tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2008-06-21:/sverige//1 2009-08-30T09:15:12Z My travel log of trips to Sweden. Movable Type Open Source 4.12 tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.29 2009-07-25T20:30:35Z 2009-08-30T09:15:12Z

Last thoughtsNow that I am on the same ferry that I was previously dodging in my little motorboat, I have some time to set down some final thoughts on this year's stay on the wonderful island of Utö in Sweden.-...

Ryan Last thoughts

Now that I am on the same ferry that I was previously dodging in my little motorboat, I have some time to set down some final thoughts on this year's stay on the wonderful island of Utö in Sweden.

- bring hiking gear
- mosquito stuff is necessary
- remember to bring cash
- purchase return bus tickets in advance ]]> Thanks for 2009

Out hosts Maud and Göran Törnqvist have once again proven to be absolutely wonderful hosts at Mariehäll. Göran does an excellent job of discretely fixing this or that, helping out with fishing or boat issues (remember: he once brought be a can of worms!). He was even so kind as to share his own catch! Maud has really added a personal touch to my stay here at Mariehäll, in so many ways, Tack!
]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.28 2009-07-24T20:28:50Z 2009-08-30T09:13:40Z

Last trip to Childrens' beachI went out after lunch to the Childrens' beach again, and spent a wonderful time. I have noticed now that after 4:30 PM the beach is deserted. And since the sun sets at around 10:30 PM,...

Ryan Last trip to Childrens' beach

I went out after lunch to the Childrens' beach again, and spent a wonderful time. I have noticed now that after 4:30 PM the beach is deserted. And since the sun sets at around 10:30 PM, you have a good number of hours to enjoy the environment all by yourself!

On a side note, I have changed my course to getting there. Rather then going straight up the coast, I now pass through the channel at the guest harbor, and cut across around the island of Tallholm (note: it is only indicated as Tallh on the navigational maps). This route is more scenic by far. You just need to keep an eye out for the rocks that are off the Northeast coast of Tallholm. When you arrive at the beach using this route, as soon as you round the island, clear the rocks, and are heading Southeast, the Children's beach is straight ahead. ]]>
Cleaning up

I began the melancholic task of cleaning and packing this afternoon, as tomorrow I will be leaving the wonderful island and community of Utö for another year. I just hope I remember to clean the grill in the morning...

Bus tickets from Arsta Brygga

As I mentioned in my entry on July 18th, it is no possible for me to get cash on Utö, as I do not have a Swedish credit card. I was therefore concerned about how to get from the bus stop at Arsta Brygga to the Pendaltag station at Västerheninge so that I could get from Utö to Stockholm.

As it turns out, even if I had cash, I would not have been able to purchase bus tickets! (As a side note, last year, the bus driver just waved me in, and did not ask for a ticket...). You cannot purchase a ticket, as it is no longer possible to purchase tickets directly on the bus!

If you intend on returning to Stockholm using this method (Silverpilen, bus, Pendeltag), you will be confronted with the bus ticket issue. Note that you can also choose to take a taxi, in which case you can indeed pay in cash., though it is by far more expensive.

One way to purchase your ticket is by calling 72150 on your cell phone and sending an SMS with the message « Ha ». This will automatically purchase the ticket for you, and your telephone bill will be charged for the operation. Then, you will get a confirmation SMS in return. This is your ticket! You only need to show this to the controllers. I do not know if this works for telephone operators that are not in Sweden.

The other method is to purchase tickets in advance, and then once you board the buss, the driver will stamp it. Once stamped, you have one hour to travel in the zone, by buss, train, etc. Since the trip to Stockholm takes well under that, you can therefore use the same ticket for your voyage home!

 

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.27 2009-07-23T20:27:03Z 2009-08-30T09:12:07Z

Fog and fishingThis morning was particularly beautiful and calm. There was a thick and misty blanket of fog that hung over the area in the morning.The temperature was warm enough to be out comfortably in a t-shirt and shorts, and...

Ryan Fog and fishing

This morning was particularly beautiful and calm. There was a thick and misty blanket of fog that hung over the area in the morning.

The temperature was warm enough to be out comfortably in a t-shirt and shorts, and the near absence of wind added to the silence of the moment, as the leaves of the trees did not rustle either. ]]>
I decided to benefit from this to give fishing another go, this time all by my lonesome. Unfortunately, I ended up empty handed, though as I only gave myself an hour to the task, I would like to think that had I spent more time, I would have caught something.

At one point the fog lifted, and I headed out in the boat a bit, to try my luck at a different part of the bay. I must say how amazed I was to see that sea navigation up here in Sweden is similar to that of lakes, since the lack of tides means that there are little, if any real currents involved (unlike in the Northern coast of France, with 18 meters of tide, or in the Bay of Quiberon, which sees currents of up to 10 knots)! When I stopped the boat, it stayed where it was, only drifting from its original position because of the wind that softly started to blow.

Mystery of the lost duck

On my way back from the Childrens' beach (where I eventually headed to after fishing, and spent the evening), and as I was leaving the boat to step onto the dock, I was hailed from a woman in a similar motor boat.

As it turns out, she was looking for a duck.

Now, I must underline here, that there are many ducks about here, and there is a flock of 22 that seem to spend their time going up and down the Northeastern coast of Utö. So I was unsure if I heard her correctly. She lost a duck?

As the story goes, this duck is not such a good swimmer as the others, and the very pleasant woman with whom I was engaged in this surreal conversation, had informed me that someone saw it over by these docks earlier in the day. As chance would have it, so did I, and I managed to take a photo of the savage beast while it slept.

The woman (who I can only imagine is some sort of bird caretaker??) seemed relieved when I confirmed this sighting, and she went off to the duck's home (I did not know that they had homes!) to see if perhaps it managed to swim home.

As I walked back up the path leading to Mariehäll, I heard a cacophony of quacks, and I turned around to see in the distance that the woman and her boat were across the bay, and apparently in dialogue concerning a certain lost duck.

 

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.26 2009-07-22T20:24:31Z 2009-08-29T20:26:01Z

FishingSo this morning, I finally got around to fishing. I started off of the Törnqvist's dock , but my company was quickly getting bored (I was accompanying two little kids), so we continued the fishing in the boat. Needless to...

Ryan Fishing

So this morning, I finally got around to fishing. I started off of the Törnqvist's dock , but my company was quickly getting bored (I was accompanying two little kids), so we continued the fishing in the boat. Needless to say, we did not catch anything at all. Not surprising, given the amount of noise the kids were making, and the fact that I was unable to fish myself, being in charge of the boat and safety. But it was a lot of fun!

I then decided to prolong the boat experience by taking them to the Childrens' beach, where we would spend some time before lunch.

On a side note, the « Attack Sprinter 300 ». Ended up working better than the one I purchased at Utö Sjömack, which even broke! The two floaters I purchased there also had the unfortunate tendency to...sink!

]]> Dodge Silverpilen

This is turning out to be something of a game! Every time I go on a trip to Näsudden, I keep getting (100% of the time now) there at the same time as the Silverpilen. As a consequence, given the narrow stretch of water there, I have to perform maneuvers to avoid the ferry (which is surprisingly fast).


Water and Waste Disposal

Today I have discovered some interesting and practical aspects of life on Utö, thanks to Göran. These are things that I have been wondering about for some time...

Garbage

Garbage is collected by a garbage truck in the morning, and then the Garbage trucks get on a ferry at the guest harbor. The same dock as the large ferries to the island such as Silverpilen (which stopps there, at Spränga Brygga, and Näsuddens Brugga). The garbage is then ferried off the island, and eventually makes its way to mainland Sweden for drop-off.

Sewage

The houses here have compost toilets, which are similar to outhouses, as a sewage system is not possible. These toilets allow dividing the waste into two parts: urine and solid waste.

Once the waste container is about half full, it is dumped into a wooden compost container outside. There, it sits for 2 years, when it can be used as fertilizer for flowers, plants, etc.

Since the urine waste smells very strongly, due the ammonia that it gives off during evaporation, it is collected into a separate container, where it is then sent off to the mainland for processing.

Brown water

This is water from showers, kitchen sinks, showers, etc. Brown water is often collected into pipes and sent to an underground distillation area. This area has three containers, and the water is progressively cleaned as it goes through the three containers over time. It is eventually released out into the ocean.

Drinking water

The drinking water comes, quite, naturally, from wells. In the case of Mariehäll, there is a well only about 30 meters away, in an inconspicuous little red hut . This well serves the surrounding houses, and there has not been any problem with droughts as can occur on some islands in France, when water rationing is mandatory.

The well is only about 50 meters deep, and gets its water from what is trapped in the rocks.

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.25 2009-07-21T20:22:12Z 2009-08-30T09:09:28Z

Northern tip of UtöI set out to go to Stora Sandvik this morning at about 9:30. It was a bit cold and windy this morning, and threatened rain, hence the late departure.The bike ride takes you past Gruvbryggan, and so...

Ryan Northern tip of Utö

I set out to go to Stora Sandvik this morning at about 9:30. It was a bit cold and windy this morning, and threatened rain, hence the late departure.

The bike ride takes you past Gruvbryggan, and so I profited from the occasion to purchase some real fishing gear, as mentioned in yesterday's entry.

Along the way, which runs along the northwestern coast of the island, you come across an area where horses are trained, and another, on the right, where there are a fair number of sheep lounging about in the sun. I took this rout earlier when I visited the Childrens' beach via bicycle.

]]>
From here, looking down the very narrow Järnholmsund, you can see the island of Järnholmen, as well as Graaskär and Kaskä off in the distance. Looking northwest, you also have a different view of East and West Runmaren (then seen from the Childrens' beach). However, as you can see in the photo I took, the wind was blowing rather strongly.

Right before leaving, I got to see a nice sailboat pass through the sound.

Tuning around, I now went to find Stora Sandvik, which was not hard to find this time, as, coming back down the path, it was the first path on the left.

Now, I do not know who came up with the « Sandvik » part of the name (it means « sandy bay »), as when I came to it, there was not a grain of sand to be seen! The bay was, rather, rolling rocks that tipped into the sea, in the manner of Rävstavik:


A rainy afternoon

Finally, a good rain.

Right after lunchtime, it started to rain heavily, with stronger winds than I has seen earlier this afternoon. So now I am nestled indoors at Mariehäll, reading, and writing, and waiting for it to clear up.

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.24 2009-07-20T20:20:12Z 2009-08-30T09:08:01Z

WeatherWhen I awoke this morning, everything was drenched, it was cold, windy, and raining (as it had been all night). I anticipated a day lounging at Mariehäll, though the miraculous Utö weather was in for a surprise! Like last Tuesday's...

Ryan Weather

When I awoke this morning, everything was drenched, it was cold, windy, and raining (as it had been all night). I anticipated a day lounging at Mariehäll, though the miraculous Utö weather was in for a surprise! Like last Tuesday's morning rain, it cleared up by 8:00 AM.

By noon it was hot, and mostly sunny, and by 3:00 PM the sky was totally blue, with temperatures pleasantly warm. ]]> Utö windmill revisited

Last year I visited the windmill, and wrote about it here in this blog. As she has been standing for 300 years, it is the same as I left her.

I nonetheless spend a good amount of time watching the various yachts come and go from the guest port in the strong winds that followed last night's storm, and took some photos to add to last year's collection.

On my way back down, I decided to have lunch at the restaurant across the road from ICA.

The service was really great, though the food is too expensive for what you get, in my opinion. Or at least for my dish. I expected a lavish dish, but what I got was 4 baked potatoes, some slices of salmon, a spoonful of veggies and a spoonful of horseradish. Hum... I will have to try their pizza.

Utö Sjömack

I went to get gas today for the outboard. As the wind was blowing pretty hard from the southwest, I pulled up to the south side of their dock. This time, I was greeted by someone who pumped the gas for me.

I should mention that inside the little shack where you pay for your gas, they sell odds and ends that are useful for your boat (I could not find a pulley though...). I had the good fortune to see that they also sell fishing rods! I will come back tomorrow and pick one up, to replace the defective « Attack Sprinter 300 ».

(Edit: see my entry on July 22 for a surprise ending to the fishing rod story)

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.23 2009-07-19T20:16:53Z 2009-08-30T09:06:09Z

Fishing suppliesThis morning I decided to go out and to get some fishing supplies. While they sell them at nearly every store here it seems, I just went to ICA as it was convenient for me to take the boat...

Ryan Fishing supplies

This morning I decided to go out and to get some fishing supplies. While they sell them at nearly every store here it seems, I just went to ICA as it was convenient for me to take the boat and stop at their docks. ]]>
Now this is the remarkable part of this little story. I was on the porch fiddling around with the rod, and Göran stopped by to ask if I had any bait - which I had not yet thought of. He went away and came back with a can of worms! Try getting this service at a 4-star hotel!

I'll let you know if I catch anything...]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.22 2009-07-18T20:15:23Z 2009-08-30T09:04:48Z

Rummage saleThis afternoon there was a rummage sale down by the homestead museum ( ) from 11 AM to 1 PM, there was, as is often the case for such sales, some interesting things for sale. Unfortunately I had no...

Ryan Rummage sale

This afternoon there was a rummage sale down by the homestead museum ( ) from 11 AM to 1 PM, there was, as is often the case for such sales, some interesting things for sale. Unfortunately I had no cash on hand with which I could buy something.

]]> Cash problem

In fact, it is not possible to get cash on Utö unless you have a Swedish bank card (if you do have one of these, you can ask for cash back at ICA). This is because there is no bank on the island, or an ATM (distributor). In my opinion this is something that is missing on the island for tourists. As a matter of fact, this lack of cash has prevented me from purchasing things (souvenirs from shops etc.) or even making a little donation to the mine museum.

Fortunately, the minimum purchase for credit cards seems to universally be 50 SEK. This has not proven prohibitive, though, for example, at Spränga Brygga's little store, it forced me to purchase things I did not need, just to be able to have a bottle of water.

So my warning to new international visitors to Utö: bring cash!

Lounging

The rest of the day was spend reading and relaxing. Today was cooler then the preceding days, which was a much appreciated relief.

 ]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.21 2009-07-17T20:09:30Z 2009-08-30T09:03:39Z

This morning I left by bike to go to the sandy beach of Sandbad, on the island of Alö, which is connected to Utö by a short bridge at its northern tip.For information purposes, it took me a leisurely one...

Ryan This morning I left by bike to go to the sandy beach of Sandbad, on the island of Alö, which is connected to Utö by a short bridge at its northern tip.

For information purposes, it took me a leisurely one hour to get from Mariehäll to the beach, and about 45 minutes to return. I account for this difference in that the trip back to Mariehäll has longer downhill runs. Up until the bridge, the trip is the same one as I wrote about last year.

I am a bit tired tonite, and so rather than go on and on about the beach, I'll just share a couple of photos:

]]>
In fact, it is not possible to get cash on Utö unless you have a Swedish bank card (if you do have one of these, you can ask for cash back at ICA). This is because there is no bank on the island, or an ATM (distributor). In my opinion this is something that is missing on the island for tourists. As a matter of fact, this lack of cash has prevented me from purchasing things (souvenirs from shops etc.) or even making a little donation to the mine museum.

Fortunately, the minimum purchase for credit cards seems to universally be 50 SEK. This has not proven prohibitive, though, for example, at Spränga Brygga's little store, it forced me to purchase things I did not need, just to be able to have a bottle of water.

So my warning to new international visitors to Utö: bring cash!

Lounging

The rest of the day was spend reading and relaxing. Today was cooler then the preceding days, which was a much appreciated relief.

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.20 2009-07-15T20:51:50Z 2009-08-30T09:02:15Z

I headed out this morning by boat, with the intention of spending the morning lounging at the Childrens' Beach. Going by mototboat from Mariehäll is a rather straightforward process. The only real concern is minding the traffic as you pass...

Ryan I headed out this morning by boat, with the intention of spending the morning lounging at the Childrens' Beach. Going by mototboat from Mariehäll is a rather straightforward process. The only real concern is minding the traffic as you pass through the guest harbor, and the rocks to the south of Tallholm. But this aside, you can go straight from Mariehäll to the Childrens' beach through the sound, in straight line.

Once you pass the island of Tallholm, you will want to stop your motor, pull it up, and start rowing. This is for several reasons: safety for any swimmers, the depth of the water, and the fact that you can row it right up on the sand. Then, just jump out and pull the boat up on the beach. ]]> The depth of the water is such that you can literally walk from the Chldrens' beach out to the islands just in front! And the seabed here is a fine sand, and so it is a pleasure to walk. As it is shallow, the temperature of the water is rather agreeable as well. All in all, it is indeed a perfect place for children to play...

On a side note, I took this time to file the propeller's blades to be nice and smooth, following my previous encounters with rocks.

A Helping Hand

On my way back, I was going to stop by the general store to pick up some groceries. Right when I reached the bridge that one must go under, I had to stop the boat and keep circling, as there was a clueless woman who was rowing herself and a man (who appeared to be sleeping, or really drunk, or just lazy, being that his limbs dangled over the sides of the little pneumatic annex, and that he did not seem to care that his wife/girlfriend was doing all the work and that they were holding up traffic waiting to pass under the bridge.

Finally, a woman that was behind me got impatient, and decided to lunge forward, passing me and going straight for the bridge. This action seemed to get the attention of the woman rowing the boat finally, as she moved out of our way. I really suspect that they may have been a bit drunk...

Anyway, as irony would have it, the impatient woman in the faster motorboat encountered an engine failure just on the other side of the bridge, and so she and her (grand?)daughter were drifting aimlessly in the channel; she could not get her engine started again.

So I tossed here a line and pulled her (not without a brief incident with the bridge!) back through the guest harbor, behind the SilverPilen ferry (the captain was waiting for us to pass before casting off - that was much appreciated), and to the Statoil station where she could ask for technical assistance with her engine.

As someone who owns a sailboat and is used to that form of transportation, I was really amazed to see how totally useless motorboats are once they have engine failure: they really become useless floating bodies that are at the mercy of the waves, wind, and current. Even when being towed, they lack the means of controlling their heading...

Reflections

I took a photo this morning at 3:45 AM, to share with you the unique atmosphere, as it is really well lit, and the sun is rising. You would think that, it being 4 in the morning, that everyone would be sleeping. But no. I have seen people out on a walk, motor scooters passing on the street, an occasional motorboat...

 ]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.19 2009-07-14T20:49:50Z 2009-08-30T09:00:57Z

I finally got to see rain on Utö, though it only lasted between about 4 AM to 7 AM. By the time breakfast was over, the sun was already starting to dry off everything. Fortunately during this brief showers, I...

Ryan I finally got to see rain on Utö, though it only lasted between about 4 AM to 7 AM. By the time breakfast was over, the sun was already starting to dry off everything. Fortunately during this brief showers, I did not need to go down to use the facilities, because I did not bring an umbrella! (I bought an umbrella at the ICA store later in the day...)

]]> Oh, and I found out where the general store's (ICA) docks are located. They are right before the bridge, and easily identifiable as they have the two umbrellas and tables (GPS). When you arrive by a small boat you can use their docks for free. If you are staying at Mariehäll and have rented one of their motorboats, this is a nice solution to grocery shopping, as you do not need to carry your groceries back on your bike.

Childrens' Beach (Barnensbad)

I was totally unprepared for this beach! It turns out that this cute little beach is absolutely perfect for young children. It is sandy and very very shallow. In fact, you can walk out a good 30 meters and still have the water below your waist line! This also makes for warmer waters as the sun heats up the sand nicely.

The view looking out from the beach is wonderful as well, and the several islands protect the beach from the waves of the open sea.

Reflections

The coordinates N 58°58, E 18°18 is not far from here, in fact it is only X meters to the from where I am sitting. Unfortunately it is located in a rather inhospitable location, being the rocky shore of X.]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.18 2009-07-13T20:47:07Z 2009-08-30T08:59:44Z

The day started out well. It was sunny and warm enough to have a nice breakfast outside Mariehäll this morning at about 7:00. A quick look at the weather showed that it would be another nice and sunny day, so...

Ryan The day started out well. It was sunny and warm enough to have a nice breakfast outside Mariehäll this morning at about 7:00. A quick look at the weather showed that it would be another nice and sunny day, so a tour on bike and some lounging by the sea seemed like an excellent plan.

Last year, I left out many sights to see on Utö, because I only had 4 days on the island. One of the destinations that I neglected was the mines (Gruvor).

My first stop after dropping by the general store for some stuff) would therefore be the abandoned mines. ]]>
There is a little path that follows the contour of the XXX mine pit, which is on your right as you reach the mines, and walking around it, while not spectacular, is nonetheless interesting.

Rävstavik

Being already halfway across Utö, I decided to go to Rävstavik, which is on the Eastern coast of the island.

Going there was easy, and all downhill, passing through a nice stretch of forest.

The forest suddenly stops and is replaced with the typical rounded rock that is so typical of the Stockholm arpicheligio.

Going over the hill you are then presented with the sea.
 

Rocks (again)

Ok, decidedly it is very important to follow the buoys here! This afternoon I was boating about, because I needed to get some gas for the boat. Once filled up, I was curious to see what was past the island of Tallholmen, so I headed out of the channel. Once I hit the open sea, I was uncomfortable with the size of the waves with regards to how my boat was rolling, and so I decided to head back.

Well, just at that time, the Silverpilen ferry was on its way to leafing the harbor on its way to Spränga Brygga, and was going to go through the channel, which was only big enough for one of us.

Following the rules of navigation as I learned in France, I therefore continued my way into the harbor peacefully, though outside the channel, with the idea of entering the channel once Silverpilen passed.

What the pilot of the Silverpilen saw from his vantage point, that I did not, was that I was heading right for some rocks that were about 30 centimeters under the surface of the water.

The Silverpilen sounded two warning horns for me, but about 3 seconds later I heard that gut-wrenching sound that a boat and its motor make when they ride over rocks. I immediately went to raise the motor out of the water, while at the same time keeping the boat pointed towards the safety of the channel, but right when I was ready to lift the motor out, I cleared the rocks. More of a scare than damage, though could tell by the change in vibrations that the prop blades were one again chewed up. Decidedly I will be buying a new prop for Göran .

Upon returning to the stuga, I checked out the navigation map, and saw with much embarrassment that the rocks I had hit were indeed noted on the map, and that I should have passed on the other side of the channel.

On an interesting note, there are no tides in Sweden's waters. Because of this, there is very little if any ocean currents (versus those encountered off the Atlantic coast of France). Consequently, whereas in France you can see the rocks just under the surface of the water by how the waves change just over the danger areas, here in Sweden, you have no way of knowing, other than by the maps and the buoys.

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.17 2009-07-12T20:42:55Z 2009-08-30T08:58:19Z

It was supposed to rain today, but instead I have a sunburn. Actually, it was supposed to rain yesterday too, but nope. I had a look at the weather this afternoon, and it looks like we will have sunny skies...

Ryan It was supposed to rain today, but instead I have a sunburn. Actually, it was supposed to rain yesterday too, but nope.

I had a look at the weather this afternoon, and it looks like we will have sunny skies until at least Thursday!

]]>
Incident with the boat

Overconfidence seems to have a wonderful way of predicting human error. I took the boat out this morning with the idea of going up Järholmen, but ended up hitting some rocks in the middle of Kyrkviken. Yes yes, there is a buoy there to warn everyone of them, however I did not expect the rocky area to be spread out over such a large area, and at the time I thought I was being polite, staying well clear of the 2 sailboats that were going up the sound looking for a place to anchor, an the ferry coming up from the opposite direction.

For those of you that visit, be aware that the rocks are about 20 - 30 centimeters beneath the service for about a 10-meter radius around the part that is exposed (on which the buoy is placed). So steer well clear of this area!

The result of this morning's incident is that I ended up trashing the Göran's propeller, and feeling like an idiot.

Pizza

This evening I walked down from Mariehäll to Pizzastugan, where though I would like to get a pizza for dinner. Along the way (it's about a 20-minute walk) I saw a doe and her mother separated by a fence. It seems the younger somehow ended up inside a fenced-in property, and was unable to get out. It was rather touching to see the young deer and her mother side-by-side though separated by a fence, walking back and forth trying to reach each other...

Once at Pizzastugan, I ordered a Utö pizza (which was recommended to me by someone there), which was really delicious. Indeed, I highly recommend it if you are in the neighborhood. Incidentally, if you eat outside, you can cover yourself with a blanket if you are cold, and you can take away your unfinished pizza in a plastic baggy.

On the way back to Mariehäll, I passed the same area where I saw the deer earlier, and was pleased to see that someone had unlocked and opened gate - and the deer was gone.

Passing by the large open field behind the church I saw her again, though this time in the wild, watching me this time...

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.16 2009-06-22T15:56:00Z 2009-08-30T08:56:45Z

Last year, I chose to go to Utö by train, and then by bus (which ended up being by taxi) and then by ferry. It was a very easy experience, which I detailed here.This year, however, I have chosen to...

Ryan Last year, I chose to go to Utö by train, and then by bus (which ended up being by taxi) and then by ferry. It was a very easy experience, which I detailed here.

This year, however, I have chosen to go by a more direct route, in part because I will already be in Stockholm, and so I do not need to worry about timetables. So I will go directly from Stockholm to Utö by ferry, an option hinted at in the Näsudden website.

So here's the plan...

]]> On looking at the Waxholmsbolaget website,  I had a hard time at finding the timetables from Stockholm to Utö, until I came across this page.

From there, I entered in the Date of the trip (När vill du åka?) and then the destination (Vart vill du åka?) and then the departure point (Varifrån vill du åka?).

I was then able to see that the only departure point at Stockholm is Strömkajen for this trip.

According to the timetable, there appear to be two ferries that go between Stockholm and Utö. One is the "Saxaren" and the other is the "Mysing". As I will need to leave on Saturday morning, I will need to take the "Saxaren":


This ferry departs from Strömkajen at 8:45 in the morning, and will take 3 hours and thirty-five minutes to arrive at Utö (12:20); note that it is Tour (Tur) number 1821.

According to the price page, the cost of a 1-way ticket is 130 SEK (about 12 Euros, or 16 US dollars). This is much less expensive then the 60 or so Euros (50 + the taxi) that it costs to go the other route!

]]> tag:www.ryan-anderson.com,2009:/sverige//1.15 2009-04-21T20:05:19Z 2009-04-21T20:47:14Z

It has been almost a full year now since I have been back from Utö, and I wonder if I will be able to wait so long again before I return...Rather than go on and on about what a great...

Ryan
Rather than go on and on about what a great stay I had at Mariehäll on Utö last year, our excellent hosts, and the tireless help from Ewa-May, suffice it to say that of all the destinations in the world where I could have chosen to spend this summer's precious vacation - I have chosen to return to exactly the same spot! There is still so much to do!!
]]> http://www.utostuga.se/ You can make your reservations directly on the website.

I will start planning out what I hope to do and see this year, and so these articles will follow.

Some lessons I learned about Mariehäll from last year's vacation:
  1) The mosquitoes are the same as in Minnesota (where I am from). If you are used to them and know how to live with them, you will not have any problems. I was not bothered at all during my stay but there were quite a lot at night outdoors. Perhaps I'll write a bit about how to not be bothered by them...
  2) If the motor does not start, its because the throttle is too high haha!
  3) Bring suntan lotion (I came home with quite the sunburn!)
  4) There is wireless internet access (at least via my carrior, Orange)
  5) It would be nice to have a motor scooter for carrying groceries, or at least use the boat for transporting them. The bike ride is not far, but there is one annoying hill, and after a while, the shopping trip is a bit tiresome
  6) The refrigerator/freezer is BIG and clean, so it is ok to shop for many things at once at the store and keep them in there
 
I think that covers the main points that I noted last year. And now for this year's planning! 
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