Sweden, 1985 #1of2

We again notice everyone in Sweden is driving with the headlights on, it’s the law. In the rear view mirror it looks like we are leading a funeral procession. The wide roads, have very wide shoulders. People drive far to the right as if it were an extra lane, and others just pass in the middle.

In Ronnely we saw a lovely very old, white, painted brick church, built in the 1200’s. The interior was somewhat baroque in design, and had a lot of detail painted on the ceiling. The farm houses in the area are well kept and painted in white, or gold and yellow. Barns are often painted brick red, with rust tile roofs. Karlscrona has a castle built on an island, and a town square with a fruit market and a bakery.

The island of Oland, off the southeast coast of Sweden, is long and narrow, runs north and south. We crossed a long high bridge to the southern end of the island, and planned to drive to the northern tip and take a ferryboat back to the Swedish mainland, but that boat runs no more this summer. We saw the ruin of an old castle, and the summer home of the King and Queen of Sweden, located at Borgholm.

There are dozens of windmills, some renovated and attractive, used years ago to grind grain. In Borgholm we visited a glass factory, but saw nothing of any great interest in their little store. Back on the mainland, there were many towns that make glassware of various kinds. The tourist brochures provide information about many of these towns, and invite the tourist to visit the factories.

The Oskarshamn campsite is nicely located, right on the shore of the Baltic Sea. There were some strange jelly fish creatures in the water that a man named Bengt called “seacoughs.” He said they are found only in the Baltic. Bengt invited both of us to visit the local sauna next door to the campsite. I went to the sauna, but the men were so disappointed Emmy had ignored the invitation. So was I.

After dinner we went to Bengt’s house and met his wife, Eva. We talked for a couple of hours and had an enjoyable evening. Their house was very nice, a tri-level with a ceramic tiled den and fireplace on the first, kitchen, dining and living rooms on the second, and bedrooms higher up. They have twin daughters, the third daughter is a nurse in Saudi Arabia.