World Touring Cyclist Stops In Winona Lake
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jen [email protected]
When local retirees Mary Eherenman and Shirley Chase sat down for a cup of coffee Thursday afternoon, they had no idea they would soon be sharing their java with a world traveler.
Eherenman and Chase were sitting outside the Chocolate Café & Boutique, enjoying a fresh cup of coffee, when they struck up a conversation with a bicyclist on the sidewalk.[[In-content Ad]]Come to find out, the bicyclist, Anders Forselius, is from Sweden and is in the midst of riding his bicycle around the world.
After learning this, the ladies bought Forselius a cup of coffee and invited him to sit and chat. Eventually, Eherenman disappeared inside the shop and reappeared with a pulled pork barbecue sandwich and pasta salad, both homemade by Jerry Long, co-owner of the Chocolate Café.
While eating his lunch, Forselius told a little bit about himself and his journey.
Forselius is from Ljusdal, Sweden, a town about the size of Warsaw, and has been cycling for about 10 years. He has spent the last several years traveling and riding the bicycle throughout the world. This will be his third time riding across the United States.
"I have been through Europe four times," Forselius said. "The southern part, Albania and Slovenia, and such are friendly, but when you get into the north - Germany, Austria, Scandinavia - no one talks to you. Here, everyone talks to you. People are so friendly here in the U.S. They talk to me, shake hands. It's nice."
Forselius started his "Marathon Tour 2008" journey April 14 at Olympic Stadium in Greece, where he watched a marathon.
From Greece, he biked to Berlin, Germany, where he saw the stadium built for the 1946 Olympics. While riding in Europe, Forselius rode his bicycle through many countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and, of course, Germany.
On May 31, Forselius competed in a marathon in Stockholm, Sweden, and then on June 1, with his bicycle, boarded a plane for New York.
He hopped on the bike in Manhattan and made his way through the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio before heading to the Hoosier state.
When Eherenman and Chase caught up with Forselius Thursday afternoon, he was headed toward Plymouth from Columbia City, where he spent the night at a fire station Wednesday night. After stopping to meet Eherenman and Chase and share his story, Forselius planned to head to Winona Lake to check out the Trailhouse before continuing his journey to Plymouth, where he hoped to stay overnight at the fire station.
Forselius travels light - his clothing, a tent, a laptop and a cellular telephone are held in backpacks put in wire baskets attached to the bike - which is essential when riding 65 to 70 miles per day. Usually, he stays at fire stations or EMS stations overnight, either camping or staying inside the buildings when invited. Sometimes, he even gets to ride along on calls if the situation is not critical. He rises early in the morning and tries to be on his way by 7:30 a.m.
After Plymouth, Forselius plans to visit Chicago and catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
"Go Cubs! World Series!" Forselius said with a smile.
After Chicago, he will continue his trip through the northern part of the United States, including Wyoming and Montana before arriving in Olympia, Wash., where he will catch a plane to Hong Kong, China, July 31. He plans to bike from Hong Kong to Beijing and watch the marathon on the last day of the Beijing Olympics.
From there, Forselius plans to go to Korea and Japan, and after leaving Japan, he wants to take the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Finland. He will ride the bicycle from Finland to Athens, Greece, then run in a marathon in Greece Nov. 9.
The entire trip is being documented on a Swedish Web site (www.metrobloggen.se/samborombon). Forselius updates the site with photos and stories each day.
Latest News
E-Editions
When local retirees Mary Eherenman and Shirley Chase sat down for a cup of coffee Thursday afternoon, they had no idea they would soon be sharing their java with a world traveler.
Eherenman and Chase were sitting outside the Chocolate Café & Boutique, enjoying a fresh cup of coffee, when they struck up a conversation with a bicyclist on the sidewalk.[[In-content Ad]]Come to find out, the bicyclist, Anders Forselius, is from Sweden and is in the midst of riding his bicycle around the world.
After learning this, the ladies bought Forselius a cup of coffee and invited him to sit and chat. Eventually, Eherenman disappeared inside the shop and reappeared with a pulled pork barbecue sandwich and pasta salad, both homemade by Jerry Long, co-owner of the Chocolate Café.
While eating his lunch, Forselius told a little bit about himself and his journey.
Forselius is from Ljusdal, Sweden, a town about the size of Warsaw, and has been cycling for about 10 years. He has spent the last several years traveling and riding the bicycle throughout the world. This will be his third time riding across the United States.
"I have been through Europe four times," Forselius said. "The southern part, Albania and Slovenia, and such are friendly, but when you get into the north - Germany, Austria, Scandinavia - no one talks to you. Here, everyone talks to you. People are so friendly here in the U.S. They talk to me, shake hands. It's nice."
Forselius started his "Marathon Tour 2008" journey April 14 at Olympic Stadium in Greece, where he watched a marathon.
From Greece, he biked to Berlin, Germany, where he saw the stadium built for the 1946 Olympics. While riding in Europe, Forselius rode his bicycle through many countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and, of course, Germany.
On May 31, Forselius competed in a marathon in Stockholm, Sweden, and then on June 1, with his bicycle, boarded a plane for New York.
He hopped on the bike in Manhattan and made his way through the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio before heading to the Hoosier state.
When Eherenman and Chase caught up with Forselius Thursday afternoon, he was headed toward Plymouth from Columbia City, where he spent the night at a fire station Wednesday night. After stopping to meet Eherenman and Chase and share his story, Forselius planned to head to Winona Lake to check out the Trailhouse before continuing his journey to Plymouth, where he hoped to stay overnight at the fire station.
Forselius travels light - his clothing, a tent, a laptop and a cellular telephone are held in backpacks put in wire baskets attached to the bike - which is essential when riding 65 to 70 miles per day. Usually, he stays at fire stations or EMS stations overnight, either camping or staying inside the buildings when invited. Sometimes, he even gets to ride along on calls if the situation is not critical. He rises early in the morning and tries to be on his way by 7:30 a.m.
After Plymouth, Forselius plans to visit Chicago and catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
"Go Cubs! World Series!" Forselius said with a smile.
After Chicago, he will continue his trip through the northern part of the United States, including Wyoming and Montana before arriving in Olympia, Wash., where he will catch a plane to Hong Kong, China, July 31. He plans to bike from Hong Kong to Beijing and watch the marathon on the last day of the Beijing Olympics.
From there, Forselius plans to go to Korea and Japan, and after leaving Japan, he wants to take the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Finland. He will ride the bicycle from Finland to Athens, Greece, then run in a marathon in Greece Nov. 9.
The entire trip is being documented on a Swedish Web site (www.metrobloggen.se/samborombon). Forselius updates the site with photos and stories each day.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092