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.