Stockholm
We have now reached our last destination, Stockholm, Sweden. Family and friends met us in Kungsträdgården. Wonderful to be home after 5 months and 6 290 km on the road.
Malmö
”On July 2 at 14:00 to 16:00 in Folkets Park, we greet Lars ”Lövis” Löfström and Mats Melin coming back from ”The Inclusion Tour.”
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Denmark
Monday the 28th of June. Denmark welcomed us with fantastic summer weather. We had our first overnight stay in Maribo at the camping site, where Lars was using their new bathroom designed for people using wheelchairs. Bodil, the camping director, promised to make a few ramps as well.
Tuesday the 29th of June. Still fantastic summer weather. We were interview by John Karlsen a journalist from Folketidende.
To be continued …….
Germany
Wednesday the 23rd of June. Summer time and living is easy ……… Fantastic weather when we were crossing the Dutch – German border. After 104 km, according to Mats meter, we ended up in Friesoythe. There we watched Germanys 1-0 victory over Ghana.
Thursday the 24th of June. We have still summer weather here in northeastern Germany. After 100 km we are now in Bremerhaven.
Friday the 25th of June. Midsommarafton in Sweden today (midsummer night’s dream, you know?) We have done 91 km and crossed the river Elbe. Swimming? No! On a ferry? Yes! Now we are staying in Glückstadt.
Saturday the 26th of June. Today we passed the 5.000 km line and celebrated as usual with Swedish Kex chocolate. After 84 km on the road we enjoyed Ghanas World Cup victory over USA sitting in our hotel room in Bornhöved.
Sunday the 27th of June. Fantastic summer weather! After 64 km in a beautiful landscape with small hills, we ended up in Oldenburg in Holstein.
Monday the 28th of June. The last 40 km in Germany and then we took the ferry from Puttgarden to Rödby in Denmark.
Also Germany became a kind of transfer country. The northwestern part of Germany is accessible with a lot of bicycle and wheelchair paths. They are even better than the Dutch ones. We cannot say anything about inclusion as we did not meet any persons that gave us an insight in the subject.
Netherlands
Saturday the 19th of June. We got our first flat tyre after 4300 km. Today we fought against the cold wind from north and the rain as well. However we made 85 km and reached Breda in Netherlands. Almost everywhere we could see people celebrating Netherlands 1-0 victory over Japan in the World Cup (in football).
Sunday the 20th of June. Almost the same weather today, but we got only a few raindrops. We have travelled through a wheelchair and bicycle friendly landscape. Sometimes we were as low as 19 m under the sea level. After 84 km we reached Utrecht.
Monday the 21st of June. No rain today! Is summer on its way? We did 102 km according to Mats meter today and reached Zwolle late in the evening.
Tuesday the 22nd of June. Less wind, more sun and no rain, Netherlands is shaping up. It is a bicycle country with a lot of bicycle paths, however some are with bumpy stones. We did 80 km and ended up in Emmen.
As you might be able to read out of the text above, Netherlands became a kind of transfer country. It is an accessible country with a lot of bicycle and wheelchair paths. However a number of them have uneven stones. We cannot say anything about inclusion as we did not meet any persons that gave us an insight in the subject.
Belgium and Brussels
Saturday the 12th of June. After 2 days with Gaston and Anita in Bastendorf in Luxembourg are we now back in Belgium. We made 28 km through the rain and reached Arlon.
Sunday the 13th of June. We avoided the rain today and did 65 km up and down the hills. Tonight we are staying in Transinne-en-Haute-Lesse in the Belgian Ardennes.
Monday the 14th of June. We started with sun and finished after 79 km with rain in Namur. Accessibility? Not much done.
Tuesday the 15th of June. Belgium is hillier than we thought.
However after 64 km on the road we reached Brussels and are now staying in the home of Katelijne, an Election Observation colleague of Mats. As the apartment is on the 2nd floor without elevator it takes some effort to climb the 38 steps up to her. But it is a very beautiful apartment.
Wednesday the 16th of June. Lars is resting in the apartment and putting photos on our Blog and Facebook. While Mats is having a city stroll and meeting Election Observation friends.
Thursday the 17th of June. At the Swedish Embassy, we had a tasty inclusion meeting with the Ambassador and his staff. At the European Parliament we met with Swedish staff and got an initiated tour, guided by Olof Pries. The Swedish Embassy was accessible and we can see that at the European Parliament they are progressing in accessibility, but still have more to do. Outside one of the European Commission’s buildings we saw a nice ramp that ended up in several meters of cobblestones not suitable for wheelchair users or anyone on wheels. Brussels has also more to do as only 20% of the metro stations are accessible. A number of buses are equipped with sliding ramps for easy access, but the city has decided to switch them off. As Brussels is one of the most important cities in Europe, where decisions are made in the best interest of people, we think Brussels should take the lead of being accessible for all people.
Friday the 18th of June. Meeting with Ambassador Jan Olsson at the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union. We presented our Inclusion Tour project and we discussed accessibility and inclusion in Europe.The second meeting of the day was with Yves Veulliet Workforce Diversity Program Manager at IBM. Yves, a wheelchair user himself, informed us about the company´s long term work for inclusion of people with disabilities. IBM has understood that there are persons with a disability that is actually an advantage in the work life.
To our host Katelijne; we have been treated very well. Thank you so much!
Left Brussels in the evening for a 25 km short trip to Hofstade, where we were staying overnight in the home of Agust and Lutgarde Verreth.
Luxembourg
Written by Gaston Back, Bastendorf Luxembourg:
What kind of visit was that? Who came and why? Right, I knew Mats well from our time as international election observers, but Lars Löfström? Yes, I knew he would appear in his wheelchair and yes, I knew he’s Mats’ friend since 33 years, but what weighs more? What triggered my curiosity? Well, it was the simple question: “why traveling with a wheelchair from Casablanca back home to Stockholm, when you could fly?”
To write it in advance: Yes I found an answer to all my questions, even though they were surprisingly straightforward.
I found Mats unchanged, the same guy I’ve met six years ago in Indonesia and with whom I did spent several month in Papua. During that time we un-puzzled each other and I believe there are no secrets to reveal. He told me about his friend Lars, who sits in a wheelchair but has a very active life as sportsman and individual. Right, I thought many have and good for him and that was all I thought. Not my problem anyway! Now six years after that average reflection, there they were, at our meeting in Luxembourg. I saw Mats first, with his funny light blue women’s’ bike, the color matching his favorite football team, Malmö FF! I gave him a hug and wished him welcome and then there was him, Lars! Simply Lars! That wheelchair became invisible at the first sight, a fact that I was told from many people he has met on our tour in Luxembourg. Lars is, and please allow me that sentimental not at all rational reflection, he is just a regular man whit the most positive attitude and an incredible open, friendly face.
We stored away the luggage, a word that includes the wheelchair, and read my words carefully: the wheelchair was the lightest object we’ve had to store. Luckily I have a pickup truck! We drove to our house and had a chat, looked at the landscape and the villages passing by, and it felt like having a drive with longtime friends, who happens to live just around the block.
My family welcomed both and I could see that the same happened to them, it was just about Lars. We’ve had dinner together and stories got told, memories refreshed, batteries reloaded (including ours) and it was an evening dearly remembered. Luxembourg became not only a stop-over and a possibility to explain the inclusion tour and to talk and sensitize, no Anita became the purser and logistic support for the team.
But let me skip the private and well remembered healthy memories and boosts of our all karmas, and report about the inclusion tour in Luxembourg.
We’ve had a first meeting with “Info Handicap”, and association linked to the ministry of family and working since 1993. Their representatives showed a lot of interest, but could not hide their disappointment about the little they were able to achieve. As I am not an expert in the material, I refrain of any judgment, but visits like that and actions like the inclusion tour might relight the fire in their hearts. Fire in the heart of Luciano Fratini, has not to be fanned, one has the impression it needs a fire extinguisher! This man sits in a wheelchair ever since he had a motorbike accident and believe me: his wheelchair is not becoming invisible – No far from that, he puts it on the table and fires up sirens, and he is right! We need a man like that and I respect him a lot, although my ears are still ringing! Apart of being an activist, he is the chairperson of Lux Rollers, a wheelchair basketball team, a fact that made the day of many of us. But later more about that.
It was an important meeting with Luciano, he not only explained the facts and problems in Luxembourg, made us aware of weak points, Lars could later inspect during his visit in the company of a TV crew, no, more over he had invited to the lunch table a French researcher, who writes on her dissertation about the trauma and its psychological impact on each individual after an accident that results in a life in a wheelchair. Sylvie stayed with Lars and observed his undertakings with the TV crew and often had tears in her eyes. At one point, she turned to Sven, our Sven who studies in the field of medical health care and assisted us during that day , and to me and she said: “ I am so moved when I see that man and his positive aura, may God put a light into everyone’s heart who talks to him!”. Well, Lars cannot walk over the sea, nor can he roll on it, but we understood the impact of the inclusion tour to the people involved.
The TV crew of RTL consisted of Conny Waldbillig and her cameraman. From our point of view, they made a very good job, where active, patient, involved and positive and good fun too. We tested a lot of facilities and barriers in a daily life for wheelchairs, elderly people and parents with baby carriages or simply travelers with luggage. Lars explained that inclusion is about all these groups and that inclusion is rather a philosophical and mental accomplishment and we involved as many citizens as we could. There is still a lot to do in Luxembourg, and there is no way to prettify the facts, little has been done in the last decade to improve the situation. Although Lars is a former world record holder and five times Paralympic gold medal winner among 9 other Paralympic medals, he never has put himself in front of the inclusion tour, but always highlighted the noble cause. However, neither the written press, nor the TV crew could ignore his record and were impressed by his humble and friendly appearance. And it showed as the TV journalist at the end of the long day together with Luciano and all of us joined into a basketball match in the wheelchair. And there it was again, the wheelchair! After all that time and talks, the wheelchair reappeared in our minds. Well, we were sitting in it and played basketball. What can I say, it was just a basketball match, it was good fun and we all enjoyed it. Hey Lars, I said at one point, life is not over when you sit in it! He just grinned, because he knows!
The Inclusion Tour 2010 has had its impact to Luxembourg and its population. There was interest, there was a presence and, God knows, maybe Sylvie has a point?
Mats asked me to write an essay about their visit, I accepted, not at least to reconsider my thoughts and to reflect on their visit.
What kind of visit was that? Who came and why? Well Mats and Lars came, they stayed with us and we’ve had a good time! It is as simple as that!
Paris
Monday the 31st of May. Paris here we are! Both of us are happy to be here, however a bit marked by the effect from that we have been on the road for 16 days with only 1 day of rest. It was much easier to bike into the centre of Paris than into the centre of Madrid. We went directly to the Swedish Embassy that has helped us with preparations for an inclusion seminar, as well as our first night of stay. The Swedish Embassy in Paris is by far the most accessible we have been to. We did our laundry and bought some food that we ate in our room.
Tuesday the 1st of June. Today we have been interviewed and filmed by a TV crew for both France2 and TV5. Lars wheelchair has got a “4 year” service. We have moved from the south side to the north side of river Seine. Now we are staying at the Swedish Church and in their congregation hall.
Wednesday the 2nd of June. We strolled around in Paris. Among other places, we visited Napoleon and Hotel des Invalides. Lovely evening in Paris and we enjoyed a nice barbecue at the Swedish Church. Summer is here.
Thursday the 3rd of June. We participated in an interesting inclusion seminar at the Swedish Embassy. The seminar was opened by the Ambassador Gunnar Lund. Among the participants were staffs from the Swedish Embassy and “Association des Paralysés de France (APF). TV, radio, blog and print media were present as well. In the evening we were invited to a nice dinner in our friend Magnus home.
Accessibility and inclusion: According to APF accessibility list (Le barométre APF de l´accessibilité), Paris is on 39th place. The top three French cities are Nantes, Evry and Lyon.