The Norwegian Fjords

Saturday 23 July

The torrential rain we awoke to this morning ended shortly before we left Oslo, but grey skies hung around all day, reflecting the mood here as the city and country tried to come to terms with the extent of the massacre that occurred yesterday - the true extent of which has only emerged this morning. 


We had a bit of fun and games trying to leave Oslo as we had programmed the GPS to find us a local supermarket. Unfortunately it zoned in on the one in the city. This was bad for 2 reasons. Firstly, there are a lot of road works going on in the city at the moment (actually in a lot of the country) so the GPS didn't have the right co-ordinates. And secondly, it was directing us to the area where yesterday's explosion happened which of course was blocked off and being patrolled by armed soldiers. We quickly got out of there, reprogrammed the GPS and were on our way.

We drove through some beautiful country today on our way further north to our first stop, Otta which is close to several national parks. Beautiful large rivers, rapids, lush forests, cute villages (with obligatory house colours) and several old houses with grass roofs like the historical ones we'd seen at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo just days ago. They are called sod roofs, and the original idea was to put weight on the roof to compress the log walls, to cut out drafts, and make the cabins warmer and stronger.

Pulling off at a rest stop for lunch, we were just about to head off again when a distressed looking woman and her son approached us. She was so stressed out (maybe from the Oslo events) and didn't want to drive any further herself, but needed to make it to Lillehammer. She wanted one of us to drive her ute while the other followed in the motor home. Unfortunately as Bill is the only driver between us we couldn't help her but suggested she rest for awhile to settle her nerves. Of course she didn't and took off again, but we saw her pulled over a little further down the road. Hopefully she made it to her destination without incident.

The rain recommenced when we arrived at our camp site at Otta Turistsenter. This camp site is quite basic and not only includes hot water in the price but huge mozzies too. It's not too bad really and it's only for one night. We are right on the Otta River with gorgeous alpine mountains in the background. Probably due to the overcast conditions, it isn't as cold here as we thought it would be.

The most fantastic news of the day being that Cadel Evans has won his first Tour de France following the time trials today. Amazingly he only won one stage this year but pulled out all stops in the end to win. Woo hoo.

And tragically though predictably, Amy Winehouse' young life ends at 27 like so many other troubled yet extremely talented singers before her.

Sunday 24 July

Rain, but we are on the move again today heading to the most northerly point in our trip and the most northerly fjord in the Sogn and Fjordane county, Nordfjord.

Not too long into the 3 hour journey the rain stopped and the roaring rapids running alongside the road began and stayed with us for most of the journey. The water is clear and blue and must be absolutely freezing. The towering mountains and valleys resulting from glacial erosion millions of years ago were magnificent and we made several stops to take photos. 

There were plenty of holiday cabins nestled in the lush green landscape, making this one of the most picturesque drives we've ever done. Thankfully there were 4 tunnels carved into these giant mountains which shortened the trip considerably. But these tunnels hadn't been carved out by huge equipment like for the Clem 7. These looked like gigantic caves that had been dug out by hand, and there was much water leaking out of the rocks onto the road and us.

Our camp site at the Stryn Camping is a small one and relatively well priced. The town centre is only meters away so we went exploring and found a huge number of shops and cafes. Stryn is obviously a central hub to surrounding towns, so very well provisioned. However after a visit to the Tourist Info centre we found out you can't actually do anything from here, you have to drive or catch a bus to go hiking, see a glacier or do a boat ride on the fjord.

After lunch the sun cam out so we went for a hill walk into the forest. Signage was terrible but we managed to find our way. It's surprisingly not that cold here which is amazing as we can see ice on the mountain tops, but when the sun is out it's lovely and warm.

Monday 25 July

We've decided to move to what will definitely be our most northern camp in our trip, to Geiranger where we can do a boat ride on the fjord.

But first we want to see a nearby glacier so upped stumps and set off for another picturesque, yet windy, drive to the Briksdalsbreen glacier (well, to the car park below). The steep climb most of the way kept us warm but no-one told us we'd get soaking wet at one particular section as the rushing rapids tumble behind the path and water sprays meters in the air. Never mind, we had more of a hill climb to do before reaching the glacier so dried off. 

As with all glaciers, it has receded considerably over the centuries but is still a sight to behold. There is so much blue within it (ice crystals reflecting only the blue in the colour spectrum) it really is spectacular. A quick feel of the river confirms the water really does come from the glacier and is glacial. There are hundreds of waterfalls of varying sizes spewing off the surrounding mountains not only here but along our drives for the past two days. This is beautiful country and the temperatures much cooler now in this region. It's also goat country so saw quite a few today.

After another drenching on the walk back to the car park, we had lunch then set off for more windy travels towards Geiranger for the night. It is a very steep descent into Geiringer at the base of the Fjord.  The camp site, Geiranger Camping, is very busy and it's been raining steadily for the past few days so our spot is surrounded by mud but right beside some raging rapids. It's totally gorgeous (apart from the mud). You have to pay extra for showers but who cares. We both want a nice hot shower tonight and Sylvi needs to wash her hair (the onboard shower just doesn't cut it for pressure). Sylvi is also fighting off a bit of a lurgy but so far it's not too bad.

Tuesday 26 July

We are having a lay day today as we've decided to take the ferry tomorrow to Valldal which will accomplish two things. Firstly we'll travel the fjords and secondly it will take us a different way out of the Fjords. It should also be clearer tomorrow so better to view the waterfalls along the way.

So after a leisurely start to the morning we sloshed through the mud to explore the little township just a few hundred meters away. There are two enormous cruise ships in so lots of tourists bustling about. The ships are parked out in the bay so passengers are ferried ashore and then either take the bus to the glacier we saw yesterday or stay in town.

We decided it's far too cold in the motor home at night so both bought some very attractive Norway slippers then went for a walk to the waterfall not far from our camp site – not in the slippers though – they are for indoors use only. The amount of water cascading down after the recent heavy falls is incredible.

Following all the other tourists up the hill, we visited the local church built in 1842. It's a cute little white wooden church, very simply decorated inside with the cemetery in the surrounding grounds. A little further up the hill is the Norsk Fjordsenter providing examples of the sod roof houses we've seen still in use today as well as information about this beautiful fjord landscape actually included on the UNESCO list of natural and cultural heritage sites since 2005.

The cruise ships were both due to set sail at around 6pm so we settled ourselves at a good vantage point to watch the action. All passengers were accounted for and both were able to leave as scheduled after the 3 regulation blasts of their horn and 3 unexpected cannon blasts on shore. It's a little disconcerting these days hearing cannon blasts or gun shots.

Wednesday 27 July

Although there was plenty of low cloud first up, we could tell it was going to be a glorious day and our trip along the fjords spectacular. The ferry had quite an inefficient paying system as there are staff at the dock making sure you're lined up in the right place as you wait an hour or two to make sure you get on, but you only pay after the ferry arrives and as your just about to drive aboard. In the end, it all happened fairly quickly, setting sail only five minutes later then scheduled.

The clouds had indeed lifted so we were on the top deck but rugged up as if going to the snow because the wind chill factor makes the temperature around 5 degrees. At least it felt that way. They had commentary in 3 different languages including English and told us of the many farms which previously ran along the length of the 3 fjords we travelled – Geirangerfjorden, Sunnylvsfjorden and Nordalsfjorden.

The farm buildings are still there and some are used as holiday homes now. The threat of avalanche in winter was a major factor in them being abandoned as working farms. How they were able to farm on such slopes is amazing, but apparently fruit trees and potatoes thrived as well as goats. The highest peak of the surrounding mountains is 1000 meters above sea level and the highest farm was at 450 meters. To compare with something we can relate to, Mt Tibrogargan at the Glass House Mountains is 364 meters.

Two of the largest waterfalls, Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil, were gushing due to the recent heavy falls. The Seven Sisters has a 250 meter free fall into the fjord and is spectacular.

The trip took a little over 2 hours and was thoroughly enjoyable on such a beautiful sunny day (how lucky are we?!). Heading off at Valldal, which is famous for their local strawberries which are abundant and delectable. There are plenty of stalls along the road so we stopped and bought a huge punnet for 35 Norwegian Krone (about $6 Aussie).  They were huge and fabulously yummy.

Any fans of “Top Gear” will know the road we took – Trollstigen – to be very spectacular, windy and occasionally hairy with tight hairpin turns. There is a lookout at the top where chaos reigns. In Oz there would have been security, traffic controllers, barriers etc, but here anything goes but it seemed to organize itself reasonably well and we were soon off downwards. Sylvi was hanging out the window taking photos of the road below and more waterfalls while Bill kept his eyes firmly on the road. It's a very busy road and the size of our vehicle made the hairpin turns a bit challenging. It was great to experience.

After leaving Fjord country behind, we tried to travel on as long as possible today to shorten the distance tomorrow towards Gothenberg, so we didn't arrive at our camp site Camping Mageli - at until 7:30pm. The sun is still blazing so not a problem.

Thursday 28 July

Awoke to a beautiful day and the sound of distant cow bells. This really is a beautiful, peaceful camp site right by the Lagen River. But today we travel 4 hours back to Sweden as we are staying with friends from Gothenberg Friday night.

Arriving at our camp site at Selater Camping (just over the border from Norway, and 2 hours from Gothenberg) at around 4pm, we headed off for a walk after setting up. 

The designated walking track within the forest is marked with strips of yellow plastic tied to trees and much of the path is very boggy following the recent rains. It was a nice walk anyway with giant mushrooms being the highlight. We are still waiting to see a moose, but as in Canada last year we believe they only exist in zoos.  

More Norwegian Fjord photos here.

Oslo, Norway

Tuesday 19 July

Happy birthday to another girlfriend from Brisbane, Karen Kolb, celebrating today.

Packed up and headed for Oslo, Norway today. We drove through some lovely forests and plenty of wheat fields and encountered some rain for a short period.

Before crossing the Swedish/Norwegian border we stopped to change some Euros for Norwegian Krones, of which one equates to 8 Euros. As with all border crossings encountered so far, the abandoned buildings remain but no-one is around to work them. There was a toll to pay but luckily we can do that online within the next few days.

Had trouble checking the tyres on the beast all trip, but as we crossed into Norway, the local Shell tossed up a new variant - the mobile air cylinder that you take to each wheel and pump up in turn!

Much to our chagrin, the house and barn colour schemes here are the same as Sweden – yellow and white for most houses, and red/brown barns. Apparently it doesn't get much better in Finland either.

Arrived at the Ekeberg camp site where you pay for your daily stay, plus extra for showers and power. You get a rechargeable swipe card to pay for everything so it makes it easier. The facilities are dated but very good anyway.  The camp is located on a hill top overlooking the city of Oslo.

One of the first things we saw driving in was a camper with an Aussie flag attached, so we had to go investigate. Denise and Antonio from Melbourne are travelling for 18 months and are about 6 months into it. We had a lovely afternoon tea and good chat including swapping useful information about where to go and what to see.

Wednesday 20 July

Lucky weather forecasters throughout the world often make mistakes as today was supposed to be rainy but turned out to be a gloriously sunny day.

We decided to do the 30 minute downhill walk into the city as we want to get the Oslo Card which provides free access to most attractions plus all public transport. 

The first thing we came upon was the Opera House opened in 2008, the new home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Situated on the water front, it is meant to look like an ice-berg with much of the building in or under the sea. Visitors can walk up the sloping roof made of Italian marble, the only one of its kind.

A walk up one of the main streets lead us to the Christiania Torv, a fountain with a pointing hand said to be the spot where the Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV proclaimed “Here the town will lie” after the city fire in 1624. He then went on to change the city name from Oslo to Christiania which it kept until 1924.

One thing about Oslo is that it's covered in statues. 

Everywhere you look there is a statue of something or someone. When we saw the Radhuset (town hall) 1950 from the outside we thought it the ugliest building we'd seen yet, even communist looking. We almost didn't go in but for the recommendation of an extremely helpful older gent working at the tourist information nearby. It was indeed magnificent inside with walls covered in painted scenes of Norwegian life throughout the ages, beautiful floor tiles and ceramic wall plaques and marble columns. 

This is also where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in December each year. Upstairs there is a beautiful banquet hall containing 4 magnificent paintings of recent royalty – King Haakon VII (grandfather), King Olav V (father), King Harold (current) and his wife Queen Sonja. Also upstairs is the “Munch Room” containing one of Edvard Munch's final paintings - “Life” - before his style turned dark (think “The Scream”).

In dire need of a good coffee we found a place next to the Radhuset, the Coffee Club, but not the chain we know in Oz, this one did seriously good coffee!! It's actually a vegetarian cafe so soy milk was a synch and the cook is a Hare Krishna so lentil bakes and vego pasta made of spaghetti length zucchini strips was the speciality of the day. The coffee and cake were out of this world anyway and we must return. At 12pm there was a 21 gun salute for the birthday of the Crown Prince Haakon.

Having bought our 3 day Oslo Pass, we were entitled to a free Hop on Hop off mini cruise in the fjord surrounding the town. The ship meandered back to the Opera House and then onto the island of Bygdoy which houses several museums.

The Fram Museum contains the polar ship Fram used for 3 Arctic expeditions, the first in 1893 by Fridtjof Nansen who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his humanitarian efforts to assist the starving population of Russia after World War II. You can actually climb aboard the Fram and see how the explorers lived plus there are many exhibits and the complete story of the highs and lows of each expedition. It was truly fascinating.

Next door is the Kon-Tiki Museum. In 1947 Thor Heyerdahl and his 5 man crew set off to prove that South Americans could have reached South Pacific Islands. Over 101 days they successfully sailed their balsa-wood raft 8000km from Peru to Polynesia. His documentary film went on to win the Oscar in 1951. Not satisfied with that, in 1970 he lead another expedition in a papyrus boat from Morocco to Barbados to prove that West Africans could have made it to the West Indies. This guy couldn't stop himself so 7 years later he steered a reed boat across the Indian Ocean to prove the ancient civilisations of the Indus Valley and Egypt had contact with each other. And then he reconstructed huge monoliths from Easter Island to prove it would have been possible for the ancients to raise these enormous statues into place. Another totally fascinating museum.

2.5km up the road was the Viking Ship Museum. On previous visits to Stockholm or Denmark, we had only seen partially recovered ships, but here there were 3 of the world's best preserved Viking ships from the 9^th century. They had been found in burial mounds on farmland and although robbed of jewellery and other precious objects, everything else was found. One ship contained the body of a noble woman and her slave girl, the other, two chieftain men. The bodies weren't actually on display but most of what was found with them was – tools, sleds, horse bridles, amazingly well preserved material from blankets and the women's dresses and heaps more. This was more then fascinating.

By this time it was quite late in the day so we caught the ferry back to the town hall and had a quick look at the Nobel Peace Centre. In our opinion this museum is really badly done and disappointing. The exhibits are hard to follow but there is a lot for kids to do. Ironic that Alfred Nobel invented dynamite thus making him wealthy from the exploits of destruction, but went on to dedicate his fortune to fund the Peace Prizes.

We had been given a Norwegian restaurant recommendation by the tourist info man so we wandered along the bustling waterfront to find it. Any conservationists out there, skip the next couple of lines. Bill wanted to try whale (much to Sylvi's horror). Before he was allowed, Sylvi checked with the waiter where the whales where caught, what type they were and if they were endangered. They are actually minke whales so not endangered and later research revealed only around 500 are caught each year. The taste is like venison with a slight fishy taste - sounds weird but Bill thought it was good.

Arriving back at our camp after 9pm after a truly educational and fun day.

Thursday 21 July

Another lovely day so we took advantage and did more outdoors exploring. A bus and a tram lead us to the Vigeland Sculpture park, Oslo's largest park named after sculptor Gustav Vigeland whose 212 sculptures depicting humanity in all its forms are permanently on display for free. Our favourite was the immense fountain of 6 giants carrying an enormous vessel as well as some of the 20 groups of figures which align the fountain's edge. Further up surrounding the monolith are also some very good depictions of the elderly in various poses, and as with all the statues, in the all together.

The return tram and another bus took us to a restaurant and look-out at Frognerseteren recommended to us by the tourist info man yet again. The view over Oslo, the fjord and surrounding areas is spectacular and the restaurant building is a traditional Scandinavian “dragon style” built at the end of the 19^th century. Here we tried our first prawns since leaving Oz. They looked beautiful and pink, medium size so we thought we'd give them a go. Little did we realise the roe is still trapped between their legs. Sylvi had never seen prawn roe before and it kinda spoilt things for her (they get stuck in your fingers as you peel). The prawns themselves were quite tasty. To get rid of the roe image, Sylvi had a huge piece of apple strudel and Bill a crème brule.

To walk this all off we headed downhill to the Holmenkollen National Arena, where the latest ski jump was completed in 2010 ahead of Oslo hosting the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. However the area has been used for Nordic activities including ski jumping since 1892. It has been rebuilt or remodelled 19 times. The annual races and ski-jumping events are held here as well as the cross-country skiing and marksmanship events of the Biathlon. It was an hour wait for an elevator ride to the top so we decided to give it a miss, but did go down to where the spectator seats commence for a look back up to this amazing construction. It gives you vertigo at this point, imagine riding the simulator which they have available here?! No way.

We were starting to flag but as tomorrow announces bucketing rain we decided to do one more thing in this fine weather and returned to Bygdoy Island for the Norsk Folkemuseum. In 1894 Hans Aall started collecting houses all around Norway and relocated them to this area so that generations might see how people lived back in the day. He amassed 150 buildings including a Stave Church from 1200. Totally amazing. This museum has many live displays of baking, weaving, blacksmithing and folk dancing throughout the day and employees in costume are there to answer your questions. It was very impressive but must be totally spectacular for Christmas when the markets are on.

Friday 22 July

Raining and cold so a museum day today. We headed straight for the Domkirke (cathedral) only to find it doesn't open until 4pm Fridays. Rats. So we continued up the shopping mall, admiring the beautiful buildings until we got to the Stortinget 1866 (Parliament Building) which is also magnificent, but the next tour wasn't for another hour and a half. Double rats.

We plan to see the Munch Museum today but apparently his famous “Scream” is housed in the National Gallery, so we headed there next and found his room quickly. Everyone was posing in front of the “Scream” with scream-like faces. As you can imagine, this room has it's own security guard and the painting is behind a glass shield. An alarm kept going off, probably because it was so hot inside the entire gallery with all the windows closed and no air-con in use. Some of Munch's other paintings were quite good and not so dark, including a self portrait, one of his sister and one called “The Madonna”. Other works included in the gallery were also very good and life-like. We are not expressionist, cubist or any other “ist” connoisseurs of art!!

On our way to our “favourite” Olso cafe near the Radhuset, we stopped to look at the Slottet 1848 (current Royal Palace) which is a grand brick and plaster building painted yellow (what else). There is a lovely statue of Queen Maud, the British princess who married the heir to the Danish throne who then became King (Haakon VII) and Queen of Norway in 1905. While at the Coffee Club we heard one cannon go off and we figured they must do that on Fridays at 12pm as a rule.

The Military Museum was next on the agenda. Housed in two large brick buildings from the 1860s the displays commenced from Viking days until the present. Although we found it interesting, it certainly wasn't as fascinating as the one we'd seen in Prague. All the while outside in the steady rain, current soldiers were parading in front of their families for their graduation ceremony.

While we were in the general area we decided to visit the Akershus Slott 1300 (medieval castle). As we've also seen in Sweden, these castles commence as a fortress to protect the city from invasion and then years later are turned into renaissance style castles. The larger rooms of the castle are still used today for government and private functions, the church is still used as a royal burial church and the royals since King Haakon VII are buried in the mausoleum. There are some beautiful pieces of furniture and tapestries and the 3 great Halls are all magnificent.

Back near the National Gallery at the deli on the corner for a spot of lunch. We were sitting outside and at one point we saw a black taxi go screaming up the road for no apparent reason. We still had 40 minutes to wait before the Domkirke (cathedral) opened at 4pm so we decided to get an ice-cream and walk to the Munch Museum. 


While waiting to be served inside the deli we heard what we initially thought was another cannon going off, but the entire room actually shook so maybe it was something else. The city is doing major works in the metro so we thought something might have exploded there. 



A couple of streets up we saw people running down towards us and away from what had just taken place. Everyone was on mobile phones, and then the emergency services started arriving. You think crazy thoughts when you're in the middle of something so unexpected. 


We now know that some crazy guy had set off a massive car bomb, just 4 blocks away from us, apparently targeting the Government.

At first we thought we'd just go onto the Munch Museum, but then reality dawned that the city would probably be shut down and transport possibly halted so we decided to do a big loop around the affected area and head for our bus stop. Many shop windows had imploded with the shock waves. Initially Twitter only mentioned an explosion but then Reuters started talking about a bomb at one of the government offices near the Prime Minister. 


We were lucky enough to catch our bus back to camp and spent the afternoon listening online to what had tragically taken place just four streets from where we were. They are saying a car bomb, so of course we're thinking that black taxi might have been involved but only time will tell.

Then news started to come through about a shooting massacre at an island near Oslo.  For much of the night we could hear helicopters and sirens coming from downtown. 


Saturday 23 July


The true extent of that horror became evident when we awoke the next day.  Seven dead in Oslo, and more than 80 dead on the island - apparently all the work of one mad man.

What a shocking way to end the wonderful time we've had in this city. The city of peace.

We had planned to move on from Oslo today anyway, and the events of yesterday make that the sensible thing to do.  We will stay in Norway for another 4-5 days, but head North to the countryside.


In the meantime, our thoughts are with the people of Norway at this dark time.


More Oslo Photos here.

Oslo Explosion

Just a quick entry to let everyone know that we are both safe and well.  As it turns out we were only four blocks away from today's explosion.  More info to follow in our next posting.

Getting Wet in Sweden

Getting wet around the Lakes and in the rain in central Sweden.

Friday 15 July

Thought of our friend Jo Turner today who is celebrating a special birthday back in Brisbane.

Packed up and headed off early, still in a northerly direction to Vadstena on Lake Vattern, the 2nd biggest lake in Sweden - at last count there are over 97,000 lakes in Sweden.

Travel time was 5 hours including stops for fuel, lunch and groceries. Our camp site at Vadstena Camping is a good one with a couple of new service buildings, so excellent facilities, but the advertised internet access is only one computer available for use at reception as they're “still working” on getting WiFi. We really rely on internet access with no TV and often no easy access to English language newspapers.

As the afternoon progressed, the sky darkened, it rained a little, but the temperature dropped so much we had to put the heater on. We had a nice evening anyway reading some British papers we'd luckily picked up yesterday at Kalmar.

Saturday 16 July

Though the skies are still dark, some blue sky is trying to peak through so our wardrobe got careful consideration before we headed off for a 3.3km walk into the city centre. This was another case of “there is no bad weather – just bad clothing choices”.  We had both added wet weather pants to our wet ensemble at Kalmar, so headed out fully kitted out.

The Information Centre is in an old church where a glass section in the floor revealed fragmented gravestones (and a skull and bones) discovered during excavations below. Pretty spooky. With yet another inadequate tourist map we set off for the Bridgettine Abbey.

St Bridget is Sweden's patron saint but wasn't actually a nun. At 13, Bridget married a local dignitary and bore him 8 children. As a child she had religious visions and as an adult made pilgrimages to Spain, Rome and Jerusalem. Some of her visions had political themes and she was able to influence the political arena. In 1370 she gained the Pope's permission to found the monastic Brigittine Order. Her remains are in Vadstena and there are still 11 nuns living in the convent.

The Abbey is a very imposing building from the outside and inside very beautiful, but not decorated as heavily as the German cathedrals. The grey brick walls are plain but very effective and there is the usual magnificent ceiling. In the monk's choir to the back of the high alter is a really well preserved wooden alter dating back to 1480. There is some reference to St Bridget here but not her tomb. There is however the tomb of Duke Magnus Vasa. Behind the Abbey are the ruins of the original monastery but today the nun's convent has a magnificent location right on the lake front.

The Vadstena Slott (castle) was the only one of Sweden's castles to be commissioned by King Gustav Vasa. He had it built for his youngest son, Duke Magnus Vasa. We had a quick look around by ourselves before an English guided tour by an elderly gent dressed in the appropriate garb of the era. There is not much furniture in the castle but what is there, surprisingly, dates back to later periods of the castle's royal existence. And once again, they are not hidden behind glass or heavy ropes.

In one of the 3^rd floor rooms (the Queen's floor) the wooden ceiling panels were removed at one point but returned during a restoration. Unfortunately the panels weren't returned in the correct order so the painted pattern doesn't align.

Initially this site was just a fort to protect the city, but over the years the castle was built and successive monarchs added different parts. The final addition was the Chapel with 15 meter ceiling and beautiful plate glass windows. A very old and well preserved pulpit was on display as well as the two royal boxes and the bell from the tower, said to have been cursed by the nuns (can't remember why though).

After lunch we took a walk out to the small lighthouse on the point before starting the return journey home. We thought we'd take a longer route to explore the lakeside and some of the housing estates which have large cottage gardens full of organic veggies. That was the nice part. The not so nice part was constantly walking into large swarms of midges and mozzies. They were so thick that Sylvi had to pick up a switch to swat them away for ¾ of the way home.

We were also reminded on the way home of the seemingly strict building painting code in Sweden. Barns must be dark brown, and houses light yellow. This aspect of the landscape is increasingly strange for us as we see how widespread it is – and it's starting to get monotonous.

Before dinner we headed to the camp site pub for a drink and to hear the local talent singing English songs from Elvis and the like. As well as many different beers, Sweden has a huge array of ciders to choose from. So far Sylvi prefers the pear cider over the lime one.

Sunday 17 July

Upped stumps and headed off by around 10am (fine but cloudy) still heading north for Karlstad, a town built in the 16^th century,on the Klaralven River delta, where it flows into Lake Vänern - the largest lake in Sweden. This brings us super close to Oslo Norway which may be our next goal.

Along the road, we again encountered the Swedish notion of 1 & 2/3 lanes.  At many spots along the highway, there is a 2nd lane that isn't quite the full size, and you are apparently supposed to squeeze into this if someone wants to pass you.  Quite dangerous, and a bit stressful for us in the larger campervan.

As we got closer to Karlstad the weather started looking ugly and by the time we'd settled into the First Camp Karlstad Skutberget, the rain had set in. Not to be outdone, we put on our wet weather gear and did the 5km walk in the forest that surrounds the camp. There is a gym here with “state of the art” equipment which we're very interested in using after not having been to the gym since leaving Frankfurt many moons ago. Time will tell if the tag is correct.

The Swedes don't let the weather prevent them from going outdoors. They're out in the rain playing frisbee golf, biking or jogging, but unlike us they're in shorts and tshirts.

Monday 18 July

Weather predictions for today and the next week is rain, rain and more rain. Today looked very set in with steady drizzle as we set off in our rain gear to catch the local bus for the town centre. This time we had an excellent map with relevant attractions well listed. As the town is quite small, we saw the first one as soon as we stepped off the bus and the next 4 shortly after.

The Peace Monument erected in 1955 to commemorate the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, stands in the middle of the town square. For a “Peace” monument, it doesn't look very peaceful with the victor standing on the decapitated head of what looks like a solider with Medusa type snakes coming out from under the helmet.

King Karl IX founded Karlstad in 1584. His statue stands opposite the Residenset building which now houses the Sweden-America Centre.

“Enjoy the Sun in Karlstad” is the local catch cry. Unfortunately not today. But really this phrase was used to depict Eva-Lisa Holtz, a waitress of bubbly disposition who worked here in the 18^th century. Having a sunny outgoing disposition was apparently unique enough amongst Swedes that a statue was erected in her honour. Our experience so far is that the Swedes are even more reserved then the Germans, but like the Germans, once you make an effort to connect, they are generally nice and helpful.

The English style City Gardens were established in the 1860s and although quite small, are very attractive. We just couldn't figure out why there is a statue of two naked children in the fountain. The Varmlands Museum are nearby but we passed them by. A new park not far away complete with about 50 meters of sandy beach and lovely wooden boardwalk sits off the Klaralven River. Though it is a “beach”, signs encourage you not to swim as the current is quite strong.

By now it had stopped raining and wasn't too cold so we carried on to the Ostra Bron (Stone Bridge) built between 1761 and 1811 (seems a long time, but anyway). It has 12 arches and is 168 metres long. Only pedestrians and buses cross this bridge now. Nearby were several “dolphins” used previously as tie-ons when wood was floated down the river for trade, or to moor ships. They are must a memento now.

There has been a long history of churches burning down in this area, from the first built in the 14^th century, to the current Domkyrkan (Cathedral) in 1723-30. The last renovations were carried out in 1998. It is a beautiful cathedral painted white on the outside with imposing tower which we were too early in the day to climb. Inside there are many beautiful furnishings including the golden chandeliers and olive tree candle holder which accommodates 137 candles.

Swedes are great animal lovers, taking their dogs and cats with them camping as the Germans do. It seems they love all birds too as there are no signs along the shopping mall asking people not to feed the birds. Consequently, these cheeky crows and sparrows swoop down to steal from your plate if you're not careful.

By now the sun had started to make a small appearance and by the time we got home the sun was out. We hit the gym which was basically ours as only 2 other gents came in but the showers and sauna were a different story. Sylvi had the ladies facilities all to herself but Bill's was full of men for some reason. And the showers are communal.

So what started as a bleak day weather wise ended up glorious and we had a really great day. We prefer these smaller towns where it's less bustling.

More photos here.