We had an excursion this morning straight from the boat. We walked maybe 1km to the church and ruined cloister at Vreta, which dates back to around 1100. This was the very first nunnery in Sweden. There wasn't really very much left of the nunnery but the inside of the church was interesting. In particular, there is a chapel with coffins bearing the remains of various members of the Scottish Douglas family, believed to be mercenaries who fought in the Thirty Years War. It really is difficult to over estimate the effects of that period of upheaval in the heart of Europe. Although the main theatre of the war was what is now Germany, the Scots were in the pay of the King of Sweden.
While we were off the boat, it made its way up a staircase of locks. We were then on the boat for most of the day except for another staircase where it was fascinating to watch the boat make its leisurely way upwards.
We are moored tonight in Motala, a sizeable town. Here, there is a motor museum which we have visited this evening. Lots of interesting exhibits, memorabilia, etc. and there was also a separate collection of old radios and televisions. Very well worth visiting.
Amanda
Our mooring last night
was at the bottom of the Berg sequence of locks, fifteen locks in all
starting with a staircase of seven. The view from the top of the
staircase watching the Diana ascend, with the lake in the background,
and the sun shining from a blue sky, was quite spectacular.
We left the boat to make her way through all the locks, and walked on along the towpath and then away from the canal on the road for about half a mile to the old convent church of Vreta, with its adjacent neat ruins, a clear footprint, of the convent. The convent, and parts of the church dated from the 11th century. The church is now an active, beautifully maintained, parish church, and is only open to the public at weekends. A lovely steward was on duty, and coffee, tea, cold drinks and homemade biscuits were laid out for any visitors who might come along! The church was wonderful, and there were many fascinating layers of history to be discovered. Our hour there passed all too quickly. We then walked back to rejoin the boat as she reached the top of the locks - two and a half hours after she had set off from the bottom lock.
We left the boat to make her way through all the locks, and walked on along the towpath and then away from the canal on the road for about half a mile to the old convent church of Vreta, with its adjacent neat ruins, a clear footprint, of the convent. The convent, and parts of the church dated from the 11th century. The church is now an active, beautifully maintained, parish church, and is only open to the public at weekends. A lovely steward was on duty, and coffee, tea, cold drinks and homemade biscuits were laid out for any visitors who might come along! The church was wonderful, and there were many fascinating layers of history to be discovered. Our hour there passed all too quickly. We then walked back to rejoin the boat as she reached the top of the locks - two and a half hours after she had set off from the bottom lock.
Another relaxing
afternoon of scenic cruising followed, all in perfect weather with a
light breeze, and including crossing Lake Boren and navigating
another staircase, this time of five locks. It was interrupted only
for lunch, afternoon tea, and then an early dinner at 6 pm. It's a
hard life!
The food has been very enjoyable. It is a set menu - the small space on board makes offering a choice unrealistic - and is, as far as we can tell, Swedish cuisine. The menu is presented in Swedish, English and German, and sometimes we have to resort to translating the other two languages to get the meaning of a strange English translation. Today, for example, the starter at lunch was "minced elk cubicle with cranberry chutney". After a few guesses, (and wondering whether it was a misprint!) we established that it was Minced Elk Column. The minced Elk was wrapped in a little pancake, and arranged so that it stood up. No matter that all but mine had toppled over in the course of serving. It was delicious.
During supper we arrived at Motala, "the capital of the Göta Canal", and this evening have visited the Motala Motor Museum, just a stone's throw from where the boat is moored. With a large and very varied collection of vintage cars and motorbikes, and collections of old radios and typewriters, G was in his element and our Canadian friends became nostalgic when they came across a motorbike like the one they had travelled on, camping en route, to Stockholm from Scotland in 1960.
About the MS Diana
The food has been very enjoyable. It is a set menu - the small space on board makes offering a choice unrealistic - and is, as far as we can tell, Swedish cuisine. The menu is presented in Swedish, English and German, and sometimes we have to resort to translating the other two languages to get the meaning of a strange English translation. Today, for example, the starter at lunch was "minced elk cubicle with cranberry chutney". After a few guesses, (and wondering whether it was a misprint!) we established that it was Minced Elk Column. The minced Elk was wrapped in a little pancake, and arranged so that it stood up. No matter that all but mine had toppled over in the course of serving. It was delicious.
During supper we arrived at Motala, "the capital of the Göta Canal", and this evening have visited the Motala Motor Museum, just a stone's throw from where the boat is moored. With a large and very varied collection of vintage cars and motorbikes, and collections of old radios and typewriters, G was in his element and our Canadian friends became nostalgic when they came across a motorbike like the one they had travelled on, camping en route, to Stockholm from Scotland in 1960.
About the MS Diana
MS Diana, one of the three similar boats operated
by the Göta Canal Co, is not a big boat, and is the youngest of the
three, built in 1931. It is 31.66m long and has 28 cabins on three
decks. They are small cabins, all wood with brass trimmings. Most of
them have bunk beds. Think slightly smaller than railway sleeper
compartments and that will give an idea of their size. Ours is a
little larger and has two narrow single beds (which are very
comfortable). Each cabin has a wash basin but no en suite. On each
deck are loos and a couple of showers. The idea is "to
experience travel as it would have been enjoyed" in the early
days of the canal, and by the likes of Hans Christian Anderson. I
suspect that it is a similar experience to travelling on the Orient
Express, but at a very leisurely pace and with added access to fresh
air! On the middle deck is the dining room, and a small lounge area,
in one corner of which is the ship's library, with a selection of
books about Sweden and the canal, mainly in Swedish but some in
German and English. A short flight of steep carpeted stairs goes down
from there to the bottom deck (where our cabin is), one of eleven.
There are also a few small cabins on the middle deck. There is a
walkway around the middle deck and, at the bow end, an almost
vertical set of steps up to what is called the shelter deck (best
to come down backwards). It is open, and there are plenty of
comfortable wicker chairs and tables up there. Because it is covered
by a strong awning, it is a lovely place to be whatever the weather,
rain or blazing sun, and there are blankets on every chair
for "snuggling into" if required. The supposedly poshest
cabins, about twelve of them, are also on this deck, but have bunks.
The captain's bridge is at the stern end.
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