Söderhagen Camping, Eckerö - Monday, 5 September

Geoff
We were up a bit earlier than usual and were at the ferry terminal gate at 9am. The ferry duly arrived and we were aboard just after 9.30 for departure at 10. All very straightforward. The boat was quite busy but by no means full. We settled ourselves in a comfortable bar area next to a window and ate sandwiches and coffee that we'd taken with us. This ferry is used by many for day trips as I think the duty free shop is an attraction. What the Swedes also seem to like is bingo. A man with a microphone announced it and a large number of passengers went over to queue for bingo cards. When he started the calling, we "made our excuses and left".

We spent the rest of the two hour voyage on a top deck in the open. The weather was breezy but otherwise perfect and we enjoyed looking out at various rocky islets.

We disembarked at Storby and went straight to Käringsunds, a little resort and camp site a couple of miles up the coast. We parked by an inlet lined with wooden fishermen's sheds. Our Lonely Planet mentioned the Bodega Gastropub here. We saw the menu and, it being around 1pm, resolved to have lunch out, only to find that, in September, it opens only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Instead, we made do with our breakfast cereals that we hadn't had time for earlier and the rest of the sandwiches. Oh well.

When we met Paul and Sheila Langford the week before last, Paul mentioned a good camp site on Eckerö, Söderhagen Camping, near the hamlet of Torp. We arrived at reception and found that the owner, Sven Eklund, was in the car following us so he welcomed us immediately. Name dropping Paul and Sheila obviously made a difference. He told us to go and find a pitch we liked and he would be along later. That was at about 3pm and we've seen nothing of him since. Maybe he'll be around in the morning.

We were the only occupants on the site. It is quite lovely, on raised ground overlooking a wide inlet which splits in two the lower part of Eckerö. Walking down to the water's edge, we found a number of rowing boats (Sven offered the use of one at no extra charge), a wooden jetty stretching for about fifty yards into the inlet and also a sauna in a wooden shed - all very Scandinavian. The whole scene was idyllic.

Later this afternoon, a German lad on a motor bike turned up - Stefan from Paderborn. We chatted for a while and shared the site kitchen with him before he went off to get the sauna going. As he is camping, the sauna might warm him up as it is going to be quite a cold night. Autumn has set in rather quickly.

Our original plan had been to take the ferry from Sweden directly to Turku on the coast of Finland. We had never heard of Åland. It is an autonomous part of Finland, has its own stamps and tax regime and is very much a foodie paradise. The main town is Mariehamn, which we shall probably visit the day after tomorrow. Our plans, such as they were, have been thrown up in the air, and we may spend a few days exploring the various habitable islands in the archipelago.

Amanda

So now we are in Finland - at least I think we are. I'm not sure that Ålanders actually consider themselves Finnish. They have their own Parliament, their own flag, their own stamps and a special arrangement, apparently, with the EU which means that the whole of Åland has duty free status. Hence the ferries and day trips. The ferry was an interesting experience. There was a large proportion of foot passengers, and at 350SEK, less than £3.50, for the crossing without a vehicle it's hardly surprising. Lockers were provided so that people could shop in the duty free shop and stow it away for the duration of the journey. The ferry was not full by any means, fortunately, and was comfortable enough for a two hour crossing, but basic. We were sitting in the bar area, where we had a good view out. Then we realised that people were queuing up for ...... bingo cards! By then the sun was shining, so we spent the rest of the crossing up on deck in the sunshine and exhilarating wind, as the ferry made its way through the outlying islands, some of them no bigger than a large rock, to the small port of Storby on the island of Eckerö. Two kilometres up the coast is the little resort of Käringsunds. We were very taken with the menu of a little restaurant there called Bodegans (everything here is little!) So much so that we thought we would lunch there .... but it is very much end of season here and it was closed. The season definitely ends mid-August, and we fear that we are going to find most of the tourist places, museums and suchlike, closed. However, the whole area does seem to be a bit of a foodie heaven, so we are hopeful of finding some culinary delights somewhere. We then headed for this campsite, Söderhagen, not far south of Storby, recommended by Paul and Sheila who we met back at Falun and Färnebofjärden. It is a family run business, very rustic feeling, and a file in the kitchen gives the history of how it has been built up slowly over 20 years. Sven, the owner, met us when we arrived, but we haven't yet seen him again to pay. There is a sauna at the waterside, and boats which we could use if we wanted. We think we shall stay here for a couple of nights at least. We thought that we would have the whole place to ourselves, but a personable German student, Stefan, on a motorbike, has turned up. We spent an enjoyable time chatting with him as we all cooked and ate in the kitchen. We have supplied him with candles so that he can go and have a sauna. They are of the insect repelling variety, so I hope he survives OK! It was nice and warm in the kitchen, but pretty chilly outside. A blast of heater in the Campervan was needed, and neither of us feels like venturing out again for a shower! Maybe Stefan had the right idea.

Grisslehamn - Sunday, 4 September

Geoff
We had a leisurely breakfast whilst a number of caravan owners finished their end of season packing and moved their vans off site. In light rain, we drove the very few minutes to the ferry back to Öregrund. We had a wait of about half an hour and then the crossing took no more than ten minutes.

Driving straight through Öregrund, we headed for Östhammar for wifi at a Swedbank to post our blogs and download the paper. We then drove for maybe twenty miles along a really lovely country road, mostly tree lined, before crossing a river bridge which took us on to the island of Vädoö. Our purpose was to find out about one of the ferries to the Åland archipelago although we hadn't decided exactly when we would go on to Finland. The Åland archipelago, although being quite close to Sweden, in fact are part of Finland, but Swedish is the principal language spoken there and its currency is the euro.

We first took a drive around the hinterland of Grisslehamn, windy roads and more forest, before having a lunch stop. Then back to Grisslehamn where we found a camperstop overlooking the harbour and ferry terminal. I walked over to the ferry office to get some information about the ferry. It is operated by Eckerö Linjen and does the two hour crossing to the island of Eckerö three times a day (08.00, 15.00 and 20.00). We had actually been vaguely planning to do the crossing further south from Kapellskår to Mariehamn, maybe spending another couple of days in Sweden, but the weather isn't so good (quite chilly this morning and now rainy) and we have probably seen as much as we want to see in this part of Sweden. Therefore, we made the decision to go for the 10am crossing tomorrow morning. We paid for our overnight stay here and the collector of the money gave us a couple of vouchers. He spoke no English so we had no idea what they were. On booking the ferry, we found that they saved us the SEK35 each as passengers so we just pay the one way cost for the camper of SEK350.

So, rather unexpectedly, we leave Sweden tomorrow. We shall probably spend a couple of days around the Åland archipelago before getting another ferry to the mainland of Finland. This evening, we have watched the rather large ferry arrive, disgorge its contents and then, with people and vehicles loaded, go back to Eckerö.

Amanda

Woke to a decidedly autumnal chill in the air. And it has alternated drizzle and full on rain all day. We crossed back from the island to Öregrund on the ferry. It really is a very pretty little place, with the wooden buildings in a handful of different colours - pale green, cream, yellow ochre and rusty red. The last two we are quite used to by now. Once again we set off with no clear idea of where we were heading, but first stop was Östhammar, where again Swedbank provided our internet fix. We rather hope there isn't some person in Swedbank's head office whose job it is to monitor the entrances to the banks. We had already decided that we would make the crossing to Finland via Åland, an area of 6,700 (!) islands between Sweden and Finland. Although closer to Sweden it is actually part of Finland; currency is the Euro, but they speak Swedish! You can take a ferry from one of three places in Sweden - Grisslehamn, Kapellskar or Stockholm. We thought we would investigate Grisslehamn as it was quite close, and the upshot is that we are here for the night in the little harbour, and booked on the ferry to Eckerö tomorrow morning! Grisslehamn is a tiny place, and its main attraction is clearly the ferry, and the opportunity for duty free day trips. The crossing takes two hours. As we ate supper (it was already dark) we watched the third and last ferry of the day come in, disgorge its passengers and cars, take on a new lot, and leave again. It is about the size of the bigger Isle of Wight ferries, at a guess. So tonight is our last night in Sweden. It is a very, very beautiful country, and we have loved it here, and plan to return.

Gräsöbadens Camping, Gräsö - Saturday, 3 September

Geoff
We walked to the library after breakfast, I thought for us to both download today's paper. However, the library is closed on Saturdays. I was able to download the paper by standing outside the library building but the code I had clearly could be used with only one device, namely my IPad. A quick shop at the ICA supermarket and we drove literally round the corner to the free vehicle ferry across to the island of Gräsö, no more than ten minutes. On board, a lady was very interested in our camper so we gave a quick guided tour. Small high tops such as ours are very unusual here.

There is only one camp site on the island, just a few minutes from the ferry. It is quite big with about 300 places. We headed straight there and booked in. It is very much end of season. Only one of the loo blocks is open and there is no wifi at any time. It was our most expensive site so far, 320SEK. There are mainly seasonal caravans here. Most are unoccupied and some were being cleared out for the winter. The site is on the shore of the island, looking across to Öregrund, where we were last night.

This afternoon, we drove on the island's principal road to the northern tip, looking out towards the small uninhabited island of Örskär. The road simply stops at a turning circle. There were some scattered houses but nothing else. We then drove back down the road, diverting on the way to take a minor road for about 3km to Öster-Mörtarö. There were scattered houses on the way but the road reached the coast and then nothing. Back on the main road, we stopped briefly near the ferry to take a photo by the church of an odd conical building, rather like a witch's hat. The southern end of the island looked out to the island of Rävsten, very wooded and, I think, a nature reserve. A few houses to be seen and a couple of small power boats out on the water but nothing else.

On the way back to the site, we stopped briefly at a little building housing a very nicely done display of Gräsö gård, now a nature reserve but historically I think it formed part of the estate acquired by King Gustavus Vasa in the 1400s. He evicted farmers to get it.

The island of Gräsö covers some 36 square miles. It has a population of about 800 (increasing in the summer season). I assume those of working age work off the island. It is largely covered by forest and farm land.

Amanda

Red skies at night don't seem to signify anything in this part of the world. It has been grey and overcast all day today and late afternoon rain set in with a threat of thunder. But it seems to have passed now. We are spending tonight on a proper campsite, Gräsöbadens Camping on the island of Gräsö, right opposite where we were last night. We crossed this morning on the free ferry - just a five minute journey. The campervan gained another admirer on the crossing - a lady who had lived in South Africa and had a Land Rover with a roof mounted sleeping pod when she was there. She loved the size of ours, and said it was "superb". I don't think they see many small campervans over here. The island is 20 miles long and about three miles wide, with a population of 800. It seems to be nearly all nature reserve, made up of the densely wooded rocky "mainland" and the rocky outlying islands. We drove the length of the island and back - just one road! - and saw very few vehicles. There were cars parked in various small car parks, their occupants presumably off either walking in the woods or in boats. Apart from wanting a hook up tonight, one of the reasons for a proper campsite was to do a proper washing-machine wash. However, that is not to be. It is very definitely end of season, and only one service block is open- not one with a laundry! Although large - there are 300 places - the site is not at all busy, and is very attractively laid out. Lots of trees and rocky parts.

Öregrund - Friday, 2 September

Geoff
We took a walk this morning to a weir on Laxön. I'd been there earlier before breakfast. We were able to see how the island probably got its name (lax being Swedish for salmon). Water came tumbling through the weir or sluice and downstream of it salmon were leaping out of the water, some of them quite sizeable. It was an amazing sight.

I was given a haircut this morning. At the Clas Ohlson store the week before last, I bought a hair trimmer with all manner of attachments. Today it was used for the first time. Amanda did a pretty good job of giving me a 12mm all over cut.

We didn't have too far to drive today. We will have a leisurely meander down the coast over the next few days. The road today was almost deserted, with delightful forest on both sides. At one point, I ordered that the sky ahead be photographed. It was a clear blue and the small clouds looked as if they had been stuck on. It looked so unusual.

We are in Öregrund, a small town on the coast. There is space for just three campers  next to the water; we were first to arrive and bagged the best spot. The other two are now occupied. There is actually another place not far away with a further five spaces. I took a walk this afternoon, via the library to find out about wifi and then through woodland next to the coast. So much of this area is built on smooth rock and there was a rocky outcrop I went on which ended with metal steps down into the water for anyone brave enough to take a swim. The centre of the town is very attractive.

There is supposedly wifi on the harbour where we are but a code is needed from the tourist office. However, that closed for the year on 28 August!

From where we are, the island of Gräsö is maybe half a mile away. We can see the ferry going back and forth. It is yellow and, apparently, that indicates that there is no charge to use it (part of the transport infrastructure). We plan to go over to Gräsö tomorrow.

Amanda

This morning I was brave enough to trim Geoff's hair with the new hair trimmer - I refused to do it before we went on the cruise - and he is pleased with the results. We had a lovely walk before leaving through woods to a third weir/dam which also had salmon traps, and we watched the amazing sight of huge silvery salmon leaping fully out of the tumbling water, glinting in the sunlight as they swam downstream. The island, Laxön, takes its name from the salmon. We drove for just under an hour down the coast to the little seaside town of Oregrund, where we were early enough to snaffle the prime place of three designated free camper places on the little harbour. Sitting out is like having a private waterside balcony. A poster outside the Turist Byro (now closed at the end of the season) says "this charming little town from 1491 is one of Sweden's best preserved wooden settlements and is the only town on the east coast where one can watch the sun go down over the sea. In the 1870s, Oregrund became the east coast's most popular beach resort and spa town - a sparkling summer idyll which is alive throughout the year." We have indeed watched the sun go down over the sea, and the little yellow ferry going backwards and forwards across to the island of Gräsö opposite. And it is indeed all very charming. Now that the nights are drawing in, the DVD player has come out for the first time, and two episodes of Yes, Minister have been duly watched and enjoyed before bed. We have been much relieved to know that our grandson, Toby, is home after a night in hospital following a general anaesthetic and bronchoscopy to remove some peanuts he had inhaled. I don't expect he will be tempted to help himself to peanuts without permission again for a while, poor little chap!

Älvkarleby Turisthotell - Thursday, 1 September

Geoff
At the start of today, we had no idea where we might go today. Nothing planned at all. Anyway, a rough idea formed and we blasted (at a sedate 60mph) up the E4 towards Gävle (pronounced "Yervla"), I think. Our late lunch stop was at a rest area next to the E4 but on raised ground so there didn't seem to be much traffic noise. There was very little traffic altogether. It was all laid out very nicely with a main parking area and then an adjacent area with tandem parking spaces either side of a central roadway. Next to the parking spaces were picnic benches and tables, some with roofs covering them. The loos were good and there was even a WC emptying facility so overnighting in the camper would be fine. However, we had further to go.

Our Camperstop book showed a possible place at Älvkarleby so we made our way to it, via a Co-op and a post box to post a couple of cards. We then located our stop for the night, a tarmaced area with ten camper spaces, with hookups, surrounded by trees -very nice. It adjoins, and belongs to, a hotel. We have the use of excellent showers and loos and even a sauna! All for 100SEK - about £9.

In season, this area is probably quite busy. There are only us and another camper van here. We have had a lovely walk this evening along a path the length of the small island of Laxön which as accessed via a bridge. It used to be used for military training, especially bridge building, as a wide river passes either side, not deep but very rocky. There is also a dam, below which is a lake which winds its way for some distance to the south. The former barracks seems to be used now for holiday accommodation and there is also a restaurant and cafe there. It really is very nice here.

Amanda

The cruise seems a bit like a dream already, as we pick up the old routine. We were slow getting going this morning, but there was no hurry. We dithered a bit over where to head for today, having had no decisions to make for the last week, but we knew we wanted to spend some time along the coast north of Stockholm before crossing to Finland. In the end we decided to head straight up the motorway to the furthest we wanted to go - just south of Gävle, which is where we would have got to if we had kept going east from Lake Siljan. After an hour and a half we stopped for a snooze and lunch in a picnic area that was so pleasant we could easily have spent the night there. It was well kitted out. But we were only twenty minutes or so from our planned destination, at Älvkarleby. The only info we had for the Camperstop was that there was a toilet and water, and that payment of 100SEK, less than £10, should be made at the hotel nearby. Well, we continue to be surprised by the variety of these places. As we drove into the little town we found a good sized Co-op supermarket which supplied everything on our shopping list, and a post box for cards we needed to send. Slightly out of town, over an old wooden bridge with magnificent tumbling rapids on either side, we found the attractive hotel/conference centre and Camperstop. There is room for ten campervans in a tarmaced area surrounded by trees, but we are one of only two here. We have an electric hook up, the use of loos, showers, (with towels) wifi (slightly erratic) and, should we want them, saunas, a mini gym, and even a hot tub! All included in the 100SEK. A walk before supper took us past the hotel, over another wooden bridge to another surprise. On a rocky, wooded island, surrounded by the rapids are scattered the attractive wooden, red painted buildings which, from 1880 to 1985 made up the summer camp of the Svea Engineer Regiment. The buildings are now holiday homes, restaurants, cafes and places for other recreational activities. It is all very quiet and peaceful now, being out of season here, but in the summer it must be very lively! The walk continued across two dams, forming part of a Hydro power plant built in 1915. The dams separate the lake from the rocky rapids and link the island back to the road, but can only be crossed on foot. Our walk then returned us to our starting point over the wooden road bridge - remodelled in steel in the 1950s but preserving the original look with wooden facing. We saw three herons, or should it be heron, all at once! Sitting outside after supper, surrounded by trees and with the noise of the rapids in the background, we might have been on our own in the middle of nowhere. What an unexpected and extraordinary find!

Wäsby Golfklubb, Upplands Väsby - Wednesday, 31 August

Geoff
Had an excellent breakfast at the hotel. Scrambled eggs at their best and perfect smoked salmon. We arrived at Göteborg Central Station in good time. Our train was waiting but not ready for boarding. I went off to get coffees to take with us. The train was very comfortable, plenty of leg room and wifi. It was a three hour journey to Stockholm. On reaching there, we went straight to the airport on the Arlanda Express, where the camper was waiting for us. A slight hiccup on trying to get out of the car park. We had prepaid but it wanted to charge us 2,200SEK (about £200) but a press of the help button and some human intervention dealt with this.

We are now back at the camper stop we were at last Tuesday. We haven't decided yet exactly where we will go in the morning. We think we shall probably spent a further week in Sweden before heading towards Finland.

Amanda

My plan for the morning had been a leisurely early breakfast, a look around the cathedral (which is opposite the hotel), and then the tram to the station to catch the 10.30am train back to Stockholm. Best laid plans and all that. I slept until 8.30, and we were both still full from last night, but managed some perfect scrambled egg and gravadlax for breakfast! G insisted on carrying both backpacks, one on his front and one on his back, so that we could walk to the station. He really hates to use any other type of transport if walking is an option. I guess that is why river cruises and trains suit us well. He relaxes when there is no alternative. Even better, the canal cruise, where he was able to get off and walk the towpath without losing the boat! The hotel, booked for us as part of the package, was very comfortable and a real luxury treat. It was nice to have seen a little bit of the city, and I suspect the most attractive part, both at night and in the morning. We really liked the look and feel of it, and it would certainly be worth revisiting. The three hour train journey from Göteborg to Stockholm was great; punctual, fast, smooth, comfortable wide seats, clean and with fast wifi. Swedish railways put ours to shame. Then the Arlanda Express whisked us back to the airport to be reunited with the campervan, which had survived safe and sound except for one very small new scratch on the driver's door. It seemed sensible to return to the Golf Course, only eight miles from the airport, where we spent the night before leaving for Stockholm. So after stocking up with basic provisions on the way we arrived here just after 3.30pm and are unpacked and nicely settled, even in the same position. It definitely feels like being home after a great holiday. The weather has turned hot again, and I have had to unpack the clothes I had relegated to the "no longer needed" bag. We won't be doing much for the rest of the day!

Elite Plaza Hotel, Göteborg - Tuesday, 30 August

Geoff
Our last day on the good ship, Diana. We left Vänersborg at 6.45am. Our first stop, after a couple of hours, was at Trollhättan Canal Museum. This was really fascinating as it told the story of the opening up of a route from Lake Vänern to the sea for commercial use. Outside, the evidence still remained in the shape of the original locks (with all lock gates and mechanism removed), which quickly became obsolete as larger boats than they could take began to be used, and also a later and larger set of locks, although these are no longer in use.

Our boat entered a staircase consisting of four locks, with a total drop of 32 meters. Of the three lock systems here this, the biggest one (from 1916), is the only one still in use. The rest of the day was spent on board, motoring at quite a speed along the Trollhättan Canal where we arrived in Göteborg late afternoon. Last photos were taken, farewells to fellow travellers and the crew of the boat, and we then walked the short distance to our hotel, which is very nice.

We ended the day by going out for pizza and then back to our hotel via the station to check how long we needed to allow for the walk to it in the morning. Göteborg is Sweden's second largest city. We like it very much and would like to make a return visit.

Amanda

Sadly, our last day on the Diana. The morning visit was a fitting last one though. We moored at the top of the Trollhättan locks and spent some time in the museum which told the history, and exploring the area around the locks, before returning to the boat for the descent. There have been three sets of locks, the first two date from the 19th century, and the last one, the one still in use, from the early 20th century. They are all hewn or blasted out of the pre-existing rock, and the disused ones form gorgeous ravines. A very beautiful site, shown off well by a return to decent weather. A leisurely lunch, and an afternoon cruising the last leg and spent mostly on deck despite a chilly breeze, and we arrived in Göteborg just before 5pm. It has been a wonderful trip. Sad farewells, and then we walked the short distance to the rather splendid Elite Plaza Hotel. I was glad I asked, without much expectation of a positive answer, whether any of the rooms had a bath, because the kind receptionist managed to find us one. What bliss! Showers are all very well, but I have missed the luxury of a bath. We went in search of pizza, wanting something simple after all the lovely meals we have been enjoying, and after that, a bottle of wine and an indulgent cookie dough ice cream between us, we felt quite mellow. A walk back to the hotel via the station to suss it out for the morning, and Geoff is already snoring!