Day Eighty Friday 7th October

A reasonably steady crossing, despite the Captain's warning of moderate to rough seas, and a comparatively civilised start to the day - we were woken at 5.30 and disembarked at 6.30 but our body clocks were still an hour ahead - and we were back on home ground.

Before actually heading for home we needed to make our way north to Norfolk to see Geoff's mum and collect the car which has been housed in her garage while we have been away. We had an easy journey there from Harwich, stopping off for a Little Chef breakfast at 7.30. (Which is a good time to get fast service, it would seem.) Haven't had one for years, and it was actually very good. Then the pleasure of listening to Desert Island Discs, and a stop at Salhouse for a walk down to the Broad and back. All in all an excellent start to the morning which reminded us that England and things British are pretty good to come back too!

Coffee and a catch up with Geoff's brother followed, and then a visit to Geoff's mum, who was pleased to see us and in good spirits.

We then drove the two vehicles home, and although we didn't drive in convoy managed to arrive home within two minutes of each other. Which was nice.

I plan to return to the blog when I have had a chance to absorb all that we have done over the weeks. But it is worth noting that my IPad survived , and, with careful use, the gas lasted!

Now a quiet weekend adjusting is required, I think, before a new life takes over.

Day Seventy Nine Thursday 6th October

Last posting from foreign lands - well, foreign seas to be exact because we are already aboard the ferry at Hook of Holland.

It has been a lovely last day. Woke to a beautiful, bright, chilly Autumn morning, and we could have been on the Norfolk Broads. (I have to make a correction to yesterday's posting; we are beside the River Ijssel, not a canal). It is a splendid site.

Gouda, halfway between Ijsselstein and the ferry port, was the obvious choice for a last day of exploring, and proved to be an excellent one. It is like a mini Amsterdam, really lovely. We found ourselves in the old centre very quickly, all one way roads beside canals, and decided to park in one of the canal side parking spaces. I vetoed the first one Geoff wanted to go for - very,very close to the edge of the canal with no barrier at all, and we found one with a little bit more room to manoeuvre, but not much! The parking fee was gulp-making, but it was very convenient, and our last day! The meter refused two of our cards, but happily accepted the third. No idea why.

It was a short walk along the canal and down a narrow, picturesque lane of interesting shops to the Markt, with the rather ornate Town Hall in its centre. It was market day too. We first checked out a place Geoff had discovered online, where we fancied having a late lunch, of which more later. Then St Johannes Kirke, which was like a Tardis, and is particularly famed for its stained glass windows. It apparently has over half the surviving 16th century stained glass in the Netherlands.

From there we returned to the other side of the Markt, to the Cheese Museum. Here we had our own "guides" on each of two floors in what was originally built as a warehouse in the 17th century, climbing up two long spiral staircases. We learnt how Gouda cheeses are made, and saw all sorts of cheese making paraphernalia . Of course they were selling cheese, and yes, of course, we bought supplies. This tastes nothing like the Gouda Cheese available in England. One is a Goat's cheese, and there are others at various stages of maturity.

The lady guide, being rather disloyal, had told us about the best other place to buy cheese. We found that one, of course, and it was amazing. We were getting a bit peckish by now, so tasting all the cheeses available was very pleasurable. We had to find a basket to collect the ones we wanted, and the choice was difficult. We got chatting to the lady in charge - manager or owner, not sure, but she referred to' my cheese'' - and it transpired that her parents-in-law live in the same very small village in West Sussex as James and Natalie! Small world!

Then it was time to eat properly! so we decided to leave the town museum, with its Erasmus exhibition, for another time. The little Indonesian place was a real find. It is a shop, selling all sorts of Indonesian ingredients, and also ready cooked Indonesian dishes. It also has a nicely laid out table which can seat up to six in the window so that you can eat there. There were lots of different meat and vegetable dishes to choose from, and we had the set price meal - two meat and two veg dishes with rice. It was all very tasty indeed.

Strolling back to the Campervan we agreed that this was a place we would be happy to revisit.
An hour's drive along the now familiar horrendously busy A20 and we were at the Hook of Holland by 5.30, very early for check-in which wasn't scheduled to open until 7.30, but happy to be in position and make ourselves comfortable in the Camper with a cup of tea. We were then taken by surprise when they opened the check-in at 6.30, and by 7.30 we were all aboard and settled in our cabin. Which even has a double bed!

With so much unexpected time here, we grabbed the DVD player to bring on board with us in case we fancy an episode or two of Mad Men.

Day Seventy Eight Wednesday 5th October

First stop today Lidl to stock up on wine. It will be interesting to see what prices are like in Holland where we won't have to do calculations to compare different currencies. A lot of things are really inexpensive in Germany compared to home, which comes as a bit of a surprise. Beer and wine especially so.

The motorway from Bad Bentheim to Utrecht, two hours plus but felt like more, was pretty manic and packed with lorries again; the Utrecht Ring road in particular was like the M25. Geoff was very pleased to turn off it and immediately we were in quiet country roads and peaceful countryside, and only a few minutes drive from our night's Camperstop at Ijsselstein. This canal side area , with a marina just the other side of a pedestrian bridge spanning the canal, appears to be brand new and is splendidly laid out with facilities for just seven Campervans, and moorings for boats. There is also a smart modern restaurant, and foot/cycle paths aplenty across the flat open countryside. The weather has been beautiful, if a bit on the breezy side, and there was a lovely sunset complementing the almost new moon.

A very nice setting for our last night before the overnight ferry back to Harwich.tomorrow. But we still have a full day to enjoy, and only an hour's drive left to the Hook of Holland.

Day Seventy Seven Tuesday 4th October

There was no great hurry to get away this morning to do the next leg of the journey across Germany, aiming tonight for somewhere not far from the Dutch border. We chatted to a distinguished elderly German gentleman and his wife who were interested in the Camper. Not luxurious or spacious enough for them though. Cosy, he called it. Which it is, of course.

We made a couple of stops on the 25 mile stretch to get to the motorway. The first was at the Volkswagen dealer and service garage which we came across conveniently located just outside Nienburg. We had both become aware yesterday of what we at first thought was road noise, but it didn't go away. Nothing too alarming but a definite rhythmic grumbling. Geoff thought it might be a wheel bearing, and had been undecided as to whether we should get it checked out. So we did

The manager was very helpful, immediately got a mechanic, who took the camper out for a drive with Geoff, leaving me with my coffee and the paper comfortably settled in the showroom. He could hear the noise , jacked the camper up and investigated , and diagnosed it as uneven tyre wear. Definitely not wheel bearings. And not a problem. No charge, and we were on our way again.

The second stop was at a Lidl to pick up some German wines for sampling tonight before deciding which to buy in slightly larger quantities to take home.

Once we had got through a very slow diversion just after joining the motorway, the journey was not too bad, although the traffic was quite heavy and there were a huge number of very large lorries. We arrived at the Camperstop at Bad Bentheim around 5 o'clock. This is another municipal site, and has to be the most surprising. It consists of 25 spaces within the car park for the castle, and is well equipped. We are right next to the castle, which is built high on the sandstone rock for which the town is known,, and is really quite big and impressive, surrounded by lovely formal gardens, and right in the centre of town. This evening before supper we walked the circuit around the castle, through the town and back through the gardens. Very pleasant. As an added bonus there is town-wide free Wifi which we can access in the camper.. It is no wonder that these municipal Camperstops are so well used.

There is a Town Nightwatchman who does the rounds at night telling local stories, like the one in Ribe, in Denmark, right at the beginning of our travels way back in July. Sadly, not on a Tuesday night, though.

Day Seventy Six Monday 3rd October

A very civilised start to the day, with breakfast from 7.30 to 8.30 included in the overnight charge, then disembarkation at 9.( still on Finnish time) and the weather is lovely. Although we wouldn't want to do such a long journey again for a while, it has been a very good experience. Once again, the old fashioned feel suited us. Peace and quiet, very restful. Geoff did go a little stir-crazy yesterday, but a trip to the gym helped.

We drove straight to Lubeck, having put our watches back an hour. Even so, it seemed terribly quiet for 8.15 on a Monday morning. Was this rush hour? We parked by the river, and strolled back towards the Tourist Office, admiring the old redbrick buildings. No shops open yet, but that was not surprising, and we decided not to wait another ten minutes until the TIO opened at 9, as we were a bit uncertain about the lawfulness of our parking place.

The decision had already been made to avoid the motorways around Hamburg this time, so we headed south, putting Luneburg in the SatNav - a random choice. After two days on the ferry we had an empty fridge, so stopped at Lidl. No cars in the Car Park, and no sign of life. It was now getting on for 9.30. As Geoff went to investigate, it dawned on me that it must be a Bank Holiday of some sort. A kind lady meanwhile had approached him, and explained in German that he was able to understand that it was indeed a public holiday.

As we continued on our way I used a day's Data Roaming allowance ascertaining that today is German Unity Day, a celebration of Unification, and everything is well and truly shut. All Day! I also did some research into Luneburg, and learned that it had much of historical interest, old and relatively new, to offer, both as a Hanseatic town which had not suffered in the war, and of significance in relation to WW2, Montgomery took the German surrender here, the town hosted the Belson trial, and Himmler committed suicide here.

We were fortunate to find a garage with a shop, and there we purchased one of two remaining cartons of UHT milk and half a dozen rolls, the best on offer, and enough to see us through. We do have a few tins of stuff remaining in our dwindling store cupboard.

Finding somewhere to park in Luneburg proved a bit of a nightmare - all roads led to car parks with height barriers - but then, in escaping from one of said dead ends, we found a two hour roadside parking space next to St Nicolas Church, and right in the middle of the old town.

Luneburg is a particularly attractive town, and we were already enjoying it when we came into the Town Hall Square to the sound of singing. A school band/choir, called The Lazy Beat Bones. They were very good and I will see if I can find out more about them when I can get internet access. We strolled on down the next street, where there were a few street food stalls. And then we emerged into the main town square to a full scale street fair going on. Think German Christmas Market without the Christmassy tat, just loads of great food stalls and some really nice craft stalls. It was the last day of a four day annual Town Festival. We made some purchases, some edible , some not, and got back to the camper with just enough of the two hours left to look around St Nicolas Church, which was really well worth the visit.

The Sat Nav led us through what seemed like a rather circuitous route, which may have been to avoid a closed road, and was also in obedience to instructions to avoid motorways, to the Camperstop we had picked out at Nienburg. One very strange thing we noticed as we drove is that Autumn hasn't arrived here yet, and all the leaves are still on the trees. So different from Finland, where they are settling in for the winter. It was an enjoyable meander through quiet roads and small German towns, but it is possible that the motorway may beckon tomorrow!

Nienburg itself is an unremarkable place, but the municipal Camperstop, on the banks of the river Weser and a short walk from the town, is very pleasant. And it has electric hookups, an essential requirement tonight to chill the fridge!

Day Seventy Five Sunday 2nd October

Relaxing at sea.

All day.

And evening.

Arrived Travemunde, Germany 10.30pm Finnish time, 9.30pm German time.

Night on board in dock.

Day Seventy Four Saturday 1st October

Very little to report today - and tomorrow will be even quieter! We left the campsite at 12.30 for Hansa Terminal, the city's eastern ferry terminal,just 10 minutes away, but allowed time for a stop at Lidl on the way to stock up with supplies for the voyage. We had decided not to go for the meal package, preferring to play it by ear. Check-in was easy, but with a lot of sitting in vehicles. It opened at 1.30 and closed at 3, two hours before departure. The Finnmaid is a vehicle and cargo ship, and loading up is probably quite complicated. As is the journey through the docks - vehicles are led through in small convoys.

I hadn't known what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the cabin. Once again we have beds rather than bunks, one of which converts into a settee for daytime use, all pretty basic but it is perfectly adequate. The ship is a complete change from yesterday's ultra modern catering for the masses. Relatively small, with just one small bar/cafe and one restaurant which has one sitting for dinner, all utilising one open space, it has an old fashioned air about it. The sun deck is just one large open space with a helicopter landing pad, and overlooks the cargo deck, full of containers. It also afforded magnificent views over the archipelago as we left port just after 5 pm with sunshine and blue skies. One last look back at Scandinavian scenery!

We ate in our cabin - very tasty prawn and smoked salmon open sandwiches from the bar, supplemented by Lidl purchases - and are now intending to settle down for a couple of episodes of Mad Men. What a brainwave to bring the Camper's DVD player to the cabiin! It will help to pass the time until we disembark in Germany on Monday morning.

Day Seventy Three Friday 30th September

We were up at 6, and away before 6.30, on a very dark and blustery morning, to take our now familiar metro and tram route to the Vastra Terminal, in slight trepidation this time given the weather. When we got there I went straight to the Eckero Line Desk and booked us a cabin for both legs of the trip. Look at it as an Insurance Policy, I told Geoff.

It was definitely a good move. There was plenty of rolling motion for most of the two and a half hour crossing to Tallin, and it was much more comfortable to be able to lie down and enjoy the peace and quiet. The ship, MS Finlandia, can take 2000 passengers, and all the bars and restaurants, where nearly all the available inside seating is to be found, were looking pretty full. We have been so spoiled on our quiet ferry journeys!

Once we had arrived, it was great to be able to walk from the ferry terminal straight to the Old Town. The few spots of rain quickly passed, and we had alternating cloud and patchy blue skies for the rest of the day. Our first stop was St Olaf's Church (Protestant), with a roof as high as many Cathedrals. From there we wandered the streets, making our way towards the Upper Old Town, where the Orthodox Andre Nevsky Cathedral and the castle are to be found. Visitors enthuse about Tallinn, and understandably so, but in some ways it is little different from other lovely towns we have seen around the Baltic.

Where it is unusual is in the way the Medieval City Walls, and their turreted towers are all mixed in with the later buildings, and the large number of churches in such a small area. As well as the Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic Cathedrals there are numerous churches of all three denominations.
Coffee was much needed by this point, and we came across Bogapott , a shop, cafe and pottery studio, quirky and delightful. There we enjoyed a large coffee, and a slice of Tosca Cake, a Swedish speciality that was new to us and quite delicious, all served in and on pottery made on the premises. From there it was a steep climb through an entrance in the wall and up a cobbled hill to the Orthodox Cathedral.

From there we followed our noses down to the Lower Old Town via steps going in all directions and on to the Town Hall Square, with its grand buildings and restaurants, and along Pikk, the Main Street of old merchant houses.
By this time we were on the lookout for somewhere to have a late lunch that would see us through the evening as well, not wanting to risk a meal on the ship in case the crossing was a bit rough again.We looked at a few places that didn't really grab us, but then stumbled across Olevi Restaurant where a dive down some steep stairs into a cellar took us into another world; smart, dimly candlelit and comfortably furnished. The traditional Estonian menu was appealing., and we were the only ones there, although two other tables were filled while we were eating. Stefan, our waiter, was excellent. He is clearly called upon to handle any English speaking customers. We both had amazing Fish Soup, then Geoff had a wild boar dish, and I had an Estonian Pork dish, both very good. Strong coffee rounded the meal off nicely, and it was all very leisurely and comfortable.

We made a conscious decision not to try and do museums today, and contented ourselves with spending a while longer pottering through the streets, and a look inside St Nicholas Orthodox Church.. Then it was time to brave the Friday night crowds, waiting to board the ferry, which was 30 minutes late arriving. Great to know that we could retire to our own little haven in our cabin, have a shower, and relax for the duration of the journey. Plenty of movement still, but not as much as this morning.

It has been a very pleasant and memorable way to spend our last day before starting the journey homewards,and Tallinn is definitely worth seeing. With at least three ferries doing three return trips each every 24 hours, not to mention the cruise ships, it must be a bit of a nightmare in the summer, though. The ferries are well known for their weekend booze-cruisers and hen/stag parties!

Back 'home' by 10.30 , and after a welcome mug of tea, ready for bed after a long and satisfying day.

Day Seventy Two Thursday 29th September

Well, I slept like a log all night, the best nights sleep for years, but I overheard someone this morning talking about the storm in the early hours!

We hd disembarked and gone through customs etc back in Helsinki by 8.30, and went straight to the Eckero line desk to book return ferry tickets for a day in Tallinn tomorrow. Then we spent the rest of the morning in the Cafe chatting with Camilla, our Swedish friend from yesterday. None of us had pressing plans for the day and we were happy to talk over our St Petersburg impressions, world politics, today's news and all sorts of other subjects! We eventually got going, and had an easy journey back to Rastila, where we spent the rest of the day quietly, and had a walk in the surrounding woods, conserving energy for a long day tomorrow.

It is now nearly midnight, and we have to be up at 6 to catch the 8.30 ferry. It has been raining and very blustery all afternoon. I will be sure to pack all the sea-sickness antidotes!
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Day Seventy One Wednesday 28th September

The day started in a downbeat manner. The disembarkation process was slow, but not too bad, the officials at Passport Control severe and a bit intimidating. We were lucky to get the last two places on the Shuttle Mini-Bus. The Driver was scary, the area around the ferry terminal was not the prettiest, and the 30 minute drive weaving through rush hour traffic without seat belts not the most relaxing.but we were delivered safely to the centre, just by St Isaac's Cathedral (closed on Wednesdays!). It took us a while to get our bearings,but we set off in the direction of the Hermitage Museum, although it was only 9.45 and it didn't open until 10.30.

Far too much has been written about the wonder of St Petersburg for me to try and do it justice describing it here. But I will say that the only word to sum up my first impression is 'overwhelming', Noise, crowds, busyness, sheer size of everything. When we finally found the correct entrance to the Hermitage the queues were building up. We queued to get inside, only to join a slow-moving queue for tickets, and then another to go through security! Here I was pretty miffed when Geoff's bag with a bottle of tap water from the cabin inside it passed through ok, and my paid for and unopened bottle of mineral water was confiscated! I was so taken by surprise that I didn't even think to drink some before I gave it up.

By this time it was getting on for 11.30, We found a quiet corner to hide in and make use of 15 minutes free wifi, and then, having regained my equilibrium somewhat, we braved the masses and made our way up the marble staircase. Apparently it would take 11 years to see all the exhibits, and we only had a couple of hours, so we agreed that we would seek out Lonely Planet's "don't miss" list , and just do our best to absorb the other staggering rooms as we passed through them on our way. So we made our way to the dazzling Church via the equally dazzling Peacock Clock and the Rembrandts. I had forgotten that his "Return of the Prodigal Son" was here. A definite highlight! Henri Nouwen's book inspired by the painting is one I love and return to. I was touched when Geoff later surprised me by appearing from one of the museum shops having purchased a postcard of it for me.

We wanted to see the Impressionist and Post -Impressionist Collection, which has recently been moved to the General Staff Building on the other side of Palace Square.. What a contrast, Inside, the building has been transformed into a stunning, ultra-modern gallery, with huge neutral spaces and rooms - and it was almost empty of people, quiet and calm. First, we had a much needed coffee break on the gallery cafe. The excellent coffee and a very tasty but filling Apricot Danish each, plus a bottle of water to replace my lost one, total cost less than £6, were enough to keep us going until we returned to the ship The rest of the day was spent walking, taking in the main street, Nevsky Prospekt, the Church on the Spilled Blood - again closed on Wednesdays but extraordinary from the outside - canals, squares and parks, back to where we had started six hours earlier, to pick up the Shuttle Bus back to the ship.
A grey day had not managed to spoil the colours and magnificence of the city.

In the minibus and later over coffee back on board we enjoyed chatting to a teacher from Stockholm. She had done the trip that utilises the full 72 hours visa free.

A simple supper in the Italian Restaurant proved just what was needed,, and we then spent our remaining Roubles in the Duty Free shop. The ship really feels quite empty tonight, and I am hoping for as calm and quiet a crossing as last night's.

Day Seventy Tuesday 27th September

I was never quite sure whether this bit of the adventure would actually happen, but here we are, foot passengers on the good ship Princess Maria on our way to St Petersburg! Tripadvisor reviews of this visa-free two night, one day cruise varied significantly in their assessment of the ferry, so we boarded with an open mind. Yes, she is a bit faded and old-fashioned, and not absolutely huge, but all the better for all that as far as I am concerned. Our basic outside cabin is just that, but totally adequate with two berths rather than the bunks I expected. And, of course, a treat to have our own shower and loo.

We were warned to check in in good time because the formalities took some time, so got to the terminal ( by metro and tram) soon after check in opened at 3 pm. It was a breeze, all very quiet, and we were through and boarded in no time. This left us with plenty of time to explore while the ship was pretty empty, although it is still fairly quiet, and by no means full. It also meant we had time to do some reading up on St Petersburg and attempt to plan the best use of the day tomorrow.

We booked a table at the smartest restaurant, with an a la carte Russian/European menu, although there is a good choice of restaurants and it all sounded appetising. We ate early, just as the ship left port at 6.30. It was a very good meal and bottle of wine indeed, - nice surroundings, good service and a window table so we could watch the sunset.

After an unrushed meal, a walk around the deck and a browse around the duty free shop, where Geoff bought some bargain rum and Brandy for cooking purposes, and the casino (where we confessed that the closest either of us had been to a casino was James Bond films! )and we are settled back in our cabin and just about ready for bed! We are due to arrive at 8.30 am.

(posted from the Hermitage on Wednesday Morning)

Day Sixty Nine Monday 26th September

Today a short ferry trip, just 15 minutes from the central Market Place in Helsinki to Suomenlinna, a Sea Fortress dating from 1748 on a cluster of four islands, and a World Heritage Site since 1991.

First we purchased 5 day travel passes to cover us for the rest of the week. All very civilised, they not only cover unlimited use of the metro, trams and buses, but also the ferry today. It was just as well we had them, because I was overconfident when boarding a tram from outside Central Station, (where we had just exchanged some Euros for Russian Roubles ready for tomorrow's adventure ) to take us the four stops to the Market Place, and we ended up going in the wrong direction and accidentally covering the rest of the figure of eight tour on the number 2/3 trams which we did some of last week! Good job we weren't in a hurry, but we did end up seeing a lot more of Helsinki! The mistake was quite understandable, honestly, but too complicated -and boring - to explain further here.

When we eventually arrived at the Market Square by the harbour, we followed Lonely Planet's instructions and bought stuff from the Old Market Hall for a picnic to take with us. Delicious smoked salmon and prawns to fill Ciabatta rolls. As we were by now past lunch time, and had just missed a ferry so had 40 minutes to wait for the next, we had our picnic there and then, hiding from the seagulls, who were hovering expectantly.

The weather has really brightened up, perfect for sitting outside on the ferry and enjoying the view of Helsinki from the sea. And the rather daunting sight of the enormous Silja Line and Viking Ferries, one on either side of the harbour, dwarfing the buildings in the background. (when we returned later in the afternoon, they were just on the move, and even more daunting as we passed very close to the Viking one in our little ferry)

The islands which make up Suomenlinna are rather like a big park incorporating the old buildings and fortifications. It is also a living community of 800 people , and there is a church, a school and a grocery store as well as a number of museums, cafes, restaurants and Craft Shops, and venues which can be used for weddings and corporate events. And it apparently has more than 800,000 visitors a year!

We followed the walking route along cobbled paths,through a tunnel and over a bridge, which runs the length of the three main islands, and then wandered over and around the fortifications and bunkers.around the original bastion fortress, and the artillery emplacements dating from the time of Russian rule in the 19th Century. There are views from cliffs into little coves and harbours, and a swimming beach.

It was a really good day out, and we returned to the campsite on foot, ferry, tram and metro, this time seamlessly and without incident!

Day Sixty Eight Sunday 25th September

We woke to a dry and not-so-chilly morning. The car park had served us well for our last night in the beautiful lakes and autumn forests. The trees are quickly losing their colours and their leaves.
As planned we stopped at Porvoo, about 25 kms from Helsinki, to see what we had missed earlier in the week as we passed through. Lonely Planet enthuses about the old town, and not without reason. It is absolutely lovely, and we spent a good hour or two (I lost track of time!) wandering around the cobbled streets of pastel coloured buildings, sitting awhile in the Cathedral - a small and lovely old, simple building with a steeply pitched roof and separate belfry, unlike any cathedral I have seen - visiting a tiny chocolate factory and shop, and stopping for coffee in a nice little cafe on the square.
Now we are settled back at Rastila Camping in Helsinki, booked in here for the rest of our time in Finland, feeling very civilised with a return to a heated shower block, and having made use of the excellent laundrette and drying room. Standards may have slipped just a bit over the course of the last weeks, but it is nice to have clean towels and pillow cases again, as well as knowing that all our clothes are clean!

Day Sixty Seven Saturday 24th September

Time to head back to Helsinki. We are far enough away to want to break the journey, but could find no places of particular interest on the way. The obvious place, Kouvola, didn't seem to have much to offer except a large water park and Amusement Park with attached campsite which may or may not be open, but which didn't appeal anyway, for some reason.

As this would be our last night in rural Finland I was happy for Geoff to find a possible wild camp where he could do a little bit of walking. Some trial and error work with the Planet Earth app came up with the spot where we are now. Just northeast of Kouvola, and on the southern edge of the Repovesi National Park, he found a car park on the edge of a lake, which looked on the map to be in the middle of nowhere. In fact there is a little hut WC of the earth closet variety, and paths leading through the trees to the beach where there is a changing hut. In the summer it is obviously very popular - probably room for a hundred or so cars in the car park - but it is empty now.
After lunch Geoff went off and did a number of walking circuits in different directions, I joined him for one, through the woods and along the long sandy lakeside beach strewn with fallen pine cones and needles.

Although there is a track along the edge of the car park which seems to go to some houses, I should think it will be a quiet, and dark, night.

Day Sixty Six Friday 23rd September

Today it has been raining. We have been so fortunate with the weather that we can't even remember the last time we had rain! We had already decided that today would be a rest day, ie minimal driving and two consecutive overnights in the same place. Off late morning into Lappeenranta , only just over 2 kms away, but we took the camper so that we could explore a bit further as well. The town, or is it a city, feels pretty big, and has a population of 72,000. We wanted to try lunch in a place recommended in Lonely Planet. We have not found LP particularly helpful in the main, but occasionally it comes up trumps. This was one of those occasions. It describes Wolkoff Cafe and Restaurant as an old world traditional Finnish Restaurant serving gourmet Finnish Cuisine from fresh local organic ingredients. Although the main menu is a bit pricey, it recommends the buffet lunch as excellent value at 15 euros. It was indeed. Field mushroom soup with lovely crusty bread, salad buffet, a main course of Chicken Saltimbocca on a bed of runner beans and quinoa, and coffee and crisp biscuits to finish. The restaurant was small , unpretentious and friendly, and clearly full of locals. A very pleasing experience.

The main attraction in the town is Linnoitis, a fortress on a grassy mound overlooking the harbour, started by the Swedes and finished by the Russians in the 18th century. The old buildings now house a range of museums, craft shops and cafes, and it is all very attractive. We contented ourselves with a drive along the cobbled street running through the middle, and enjoyed viewing the buildings in the dry, feeling a bit wimpish!
Emerging on the other side we continued North out of the town to drive a little circuit of about 20 kms across some of the islands in the lake, all linked by bridges. It was well worth it to enjoy a glimpse of this Karelian Lake District, which stretches on northwards and is renowned for its beauty. The islands are all densely tree covered, and the autumn colours absolutely stunning - brilliant golds and reds. Even in the rain, there were some beautiful views as we crossed each bridge.

Then back to the campsite to hunker down with mugs of tea and the heater on, and catch up with some reading. Venturing out for showers was a bit of an effort, but now we are settled again for the evening, with scrambled eggs on toast and a couple of episodes of Mad Men to look forward to.

Day Sixty Five Thursday 22nd September

A proper Autumn morning, but we did enjoy the view out over the Gulf of Finland. The trees have changed here so quickly, and it is beginning to look more like winter than autumn.

First aim today - to get as close as we could to the Russian border. We took a loop road from the site, and at one point were just 100 metres away. The woods by the roadside had 'entry forbidden' signs on them. Back on the main road we decided not to get too close to the border control, and turned left rather than right. We couldn't resist a stop at a group of roadside buildings, two of them selling "fish and caviare" and the third a sort of Cash and Carry, presumably aimed at Russians coming over the border. It was an Aladdin's Cave, packed with all sorts of stuff in large quantities. First thing we saw was a huge pile of car tyres! There were vast amounts of tea and coffee and soap products, and just about everything you might want, including just the right size cool bag that I had been after.

Then on to our planned stops, The Bunker Museum (closed but we had a mooch around the outdoor part) and the Salpa Line Museum, in Miehikkala. Here was another opportunity for me to fill a big gap in my knowledge of history, this time more modern. The Salpa Line was a massive defensive front line constructed along the border during the Winter War and the Continuation War, 1941 to 1944. A helpful short film, in English, was shown for us first. There are trenches, dugouts, bunkers and great stone barriers designed to keep tanks out, all there to be explored. Although it was never put to the test, it is reckoned that the reason was that it was known to be impregnable; so it served its purpose.

Tea and cake in the very nice little cafe was welcome after the time out in the cold. Then we set off in a vaguely northerly direction to our overnight destination, Lappeenranta, the capital of Southern Karelia, and an all year resort. The campsite is large, and part of a complex which includes hostels and self catering units. There are very few people on the campsite itself. We are settled amongst trees, and the lakeside ( Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in Finland ) is not far away.

Day Sixty Four Wednesday 21st September

A peaceful night! and a dull and chilly morning. The winter clothes bag has come out from where it has been hidden for 9 weeks and scarf and gloves extracted.

This morning gave a better chance to see the site properly. Although the smallish area for caravans and campervans is fairly nondescript, it is totally adequate, and has a very nice view across the water. The harbour and small marina, with the facilities to which we had access, are really quite smart and interesting., with some old buildings dating back to Russian times, and a little boat moored here which has its own fascinating history through wartime and later as a tug and an ice-breaker, and is now licensed for pleasure trips.

The town of Hamina itself was a real discovery, only made because the Camperstop book had taken us there. It was built as a garrison town in the 18th century, based on 16th century fortress principles, like an eight pointed star. As with so many of the fortifications we have seen, the fortress was built in fear of attacks. that didn't happen, fell into disrepair, and has been restored relatively recently. A part of it is now used as an event arena, and holds a Military Tattoo annually, and other spectacular sounding shows. Very impressive. The centre of town has many interesting old buildings, dotted around the streets which radiate out from the Town Hall in the centre in an octagonal spider's webb pattern. We enjoyed a visit to the little town museum. Money had been spent on it, but it didn't seem to get many visitors, sadly. The Russian influence shows in everything in this part of the world, not surprisingly, as we get closer to the border. It is a shock every time to see St Petersburg on the road signs!

We took the back road close to the coast to reach our campsite destination for the night , between Virolahti and Vaalimaa. Our camping places have all been so different, and the variety is part of the fun. We never know quite what to expect. Last night's proved to be much nicer than anticipated. Tonight's, an 'open all year site', we have read described as a 'straightforward little site'. My immediate reaction was that was being kind to it! It has all the necessary things, including the mandatory sauna, and is in a lovely location, looking out over the Gulf of Finland, but feels uncared for.

I decided not to brave the showers - in an unheated little hut with corrugated plastic roof - and regretted our decision to skip showers last night. Instead, while Geoff went for a walk in the surrounding woods, I put the heater on in the camper, closed the shutters, boiled a kettle of water and had a nice wash in the warm!
But we are thankful to find a campsite open, the position is great, and we are a mere 5 miles from the Russian border.

Day Sixty Three Tuesday 20th September

Checkout time at the Site was 3pm, but the helpful girl at reception said there was no rush - 4pm, 5pm, they weren't full! Geoff had already asked about next week, and, again being off season, they are happy for us just to pay the reduced pitch fee for the camper without people or electricity for the two nights we will be away; excellent!
We set off back into the city on the metro, using our 24 hour passes purchased yesterday. They also enabled us to use buses and trams, and we had discovered that you can take the number 2/3 tram in a figure of eight from Central Station, which gives you a tour of the city, getting on and off wherever you like, AND with a free leaflet guide which points out all the buildings on the way. A very good alternative to the expensive tourist tours.

We hadn't gone very far when the guide pointed us to Cafe Ekberg, said to be the oldest cafe in Helsinki, 'on your right'. We quickly alighted at the next stop and went back for coffee and a shared pastry. Although it was not yet noon the place was full of people enjoying the buffet Lunch - three courses and coffee, which was about 10 Euros, I believe. The place was smart and comfortable, and we spent far longer there than we had intended.
Back on the tram we covered more of the city, before getting off to walk back to the square in front of Central Station for a meander through the outdoor international food market. By now it was nearly 2 o'clock, so we shared a plate of tiny fried fish ( even smaller than whitebait ) fried potatoes and veg from the Finnish stall before catching the tram back to the site, where we packed up and left just after 3.

On our way, we went to the Ferry Port from where our Finnlines ferry to Travemunde will depart in order to amend the booking slightly so that we can stay in our cabin for a second night in port at Travemunde, rather than leave the ferry and try and find somewhere to stay at 9.30 pm. It was also good to find our bearings in the Helsinki North Ferryport, which was rather confusing. Both missions accomplished, we emerged from the Finnlines office to find that the camper had gained another admirer. This time it was a chap who wrote for a caravanning magazine (he said). Again he was impressed with its compactness, and kept saying "you have a lovely car". Like the earlier admirers, he couldn't believe it was eight years old.

Moving on, and heading east, we had intended to stop for the night in or near Porvoo, but quickly abandoned what looked likely to be a fruitless search for somewhere suitable. Maybe we will stop there during the day on our way back to Helsinki. Quick decision made, and we got straight on the motorway to get to our next possibility, just over an hour away, at Hamina, on the coast. Here we found the small site open. It is near the town, on a lake, with simple clean facilities. It will do very well. Some boy racers on their buzzy mopeds have been a minor irritant, but hopefully they have beds to go to!

Day Sixty Two Monday 19th September

We took the direct route to Helsinki, including motorways, but it felt like a long journey. Not difficult, though, and the roads were pretty empty until we got to the Helsinki ring road, which took us all round the city as Rastila Camping is on the east side. This is a proper all year round site serving the city, and has a lot going for it. Although urban - there are a lot of blocks of flats around - it is very green, and all the individual bays have shoulder high hedges around them. Although not full, there are plenty of Motorhomes and caravans here. It is also close to the river, although we haven't found that or the "beach" yet. Or the wifi, for that matter, but we had been warned on Tripadvisor that the wifi was underwhelming.

No matter. The best thing is that the shower block is actually heated! And the Metro station is just round the corner. Twenty minutes, and we were right in the City Centre, with just time to get to the Tourist Information Centre before it closed at 4. Our mission - to find out about the visa-free overnight cruises to St Petersburg. We are duly booked for next week. Really, we had to give it a try. St Peter Line offer an overnight cruise with cabin there, a day in the City with a ticket for a shuttle bus that you can get on and off, and cruise and cabin overnight back. Total for the two of us 164 Euros. Given that a ninety minute bus tour of Helsinki would have cost 54 Euros, it sounds like good value, even if it is pretty basic. All the security bits and warnings do sound a little scary, though. We shall see.

We then spent a couple of hours around the harbour, market place and Senate Square, with the imposing Lutheran Cathedral mounted high above and overlooking it. It had lovely clean lines, inside and out. Very unfussy, especially inside, and all bright white outside.
The old Market Hall, a covered market, was also interesting, with its fixed wooden stalls now housing a fantastic array of very modern delicatessen counters. A lot of them were fish, but Geoff noted some rather exotic sounding meats.

We hopped back on the Metro and were back "home" in no time. We are just booked in here for one night, but plan to return next week and make this our base for the last few days before we get the ferry back to Germany. It has been good to have the opportunity to suss it out, and a bonus to discover that the ferry port we need to get to on our last day is only 10 minutes away!

Day Sixty One Sunday 18th September

As promised, a quiet day. The weather is still lovely, and much warmer than expected after yesterday evening's chill.
We spent most of the day in Hanko, following the Architectural walk trail. - half before lunch and half after. We are so fortunate again to be seeing the place in lovely weather but with no crowds, when it is looking absolutely its best. Hanko is situated at the end of a peninsular, so there are little rocky coves and bays wherever you go, and wooded walks between the villas linking them. It is quite delightful.

The few families who were on the campsite seem to have gone now, leaving it very quiet indeed. We cooked and ate in the kitchen again, and again there was a beautiful sunset.

Tomorrow we head for Helsinki. We have been doing some reading up in advance, but are not very good at planning city visits. Hopefully things will fall into place when we get there.

Day Sixty Saturday 17th September

Leaving our strange little overnight place behind - the 'workers had arrived back in three identical pick up trucks yesterday evening, cooked in the 'summer kitchen' and gone again by the time we were up this morning, but not disturbed us at all - we drove along side roads to our next destination, Hanko, the most southerly town in Finland. By now the camper is used to getting dusty on rough unmetalled roads, and Geoff's eyes positively light up at the chance to get right off the beaten track. Pocket Earth is also proving more help so far in Finland than it was in Sweden.

We were surprised and very pleased to find Silversands Campsite, just outside Hanko and right on the coast, open for business. It is a big site, but there are few visiting units scattered among the trees. There are also the usual little cabins dotted around. We had coffee and cake in the little cafe, whilst doing the Internet stuff. Wifi, though free, is 'unreliable' - the owner's words,- and patience was needed.

Hanko is an interesting place. It was built as a Spa Town in the late 19th century, and was a popular place for the Russion nobility; there are rows of large, faded, once glorious, villas in tree lined roads to be seen. The centre of the town and the beach areas are also very attractive, with small green parks, tree-lined squares, and pleasant buildings. We visited a photographic exhibition in the TIO building, part of the Town Hall,The photographer and his wife live in North Karelia, and his photographs - some wildlife, some views- are taken near their home. We very nearly bought one, and would have done, I'm sure, had we not each fallen in love with different ones. We are planning to visit South Karelia, to the east of Helsinki, next week.

A quick walk up to the church, where a wedding had been taking place as we arrived, but was now closed, and a massive Water Tower, and we resolved to stay an extra night and explore more tomorrow.

Outside the areas already mentioned it is all quite drab and utilitarian. It very much has an Eastern Block feel to it, and is very different from the rest of Scandinavia - indeed Finland does not consider itself to be part of Scandinavia.The language is totally different. Most signs are in both Finnish and Swedish, as Swedish is also an official language. And whereas we found that pretty much everyone spoke English in the other countries we have visited, here those who do, do so much less fluently.

We shopped in Lidl, and cooked in the campsite kitchen near the beach, whilst watching the red sun set over the sea, and looking forward to a Sunday rest day here! Although we managed to eat in the outside covered area by the kitchen, it is decidedly chilly. On our return to the camper, (torches required to find our way through the trees in the dark) a. quick blast of the heater was very welcome, and hot water bottles may be required.

Day Fifty Nine Friday 16th September

It was an entirely peaceful night after all, and I slept very well. We went to bed with empty parking spaces all along the Strand in both directions, and emerged this morning with them all full. Free all day parking for people working in the City!

Before leaving Turku we did a circumnavigation of the fortress, on foot. It was worth seeing properly from the outside, very similar in style to other castles we have seen, but much bigger. Although it has grass and some trees around it, it is basically surrounded by the Ferry Terminal! Imagine building a full-scale Ferry Terminal all around Bamburgh Castle!

A quick visit to the TIO, and we left the city behind and set off to explore the countryside towards the coast between Turku and Helsinki. First priority for tonight was much needed showers and electric hook up, so we headed for a Camperstop which had these. Our Camperstop Book has been of limited use since we left Denmark, and has only two pages of entries for the whole of Finland.

The countryside is a huge change from the blue-green of Sweden. More open fields, and the wooded parts have a lot of deciduous trees. The trees are beginning to change colour and it is looking Autumnal, but it is still warm and sunny. So with the colours of the trees, the brighter green of fields mixed with some harvested fields, and the sun everything looks very golden.

Our stopover has proved adequate for our needs; in the car park of a roadside cafe place, i is not dissimilar to where we spent our second night in Sweden all those weeks ago where we had to decamp! It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, at Ylongyla, although the road is quite busy. There is a 'summer kitchen' which we can use if we wish. Inspection showed it to be a building with large unglazed windows, looking as if it had been deserted in mid meal. There were pans of food on the stove, a large fish marinating in a saucepan and various foodstuffs and piles of kitchenware stacked up. We had been told that it was used by 'workers', people who lodged there but were out at work all day. We think we will give it a wide birth.

We had a walk into the "village", which consists of a wooden church which just looks like a house, a 'monument' which gives no clue as to what its purpose or claim to fame might be, a monstrosity of a modern house with some menacing black cars parked outside, padlocked gates, and signs warning of security cameras, and a very few other dwellings. A very strange little place.

Fortunately we had found a good supermarket on our way here, and have a nice supper of some fresh fish, and the lovely fresh tomatoes we bought yesterday,,cooked with fresh herbs to look forward to. When I can stir myself to prepare it!

Day Fifty Eight Thursday 15th September

Well, it was an excellent spot to spend the night, although Geoff says he thinks he heard a moose snuffling around at one point!!

The last eleven days in Aland have been amazing. It's strange to think that until a few weeks ago we had not even heard of the Aland Archipelago, let alone planned to visit it. Our intention had been to take the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Turku; We would have missed so much!

So we are now in the Turku Archipelago. First we crossed the bridge to have a look at the island on the other side. A long road ran across it with very little to see - except a large tomato growing concern which we passed going one way and stopped at on the way back. There were great boxes of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, and a serve-yourself shop. We helped ourselves, filling bags with tomatoes and baby plum tomatoes, and a cucumber. There were scales and a calculator provided, with a book to enter what we had bought, and a large cash tin full of plenty of change!

We then drove the 75 km to Turku crossing a number of islands - I lost count - linked mostly by bridges, but with two ferries needed. The first was just a quick hop, but the second covered a mile. Both were in position for us to board immediately. We were very fortunate. Still free!

We set the SatNav for the Tourist Information Office , right in the centre of Turku, ( the second city of Finland, and once its capital under Swedish rule) and paid for an hour's parking just outside. This gave us time to do all the necessary Internet stuff, gather info and maps, have a quick wander to look along the riverside "strand" , and have a sandwich lunch in the camper. Geoff fancied the Sibelius Museum, not too far away. The SatNav took us to parking right outside the Cathedral and next to a park. I was happy to stay there while Geoff did the museum, checking up on possibilities for the next few days, and spending some time in the Cathedral. When Geoff got back we both did a proper visit of the Cathedral, the mother church of the Lutheran Church of Finland.

Next we needed to check out a possible overnight stop along the riverside strand which joins the city centre and the castle. And the ferry port. We decided to stay here, rather than head on out of the city, although we have done all we want to here. We tend to get a bit grumpy in cities, although we know we should be more appreciative, and it has been particularly difficult to adapt to city pace after the unrushed peacefulness of Aland. But I felt Geoff had done enough driving, both on country roads and through city traffic, and all nearby campsites were closed.

After a reviving cup of tea and slice of cake, we went for an early evening stroll along the river towards the castle. It is all very pleasant, but really could be any city waterside development. The large Maritime Museum included several interesting ships moored along the river. We could just see the castle peering over the trees and buildings, but are not concerned to visit, both feeling quite castled out at the moment. I suspect that the best view of it is on the sea approach. But we enjoyed the walk there and back, remarking on several modern sculptures.

Just near where we are parked is a little open air boat bar and cafe offering, amongst other things, fish and chips. We decided to go for it, and it hit the spot. First chips since we left home!

I don't expect it will be an entirely peaceful night, and the earplugs may be needed, but it does add yet more variety to the range of places we have found ourselves sleeping in. Imagine being able to stay in London free overnight in a Campervan parked on the Embankment!

Day Fifty Seven Wednesday 14th September

With the day before us to explore the rest of Kokar we set off after a leisurely breakfast. First stop Karlby which is the only place resembling a town. The few buildings are scattered, but there is a school, library, cafe, and hotel. Down a little side road by the creek is the wooden building which is the only shop in the Kommune. There was just a tractor parked outside. The shop was well stocked, as we have come to expect.

We continued, along the one main road, turning off to explore the little side roads, all of which are dead ends. One of these excursions took us to Peders Apelbom, a farm shop with cafe, selling its own apples and all sorts of products made from them. The lady gave us severa tastings, and we duly succumbed and purchased various goodies, and some apples! And signed the visitors' book.

Geoff later explored the outside of the Kokar Museum ( closed ) and we stopped at the beginning of the path to the site of a Bronze Age dwelling. I'm afraid I let Geoff go on alone after scrambling up over the first rocky part.

At this point we had seen all that there is to see in Kokar and the little ferry port/harbour had as good views as any as a spot to cook and eat supper before catching the ferry at 6.30. The ferry, which had come from Langnas, hove into sight, and the several cars and one large motorhome on board disembarked. The embarkation is so swiftly done that we had hardly got the handbrake on before we were on the move. There is only one ferry a day which continues for the second leg of the crossing, and I am writing this in the lounge it is the sister ship of the one we sailed on yesterday. There are three vehicles and five passengers on board!! And absolutely no musak, I'm very pleased to say. We had chatted a bit to the other couple on board while waiting. They are Russian, from St Petersburg, and have very little English. We had seen them earlier, in Karlby, and they had also visited the Apple place just before us.

We have just been out on deck to watch the sunset, very pretty but not spectacular, and in about 30 minutes time should arrive at Galtby. Then we just have to find somewhere to park for the night!

A little later. Our arrival was done as speedily as everything else, and included reversing off the ferry, which was a bit daunting, then finding our bearings in the dark, and straight on to a very rough road ( signposted Turku 75km) which seems to be in the process of being repaired. Geoff was very pleased to turn off at the first available opportunity, and then he dived off again, onto a short rough track which led down beside a very new looking bridge crossing the water onto what we now see from the map is an island. At the end was a concrete slab by the water, with a low iron bar across, presumably the jetty for a ferry before the bridge was built. It is solid, and flat, and here we shall stay for the night. The camper is in reverse gear, with the handbrake firmly on, I hope. If this gets posted, then all was well!

Day Fifty Six Tuesday 13th September

It wasn't a completely peaceful night, but we had expected it. The night crossings each way between Turku and Stockholm make a brief stop here, and so there was quite a bit of coming and going.

We were all ready to go in good time for our ferry. A lovely, small old-fashioned vehicle ferry, the single car deck open to the elements at one end, with room for no more than about 15 cars. Next deck up was a cafe/lounge, and a small open deck, with another small open deck above that. We settled ourselves in the "salong" for the two and a half hour trip. Comfortable seating for about a hundred - number of passengers 12! We had coffee and cake. Refills of coffee were free. The wifi was very fast! The weather was glorious, and the sky and sea brilliant blue, cloudless and totally calm respectively. There was only one stop, where a couple of vehicles left, and one came on. Very civilised! How did I ever contemplate going any other way? The experience was a complete joy!

On arrival at the island of Kokar ( pronounced Shercar) we made straight for the only campsite. The island felt like stepping back in time. It is the southernmost Kommune of Aland, and quite isolated, with only 250 inhabitants.

The campsite was deserted. Not a soul around, and no sign of any caravans, campervans or tents, although the number of bikes available to hire/borrow suggested that in high summer it is extremely popular. A lovely setting again, very rocky, and with a little jetty and swimming platform and boats dotted around. The large kitchen/eating area was open, as were the loos. Showers and launderette had keypads.

We located a phone number, which I rang, and got the owner - who was in Turku today! No problem. He gave me the codes for the doors, said electrics were all working, just choose a spot and put the money through the door at reception. Could we use the laundrette, I asked? Yes, fine, just add 4 Euros to the charge.

We put a load in the washing machine - first opportunity since we have been away, everything has had to be hand washed - and then set off for a bit of island exploring. The church and its adjoining monastery were lovely. The church was closed, but a little wooden Franciscan chapel had been built incorporating some of the monastery ruins and was quite beautiful.

On our return to the campsite, I was determined to manage a swim, and was so glad I did. The weather was perfect for it.

We have cooked and eaten in the Kitchen, and are still here watching the sunset. You would pay a lot for this view in a restaurant !

Last night, a car park. Tomorrow night, no idea, but likely to be a layby as the ferry doesn't get in to Galtby until 9 pm. But tonight, a whole beautiful campsite completely to ourselves!!!

Day Fifty Five Monday 12th September

Back to glorious sunshine and heat today! Having made the decision to go for the island hopping ferry route, we set off for Langnas, about 30 miles away. But we had several stops to make on the way.
First was the Alandstrafikburo in Mariehamn, to get the ferries booked. It was nowhere near as complicated as we had feared, and the young man got us all sorted in no time. We are booked on the 9.15 ferry tomorrow morning. No racing across islands is involved - I think maybe that is on the alternative northern route.
Second stop was to Alko, the alcohol shop (only beer available in the supermarket) in search of the Åland equivalent of Calvados, which we had read about. We found it. At 111 Euros a bottle we thought maybe we'd settle for duty free Calvados on the Harwich ferry next month! We then topped up with essentials at the supermarket next door.
Third stop - was retracing our tracks to the iddrocemter in Godby, to return the saucepan lid we had accidentally taken with us thinking it was ours. Oops!

Then on through Lemland to Lumperland. We stopped to look at St Andreas Church, the church for Lumparland, which is the oldest surviving wooden church in Åland, dating from the mid eighteenth century. Just by the church a track led down to a beach and jetty, with a little wooden changing hut and a beach volleyball court! We lunched here, and then went to reccy the ferry port and see where we might spend the night.
There didn't seem to be any reason not to stop on the car park pvernight, but because there was no shade we didn't want to spend the afternoon there. So we drove northwards through the pleasant countryside of Lumperland until we reached the end of the road. A ferry could have taken us over to the next island, but was on the other side. We didn't have the heart to press the button and call it over to fetch us when we would only need to come back again, so returned to our little church car park. Here we spent the rest of the afternoon reading, and cooked and ate supper. In a short while we will head for the Ferry Terminal Car Park for the night.

Day Fifty Four Sunday 11th September

A bit of a wakeful night last night, but the plus side, having left the blind by the bed open, was seeing first the bright starlit night sky, then a beautiful sunrise at about 5.30 and finally the water shimmering in the sun around 8. By 10 a mist had rolled in and the far side of the bay was hidden from sight.

Geoff had gone off for a morning walk, returning in time to enjoy a Sunday breakfast treat of toast and marmalade. The toast is dry fried in a frying pan, which works really well, saving gas. Have I mentioned that trick before?

The weather having changed to overcast and a bit chilly, it was a good day for a museum visit. A few hours spent at the Alands Sjofarts ( maritime) Museum , Finland's Museum of the Year fitted the bill perfectly. Full of wide-ranging exhibits, from model sailing ships to a Captain's Cabin , details of all the old shipping routes, and the history of sailing ships on Aland, all well laid out over three floors in a modern waterside building; we really enjoyed it. The best part, saved till last and included in the entrance fee, was the v v Pommern, a four masted Barque which has been moored there since 1952. She is said to be the only large tall ship in the world which remains unaltered from her days in active service in the late 1930s. We had the whole enormous ship completely to ourselves, with freedom to roam all over three decks , from the hold to the fully furnished Captain's quarters and everything in between.

By closing time, at 4 pm, we were ready to eat, having had nothing since our late breakfast, so decided to return to Pub Nisko. This time I had a Jacket Potato piled high with prawns! Restaurants generally may be quite pricey here, but at 10 Euros I doubt I could have produced it myself for less.

We are one of only two campervans left on site this evening, although there may be a few folk in the little wooden Stuga, or cabins, further up the site. The weather has cleared and it is now a pleasant evening, though a bit chilly.

Which Ferry Route?

We are still pondering the choice of ferry to Turku. At least I am.

Option 1 is the direct ferry, Mariehamn to Turku, on a full size ferry, Viking or Silja Lines. It takes about 5 hours, I think. It winds its way through the islands, and a cabin for snoozing in would be a possibility.

Option 2 is the more adventurous one, island hopping by small ferry across first the Aland Archipelago, and then the Turku Archipelago. Trying to find out about this route has been rather like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Starting in Langnas on the wonderfully named island of Lumparland, it would be spread over three days, with about 3 hours each day taken up with ferries. One night would have to be spent on one of the intermediate Åland Islands as a condition of using the ferry route, because it is primarily meant for the use of the islanders. A second night would be spent on Galtby, on the furthest of the Åland Islands, because the ferry doesn't arrive there until 9 pm. The route from there to Turku, by ferries and bridges, is still a bit of an unknown quantity.

On his website, Paul gives some insight into this route. He describes racing across islands to catch the next ferry, in a little convoy of vehicles on the same mission, trying not to break the speed limit in the process. Our German cyclist yesterday confirmed this, saying that the timetables were such that you couldn't do the route on a bike, because there was not sufficient time to get from one ferry to the next.

There is little difference in the cost, as far as we can tell. If anything option 2 is a bit more expensive.

Those we have spoken to say that island hopping is a lovely way to do the crossing. I must say that it sounds potentially stressful to me, and we have forgotten how to do stressful! We have at least another day to make a decision.

Day Fifty Three Saturday 10th September

Well, what Geoff would call serendipity, coupled with a willingness to go with the flow and not be in a rush, has been on our side again today, and we are nicely settled for the next couple of nights.

But to begin at the beginning. We drove south to Mariehamn, the capital of Aland, this morning with no idea of where we might be able to spend the night. Fabulous weather again, so of course everything looks great, but it is a very attractive town. Wide tree lined streets and low wooden buildings painted in pastel colours. 40% of the population of Aland lives
here, but it is still really only a medium sized town size. The SatNav told us that the Tourist Information Office was at the ferry terminal. On the way we passed what looked very much like it, but it was clearly closed, so we pressed on to the terminal. This is pretty big, as is the terminal building, and caters for three different ferry companies heading out in several directions. However, with no ferries scheduled for another two hours, the place, although open, was almost deserted. And, as expected, no TIO. A sole lady security guard kindly phoned the TIO and confirmed that they were indeed closed.

We walked along the Esplanade and back, and then sat outside the terminal to do some more Internet research. Along came a German cyclist. He was very grumpy indeed. Everything, it seemed was going wrong. Everything was closed. He couldn't believe this place was so uncivilised. He had had enough. While Geoff continued to beaver away on the Internet, and kept his head down, I listened sympathetically and made polite conversation. Patience was rewarded when we said that even the campsite here in Mariehamn was closed, and he said it wasn't because he had stayed there last night!

We drove to the site, where we found the owner in reception. The reason the website says it is closed, he told us, is because he doesn't want people to come and be disappointed because the cafe and some other facilities are not available! It is a lovely site, and there are a handful of Motorhomes scattered amongst the trees. We are situated right on the edge of the sandy beach, with an uninterrupted view across the bay.

We lunched back in town, sitting outside at the harbourside Pub Nisko, the brainchild of the same chef who set up Smakbyn, which we visited yesterday. The place is extraordinary, with tables and benches made from old packing cases, and the whole resembling an old ship. The smoked trout and horseradish cream flatbread (Aland's answer to the Pizza) was out of this world.

Nearby, at the end of a little causeway, was a tiny Fisherman's Chapel, lovely inside and out.

Back at the site, and booked for two nights, we sat outside enjoying the view and reading for the rest of the afternoon. Geoff went off for a walk, and our grumpy German cyclist from this morning came by and hailed me. Christofer was now no longer grumpy. He had sorted out his ferry for tomorrow morning and lunched at Pub Nisko himself. He was still sitting here chatting half an hour later when Geoff returned.

So we have the prospect of a relaxed Sunday here, with a pleasant stroll into town along the wooded waterside path on offer.

Day Fifty Two Friday 9th September

Every day has been special, but today has been particularly full and enjoyable. We started with the open air museum of fascinating 19th century buildings this morning, a real insight into the life of the Aland farming communities of the time. The buildings had been brought to the site from various different islands. Also on the site, having been there and in use for centuries, was the old prison building. The three cells had each been furnished differently to show how they would have been from 1800 to 1975 when it was last used as a jail. With several exhibits of chains, and other daunting stuff, and the jail masters family quarters furnished as they would have been at around the turn of the century, it was very interesting, and made more so by having a personal guide in our young lady from last night, who was on duty there today. We had the whole place to ourselves for nearly all the time we were there. In fact we only saw two other groups of people there and in the castle later, one with a Russian numberplate.

We had thought to have coffee in the museum cafe, but it wasn't open. However, as we went down the hill to the castle we realised that the large smart building we passed was probably a restaurant, and seemed to be open, so we went to investigate. It was in fact an extremely smart restaurant and conference centre, Smakbyn,, with a gift shop full of lovely things! So here we enjoyed coffee and our first taste of Aland Pancakes. Scrummy.

Next stop the castle. Too much to describe everything here, but again full of interest and historical information  and restored  lovingly. Loads of stairways to go up and down to walk off the pancakes! With encouragement from the young man on duty, I persuaded Geoff to try on the chain mail and helmet in the dressing up corner, and have the photo to prove it!

We wanted to go to Godby, which is right in the middle of Aland, to investigate a micro-brewery. But first we needed to establish a place to stay for the night. Over our leisurely coffee break we had spent some time on the Internet researching various options for travelling to Turku, on the Finnish mainland, and had also established that nearly all the campsites are now closed!  In Godby we found the  Aland Idrottcenter, which is a sports centre, swimming pool, Tourist Information Centre and large modern Youth Hostel. Once again, we explained that we were looking for somewhere to stop for the night. The man on duty said we could stay in their car park (the fact that we are only little seems to help) We negotiated a stay in their car park, with use of the Youth Hostel facilities for 15 euros. Kitchen/ lounge , with a freezer to freeze ice packs, loos, showers and wifi! We feel very fortunate, but are fully aware that we are not always going to fall on our feet!

Godby is not actually a town - it seems Mariehamn, our next stop, is the only proper town on Aland -  but seems to consist of just some houses, this Centre, and what resembles a small out of town shopping precinct. At the supermarket there we found two more treats, Geoff bought some beer from the microbrewery, to make sure we got some, and I found two slices of Princess Tort just waiting to be tried. Two very wicked treats in one day.

A quick trip to the brewery established that its main attraction was a bistro, which looked great but was not for us today. So back to our spot in the Idrottcenter car park for tea and Princess Tort.  It was delicious, very light and fluffy, and mostly cream. I won't feel the need to have it again though.

My feet have been suffering from itchy insect bites for the last two days -walking through grass in sandals was not a good idea- and this afternoon I was convinced I had picked up ticks. Geoff investigated but assured me that the little black spots he removed from the tops of my feet were not ticks. Ironically, he later discovered a real, actual tick embedded just below his knee!! It has now been removed using his nifty Tick Removing Gadget.

We have spent the evening in the Youth Hostel, where we have seen only three people, one of them a member of staff. Having cooked and eaten supper, enjoyed one of the bottles of beer, showered, caught up with the children and all the grandchildren on FaceTime, and now finished the blog ready to post in the morning, it is time for bed. Has all that really happened in one day?

Day Fifty One Thursday 8th September

Today we decided to see how much further we could get in the same direction. Although the site was great we were not sorry to leave all the insect life behind. We are both sporting some large, hard bumps! Some more lovely bridges led us over a couple of islands northwards, and then there was a long causeway heading in the direction of the furthest island, Enklinge. This must have been constructed recently, because the SatNav thought we were on a ferry! The causeway stopped in the middle of the water, with a barrier across it, and we could see a ferry on the far side. Our guess is that eventually the causeway will go right across. There was no sign of the ferry moving, and no other vehicle in sight. An incomprehensible sign made us think that maybe we would have a long wait, and we would only have to come back again, so we turned round and retraced  our steps. It was no hardship, enjoying the views in reverse in the beautiful weather. In fact a later googled translation proved that the sign merely gave notice of some minor disruptions to the service.

After a few miles, and in the middle of nowhere, we saw a sign to a shop off the main road, and drove through a grassy lane to find a full blown and very well stocked supermarket. By the car park was a little blue hut with a sign "bokboden ". A peak inside revealed shelves of second hand books, and a table and chairs, all very cosy!

We stopped for lunch across the bridge from yesterday's lunch stop, on the island of Sund, in the car park for Bomarsund Fortress. It is referred to as ruins, but in fact the fortress, conceived and built by the Russians at the beginning of the 19th century, was never completed.  The remains cover a large area, and we wandered around happily for some time. The history is very interesting and includes a successful joint British/French raid in 1854.

The campsite by the fortress closed for the season yesterday, and a quick nip back over the bridge confirmed that the Prasto site was also closed. So we went on a few more miles, still on Sund, to check out the opening times tomorrow for an open air museum and castle which we want to visit. The museum hadn't yet closed for the day, although there was no one around except the young lady manning the reception building. She was extremely helpful, and saw no reason why we couldn't stay here overnight! So, manned with guidebooks to read in readiness for tomorrow, we are tucked away in a shady corner of the car park with access to loos, and the option to wander around the museum this evening  viewing the buildings from the outside if we wish, We are even told that there is wifi 200 metres away at the entrance to the castle, although we have yet to check it out.
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Day Fifty Wednesday 7th September

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 Aland 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 Soderhagen. 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 Vardo, 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 Prasto between the islands of  Sund and Tafto. We have to return the same way, and will stop again then as there is much to see.

The campsite, Sandosuns,  on Vardo 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.

The happiest people?

I see that The Times has an article today about the Danes being the happiest nation. This is something I read about in the book Living Danishly.

In summer they enjoy the long summer nights to the full, finishing work at about 4. In winter, with few hours of daylight, they survive by doing "hygge". This involves hibernating, battening down the hatches, turning the central heating up, and lighting lots of candles.

We think that this must actually apply to the whole of Scandinavia, and explains why everywhere  looks as if it is kitted out for permanent holidays. We also think that we might manage  to cope with their philosophy.

Day Forty Nine Tuesday 6th September

A chilly night, although snug enough in the camper,but we woke to glorious sunshine. In fact sitting outside I thought I might need sunscreen for the first time! After spending the morning just soaking up the beauty and peacefulness of the place, we ventured out in the camper to do some gentle exploring. First southwards on along the rough road to Degersand. The lovely beach was deserted, and here there is a campsite which runs right up to the beach. All the beachside pitches were empty. We keep having our breath taken away by the views , all brilliant blue water and green wooded shores. It is impossible to describe the quality of the light. Being here out of season has its disadvantages, but the stillness and emptiness makes up for them. It would all be quite different in season, but still lovely I'm sure. We then went in search of a supermarket and bank/hole-in-the-wall. After several red herrings we went back to the ferry terminal to see if they could help. The nearest is 10 miles away - fourteen or so from the campsite! The lady there was very helpful, and searched high and low, eventually finding us a lovely little booklet about Eckero in English. We went to have a look at the huge, cream coloured and impressive Old Mail and Customs house - the outside only of course! During the season it houses exhibitions, a cafe and craft stalls. It was built in 1828, as the Russian border station with Sweden and, as I read somewhere, would not look out of place in St Petersburg. It is very strange to see such a building here, but it was built not only for administrative purposes, but to show off Russian wealth and power of the time. The building has remained intact through all the wars and other crises since. Having located the Supermarket , and failed by 2 minutes to get to the bank before it closed (no matter, there's always tomorrow,) we drove back to the campsite enjoying the country lanes, farmland, and tiny hamlets of scattered houses, and stopping off at Eckero church. Much of the church is over 700 years old, although you wouldn't think so. It is stone, with a wooden roof, very different from the white-painted Swedish churches, but as in Sweden, everything is so well looked after that age doesn't show. We had to satisfy ourselves with a walk round the graveyard, and peering through the windows for glimpses of the interior. Geoff has just discovered that he picked up some sort of yoghurt drink instead of milk this afternoon. Tricky when everything is in yet another new language. Good job we have powdered milk with us for emergencies.

Day Forty Eight Monday 5th September

So now we are in Finland - at least I think we are. I'm not sure that Alanders 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 350 krone, 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 Eckero. Two kilometres up the coast is the little resort of Karingsunds. 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, Soderhagen, not far south of Storby, recommended by Paul and Sheila who we met back at Falun and Farnebofjarden. 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.

Day Forty Seven Sunday 4th September

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 Oregrund 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 Osterhammar, 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 Eckero 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 2 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.

Day Forty Six Saturday 3rd September

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, Grasbadens Camping on the island of Graso, 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.

I have no idea why this programme is now refusing to publish in paragraphs. I can assure you that there are paragraphs when I hit the button. There doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. Apologies !!

Day Forty Five Friday 2nd September

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, Laxon, 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 3 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 Graso 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!

Day Forty Four Thursday 1st September

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 Gavle, 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 Alvkarleby. The only info we had for the Camperstop was that there was a toilet and water, and that payment of 100 krone, 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 Coop 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 100 krone. 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!

Day Forty Three Wednesday 31st August

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 10.30 am 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 breakffast! 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 Goteborg 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!

Day Forty Two Tuesday 30th August

Sadly, our last day on the Diana. The morning visit was a fitting last one though. We moored at the top of the Trollhattan 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 Goteborg 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 Icecream 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!

Day Forty One Monday 29th August

It has been another interesting day today, despite a lot of rain, but with one major disappointment. After breakfast the Captain announced that, because of the forecast of bad weather and strong winds, the passengers would not cross Lake Vanern (the largest lake in Sweden and the fourth largest in Europe) in the boat, but instead would cover the day's itinerary travelling around the lake by coach. So, after a ( optional) three kilometre walk along the towpath ahead of the boat to a Canal Museum at Sjotorp, the official end of the Gota Canal where it joins Lake Vanern, we all clambered onto the coach which was waiting for us. A lovely salmon lunch was laid on for us at the restaurant at Lacko Slott (Castle), followed by a guided tour of the castle as scheduled. Another lovely castle, in a beautiful lakeside setting, dating back to the thirteenth century with baroque and Renaissance additions, lovingly restored in the 1920s. We then rejoined the coach and continued to Vanerborg to meet the boat at the end of its journey across the lake, with an "afternoon coffee" stop on the way. Everyone was very relieved to see Diana emerge from the lock across the water, with a blast of her horn. It had apparently been a very bumpy crossing, and the captain's decision was justified. A shame to have spent 4 hours in a coach instead of relaxing cruising, but we were back with the boat in time for the Captain's dinner, which had only had to be delayed by 30 minutes. We were privileged to be joined at our table for the last part of the meal by the second officer, who does in fact captain Diana and the other two Gota Canal boats himself. A very interesting man, who is retired from merchant shipping. Our captain proper is a ferry captain in real life, who captains this boat once a year as a holiday! There's a lot of love in the company! After dinner there was an invitation to have a tour of the kitchen, which Geoff will report on. I preferred to come up on deck to write this, given that this is our last evening. It is quite chilly, but clear. We are moored here at Vanenborg for the night.