25 July 2021
It is rather hard for me to leave Maria and Per – these have been wonderful, peaceful days and I was able to practice a lot of English, as for once I had someone to chat with for hours. I truly enjoyed my stay in Tåje a lot.
Yet, I hit the road again. Before I turn to Stockholm, my next destination, I pay a visit to Kvarntorphögen, a steep hill south of Örebro. Scattered on the hill there are a lot of modern sculptures. It’s hot and I don’t want to walk up the steep hill, yet, my van amost doesn’t make it, so steep is the gravel road.
I like the rusty key tree, the church and the human being climbing up the pole. There are other sculptures which I don’t like so much. But I find it an interesting idea to place such sculpture in the middle of nowhere, or actually just onto this hill. Apart from the sculpture there’s a ski-lift, which reminds me that Sweden is a snowy and cold country – at least in winter time. With almost 30 degrees and no shade it’s rather difficult to imagine kids practicing skiing on that slopy hill.
My next stop is Julita Manor nicely situated right at Öljären lake. Somehow the Manor is open and yet not open, as the normal entrance is closed, yet, you are admitted. I don’t quite figure it all out as my Swedish is definitively not good enough to understand longer instructions. So, I don’t pay the parking fee, because I first need to download an app and it’s all too complicated and hope that they will turn a blind eye to a Swiss tourist. I wander around for half an hour or so. It’s a very beautiful manor, alright, but somehow there would have been workshops, where you should have been able to learn something about everyday life on such a big manor. However, those workshops are all closed – maybe due to the pandemic.
Finally, around 17h00 in the afternoon I arrive at Långholmen, Stockholm’s former prison island (the prison is now converted into a hotel) at the caravan site, which is really located perfectly for exploring Stockholm by bike or pubic transport. Långholmen itself is a nice recreational island in the middle of Stockholm, with lawns to sunbathe and relax. There is even a small beach, you can rent kayaks, sups or have „fika“ in nice cafés at its shores.
The caravan site – and it’s really a caravan site! – is located just below a huge bridge connecting the islands of Södermalm, Långholmen and Kungsholmen (Stockholm is built on 14 islands.) So, there is quite a bit of noise, topped with the noise from planes in the air corridor about to land at Stockholm’s Bromma airport. So, I decide to sleep „downstairs“ in my van. That’s a bit quieter.
I had booked my pitch at Långholmen Husbils („Hausauto“=Wohnmobil) Camping in advance and I asked for a pitch near the water – which I got. And in the morning I was even able to change it to the one and only with no-one next to – so I literally got the best place on the site!!! And here I sit writing this now. A duck family has just visited me, there was a squirrel in the morning and – well, I’ve also spotted a rat. I was not so pleased about the last one, took all my garbage into the car at night. I also had a chat with a Swiss couple from Sankt Gallen who told me that there was medication to prevent a Covid infection (Chlor-d …f…? – dioxyde) and they knew exactly they wouldn’t get it, even without being vacinated. Well, I don’t know. Anyhow, I have to admit, life without face masks is wonderful here in Sweden.
By the way, I see a picture in the online Guardian newspaper of emptied shelves in supermarkets in England obviously due to self-imposed isolation and quarantine or so … I’m glad I decided to go to Sweden instead of GB and Ireland – I also had a look at the covid positive rates in Europe, and Sweden is still far less affected than either Ireland or GB.