Adrian and I went out walking. I wanted someplace new, so we picked a walk from a book I recently bought, and walked around lake Albysjön, about 10 km. There are two lakes by this name, both just south of Stockholm but in different counties. This was the one in Tyresö.

Following the guidance of a route description in a book feels very different from simply following signposts or markings on trees. It takes more attention from the walking itself – having to keep the book at hand, trying to figure out where we are in relation to the landmarks described, how far we’ve gotten, have we missed the turn they described… I liked seeing a new place, but I do like following a single well-marked trail better.

The walk itself was nice. The first kilometre or so went along asphalt roads among houses, which we (especially Adrian) didn’t particularly enjoy, but thereafter it was mostly forest paths and some narrow gravel trails through a lot of greenery.

We found a nice clifftop spot for our lunch, with wide views over Albysjön. Halfway through our meal we got a tiny bit of rain – just enough to make Adrian seek shelter under a pine tree, and to get everything slightly wet, but luckily no more than that.

With just the two of us, we could take breaks whenever we wanted for whatever reason – such as finding a small jetty in the middle of a profusion of water lily leaves, which Adrian could throw pine cones at.

At the rapids at Nyfors, we saw a small, dark, furry animal run away across the stones. I can’t keep all the weasel-otter-marten-mink-polecat species straight: there are so many and they’re all so similar, small and slim and dark and furry. This one was on the larger side, and I couldn’t see any light-coloured markings at all, so afterwards, with the help of the internet, I tentatively identified it as maybe a mink.

At the end of our circular walk there was a little café where we had a lovely blueberry pie.