Jeff: Islands and more Islands

The next morning Rich had more admin to do so I relaxed in the van while he got it all done. We then headed to a local shopping centre and ended up meeting a really cool couple who are travelling Europe in a truck camper. They were a mix of Swedish, American and British between them so they were struggling with some of the European rules compare to US rules where they have been van lifing before. After chatting for about an hour I popped out on the bike while Rich did the last bit of admin. After that we headed onto the archipelago just off Stockholm and got to the north section on Bjorkviks. We parked up and decided to go for a short walk around the area and to the local nature reserve. Its very grey today and due to be the same with some rain tomorrow so we are having to plan for that. After a nice walk we head back to the van for the evening

The next day we headed out on a hike around the various different nature reserves for a couple of hours. The route we picked did have lots of road sections between the different nature reserves and we didn’t really see much wildlife but it was good to be hiking again. It was also warmer than expected and there was only a light drizzle occasionally so we didn’t need our coats for the walk. Once back at the van we headed further north into the archipelago to Tyreso for the night. This stop was, as usual, on the water and had a BBQ pit so we had to have one. We cooked our food on it, played on the nearby swing and relaxed for the evening.

The next morning we got the paddleboard out and headed out to the many islands we could see. As this was the sea there were tidal areas and some parts were a bit rough but we managed to circle a large island and pass many others. we managed to see one sea eagle and lots of swans and other sea birds while out on the water and passed lots of beautify looking sail boats who were all also enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze. Despite the tidal areas we did manage to get some time standing on the board but the way back to the main land proved the hardest part of the paddle with large waves coming at us from several directions and even coming over the board at one point. However we managed to navigate this and continue the paddle back to the port and back onto dry land. After that fun we had some porridge to warm us up and then headed further north again, this time to Musko when were parked up and went for a little walk in the surrounding woods. This park up is by the water and just in the woods next to a little beach. There are several beaches as you walk into the woods all giving a stunning view across the sea to many small islands. Once back at the van we chilled for the evening

The next morning we got up and headed out to the little beach to set up the paddleboard. This time we were watched by a little snake who was obviously quite interested in what was going on but when Rich tried to get a close up picture he decided enough was enough and he headed off into the rocks. We managed to get the paddleboard set up and headed out onto the sea which was far calmer over this area as it was almost cove like with islands providing a break against the tides for us. We paddled down through the islands and saw lots of different things before we circled one and returned back to the beach by following the coastline.

Once back at the van we had some food and decided to leave the archipelago and head of further south. We stopped on the way at a park which was supposed to be a nice place to swim and chill but we decided not to stay the night there and continued on to a stop in Seglstamosse nature reserve for the night. Despite this nature reserve being close to Nykoping there was no signal here and my mobile provider was having issues meaning we were pretty much cut off from everything which is always nice and relaxing but also makes planning harder.

The next morning we had planned to go for a run around the woods but the weather had other ideas and it was really raining so we headed into town to pick up some groceries and once we had done that it was starting to clear up so we went to another nature reserve and headed out for a 9km run as this was a flat area. The trail was fairly well marked which made it nice and easy. As we finished the run it decided to restart raining so instead of heading into town to see a museum we continued down south to Vastervik and parked up at the harbour overlooking the sea for the evening. There are lots of islands around here but we have decided not to head to one of them as its more difficult to get there out of season and we have plans to go to anther island this week.

The next day, despite more rain, we headed into the town to look around some of the murals I have read about. We walked around hunting them using a map I had found and after about 45 minutes we headed for a coffee shop as we were soaking wet and had discovered that most of the murals were only small and not as good as the ones we have seen in other towns. After a fiska stop we headed back to the van and headed down south and onto the Oland island. We found a nice little stop and we walked about 500 metres down the path into the forest where there was a great little picnic spot with fire pits and old buildings. As usual Rich wanted a BBQ so we cooked our dinner on it, riding back and forth to the van for the different things. After dinner we headed inside and relaxed for the evening but it was really windy and rocking the van. It pretty much stayed like that all night but we hoped it would be a little less windy in the morning.

The next day we headed down south on the island, parked up and got the bikes out. Our plan was to cycle around the south section of the island, despite the still gusty wind. First we travelled down the west coast of the island and were pushed either by a cross wind or tail wind (depending on the direction we were travelling). Finally we made it to the most southernly point on the island and the tallest lighthouse, Lange Jan, in Sweden. There was an interesting history to the light house, including the fact locals didn’t want it to be build as there was too much value in the ships that crashed around the island which were looted. We decided to climb it (there were lots of stairs) but the views out were stunning. The area surrounding the light was a nature reserve for birds and there were hundreds (if not thousands) of birds around that we could see. They even took over some of the little islands just off the shore so much so that you could barely see the ground under them. After walking around a little we headed back on the bike, past the old church (from which bricks were taken to build the light house) and some old farm buildings before we headed up the east coast of the island. We stopped to look at some old windmills that are all over the island. There were some 2,000 in their heyday but now there is around 350. There are different types with some being Dutch versions and many were moveable so would move with families if they moved house. We made another stop at Eketorp Fort where we walked around the old fort (including on the ramparts) and saw reconstructions of some of the 100 buildings that were in the fort over the years. Afterwards we continued the routh this time crossing the island to head back to the start and this was the hardest leg of the route as we were cycling directly into a cross wind and while normally we travel around 25km an hour we could only manage around 17-18km an hour. Luckily for us the island is really flat so we had no hills to contend with as well. We eventually made it back to the van and headed north stopping to see a row of windmills on the side of the road. We managed to get to a nice stop for the night before it got too dark and relaxed for the evening.

The next morning we drove into the largest town on the island to see Solliden palace and Borgholm castle. However the palace was closed and we couldn’t get anywhere near it so we headed straight to the castle and had a walk around it but quickly headed back to the van when it started to rain (which combined with wind made it very unpleasant to be outdoors). We decided to get off this windy (but beautiful) island. We crossed the impressive bridge back to the main land and headed into the main town, Kalmar and parked up to go and explore the castle here. Kalmar castle is a warren of rooms and passages and it was interesting to see the sections open to the public but I bet there are many areas which are not on show which are very interesting. We walked around many different rooms from the kitchen to bed rooms and part of the dungeon. There was also a couple of rooms dedicated to a digital exhibition on Monet and Friends looking at their art and the development of the impressionism movement. It was very interesting to watch the different images and immerse yourself in it. There was also a replica of the bridge in Monet’s famous picture and a drawing room with some video instructions. We had a quick go at drawing the bridge and surrounding area but the video finished before we did (partially because we had come in halfway through and had been trying to catch up) but it was fun to have a go and it confirmed what we already knew, that neither of us are artistic in any way. After that we headed out of the town and into the depths of the woods to find somewhere for the evening. The first place we tried was nice but had no mobile signal and no decent fire pit so we carried on and found a lovely lake side stop a short distance away. Here we had some data, a lovely fire pit and great views so we settled in and cooked dinner on the fire.

The following morning we headed into a town called Emmaboda where we had found a campsite we were planning on using. We got to the town and needed to pick up a couple of things before heading to the campsite but we hadn’t realised how small a town this was going to be. It was tiny and many of the shops that were here had closed down. We couldn’t get any of the bits we wanted so we headed for the campsite and settled in for the day and got on with the jobs that needed doing. We haven’t done any washing for a few weeks so there was lots to do and the van needed a clean (plus Rich needed to do some work on the laptop) and it was really the perfect day for it as it was grey and miserable outside. We managed to get it all done and sorted and plan the next day or so which made it a productive day.

The next day we went into the gym at the campsite before heading to a town called Almhult a couple of hours away for the afternoon. We parked up at Ikea and went for an explore. This is an important store for the town as this is where the first Ikea was built and where it all started. We got a nice cup of tea and a cake which is just mandatory while in Ikea before having a snoop around the store and then headed into the woods again for the night. The next morning we headed to the actual first Ikea store which is now a museum and had a look around it. This building is a lot smaller than the new store now and had examples of the furniture throughout the years as well as a lot of information about the creator of the brand and the issues he faced as he started to develop the furniture. There were some interactive things within the museum, including a pinball machine that we were particularly fond of playing. Afterwards we headed for some lunch in the café, the only café that has a different menu to the other stores around the world, but still cheap. Afterwards we headed a couple of hours down south to Kristianstad where we parked up and walked into town. There were a couple of cool buildings to look at including the regional museum which was built as a palace before becoming the museum and a nice church. It was only a flying stop though and we soon got back into the van and travelled a little further south to the coast where we plan to stay on the beach for the evening.