Sandösunds Camping, Vårdö - Wednesday, 7 September

Geoff
We were rather sorry to leave Söderhagen Camping, debating whether or not to stay for a third night. It's nice not to be in a hurry to do anything. Sven's son came round with a card machine so we paid €40 for the two nights and that really made the decision for us. Our young German friend, Stefan, had gone to catch his ferry back to Sweden. Amanda took rather a shine to him ;-)

We set the satnav for the island of Vårdö, where we knew there was a good camp site (providing it was still open). We had a leisurely drive on quite deserted roads. We stopped off at Frebbenby supermarket again and this time found the milk. The yoghurt drink is actually very nice so it won't go to waste. Amanda bought a large jar of locally made apple sauce (she's partial to it). It will go well with the tin of pulled pork we bought yesterday but later on she attacked the jar with a spoon.

The road took us over the islands of Jomala, Finström, Saltvik, Sund and then Prästö (where we stopped for lunch overlooking the road bridge by the ruins of Bomarsund fortress), over the cable ferry (which was waiting for us - thirty seconds later, the barrier came down) and on to the island of Töftö, and then to Vårdö. In most cases today, there has just been a bridge linking islands or sometimes nothing discernible. The weather today has been just perfect, not hot by any means, but still and with a clear blue sky. The sky reflecting on the various waters we crossed gave them a beautiful blue hue. We'd obviously seen photos of similar scenes and assumed they'd been touched up, but no, it really is the colour in magazines.

We arrived at Sandösunds, about a quarter mile down a dirt track. We had no idea if it was open. On arrival, reception was closed but there were odd signs of life - a bicycle here and a fishing rod standing against a wooden chalet there. We 'phoned a number in the reception window and were told to choose a pitch and someone would find us later. We are amongst trees with a hookup. There are rather a lot of biting insects (we've both been attacked) but decided to stay here as anywhere else might well be the same. It's just the time of year and the warm spell that has brought the insects out.

A short walk through the woodland on the site brought me to a wooden viewing tower. The views from the top of the surrounding waters and forest were worth the climb but not that far reaching.

I tracked down Olof, the owner of the site, and paid €18, which is less than we've been paying in Sweden and the facilities are very good, even a well-equipped kitchen. The wifi is also good. I asked Olof when the site closes for the year. Although he has a house in the nearby village, he prefers to live on the site so it never closes. I think I understood him to say that he owns a nearby island and spends time there as well, probably for the fishing. Most men I've seen on the site have been carrying a fishing rod. I wish I had one here, although I haven't fished for years. Maybe it's something to bring on a future trip to Scandinavia.

Amanda

I now realise that we are not yet experiencing another language, as it is still Swedish spoken here. So no excuse for Geoff! Although the yoghurt drink isn't at all bad. Especially when mixed with the apple juice which is abundant here. Apparently Åland produces 70% of Finland's apples. We have bought a 3 litre box of apple juice, like a wine box, and it is excellent. We may have to bring stocks home with us.

We dithered about whether to stay on another night at Söderhagen. The weather was so gorgeous and the site so perfect. We did some washing - and got it all dry! - and bid farewell to Stefan who is heading home. We exchanged photos and email addresses, and he has an invitation to visit if he comes to England. A delightful young man.

Eventually we decided to move on, and, after a stop at the shop/bank,(the bank is just a room accessed through the shop) island hopped by bridge and ferry in an easterly direction, our destination Vårdö, and another site recommended by Paul and Sheila.

I mentioned yesterday that we have got used to breathtaking views, but at one point today, as we crossed a bridge between islands, we both gasped audibly at the same moment at the view which opened up before us. Brilliant blue seas, bright blue cloudless sky. We stopped just over the bridge to take photos, and also made it our lunch stop. We were on the small island of Prästö between the islands of  Sund and Töftö. We have to return the same way, and will stop again then as there is much to see.

The campsite, Sandösunds, on Vårdö, has water on three sides -  on one side a proper beach - and the whole site is thickly wooded. We wandered around the site, at the owner's invitation, to choose a pitch. There were a couple of German motorhomes in an open waterside space, but otherwise no one in a pretty large campsite! There are, however, a lot of biting insects! We chose a spot away from the water amongst the trees, but have both been bitten! I am happy to hibernate, but Geoff did call me out to enjoy the evening light across the water. A few young people with bikes, canoes and tents have arrived and set up camp by the beach, but we can't see anyone from where we are, and it is all very quiet, dark and peaceful.