The Advantage Of A Full Beard
My bathroom in Pensionat Udden was shared.
This was no disadvantage for me, as all I need in the morning is a shower, a clean of my teeth and a good scratch of my face to be ready for the day.
However, it would all have been different, if I’d had to have a shave every morning.
But of course with a full beard, I don’t!
Pensionat Udden
These pictures show the guest house, where we stayed on the holiday. Their web site is here.
The pictures show the lake behind the hotel. Just as with houses, location is so important.
Nothing was too much trouble for the owners and they coped with my gluten free diet magnificently.
I also slept well in a comfortable bed, but then I would only report if I didn’t. With me that’s usually the sign of a bad hotel.
It was a very convenient place for what we were doing and I wouldn’t have any qualms about staying there, if I should make a further trip to the area.
A Walk In The Woods
The trip wasn’t always about Sweden’s mammals, as these pictures show.
We had gone for a walk in the woods and I was very surprised at the size of the ant hills.
They were one of the surprises of the holiday.
Magnificent Skies
Living in London, you rarely get a clear sky with no light pollution.
But here in Central Sweden, about fifty kilometres north of Vasteras, we got some of the best skies I’ve ever seen.
Perhaps the best were in Alice Springs in Australia, when C and I flew around the country in a Piper Arrow. We were staying in this hotel and a local student had brought his telescope and set it up in the courtyard. He was showing anybody who wanted to view, the southern sky. Sadly, in the evening we were there, only C and I took up his offer. C would talk about it afterwards any time, we saw a magnificent sky.
My one regret on this Swedish trip, was not to bring a decent star chart with me. Another guy, who knew more than I do about astronomy, felt the same too.
It just shows how clear the skies were.
Next time, I go to the area, I’ll be better prepared.
Searching For Beavers
After settling in to the guest house and having supper, we went searching for beaver in electric-powered rubber boats.
I found that I could see them in the water using a pair of borrowed binoculars, but they were rather too far away to photograph.
Beavers in Sweden are very much a success story and they are now very numerous compared to say fifty years ago. One of the best glimpses we got, was later whilst driving to see wolves, one was swimming along the shore of a lake bordering the road.
Strange Packaging
I always buy a new deodorant and toothpaste when I fly, as that means i don’t have to separate out all the bottles from my hand luggage.
Strange Packaging
This odd-shaped packaging for a deodorant was silly, as it won’t stand upright.
But why is it I can’t buy a small deodorant, toothpaste and perhaps shampoo in a chemist, after I’ve passed through the security checks. That sounds like someone is missing an opportunity. Perhaps Boots should march in.
After all Departure Areas of airports, are places you can buy loads of expensive things, you don’t need or even want and only a few affordable things that you do.
Enjoyable travel for me, is partly about carrying as little as you can.
To And Around Vasteras
I then took the train from Stockholm to Vasteras, so that I could meet up with the rest of the party and the guide at Vasteras Airport.
The trip was totally without incident and after getting a bus to the airport, we all met up easily.
The only problem I had, was buying a ticket for the bus, which needed to be paid for with coins. Surely, it’s time we had a Europe-wide ticketing standard, so that buying bus tickets is easy.
A Quiet Stockholm
Stockholm was rather dead to the world, as Barack Obama was visiting.
I did sit by the water in the sun and eat an ice cream.
At least the Police didn’t stop me walking around. Perhaps it’s a good time to visit a city, when Obama does?
No Clocks In Terminal Five
Terminal Five at Heathrow doesn’t seem to have any clocks.
There wasn’t even one in Carluccio’s in Departures.
Surely a few obvious clocks, would help people get to their plane on time.
The Anonymous Widower 