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.

Day Forty Sunday 28th August

Another stunning location this morning. The boat set off at 7.30 and arrived after breakfast at Vadnesta, and moored right beside the moated medieval castle. I am aware that I am running out of superlatives trying to describe these places, but they really are all so lovely and beautifully cared for. The whole of the Gota canal is of course reliant on its visitors, so I suppose that keeping everything smart and clean is important. It is all picture perfect. We first visited the church and monastery of St Birgitta, travelling through the quiet, Sunday morning town on one of those little tourist trains (with Geoff running/walking almost alongside - everyone has got used to him by now!) Once again an hour was simply not enough to take it all in. Birgiitta (1303 to 1373 ) was clearly a very feisty, determined lady and we shall delve more into her life story. She founded the original order, but of course the buildings have undergone many changes since then. One of the things which we have found interesting is the way old buildings have been reconstructed incorporating as much of the original as has been discovered. The sAme was true of the castle, which we visited next having returned on foot via the lakeside walk - and beaten the little train back. Again, the oldest parts dated back to the thirteenth century. A number of huge rooms are used for weddings and other celebrations and must make a lovely setting. There are rooms/halls on three floors - loads of stone stairs - including on the third floor, added, I think, in the 16th century, a suite of furnished rooms. The high ceilinged chapel had wonderful acoustics. There is a Swedish girl rock singer amongst the passengers. I encouraged, and bravely joined her, to start singing Amazing Grace (I suggested it just in the hope that it was a hymn she might know) and six or so other passengers joined in as we sang the first verse together ! It was a lovely, special moment. We sailed on at midday. This is definitely a place I would like to revisit. There was a very nice looking, grassy Camperstop right by the castle which we have made a note of for future reference. We have noted several already along the canal. Lunch (delicious as ever, and today the closest we will get to Swedish meatballs - a meat patty with the traditional accompaniments of mashed potatoes, creamy gravy and lingonberry sauce ) was followed by yet another peaceful afternoon's cruising through wide and narrow parts of the canal, across lakes and through locks and swing bridges. At Forsvik lock we were greeted by the Kindbom family. It had been explained to us that they are a religious group who have made a tradition of greeting the boats with music as they come through the lock since 1926. They do this at least twice a week during the season. Our tour manager said that, although not everyone would share their views, she hoped all would respect their sincerity and goodwill. As we arrived we were greeted with "How great Thou art " accompanied by brass instruments and accordions, followed by Swedish hymns as we rose in the lock. They presented flowers to our tour manager, and she in her turn presented them with a gift of biscuits. We left the lock to. .... Amazing Grace. Quite a crowd had gathered to watch around the locks, and it was very moving. We docked at Hojstorp at 9.30. We are in the middle of nowhere, moored at the top of Thomas Telford Lock, built in 1822. TT was an adviser when the canal was built.

About the MS Diana

Ms Diana, one of the three similar boats operated by the Gota Canal Co, is not a big boat, and is the youngest of the three, built in 1931. It is 31.66m long and has 28 cabins on three decks. They are small cabins, all wood with brass trimmings. Most of them have bunk beds. Think slightly smaller than railway sleeper compartments and that will give an idea of their size. Ours is a little larger and has two narrow single beds (which are very comfortable). Each cabin has a wash basin but no en suite. On each deck are loos and a couple of showers. The idea is " to experience travel as it would have been enjoyed " in the early days of the canal, and by the likes of Hans Christian Anderson. I suspect that it is a similar experience to travelling on the Orient Express, but at a very leisurely pace and with added access to fresh air! On the middle deck is the dining room, and a small lounge area, in one corner of which is the ship's library, with a selection of books about Sweden and the canal, mainly in Swedish but some in German and English. A short flight of steep carpeted stairs goes down from there to the bottom deck, where our cabin is! one of eleven. There are also a few small cabins on the Middle deck. There is a walkway around the middle deck and, at the bow end, an almost vertical set of steps up to what is called the shelter deck. ( best to come down backwards,) It is open, and there are plenty of comfortable wicker chairs and tables up there . Because it is covered by a strong awning, it is a lovely place to be whatever the weather., rain or blazing sun, and there are blankets on every chair for"snuggling into" if required. The supposedly poshest cabins, about twelve of them are also on this deck, but have bunks. The captain's bridge is at the stern end.

Day Thirty Nine Saturday 27th August

Our mooring last night was at the bottom of the Berg sequence of locks, fifteen locks in all starting with a staircase of seven. The view from the top of the staircase watching the Diana ascend, with the lake in the background, and the sun shining from a blue sky, was quite spectacular.

We left the boat to make her way through all the locks, and walked on along the towpath and then away from the canal on the road for about half a mile to the old convent church of Vreta, with its adjacent neat ruins, a clear footprint, of the convent. The convent, and parts of the church dated from the 11th century. The church is now an active, beautifully maintained, parish church, and is only open to the public at weekends. A lovely steward was on duty, and coffee, tea, cold drinks and homemade biscuits were laid out for any visitors who might come along! The church was wonderful, and there were many fascinating layers of history to be discovered. Our hour there passed all too quickly. We then walked back to rejoin the boat as she reached the top of the locks - two and a half hours after she had set off from the bottom lock.

Another relaxing afternoon of scenic cruising followed, all in perfect weather with a light breeze, and including crossing Lake Boren and navigating another staircase, this time of five locks. It was interrupted only for lunch, afternoon tea, and then an early dinner at 6 pm. It's a hard life!

The food has been very enjoyable. It is a set menu - the small space on board makes offering a choice unrealistic - and is, as far as we can tell, Swedish cuisine. The menu is presented in Swedish, English and German, and sometimes we have to resort to translating the other two languages to get the meaning of a strange English translation. Today, for example, the starter at lunch was "minced elk cubicle with cranberry chutney". After a few guesses, (and wondering whether it was a misprint!) we established that it was Minced Elk Column. The minced Elk was wrapped in a little pancake, and arranged so that it stood up. No matter that all but mine had toppled over in the course of serving. It was delicious.

During supper we arrived at Motala, "the capital of the Gota Canal", and this evening have visited the Motala Motor Museum, just a stone's throw from where the boat is moored. With a large and very varied collection of vintage cars and motorbikes, and collections of old radios and typewriters, G was in his element. and our Canadian friends became nostalgic when they came across a motorbike like the one they had travelled on, camping en route, to Stockholm from Scotland in 1960.

Day Thirty Eight Friday 26th August

The passengers on our deck seem to be early risers- there was no going back to sleep after 6,30. But it t was no great problem, and meant that getting up and breakfasting could be done without rush. We were docked at Stegeberg, an island in a beautiful setting,, and just by the ruins of Stegeberg Fortress, which dates from the early Middle Ages, and was built to guard the inlet. We had an excellent guide to take us through the ruins and grounds, who filled us in on the history and royal family intrigues up to the 17th century when it fell into disuse. It was an idyllic spot, in beautiful morning weather.

At 10 we were off, with a relaxing morning's cruising ahead of us. At Mem, just before lunch, we entered the Gota canal itself, and then docked at Soderkoping for a couple of hours, with plenty of time to explore the medieval  town. We were a little surprised as we left the boat to see an unusual proportion of rather hippy types, and a lot of people including children in what I at first thought were ethnic hippy style clothes, and then realised were medieval costumes. We discovered that It is the annual Viking/medieval fair today and through the weekend, which clearly takes over the whole town. It was an amazing spectacle. We wandered through the numerous stalls and visited the church, before returning to the ship. For me this was a return for the afternoon - I was wilting in the 31 degree heat - but G set off to walk along the towpath ahead of the ship for the next 4 Kilometres, while we went through 8 locks, and would be picked up at the last one. I managed to snaffle a couple of mini waffles with strawberry and cream from the afternoon tea offering to welcome him back on board.
The next part of the canal is rural, varying in width, sometimes not much wider than the boat, and often so shallow that the boat scrapes the bottom. There are locks and lift bridges, and for the whole of this stretch, from Soderkoping to Norsholm, a young man in a car accompanied us, driving along the wide towpath, closing locks behind us, overtaking us, setting up the next lock, and repeating the process. He and one of the girls in the crew worked really hard all afternoon and into the evening, and made a terrific team.

There have been lots of opportunities already for very interesting conversations with fellow passengers. There are at least seven nationalities on board -  Swedish, Norwegian, German, Finnish, Danish, Canadian, English. One thing  that is very interesting is the interest they all take in British politics. A Finnish lady I was talking to this afternoon had stayed up all night listening to the results of the referendum. People want to know what we think about Brexit. They are genuinely upset.

We crossed Lake Asplangen, then, during supper, waited in the Lock at Norsholm watching several trains on the main Malmo Stockholm line cross in front of us before the the bridge could be lifted for us to go through into Lake Roxen.

Now, at 9.30, we are crossing the lake at a good speed. It feels very windy sitting out on deck, but it's very welcome after all the heat today. We dock for the night at Berg, on the other side of the lake, sometime after 10.

Day Thirty Seven Thursday 25th August

G dutifully booked a taxi to take us to pick up the boat! We still had a little way to walk because the centre of Stockholm was clogged because of a " State Visit " we believe it was Joe Biden. Our taxi driver was very apologetic and tried all sorts of different routes, but ended up having to drop us as near as he could. having boarded, MS Diana, built in the 1930's, unpacked in our neat little cabin, and been welcomed with coffee, pastries and fresh fruit platter, we settled down on deck to enjoy the first day's cruising through The Stockholm Archipelago and Lake Malaran to the Baltic, and then down the coast through small rocky islands until we stopped at 5 pm at Trosa. The total relaxation was interrupted only by an excellent Two course lunch. There is a set table plan, which we will stick to, and we are seated with four others - retired sisters from the London area, and a couple originally from Scotland but living in Canada for the last thirty years- - the  only other passengers whose first language is English. They will be excellent lunch and dinner companions for the next few days. The boat is not quite full; we are 43 passengers with a capacity of 48.

At Trosa we had an hour and a half to explore at our own pace, and a Heritage trail of about 2 Kilometres to follow if we wished, which we did. A picture postcard little town, with a number of old buildings, most of which now seem to be hotels and restaurants. And a welcome leg stretch.

A Welcoming glass of bubbly, an excellent three course dinner and a spell sitting out on deck, and it is time to turn in. We don't dock at our next stop until 1.15 am, and the sea has been a bit choppy. This is where I think we are fortunate to be on the Main Deck, which is the bottom deck, and has much less roll. It is, however, quite warm. There does not seem to be much breeze coming through the open porthole!

Day Thirty Six addendum

Having mentioned the trendy hotel, I forgot to mention something which amused us. It being a very warm night, when the waitress at the Pizzeria asked where we would like to sit I replied "wherever is coolest " Without hesitating, she said " Well by the window - everyone will see you there" !  "Cool"had only one possible meaning for her!

Day Thirty Six Wednesday 24th August

Now for the next bit of the adventure. We spent time this morning repacking for the next eight nights, reorganising things in the camper, cleaning and tidying. Parking was pretty  straightforward -  although we circled several times trying to find the entrance to the car park - and the Arlanda Express whisked us into the centre of Stockholm. There was a nice little perk, discovered quite by accident. A summer special offer, expiring in 4 days time, meant that instead of paying 280 Krone each for a single ticket we paid 300 for two singles. And we could have taken up to 8 children with us free!

Tonight We are at the Clarion Hotel Sign, which was only a short walk from the station. It is probably the trendiest Hotel we have ever  stayed in, and has a full blown spa on the top (8th) floor, with a smart rooftop pool with view over the Stockholm rooftops. It being very hot, the terrace around the pool was jam-packed with tanned, oiled bright young things sunbathing. Not a scene I cared to join! And G did not like any aspect of it - especially the height! We retired happily to our nice cool air-conditioned room and a cup of tea.

G went out for a walk to check out how long it would take us to walk to where the boat is docked tomorrow morning. We are  to be there at 9. Half an hour, he reckons. At 8.30 in the morning? Carrying a rucksack? Me? I don't think so!

Knowing that we will be having Swedish meals for the next few days, I  fancied a Pizza tonight. A bit of research turned up Giro Pizzeria Napolitana, rated #23 of 2507 restaurants in Stockholm.by Tripadvisor. It seemed worth a try, and so it was. They serve only Pizzas, and very good they are.
On our way back to the Hotel we caught the last part of a free Organ recital in Adolf Fredriks Kyrka, part of a week long series.  Stockholm is every bit as pleasant as we remembered it. It was March when we were here before, so it has been lovely to see it on a very summery evening, with the  pavement cafes, restaurants and grassy squares buzzing.

While we are on the Gota Canal we may not have any internet access. Use of mobile phones on board  the MS Diana is definitely frowned upon! So all may go quiet until we reemerge in Goteborg  next week but I shall continue to write anyway ready to post when I can.

Day Thirty Five Tuesday 23rd August

This is my second try at my blog today. I stupidly updated the app I use for documents this morning, and it has decided that the document of my whole blog so far, plus today's, stored on my iPad, is invalid. Gone completely! Hmm. When it works, it's great, but...

So, here goes again....this morning. would you believe, in the middle of nowhere, we heard voices at 7.30! A peak over the blinds and through the trees revealed a huge articulated lorry stopped in the road. G trekked through the wood to see whether we were somehow in his way, but no. The driver was Dutch, delivering a house, as you do in these parts, but couldn't take his lorry the whole way. This was the last straight stretch of road before his destination, so he was uncoupling the back half, and would come back for it once the other half load was delivered. All this he duly did! He said that he often drives in England, delivering flowers. We have been taken with the willingness of people to chat in English. The younger ones often speak with an American accent, either from travelling or from watching American films.  I am feeling ashamed that I was so critical of the author of Living Danishly. Although we are getting much better at interpreting the written word in Swedish, the spoken word is another matter. The pronunciation doesn't appear to bear any resemblance to its written counterpart.

Today was set aside for Uppsala, and it was a lovely surprise for me. Very definitely a university city, with even more bicycles than Oxford or Cambridge., and  a great feel to it, made even better, as always, by the gorgeous sunshine. We enjoyed the impressive Cathedral, and then contented ourselves with wandering through the streets soaking up the atmosphere. G's attention was caught by 'The English Shop' where we were able to buy a tube of Colman's mustard to pep up the rather tasteless beef slices we have been buying for lunchtime sandwiches ( because they are marginally tastier than the tasteless ham we have found - it is all wafer thin)
Tonight's site needed to be within striking distance of where we are leaving the Camper tomorrow for the duration of our Gota Canal Cruise. We first drove to Sigtuna, where there were places for Campervans in the harbour, but as expected there was no electric hookup. The town was pretty and very  smart, and we drove past the old part, with its ancient ruined church tower, and onwards to our other possibility.

We certainly manage to ring the changes. Here we are at a very attractive golf course at Upplands Visby, between Stockholm and Arlanda airport. The surroundings are very pleasant, and wooded again. There are 10 designated spaces for campervans, and all the facilities, including a nice looking restaurant. It was not a usual day here - there was a big John  Deere event with all sorts of John Deere vehicles on show and whizzing around the place,and the car parks have all been overflowing. A party in a marquee has now finished, and all is very quiet, although there are still some cars around. It seems we will be the only Campervan here tonight. And It is nice to have a break from the midges! I expect they'll be back as soon as we hit water again.

Day Thirty Four Monday 22nd August

A last few minutes on the wooden swing gazing out over the lake on a decidedly warm, sunny morning and it was time to leave it behind.
We stopped briefly at the Farneboljarden Nature Reserve Visitor Centre, and then drove onwards through the Reserve enjoying the beauty of it all - over bridges that crossed tumbling rapids  surrounded by forest. We stopped at the entrance to the Reserve, where several trails were marked, and walked the shortest one. Now, here was a walk through dense, rough woodland I could enjoy! It was well way-marked, and I knew in advance that it was under a mile long and would bring us back to where we started. Even the combination of quite long plank bridges,untried shoes and no walking poles didn't phase me. And I actually managed to keep up with G, who is a little wary on paths like these which are a tangle of raised roots, since the time he tripped on one and tore his hamstring.

The rest of the day was spent in a very relaxed manner, driving through lovely wooded countryside, stopping occasionally, first for lunch, then in the hope of finding a suitable 'wild camp'. I had threatened G with skinny dipping if we found a nice isolated spot by a lake, but none was forthcoming to his relief. He is not a fan of cold water! We eventually stopped here at about 5.30, in a grassy space separated from the road by trees. We have had to batten down the hatches to keep all the insects out, but not more than a dozen cars have passed in the last 5 hours, so hopefully it will be a quiet night.

Day Thirty Three Sunday 21st August

We woke to greyness and mizzle, but the view was still beautiful in the mistiness. There was no need to move on, so we decided not to! A good chat with our neighbours this morning before they left was enjoyable and informative, they having travelled extensively through Europe in their camper-van. Paul has chronicled their journeys beautifully on his website, a labour of love,and his account of their time in Finland last year is particularly relevant for us.

I designated today a reading day, and spent some time dipping into the Sunday Times before returning to my current novel, 'The Versions of Us.' It needs concentration, and I keep losing the plot- or rather the three alternative plots which are woven together. I shall persevere.

Meanwhile G walked the three mile round trip to the nearest shop for milk and necessaries.
The weather brightened, and a couple of people braved a swim in the lake this afternoon, but came out again pretty quickly! We contented ourselves with watching  them whilst swinging gently on the large lakeside wooden swing!

I went with G for a short stroll through the woods before supper, turning back and leaving him to walk on when the path led us across a slippery wooden plank bridge. My decision was justified when he returned a bit later with a muddy bottom! The woods are full of wild mushrooms of all sorts - a treasure trove if you know the right ones to pick!

The campsite owners write in their tasteful  little brochure that in this  place, (Farnebofjarden Camping)  they found their little paradise. That is how it feels. It is incredibly quiet (only the sounds of nature most of the time ) peaceful and relaxing, especially today when there are very few people left. The only downside is the flying insects, but they are unavoidable in the woody lakeside surroundings when it is so still.

Day Thirty Two Saturday August 20th

We really were in luck last night with our Greek feast. It seems that this was no regular event, but a special end of season party for the site regulars, which they were happy for other campers to join.

Today was an uneventful but nevertheless enjoyable day. An unrushed morning gave an opportunity to keep up with clothes washing, and to chat to a local couple, the wife Finnish, who gave us some very useful suggestions for our crossing to Finland in a few weeks time, which we will explore further. In search of Internet access we did some slightly random scenic driving, and dipped into the towns of Hofors and Hedemore. In both the Turistbyros were closed at weekends! In Avesta, classed as a city, we did find one open, but not until 1.56 and it closed at 2. I managed to download the paper, but there was clearly no room for negotiation and I was  ushered out at 2 prompt. And the wifi was instantly switched off. Meanwhile Geoff was loitering outside Swedbank in the shopping arcade, which we have found useful before, I joined him and we both used their free wifi to complete the daily Internet tasks.

We didn't hang around to explore Avesta. The old town looked attractive, but wasn't really old at all, We read up about the copper mining history - here the copper was used for the country's coinage - and then moved on, taking in  an overdue lunch stop, for more scenic driving on the way to the Farnebofjarden Nature Reserve. Here we found yet another idyllic lakeside campsite. As we pulled in we spotted the Autosleeper Campervan from yesterday morning at the Copper Mine in Falun, and are parked next to them. They greeted us like old friends. They too had only come across one other British campervan in their travels. What's more, theirs was sold to them originally by the same person, Frank, from Cotswold Motorhomes in Cheltenham as we dealt with when we bought ours. Crazy coincidence!

The views across the lake this evening have been simply stunning, the water absolutely still and the reflections in it completely crystal clear. I have taken photos of "the view from my kitchen" as I cooked supper, but they just don't do it justice.

Day Thirty One Friday 19th August

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

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

Having not spoken to any English people for 4+ weeks, we were surprised to come across a GB plate on a VW Autosleeper conversion in the Car Park. Not only that, it had a Cotswold Motorhomes sticker in the back like ours. G spoke to the couple who have done numerous Scandinavian holidays, and who recommended a Silver Mine not far away. We did some internet research on that and decided that, although it looked amazing, we didn't want to go down that one either.
We nearly decided to give the actual town of Falun a miss, but were very glad we didn't. We visited the old church, which was magnificent, with red brick vaulted ceiling. Lonely Planet mentioned its painted floral wall friezes, and there were also similar paintings around the ceiling arches. I have no idea how old they were, because the church history guide didn't mention them. They were rather reminiscent of Laura Ashley circa 1980, but were very attractive nonetheless.

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

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

Day Thirty Thursday 18th August

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

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

It was 5.30 by the time we had shopped for basic provisions (bread, milk, eggs, chocolate 😊), and been distracted by Coconut Icecream, which came in two little half coconut shells and seems to have been produced in Spain for a Japanese market; and a freezer full has ended up in a German supermarket in Sweden! Delicious! They had to be consumed immediately of course, as we have no freezer. So, as time was getting on, we thought we'd suss out the town's Camperstop. Thus our urban day has ended fittingly in an out of town shopping centre next to a Biltema store. Instead of his habitual pre-supper ramble through the woods, G set out intrepidly  on an expedition to IKEA, nearby but the other side of a couple of busy roads.
He has just returned, having, he says, broken into a cold sweat when he couldn't find his way out. So question - did he ever get lost on his early evening treks? Answer - just the once.....

Day Twenty Nine Wednesday 17th August

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

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

There are signs around the village of preparations for this music festival, and it clearly is going to be heaving. There are temporary campsites being set up, and marquees appearing. We have not discovered exactly what sort of music festival it is. However we have been entertained, not too loudly, by more than one caravan awning full of people singing to an accordian accompaniment! Quite pleasant, if repetitive.
There are many nice touches on this site, but one that we very much appreciated and have made use of is a trough of growing herbs, with a sign saying 'help yourself '

Day 28 Tuesday 16th August

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

We went back into Rattvik to explore the town properly. It is a lovely smart holiday town, with Sweden's longest pier, at 628 metres, which we walked along and back again. Two particular shops were mentioned in Lonely Planet , so we sought them out. The first, Frick's Konditori, had beautiful cakes, filled rolls and open sandwiches, and queues. We weren't tempted, but did enjoy looking! They had Princessetarte, a lurid green marzipan covered, bombe shaped affair which I remember featured in last season's Great British Bake Off. I seem to recall that it was described on the programme as a famous Swedish celebration cake. Actually, they did look wonderful, and I might have been tempted if you could buy a slice, but they were priced per whole cake. Not a good idea!
The second place was like stepping into a past age. Rattvik's Tunnbrod's Bageri makes its own special unleavened breads of various sorts. We bought some soft flatbreads whose ingredients included potato, and a big bag of crisp flatbread seconds. We then went on to a normal supermarket for cheese, ham and pate to go with our purchases, and took our haul back to the site for a late lunch, and a lazy afternoon.

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

Day Twenty Seven Monday 15th August

Our overnight site was so beautiful that had it not been for the lack of facilities we would happily have stayed another night. We set off in the hope that we might find a site in a similar location somewhere around the lake .
Our first stop was at Mora, at the north end of the lake. We couldn't find the Tourist Office, and weren't impressed by what we could see of the busy town, so moved on round the lake to Rattvik. Here we had success, finding a TIO with wifi and lots of useful information. There is plenty of interest in the area. As a result we came straight to the site we are now settled at for a couple of nights. It is as perfect as can be for our needs. In Tallberg, right on the lake, and not big. It's a pretty smart place which, according to Lonely Planet, has eight upmarket hotels ( but small and discreet) to its 200 residents. LP waxes lyrical, describing it as "tiny Tallberg...cuteness personified with its smattering of gingerbread houses". A bit OTT, but it is very attractive. How wonderful to have a really nice, simple campsite in such a lovely place.We have  a pitch at the front with an uninterrupted view over the lake through the now familiar well spaced out silver  birches and pines I had a dip - a bit chilly - followed by a hot shower. Bliss! And G seems to have managed to cover 8 miles + in his pre-breakfast and pre-supper walks.
We are now watching the sun set over the lake. There's enough breeze for there to be small waves on the lake, and the sound of the  water lapping on the shore just completes the perfect setting. Glad we are booked for another night.

Day Twenty Six Sunday 14th August

A  stop in Malung to download the Sunday Times and then it was just an hour's drive to reach the Lake Siljan area. The road, the E45 is simply stunning, stretching into the distance through lakes and big forested hills, with very little traffic. An unscheduled stop at the forestry museum, where there were all kinds of local craft stalls, and then on to Solleron, an almost-island in the lake. The first campsite we stopped at was pretty packed so we continued a little further to a small lakeside site with minimal facilities. It is looked after on a voluntary basis by the villagers, and has fire pits and stone barbecues available, and a log store. There are two little sheds, each with a loo which is just a wooden bench with hole (with a little wooden cover like a saucepan lid) and a drop into a large plastic bag lined hole.! The doors have graphic wood carvings attached to them to indicate male and female!!
I got my walking poles out, for the first time I'm ashamed to say, and we enjoyed a lovely lakeside walk and back through the woods, getting caught in the rain just in the last 5 minutes.
Now, after supper, it is a lovely bright and peaceful evening, with just the crackle of a couple of wood fires.  We are one of half a dozen campervans spread out under the trees, with a view over the sunlit lake to the open hills opposite.

Day Twenty Five Saturday 13th August

After all the rain yesterday today started off again with blue skies and sunshine, and the campsite was transformed and really lovely. Ristes, you would love it here.
We spent some time looking up some local possibilities and settled on a visit  to Marbacka near Sunne, the home of the prolific Swedish writer Selma Lagerlof. Much to our embarrassment and the surprise of those at the house we had never heard of her. She died in 1940 requesting that the childhood home which she had repurchased and renovated be left as it was for people to visit. She was the first Swede and the first woman to win the Nobel prize for literature, and quite a phenomenal character. She is apparently known worldwide for her 'wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson' which was written for schoolchildren to both learn to read and learn about their country. It is about a naughty boy who is turned into an elf and travels the country with some geese, during which time through his adventures he becomes a reformed character. Not my usual reading genre, but I'm giving it a go. She is better loved on Sweden for her other works - novels, poetry, letters and autobiographical books. We were told that Swedish people don't like the Nils Holgersson stories because they had to read them at school. It was a beautiful place in its own right, and fascinating to learn about her life and works. We lunched in the cafe there.
We travelled on in the direction of Lake Siljan keeping a fairly open mind as to an overnight stop. We had read about a Nature Reserve called Hovfjallet which sounded interesting. After a long drive up a deserted road we arrived - it was a winter ski resort and looked very forlorn and deserted, and pretty depressing. We also encountered what I think were our first Swedish mossies. With the scars from my first set of bites 3 weeks ago almost gone, I don't intend to go out of my way to attract more. So I let G explore a bit, and enjoy the far-reaching views before we descended again. By now the rain had set in again too, but we have found an acceptable free stopover in a Rastplatz just outside Malung.

Day Twenty Four Friday 12th August

I have amended yesterday's blog, as I got mixed up over the monuments. Three coach loads of Koreans had arrived, taken photos, and departed before we left. It is clearly on the tourist route for them.

This was another stopover where it was difficult to drag ourselves away. But off we went late morning with light rain set in. More lovely lakes, forests and empty roads, and a late coffee stop and time to read the paper in a church car park with a lovely view. Which also became our lunch stop because we lingered so long. We reached our overnight destination, a nice wooded campsite at Uddheden mid afternoon and hunkered down for a while. It has turned quite chilly as well as damp. Warm jumpers were extracted from their hiding places. I am very glad to have my padded North Face slip-ons with me. They even manage to warm up cold feet. A hot shower was welcome. G donned full waterproofs and went out exploring and declared the surroundings lovely. Maybe tomorrow.....

After a good supper washed down with a glass of red wine he declared that he was feeling quite mellow - until the washing up needed doing!
Meanwhile I had been busy trying to find a promising stop for tomorrow night. It would be a good three hours driving to reach the Lake Siljan area, and with plenty of time in hand we really aim to do only half that amount each day. But the area between here and there looks pretty empty on all the maps. Pocket earth is not serving us so well in Sweden. There are more places marked on our road atlas than Pocket Earth has discovered. We plan to head for somewhere around halfway and see what turns up!

Looking forward to my bed!

Day Twenty Three Thursday 11th August

As we didn't have to be off the site until 2 pm we spent a useful morning catching up on washing and getting it all dry in the brilliant sunshine! What a change in the weather! This site really is very impressive. It is only open during the summer, but certainly has a great feel to it, especially when the sun is shining. We would definitely recommend it. The small shop even had freshly baked Danish pastries, which we enjoyed with our coffee.

Our cross country route to the border was lovely, and just how I imagined Norway. Vistas of blue-green wooded hills as far as the eye could see. We went down some very rough unmetalled roads through forests and past lakes and found an idyllic lunch stop. We came across very little traffic. At one point we turned off to go into a small town and found an excellent supermarket where we spent our remaining Norwegian Krone on some treats.

It was about 5 by the time we reached the border at Morokulien , a made up name which I'm sure G will mention and explain further in his blog. We noticed a few campervans in a large lovely wooded car park so quickly turned off the road to investigate. It is another Free Camperstop. There is a great information centre which actually straddles the border, with loos, free wifi and comfortable settees
open from 9 to 6, with showers as well for a small charge. And a loo outside the building open all night. It is also the beginning of a 150 mile trail. I think G was seriously wondering whether it might be possible to set off on it right now. Hmm! There are lovely walks in both directions, so he can explore further in the morning. There is also a Peace Statue here, straddling the border and erected in 1914 to mark 100 years of peace between the two countries, and a Pagoda and bell given by Korea in 2010. An amazing place altogether, and quite unexpected.

Happy Birthday Callum! 5 years old today!

Day Twenty Two Wednesday 10th August

It rained all night, and at 2.30 the wind got up and G had to go outside and wind the awning in. He also retrieved his washing which had been hanging under the awning but was now lying on the sodden, muddy ground. Some vehicles had to be towed out of the mud this morning.. We shall trust that it will dry out a bit by the time we leave.
We caught the bus into the city and headed straight for a hole in the wall ( it's hard work keeping all the different Krone in separate places and then remembering where they are)  before catching another bus which gave us the opportunity to see quite a bit of Oslo on our way to the Kon-Tiki Museum on the other side of the harbour. G was very keen to go there having read Thor Hyerdahl's book about the expedition in his twenties. I read it in my early teens, as part of a Guide badge. I can't remember what the badge was, but I think I had to read a  non-fiction book involving exploration of some kind, and that was the available book on my parents' bookshelves. It was such a phenomenon that I think every home probably had one!
The exhibition was well worth a visit, and included the reconstructed original Kon-Tiki and Ra II.  We also watched a showing of the original documentary made in 1951, only 4 years after the expedition. Our adventure pales into insignificance compared to the crew's 101 day achievement.
Our "make it up as we go along" philosophy has served us well so far, but hit a bit of a snag today. Fortunately we were already having second thoughts about the possible train trip to Bergen because of the weather when we discovered, on our return to the TIC for wifi access, that all seats were sold out for days ahead. It will have to wait for another time. The views are said to be absolutely spectacular, but even so the thought of Seven and a half hours in a packed train is a bit daunting. Out of high season might be a better bet!
So we are now making new plans for the next couple of weeks, and think we will take the opportunity to explore more of Sweden, and cross to Stockholm via a loop north taking in the area around Lake Siljan.
Incidentally, I had a nice reply to my email to the Norwegian Toll people saying that the invoices usually take 4 to 6 months to come through, so no need to worry!
A group of lads in an ancient camper from the Netherlands just turned up and parked between us and the campsite roadway and far too close., blocking out our light and making a worrying amount of noise. And also blocking as well as churning up our least boggy exit route. Fortunately they have just moved because they couldn't reach the hookup. Phew!

Day 21 Tuesday 9th August

Woke up feeling a bit subdued this morning for the first time. Maybe just having been away for three weeks, although I'm not conscious of feeling homesick. Definitely missing hot water! And there has been quite a lot of rain in between the sunny spells. The thought of one loo shared with 20 other campervans was not thrilling, either!
However the free bus arrived to take us into Stromstad and the sun, clear blue skies and even the strong wind lifted the spirits no end. The place is a rather smart and very attractive spa resort which apparently calls itself a city even though the population is about the same as Chipping Norton. We treated ourselves to hot chocolate and cakes at a harbour side cafe, inspected some fish stalls but didn't buy, and then in the last few minutes waiting for the bus back popped into a supermarket and were assailed by the smell of roasting chicken - just what I have been fancying for the last few days but have not found on the supermarket shelves. So supper sorted.
Off we set to Oslo, having decided to change our plan to try out the marine Camperstop which takes 250 campervans and make for a campsite instead. This site at Ekerberg is amazing. You can't book ahead and it has the feel of a festival site about it. This is possibly because of the mud - it is still raining now. The facilities are excellent, and after a hot shower I am definitely feeling more human.
There are views over Oslo from the site, and a bus runs into the city from just outside every 15 minutes from 6 am to midnight. It is by far the most expensive site we have ever come across, but the location couldn't be more convenient.
We have discovered that automatic tolls operate in Norway. It seems that foreign vehicles are automatically photographed as they go through the toll points and we can expect to receive an invoice sometime to our home address. I have spent some time online this afternoon trying to find out more. The complications of registering to pay up front are a bit daunting when you have only limited internet access. We think we will just let it take its course and hope we don't end up with fines for belated payment. We will only be driving in the country on two days and over quite short distances.
It has now been raining solidly for several hours - it is 9 o'clock - and is feeling decidedly chilly. G has even put the heater on!  An early night is called for.

Day 20 Monday 8th August

G was out walking for 2 hours before breakfast. I don't was beginning to think that he had set off along the cross-Sweden long distance footpath which runs alongside the Rastplads and decided not to stop. The Rastplads wss very pleasant for overnighting. We had been slightly concerned at the presence of several families camping in cars (two of which had no number plates and were clearly going nowhere) but they were quiet and no trouble. The others moved on this morning.

Today's major experience, an exploration of out of town shopping centres! The quest - a camping stove of some sort. At the first centre, just off the motorway,we managed to resist the temptation to visit IKEA and tried Bauhaus, where we were redirected to a camping shop across the way. Nothing doing there, but the girl told us she thought there was a place that might have one 30 miles in the wrong direction. So we gave up and headed towards town, Uddevalla, for a Lidl. In the car park we were approached by an elderly Swedish man who admired the Camper. 'It is perfect' he kept saying, which is exactly what we think,too! We chatted for quite a while. He told some stories of his youth, and how as a young boy he remembered seeing the German soldiers. He told us that we would be able to get a camping stove in a big camping shop called Biltema - back in the shopping centre we had just come from! So back we went, and it was indeed there, virtually next door to the one where the girl had been so 'helpful' So we now have one small burner and two camping gas cylinders in reserve. Mission accomplished. G is now able to relax!
Onwards.
We needn't have hesitated about driving on the E6, the motorway which runs up the west coast and into Norway. It is a stunning road. Not much traffic and wonderful views, although G didn't' get the full benefit because he needed all his attention to keep the camper steady in the wind. We stopped at two Rastplads, one for lunch and the other for a snooze and leg stretch, and both were excellent. The second was actually in a World Heritage Site, with an information display about the history of the area. The smart Rastplads were explained. They were all part of improvements to the motorway and done sensitively to make up for the impact on the area . G went off for a few minutes, and was surprised to find me in conversation with a good looking Norwegian chap in leathers who was on his way back home from a holiday in Croatia on his motorbike. Just goes to show that I can occasionally chat to strangers, too.!

Tonight we are in a designated Camper place adjacent to a small Park and Ride at Stromstad, quite near the Norwegian border. A free bus runs into the town, and we plan to make use of it tomorrow. The stopover takes 25 Campervans and is about half full. The individual parking places are clearly marked out and very spacious. They know how to look after Husbils (literally house cars) over here. We would love to see something similar at home.

Day Nineteen Sunday 7th August

The wind certainly did rock the Camper all night but In a pleasant way. It brought back memories of windy nights in our  caravan on the Norfolk coast.

Today was designated a day for sorting out a plan about the Calor Gas situation. So after a last stroll around the stunning little harbour, and showers, only discovered this morning, we set off back via the ferry into Goteborg. We did discover a lovely part of the city which we shall hope to revisit at the end of our canal cruise, but got no further towards a solution, so headed on up the motorway hoping inspiration might strike. A pretty coastal lunch stop and a few more motorway miles later and we are now stopped in a convenient and quite attractive rest area by the motorway, in the rain, and will stay here for the night. To cut a long story short, there doesn't seem to be any very  satisfactory solution. We plan to be as economical as possible with cooking, see if we can buy a small supplementary freestanding gas ring,and only use the fridge when we have an electric hook up. So we have a plan!

Day Eighteen Saturday 6th August

We enjoyed a quiet night, with the exception of a visit from a motorbike whose rider found it amusing to race around the parking area revving up beside each of the four campervans at 1.30 am. Fortunately he or she quickly tired of the joke. G went off for an early morning walk and discovered lots of interesting things, not least a Visitor Centre in the car park on the other side of the lane. We whiled away some time there after breakfast and walked around the adjoining area enjoying the views,nature and history.

Our plan was to explore the Northern Goteland Archipelago, where we had located a Camperstop on the island of Halso. G was excited to discover that the Volvo Museum was on our route, on the outskirts of Goteborg., and we duly stopped off there. Very worthwhile and all well presented, with enough old Volvos and Volvo history to satisfy even him. (A brief aside - we have enjoyed the numerous classic American cars which are driven around over here, something we don't see too often at home.)

Onwards to the Archipelago by way of a free ferry which wove its way between the islands. It is a bit other-worldly, all rocky outcrops smoothed and rounded presumably by the sea and the wind.; a little bleak but fascinating and rather beautiful. It's as if we've been dropped into the setting of "the Shipping News". It is quite windy here on the quayside on Halso, although the setting sun is creating a beautiful light over the water, the white timber houses and the sailing boats which are whizzing past. A most impressive large white one with lots of people on and SAILING FOR JESUS" written along the side has just sailed across the sound in front of us.

I think we shall be rocked to sleep tonight by the wind!

Still 5th August

Later the same evening

We have done a runner just as it got dark as more and more cars arrived and are now hiding in a car park several miles away at a nature reserve hoping we don't get moved on! Feeling relieved and naughty and going to get settled for an early night!

Day Seventeen Friday 5th August.

Last night's site was quite perfect and it was very tempting to stay on but we did want to get further up the coast. After a last walk down to the beach we set off and put an hour or so of motorway behind us before diverting to the coast for a lunch stop in a tiny dead end harbour village. Them inland in search of our overnight stop, and the country really opened up. Lovely views across fields and forests. The light is wonderful. All those Wallander views don't lie.

After an hour's drive on open roads which got narrower and more remote we arrived at what appears to be a cafe and day conference centre. We are in the large empty car park behind it with very pleasant open views. By 5 the place was closed and all was quiet, just the showers and loos still open.
G went off for a "leg stretch" at 5. Given that we are not sure exactly where we are on the maps we have, I tried not to show my mild alarm. At 6 I received a text  "be back in half an hour" I wasn't sure whether this was a confident prediction, or whether the subtext was " I haven't a clue where I am but with a bit of luck...." Anyway, he was back by the time I returned from my shower, enthusing about the walk and having discovered that a once-a-year music event is taking place in the woods behind us this very night! Hope the music is good.!!

Now 7.15. The band are warming up and cars, and now a large coach, are arriving. I don't think we will need to pay 150K each to hear them, but we may wander up later to see what's going on.

Day Sixteen Thursday 4th August

A quiet night after all. Then off along the coast road, dipping in and out of attractive, bustling holiday towns. Not too bothered about the Gas yet - we assume that we have a couple of weeks to sort it out. Clearly the fridge is using a lot, but even on the occasions when we do have a hookup it doesn't always work adequately on electric.

We have been constantly caught by surprise by the short distances we need to travel in Seeland, which is tiny compared to Jutland, and before we knew it we arrived in Helsinore, to get the ferry across to Helsingborg, in Sweden. A twenty minute crossing provided views from the sea of 'Hamlet's Castle' which we had visited two years ago. Goodbye Denmark!

Sweden already feels very different. Everything seems so much BIGGER! We had got used to Denmark, and were feeling quite settled and at home, and had got the feel of the country. So now, a new adventure.
Tonight we are in a spacious wooded parking area where camping is allowed free, in a nature reserve full of footpaths and cycle ways, adjoining the long sandy beach backed by sand dunes near Angelholme. It is on the way up the west coast as we head towards Norway. Today has been yet another day of alternating showers and bright sunshine, but quite warm. An evening stroll to the beach after supper provided some treats - a rainbow, some naked swimmers emerging from the sea, and the promise of a lovely sunset. G is planning to sleep out under his tarp!

Fifteen Wednesday 3rd August - evening

More culture today. Frederiksborg Slot is a most impressive castle in Hillerod on our way up to the north coast of Seeland. As well as being a massive and attractive building, spread over several small Islands so appearing to be multi-moated, and with lovely, extensive formal gardens , it is part furnished historic building, part art gallery, part museum and also has an exhibition of modern art. Amazing value for money, and three hours passed very quickly. I now know a bit more about the history here from the 17th century onwards.

Our stop tonight is at the harbour at Hundested, chosen so that we can explore the supposedly smart North Coast on our way to Helsinore tomorrow. By the time we arrived the rain had really set in so we were grateful to get settled, but I think the smart bit starts a bit further along the coast! The area around the harbour feels a bit like Butlins. Perhaps not what we would have chosen for what is likely to be our last night in Denmark, but the showers were fine and welcome after two nights without, and we have now mastered the use of the Tallycard! It may be a bit of a noisy night though.

Later - Spoken too soon! Our first cylinder of gas has just run out, which is a bit of a blow as we have tried to be economical in our use of it. We understand that the calor gas cylinders we use are not available or refillable in Europe, where it is all Camping Gaz. We think we have adapters, but it is all a bit of an unknown quantity. We couldn't get the electricity supply here to work with our Tallycard, to switch the fridge over to electric, so G has bravely changed the gas cylinders over in the dark, a job he dislikes but is made easier with the wearing of gardening gloves to avoid hands being scraped in the confined space.
So, job for tomorrow, locate  wifi and suss out a camping store or similar where we can ascertain what we are going to need. Sally SatNav is very good at finding the nearest Lidl or Aldi, but doesn't seem to stretch to Calor Gas Suppliers.

Day Fifteen Wednesday 3rd August - morning

This place looked beautiful at 5.30 this morning, with a glorious sun shining on the water. That is when we were awoken by a dozen or so exuberant young people come for an early morning swim! They looked as if they had been up all night. Oh the joys of youth! By 6 they were gone again.
Now at breakfast there is a strong breeze and waves across the fjord. Still lovely, but we certainly caught it at its best yesterday evening.

Day Fourteen Tuesday 2nd August

A city day today. Just a twenty minute drive to Roskilde, and the Viking Ships Museum. Its focus is a collection of five partially restored Viking ships of varying sizes, recovered from the bottom of Roskilde Fjord. A lot more going on besides. I am always ashamed at these times of my lack of historical knowledge. I want to compare what was happening here with what was going on in Britain at the same time, and find it difficult to put things into the perspective of the wider world. Amazing that the Vikings travelled all over in these boats - including America, it seems. but they didn't think much of it there! And we hear nothing here of pre-Viking history. Very little happening. And not till 1100 or so, did they take on a more European influence. After they'd given up raping and pillaging, presumably.
Dodging some heavy showers, we walked up through the park to the Cathedral. When we got there just before 1  it was closed to visitors until 3 for a service. When we returned just after 3 there were queues all round the Cathedral square. Seems we are destined not to get inside a place of worship. The outside was very impressive though.
Meanwhile we had had a productive time. Lunchtime sandwiches consumed by the fountain in the town square. Provisions purchased. An IT shop located, where the very nice young man assured me that a screen cover for my iPad wouldn't be any better than the cling film already covering it. Short of leaving it to be repaired for several days, there is nothing to be done but to carry on with it as it is, and renew the cling film if necessary.
We also whiled away some time in the Tourist Information office - more like a library - with comfy chairs, wi-fi and loads of info which we really should have picked up ten days ago! Memo to selves - find a TIO as soon as we get to Sweden! There was even a free coffee machine, which looked too good to be true. And was- all I got out of it was hot water.
This evening we feel as if we have been dropped into a photograph.  We are in a tiny harbour on the Roskilde Fjord, 30 mins north-west of the city, It has been a perfect evening, warm and very tranquil but with lots going on at the same time. Families have come and gone, swum and picnicked. Boats at anchor are mirrored in the totally calm, blue water. The view across the fjord is gorgeous, with the sails of several boats still catching the sun at 9 o'clock. A canoe has glided past. All's well with the world.

Day Thirteen Monday 1st August

Enough relaxing, so we decided to move on, and set off for another interesting sounding open air museum south west of Roskilde. A closed road, and a lengthy diversion through very pleasant countryside, meant that we didn't arrive until lunchtime. After a sandwich in the campervan, the rain started! We also realised that these places are really geared to people wanting to spend the whole day there, which does not fit in with our usual daily schedule, so once again we moved on. We felt no great disappointment, and perhaps have learnt a lesson.

On our way to our overnight destination, not far south of Roskilde, G suddenly turned off the road and stopped in the car park by a church, virtually in the middle of nowhere. One of those delightful unexpected moments - a little gem. The church itself was closed - we have yet to find one open - but the graveyard was beautifully kept and very attractive, walled, and with gravestones enclosed by their own hedges, with flowering bushes and a lovely view of the surrounding countryside from the slightly elevated position. An added bonus was that there was a loo in the car park, which WAS open, spotlessly clean and supplied with all the necessaries.

These country churches are all painted bright white, and look modern, but according to our Danish neighbours they are actually much older than they look, just well maintained, and you need to go inside to appreciate their age!

Tonight we are in an inland countryside location for a change, in the grounds of a private house which does B&B as well as accommodating three campervans. There are chickens, and a peacock. This site was not from our trusty Camperstop book, but from an app called Motorhome Parkings recommended by our Danish neighbours of the last couple of nights, now downloaded. If this site is anything to go by, it is going to prove an excellent addition to our library of resources.

When we arrived there was just one other campervan, but we have since been joined by another, and several vans which have disgorged a number of workmen of various types, all of whom seem to have rooms here. And it looks like we are all sharing one loo/shower room as well. I fear queues!