Edskens camp site, nr Hofors - Friday, 19 August

Geoff
I slept very well and wasn't disturbed by traffic noise in the Biltema car park. We headed for the Kopparberget Copper Mine just outside Falun. This mine, at one time, supplied two thirds of the world's copper. In the 17th century, it was the biggest copper mine in the world. It has been worked for many centuries although closed in 1992. The workings and buildings can still be seen and there is a visitor centre. For an additional cost, there is a guided underground tour.

After lunch, we drove into Falun and visited the Stora Kopparbergs Kyrka, a late 14th century church which is Falun's oldest building. It was big and the painted vaulted ceilings and wooden carvings were impressive. We then went on to the Dalarnas Museum. Our visit was necessarily rushed as I messed up the parking automat and only got parking for twenty minutes (because I haven't reset my watch, which continues to show UK time). There was a display of Hagstrom electric guitars (as played by David Bowie and Frank Zappa). Also a collection of paintings by modern painters. There was quite a bit we'd have liked to return to see and Falun looked a place we'd like to see more of.

We identified a couple of camp sites close by to enable us to go back into town tomorrow. However, the first was full to overflowing as it was hosting a rock festival. The second was full because of the effect of the first. Therefore, we decided to place a little distance between us and Falun. After some torrential rain along the way, on the E16 just before the town of Hofors, we alighted upon Edskens camp site, on the edge of a large lake that bears the same name. Virtually all of the units here are largish touring caravans that are probably here for the season as the site is in a lovely position. However, they found a pitch for us. The facilities are good and they have a small on site restaurant where, tonight, they were offering a Greek buffet meal. We opted for that, it being our wedding anniversary. I think it was our first evening meal out on this trip. It was very good.

Amanda

Once all the blinds are closed it doesn't really affect us where we are overnight - although last night my good night's sleep was helped by earplugs to dull the traffic noise and the noise of the rain. A mooch around Biltema before leaving produced a couple more useful purchases including a  pair of frying pans and some new chopping boards. We do get excited in these shops full of useful stuff! Very sad!

The town of Falun, with numerous interesting possibilities on offer, was only a few miles up the road. First stop was the Copper Mine, a world heritage site, which only closed in 1992. It was the source of the colour that all the houses around here are painted. A huge site, with lots of different original buildings. It would have been easy to spend a whole day there, although neither of us was keen to go down the mine.

Having not spoken to any English people for 4+ weeks, we were surprised to come across a GB plate on a VW Autosleeper conversion in the car park. Not only that, it had a Cotswold Motorhomes sticker in the back like ours. G spoke to the couple who have done numerous Scandinavian holidays, and who recommended a Silver Mine not far away. We did some internet research on that and decided that, although it looked amazing, we didn't want to go down that one either.

We nearly decided to give the actual town of Falun a miss, but were very glad we didn't. We visited the old church, which was magnificent, with red brick vaulted ceiling. Lonely Planet mentioned its painted floral wall friezes, and there were also similar paintings around the ceiling arches. I have no idea how old they were, because the church history guide didn't mention them. They were rather reminiscent of Laura Ashley circa 1980, but were very attractive nonetheless.

Next was a very quick visit to the Dalarna Folkmuseum. Again, we didn't have time to do it justice. Of particular note was a 'taster' for the forthcoming "world's greatest Hagstrom exhibition' - famous guitars! The taster itself was pretty impressive. Hagstrom also make accordians, and the reason for the accordian playing at Tällberg became clear. The Dalarna area is apparently very famous for its accordians, having at one time had no fewer than five companies making them.

Thinking we might like to return to Falun tomorrow we set off in search of a nearby campsite. The first one was not just full but heaving - another music festival but this time definitely of the Rock variety. The second one was also full. So we gave up on Falun, and headed on in our original planned direction. G located a campsite sign on Pocket Earth, and it was very definitely third time lucky. This is a simple small site (about 40 pitches, but a lot of them  caravans here for the season) with some additional log cabins, in another lovely lakeside setting, with a small cafe/restaurant. We were informed that the chef was laying on a Greek Buffet if we were interested, and we could just turn up! We needed no persuading. It was superb!

Biltema car park, Borlänge - Thursday, 18 August

Geoff
Today, we had something planned for the morning and another thing for the afternoon. First, we drove to the little town of Insjön. We visited the Clas Ohlson Museum. Now, I'd never heard of him, but his name is known in the UK, it seems. In 1918, he started in business on his own, selling DIY manuals and technical drawings. He had a bicycle repair shop and sold plans and materials by mail order for woodworking machines, kayaks, radio receivers, steam engines and grandfather clocks. Now, the name is known for large retail stores in several countries. I googled the name and there are Clas Ohlson stores in the UK, although some are currently closing as sales have been lower than expected. We went in the adjacent store and bought a few things, including a Multi-trimmer, which means that I will get a haircut maybe in the next couple of days!

Clas Ohlson museum

Amanda navigated us to an interesting place for our sandwich lunch. We swung off the main road, over a railway and along a track uphill for a mile or so. The camper didn't like it! At the end of the track, was a little car park at the entrance to a nature reserve. I wandered off into the woodland, where there was a well used path with others signed off it to various places.

After lunch, we motored to Borlänge, a largish town not far away. The town's famous son is the Swedish tenor, Jussi Björling (1911-1960). We visited the little museum that bears his name, which is very much a labour of love. During his life, he toured Europe and the USA and made many recordings of operatic songs. We bought a CD of some of his music.

Jussi Björling museum

A visit to Sweden wouldn't be complete without a visit to an IKEA store, which is what I did this evening. We may pop in tomorrow morning before we leave Borlänge. We are spending the night in the car park of a Biltema store in an area reserved for camper vans. There are decent loos in the store until 8pm and again at 7am. There is some traffic noise but for a free overnight stop we can't complain.

Amanda

We bid a fond farewell to Tällberg and embarked on an urban day taking in a couple of museums which had attracted G's attention. First stop was the Clas Ohlson museum not far from Leksand. He started a mail order firm in the 1920's from which grew quite a little empire. His stores and catalogue cover household goods, camping equipment, games, bicycles and electrical equipment, all at very reasonable prices. Although we had never heard the name, we have since discovered that there has been a  Clas Ohlson store in Norwich, now closed. We enjoyed the museum, and then went across to the store , in search of a replacement  for the cheap Tesco frying pan that ended up in a rubbish bin a few weeks ago. Having discovered when I checked and paid our Barclaycard statement this morning that we have spent less this month than we usually do at home, we got a little carried away, and purchased a number of very useful bits and pieces, including two things that we have wished we had brought with us. The first is a multi-trimmer for Geoff's hair. He is getting agitated because it is growing too long already after his number 5 trim just before we left. I have never used one before, but it can't be too difficult, can it? The second is a salad spinner. You may laugh, but what spins salad can also spin hand-washed underwear and socks! And it is also a bowl shaped measuring jug, so fits the required multi-purpose standard admirably. We didn't find the right size frying pan though.
We moved on heading for our next stop in the town of Borlänge, but I diverted us in search of a nice rural  lunchstopspot. We headed up and up a narrow unmade road with no passing places, (and no other vehicles, fortunately) which got more and more bumpy, to find an isolated little parking place at the end, with a picnic table, and far reaching views.  G was able to enjoy a wooded leg stretch while I made the sandwiches. He informed me that my reward for finding the place was to drive back down again, but I didn't want to deny him the pleasure.

Our destination in Borlänge - which seemed a very pleasant large town in the sunshine - was the Jussi

Björling museum. I remember my mother speaking of him in the same breath as Caruso and Richard Tauber. As with this morning's museum, this was a lovingly put together and maintained tribute to a fascinating man. He was only 49 when he died in 1960,  but produced a huge number of recordings and gave an amazing number of concerts all over the world. I was inspired to buy a CD - avoiding Nessun Dorma, but including the Pearl Fishers duet.

It was 5.30 by the time we had shopped for basic provisions (bread, milk, eggs, chocolate?), and been distracted by Coconut Icecream, which came in two little half coconut shells and seems to have been produced in Spain for a Japanese market; and a freezer full has ended up in a German supermarket in Sweden! Delicious! They had to be consumed immediately of course, as we have no freezer. So, as time was getting on, we thought we'd suss out the town's Camperstop. Thus our urban day has ended fittingly in an out of town shopping centre next to a Biltema store. Instead of his habitual pre-supper ramble through the woods, G set out intrepidly  on an expedition to IKEA, nearby but the other side of a couple of busy roads.

He has just returned having, he says, broken into a cold sweat when he couldn't find his way out. So question - did he ever get lost on his early evening treks? Answer - just the once .....

Tällberg, on Siljan - Wednesday, 17 August

Geoff
Just a short outing from the site today. We drove the scenic route through a few villages to the next town, Leksand. It hosts a large festival each June when some 20,000 people come and dance around a maypole (presumably not at the same time). We had come, mainly, to see the church, parts of which were built in the 13th century. It has an onion shaped dome. Inside was blue painted seating and much gold leaf. The organ was impressive. There was a young man playing the organ, although in short bursts and once, either he or another man, sang something.

A traditional holiday "stuga" at Tällberg

We move on tomorrow.

Amanda

The beautiful sunset last night didn't deliver, and it has been overcast and cool all day, but no rain. Feeling very relaxed and unpressured, we enjoyed a lazy morning, and then did a trip to the next town at the southern end of the lake, Leksand. Again, this was smart, and clearly has a lot going on culture-wise. There is a big cultural festival here for mid-summer, apparently the biggest in the country. The church, with its famous onion-shaped dome, was well worth a visit, in its lakeside setting, and beautifully maintained. Someone was playing the organ, which still has its 19th century facade, but the organ itself was replaced in the 1950s. There was also a (slightly) more modern organ in the chancel. The church was set out ready for a concert this evening.

We popped into the impressive Cultural Centre/Library/Museum, but were too late to spend any worthwhile time in the museum which had an exhibition of folk costumes.

There are signs around the village of preparations for this music festival, and it clearly is going to be heaving. There are temporary campsites being set up, and marquees appearing. We have not discovered exactly what sort of music festival it is. However we have been entertained, not too loudly, by more than one caravan awning full of people singing to an accordian accompaniment! Quite pleasant, if repetitive.

There are many nice touches on this site, but one that we very much appreciated, and have made use of, is a trough of growing herbs, with a sign saying 'help yourself '.

Tällberg, on Siljan - Tuesday, 16 August

Geoff
Drove into Rättvik as planned. It boasts the longest wooden pier in Sweden, the Långbryggan. It doesn't have the width or height of the seaside piers we tend to have in the UK. I'd describe it more as a moderately wide jetty. Having said that, it is 625m long and so quite impressive. There is a long beach stretching either side of the jetty (sorry, pier) with a large camping site facing on to the beach. The town is quite a resort.

Rättvik pier

We hunted down another gem of a place, the Tunnbrödsbageri, a bakery and shop, established in 1957, which is renowned for its crispbread (rather like Matzos) and Tunnbröd itself, which is a thin bread which is very popular in the region of Dalarna, where we are. It's cut into oblongs, maybe 8x6 inches and chapati-like in thickness and texture. Anyway, it's very nice.

We also bought some Swedish blue cheese, obviously something we never see back home.

We've decided to stay a third night here, it's so nice, with such a beautiful outlook across Siljan. Of course, we've been lucky with the weather. I'm looking at a lovely sunset as I write this. We wouldn't want to stay longer, anyway. Apparently, there is a big live music event about to happen and this site will then be very busy and loud.

Amanda

A beautiful day today, hot and sunny but with a good cooling breeze. Just the way I like it, and such a luxurious feeling to wake up and know we are staying on in this gorgeous spot. There is even good wifi available outside the little reception hut, which is so efficient that I was able to download half a dozen Radio 4 podcasts as well as today's Times in super quick time.

We went back into Rattvik to explore the town properly. It is a lovely smart holiday town, with Sweden's longest pier, at 628 metres, which we walked along and back again. Two particular shops were mentioned in Lonely Planet, so we sought them out. The first, Frick's Konditori, had beautiful cakes, filled rolls and open sandwiches, and queues. We weren't tempted, but did enjoy looking! They had Princessetarte, a lurid green marzipan covered, bombe shaped affair which I remember featured in last season's Great British Bake Off. I seem to recall that it was described on the programme as a famous Swedish celebration cake. Actually, they did look wonderful, and I might have been tempted if you could buy a slice, but they were priced per whole cake. Not a good idea!

The second place was like stepping into a past age. Rattvik's Tunnbröd Bageri makes its own special unleavened breads of various sorts. We bought some soft flatbreads whose ingredients included potato, and a big bag of crisp flatbread seconds. We then went on to a normal supermarket for cheese, ham and pate to go with our purchases, and took our haul back to the site for a late lunch, and a lazy afternoon.

The sunset has left a proper red sky tonight, so let's hope that's a promise for tomorrow. We have booked yet another night here, and have been so fortunate in our timing. There is a music festival on the 'strand' this weekend and they are booked out from Thursday. It is like being on a mini-holiday in the middle of this alternative life we are living!

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.

Kulåra Camping, Sollerön - Sunday, 14 August

Geoff
I discovered this fellow on an early morning walk today.

Most of our driving today, which wasn't that far, was on the E45, a wide open road with forest on either side. The trees here tend to be more widely spaced than in the UK and so doesn't seem at all oppressive. It was really lovely, definitely nothing like anywhere in the UK but, although I've never been to Canada, I thought maybe British Columbia might be something like it. It wasn't a busy road.

We stopped in the next town along the way, Malung, although the tourist information office wasn't open. We found wifi outside a Swedbank and downloaded today's paper. Later, we stopped in a parking area for the Stogsmuseum. We're still not sure what a stog is - perhaps something to do with the forest. Anyway, we didn't pay the 60SEK to go in but just wandered around some craft stalls.

We thought the island of Sollerön looked a possibility for an overnight. It is reached by a bridge and is surrounded by a large body of water named Siljan. There are two campsites. The first one we came to, just over the bridge on to the island, was a big commercial site and didn't appeal. For a reduced price of 100SEK, we could have parked overnight in their Quickstop part of the car park (with hookup), but only from 6pm and it was then only 2pm. We went on to the other site, only a couple of miles further on. It is Kulåra Camping, a grassy area by the waterside. No hookup but water and basic earth closets. We moved form our first chosen spot as we were under a conifer tree and, now and again, a cone would drop on to the camper roof. It is very quiet with about six other units, all German. There are walks either way alongside the water in woodland. We have spent a peaceful evening, sitting outside the camper looking at the nearly full moon shining down on the water.

Amanda

A  stop in Malung to download the Sunday Times and then it was just an hour's drive to reach the Lake Siljan area. The road, the E45 is simply stunning, stretching into the distance through lakes and big forested hills, with very little traffic. An unscheduled stop at the forestry museum, where there were all kinds of local craft stalls, and then on to Sollerön, an almost-island in the lake. The first campsite we stopped at was pretty packed so we continued a little further to a small lakeside site with minimal facilities. It is looked after on a voluntary basis by the villagers, and has fire pits and stone barbecues available, and a log store. There are two little sheds, each with a loo which is just a wooden bench with hole (with a little wooden cover like a saucepan lid) and a drop into a large plastic bag lined hole! The doors have graphic wood carvings attached to them to indicate male and female!!

I got my walking poles out, for the first time I'm ashamed to say, and we enjoyed a lovely lakeside walk and back through the woods, getting caught in the rain just in the last 5 minutes. Now, after supper, it is a lovely bright and peaceful evening, with just the crackle of a couple of wood fires.  We are one of half a dozen campervans spread out under the trees, with a view over the sunlit lake to the open hills opposite.

Parking area by Dutch Mountain restaurant, near Malung - Saturday, 13 August

Geoff
We weren't sure what to do today, except that we were generally making our way eastwards. In a book I'd picked up a couple of days ago from the Morokulien information centre there was an article about the home of a famous writer who had lived nearby and in the reception of our last night's site I collected a leaflet about a week long literary and culture festival, which included a celebration of her work, in the nearby town of Sunne. She was referred to as being world famous but neither of us had heard of her. She was Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940), a writer and novelist who was the first Swede and the first woman to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature. Her best known work is The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, the story of Nils Holgersson, a farm boy who has adventures after being transformed into an elf. He and a gander on his parents' farm join a flock of geese on their way to Lapland in the far north. It has been translated into about sixty languages and filmed several times. It is a children's story that can be read on various levels. Her other books have had films based on them and one film launched the career of Greta Garbo. I'm not sure why I'd never heard of her and I'm sure someone out there will be suitably amazed.

We spent a couple of hours at Lagerlöf's house, Mårbacka, a few miles out of Sunne (although the house itself wasn't going to be open till later today for a guided tour in Swedish). Instead, we wandered around the gardens and in a couple of barns there were displays telling of Lagerlöf's life and career, together with the film and Hollywood connections. We also had lunch in the cafe.

Afterwards, we drove on to investigate a possible halt for the night, up a winding road which ended at what, in the winter, would have been a busy centre for skiing and cross-country skiing. The views from the top were far-reaching but it was all rather bleak and we decided to move on. After a pleasant enough drive, we have settled at a camper stop next to a restaurant. There are loos and picnic tables. We are the only camper van here (one that was here when we arrived moved off soon afterwards) but there is also a car and caravan. There have been a few comings and goings of cars but now, at 10.15pm, it is very quiet.

Amanda

After all the rain yesterday today started off again with blue skies and sunshine, and the campsite was transformed and really lovely. We spent some time looking up some local possibilities and settled on a visit to Mårbacka, near Sunne, the home of the prolific Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf. Much to our embarrassment and the surprise of those at the house we had never heard of her. She died in 1940 requesting that the childhood home which she had repurchased and renovated be left as it was for people to visit. She was the first Swede and the first woman to win the Nobel prize for literature, and quite a phenomenal character. She is apparently known worldwide for her 'wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson' which was written for schoolchildren to both learn to read and learn about their country. It is about a naughty boy who is turned into an elf and travels the country with some geese, during which time through his adventures he becomes a reformed character. Not my usual reading genre, but I'm giving it a go. She is better loved in Sweden for her other works - novels, poetry, letters and autobiographical books. We were told that Swedish people don't like the Nils Holgersson stories because they had to read them at school. It was a beautiful place in its own right, and fascinating to learn about her life and works. We lunched in the cafe there.

We travelled on in the direction of Lake Siljan keeping a fairly open mind as to an overnight stop. We had read about a Nature Reserve called Hovfjallet which sounded interesting. After a long drive up a deserted road we arrived - it was a winter ski resort and looked very forlorn and deserted, and pretty depressing. We also encountered what I think were our first Swedish mozzies. With the scars from my first set of bites 3 weeks ago almost gone, I don't intend to go out of my way to attract more. So I let G explore a bit, and enjoy the far-reaching views before we descended again. By now the rain had set in again too, but we have found an acceptable free stopover in a Rastplatz just outside Malung.