There was little reason to beleive that we would be able to get up the next morning after such a drawn-out travel day and be ready for a kayak tour.  But these were Louise’s plans, and, sure enough, we were up and out by 10 a.m. (4 a.m. EST), and on the water of the town’s narrow harbor.

This is truly a testament to our host’s sheer force of will, and all five of us benefitted from hearing stories that covered various parts of the estuary and even some of the small islands  between the banks.  Taking a kayak tour was also something Louise had wanted to do for a long time, but she didn’t feel like her parents were up for the trip.

The same bridge we kayaked under a little while ago

Having seen Ahus from the water, we hopped back on land to hit a few of the spots she missed showing us yesterday.  These included the city library, which has a very efficient way to process its book loans.  “I don’t know why I get so excited about these things!” she said as she was checking out a book.  “But I do!”

Louise even taught us a Viking yard game called Cube.

Getting excited is something Louise is very good at.   She shared this skill a little later in the morning by bringing us to the famous Otto Glas ice cream stand on the town square.  Most everyone was excited about this.  The flavors selected ranged from pear and egg liquor, pear and melon, and elderbery with lime ripple and coconut.

You get to choose two flavors per one-scoop serving, but really you’re getting two scoops — Louise says you can get this brand of ice cream in Stockholm, but they are not nearly as generous with the servings in the capital.  And it’s put in a big homemade waffle cone.  And it’s all dipped in a chocolate sauce that turns into a hard shell.   I’m sure you can sense the excitment this caused.

Zoe with one of the little beach houses

Next, it was back to touring.  We got on our borrowed bikes and visisted the two beaches we missed yesterday.  Beaches are one of the three things Ahus is best known for.  The population of the city swells by a third in the summer because of all the beachgoers.  We rode through several neighborhoods of homes that looked sturdy enough to live in all year, but probably were mostly used during beach season.

The water was cold, and even Louise was not excited enough to go swimming. But these two were.

Then, right on the beach, there are tiny houses that families have built decades ago.  Although you can’t build new ones anymore, the old ones are allowed to stay.  Louise pointed out her favorite, a white one with an orange roof that was hosting a family gathering as we walked by.

In between the two beaches we needed to portage our bikes a mile or so through a forest.  Again, no complaints from anyone in our camp.  It started to rain a bit.  Still, we were all happy campers.  The momentum of Louise’s excitement carried us all through.

After another meal at Louise’s parents’ house and a quick trip to the grocery store, we were ready to head off on the next leg of our trip.  Louise saw us off at the bus stop and we reversed the last part of our trip from yesterday.

Goodbye at the bus stop

Then we had a quick train trip to meet the train that would take us to Stockholm, four hours away. We had gotten so used to traveling by bicycle — and to having Louise’s authentic Swedish comfort food —  that it was difficult to leave.  She assured us, though, that there would be plenty of cool things to see in Stockholm.  We are already lowering our expectations when it comes to ice cream servings.

Waiting for a train in Hasselholm

The light faded slowly as we watched bustling Swedish towns and sprawling wheat fields go by.  It didn’t get dark until just before we arrived in Stockholm, around 10:30 p.m.  We managed to find our accommodations, a slightly more difficult task than you might think.

From the window of the 18:46 train to Stockholm

We are relying on wifi to keep us informed, so street navigation is not as smooth as it would be if we constatnly tied into the Internet.

We found our place, though.  It’s a hip hostel still buzzing with young people in the lobby when we arrived after 11.  We have a six-bunk room to ourselves, and it has its own bathroom.  We’re hoping to get up relatively early to explore the city, but all bets are off given our late bedtimes and the fact that Louise and her dynamism are several hours away.