Going Baltic

It was a beautiful day -  most of them were during our week+ stay in Sweden - as we enjoyed an easy drive to Oskarshamn where we boarded the ferry to Gotland. Gotland is the biggest island in the Baltic sea and quite the tourist attraction. Visby, where we stayed, is supposedly party central for the hipsters and the rest of the island is a retreat from the aforementioned. We were lucky to miss the summer crush. I might have mentioned that. I forget.

It was a comfortable 2-1/2 hour cruise and if not for the reliable timing of the squeaking bathroom doors, it would have been restful as well. We arrived in Visby, another charming, walled, medieval city. Very small city, but the only one of any size on the island.  Visby is a mix of ancient ruins and modern chic. Lots of history which Darrell could explain in interesting detail. Many trendy restaurants and shops.

We found a nice pub that was a little easier on the wallet. Have I mentioned that the Swedes love outdoor cafes and patio bars? So much so that most places provide blankets for chilly evenings. And they are put to good use by people other than me, being the fan of indoor eating and drinking that I am.

Our hotel (not the one in the picture) was simple, quiet, clean and just fine. Thumbs up on the Hotell Stenugnen. http://www.stenugnen.nu/



We spent two days on Gotland. Day One was a stroll around Visby. On Day Two we visited Bro Church, which has drawings that date back to the 6th century. Fwaaa? That is OLD. This was a good stop.

From there we made our way to Faro, a smaller island to the north. There's a free ferry that runs regularly, so it's easy to get there. 

Driving along in silence, just the two of us, with no other people and not much else in sight, this place somehow reminded Darrell and me of Death Valley. It was so arid and surreal looking. Very open, sparse landscape. Along the beaches are limestone formations that jut out of the water and the sand. Very cool. Ingmar Bergman lived on Faro and filmed on location there. You can picture it. 

Sidebar: I'm not presenting the word Faro properly here because it has a couple of different umlaut-looking symbols over the "a" and the "o" and I don't know how to produce that. And God knows how it's really pronounced. We said Fairo. It was lucky that everyone speaks English in Sweden, because their native language is a bear to figure out and pronounce. I'll tell you a little more about that when we get to Stockholm. Soon.