water and coffee refills. I live in Qatar where water alone costs 4-5 USD at a café. I almost wept .😜

The salmon and goat cheese salad at Uppsala Domkyrko. The most satisfying salad I have ever had. I stand by this claim completely.

After wandering around this gorgeous city for longer than planned (as one does), I took the sensible option: bus back to Märsta, then an easy, peaceful ride to Arlanda. No expressways this time.

                                                 STRAVA done for the day .🚴‍♀️✔️

Day Three ~ Stockholm Proper

📍 Arlanda → Stockholm City🚴 ~25 km⛰️ Flat and well-marked🎶 Vibe: Taylor Swift is somewhere in this city

Weekend morning. Sunlight. Cyclists and joggers everywhere. I love a city that actually uses its outdoor infrastructure. Seeing other people out on the paths on a Saturday feels like a small quiet celebration of being alive.

I passed through Solna, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the Domkyrkodistrict, and treated myself to a humongous salad . The café owners then directed me to a lovely  café for coffee, which had the most delightful little takeaway salad boxes. Details matter, Sweden.

Left: The Green  Goddess salad . Right: the café boxes that made me irrationally happy.

And then Gamla Stan. Old Town Stockholm, golden afternoon light, cobblestones, that view from the water that genuinely never gets old no matter how many times you see it in photos. It was a warm sunny Saturday, which meant the square was absolutely packed, which meant poor Ms. Wildfire could not get a clear shot without someone wandering into frame. The hazards of being a travel companion who is also a bike.

Gamla Stan doing what Gamla Stan does. Wildfire tried her best . The  magnets were darn cute. Obviously I bought several.

It was also the weekend Taylor Swift was performing in Stockholm, which meant the trains were packed in the most wonderfully chaotic way. We found a spot on the Arlanda Central to Märsta service, and the evening closed with a proper Swedish meal at the airport . Perfect, from start to finish . 

🍽️ 

SAL'S PLATE: STOCKHOLM EDITION

• Strandvillan Café, Sigtuna: Chicken & feta salad + Chokladbollar with coffee. The chocolate ball alone justifies the trip.
• Uppsala Domkyrko: Salmon & goat cheese salad. The best salad I have ever eaten. Full stop.
• Güntherska Hovkonditori & Schweizeri, Uppsala:Premium food, river views, and free coffee refills. A gift to humanity.
• Stockholm, Day 3: The humongous salad at a café whose name I forgot in the joy of eating it. Worth finding.

Before You Go: Three Things Worth Knowing

1. Always follow the bike route on Google Maps. Do not freestyle navigate on roads you don't know. I cannot stress this enough. Ask Ms. Wildfire.
2. Eat everything. Swedish food is exceptional: fresh, quality ingredients, and portions that mean business. Treat yourself at every opportunity.
3. The terrain is your friend. Almost entirely flat, well-marked paths, and genuinely pleasant cycling all round. Great for Bromptons, beginners, and everyone in between.

And that's that for Ms. Wildfire's Swedish chapter.
Sweden, you were magnificent, patient with my expressway adventures, and absolutely delicious.

TUSEN TACK 🥰

Toulouse , The Canal du Midi affair .

France  /  Toulouse

Two Days,
One Canal,
and a Lot of Burrata

A Brompton's adventure through the Pink City and along the Canal du Midi

Ms. Wildfire Brompton Southern France

I arrived in Toulouse with zero preparation and, rather delightfully, a suite with a full living room to settle into. The only thing on my mind? Getting out for a ride before dinner.

01

Landing in the Pink City

The accommodation was not the most luxurious in the world, but it had two things going for it: a central location and a proper living room to spread out in. A quick unpack, a snap of the panniers onto Ms. Wildfire, and off we went.

I had done absolutely no reading on which neighbourhoods were worth exploring. I still haven't sorted myself a quad-lock phone holder either, which makes navigation a particular kind of adventure. So we did what we always do: followed the cycle path, trusted the instinct, and ended up at a bridge. Honestly, it almost always works out.

Tip for Toulouse: Save your hotel's location before you head out and just wander from there. The cycle paths are well-marked, and cyclists are genuinely respected here. You will find your way.

Later that evening, I joined my colleagues for dinner. They had spent the afternoon on their phones, taking naps, the usual.

Meanwhile, Ms. Wildfire and I had already clocked some of the best bits of the city. I will say it plainly: without Wildfire, I would absolutely be rotting in my room too. She has a remarkable way of dragging me out into the world.

 

Day 2 — Canal du Midi

The next morning, while most of the group set off for a day split between Bordeaux and Toulouse, Ms. Wildfire and I had our sights on something far more specific: the Canal du Midi.

It is a 240 km canal running through southern France, built in the 17th century and still utterly breathtaking. You can jog it, walk it, cycle it, or drift along it by boat. And as always, the further I pedaled from the city, the more beautiful it became.

The further I cycled from the city, the more gorgeous the views became. It always happens that way.

The section I rode was completely flat, which makes for a wonderfully peaceful ride. No grinding climbs, no stressful descents, just the canal, the trees, and the sound of wheels on the path. I genuinely hope to come back and do the entire stretch someday.

A note on lunch: Restaurants along the canal are not conveniently clustered, so plan your timing accordingly. I was lucky to find one open and had the most wonderful burrata salad. I am a devoted burrata person and this one did not disappoint.

There are plenty of bicycle rentals around Toulouse, so there is no excuse not to get on a bike. A ride along the Canal du Midi should be the very first thing on your Toulouse itinerary, full stop.

03

A Day Trip to Carcassonne

The weather on the third day had turned grey and, to be honest, my body had decided to make things a little inconvenient. So I put the bike away and joined the group for a day trip to Carcassonne instead.

It makes for a lovely half-day out. The old fortified city is striking, the food is excellent, and I had my first ever butter snails. They were genuinely delicious. Well, I was in France, and Toulouse is known for its gastronomy, so I probably should not have been surprised.

Until the next ride...

Toulouse is a wonderful city. Go. And whatever you do, do not skip the Canal du Midi.