Swedish Details

Friday
(Click on the photos to enlarge)

We arrived in Stockholm Thursday evening at 10pm after an uncomplicated 2 hour flight. Countries in Europe are so close together! We took the Arlanda Express train from the airport into the center of Stockholm where R's cousin Niklas picked us up. We drove to R's Uncle Hans' house just outside of the city and spent the night. Hans is wonderful - like a smiling Swedish buddha (not fat, just bald, blue-eyed and peaceful). In the morning, after a big breakfast of bread, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, and eggs, we went for a walk by the sea.

The countryside around Stockholm reminded me of Oregon, Maine and Scotland mixed together. There are lots of tall pine (?) trees and most of the deciduous trees are birches. So pretty with their peeling white trunks against the green mossy granite. Heather grows all over
the place too. And, as you can see, there was still snow on the ground. It looks colder than it actually was though.

We walked through the forest to the edge of the Baltic Sea. The water was still covered in ice and as we stood there we could hear it creaking. No sign of any fish though...




After our brisk walk we headed back to Hans' house for a flounder and boiled potato lunch.


Then it was time to catch the ferry for Niklas' island. The ferry dock is only a short 20 minute drive away and the voyage only 10 minutes, so very soon we were arriving on Tynningoe . The island is one of the few near Stockholm that doesn't have a bridge linking it to the mainland or to other islands. Consequently it has a small population and more affordable houses. Most of the houses are 'summer houses' for people who live in Stockholm, but Niklas told us that people are beginning to live on the island full-time. I can see why! Only 3o minutes from Stockholm but it feels like wilderness. No road noise or plane noise - just birds and the occasional ferry horn if there's fog. So peaceful.

Niklas and Carola live on a hill that is only reachable by hiking up a steep granite slope. There are no stairs and it is pretty steep. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been moving things like the refrigerator or sofa up the hill! It would be worth it though, to live in such a nice place. N and C have a small house, where they live, and a perfect tiny guest house.


That evening we had the first of what seemed
like many, many delicious Swedish meals. (Look at these smiling Swedes. They really are happy, honest!) And then collapsed into our beds by 9pm. So nice to be on vacation!