Tällberg, on Siljan - Monday, 15 August

Geoff
Amanda braved the earth closet loo this morning. I used other facilities nearby, doing a four mile walk before breakfast around the end of the island.

We left Sollerön and drove up to the next town, Mora, hoping to find some wifi but our co-ordinates for tourist information took us to a bus station. The town's main claim to fame is having been the home of Anders Zorna, an artist who painted pictures of ladies without clothing. We then drove down the eastern side of Siljan for maybe twenty miles to Rattvik, where the tourist information office provided wifi and info about things to do locally. We plan to spend some time in the town tomorrow as it looked quite interesting (the sun was shining).

We went on a few miles to our planned overnight stop, a camp site at Tällberg, on the side of Siljan. We've booked for two nights. Tällberg itself is very picture postcardy. It is quite spread out and doesn't seem to be a village with any kind of centre. It has some 200 inhabitants and eight hotels. These, and the houses we saw as we drove down towards the water's edge, we're all very attractive. The site we're on isn't large and we weren't sure that we would get a space but we were in luck. In fact, the front row nearest the water was completely free so we bagged one of these. Sweden seems to have a short summer season which ends around the end of August so this will be good for us, hopefully.

I managed a circular walk of about three miles along the side of Siljan, much of it through woodland, finishing with a road walk and back along the waterside path before supper this evening.

Amanda

Our overnight site was so beautiful that had it not been for the lack of facilities we would happily have stayed another night. We set off in the hope that we might find a site in a similar location somewhere around the lake.

Our first stop was at Mora, at the north end of the lake. We couldn't find the Tourist Office, and weren't impressed by what we could see of the busy town, so moved on round the lake to Rattvik. Here we had success, finding a TIO with wifi and lots of useful information. There is plenty of interest in the area. As a result we came straight to the site we are now settled at for a couple of nights. It is as perfect as can be for our needs. In Tällberg, right on the lake, and not big. It's a pretty smart place which, according to Lonely Planet, has eight upmarket hotels (but small and discreet) to its 200 residents. LP waxes lyrical, describing it as "tiny Tällberg ... cuteness personified with its smattering of gingerbread houses". A bit OTT, but it is very attractive. How wonderful to have a really nice, simple campsite in such a lovely place. We have  a pitch at the front with an uninterrupted view over the lake through the now familiar well spaced out silver birches and pines. I had a dip - a bit chilly - followed by a hot shower. Bliss! And G seems to have managed to cover 8 miles + in his pre-breakfast and pre-supper walks.

We are now watching the sun set over the lake. There's enough breeze for there to be small waves on the lake, and the sound of the  water lapping on the shore just completes the perfect setting. Glad we are booked for another night.