It was a few hours in the RV through the forests of Småland. The trees were near the road, the lupines were wavering, and when we stopped for a pinch of air which almost vibrated in the Swedish summer heat. But what magical roads!

It felt nice in the car with the AC running and since both children were sleeping, it was just to roll on! We had our sights set on Ulricehamn, and landed there after a few hours. We got a parking spot (it was a great free-parking where we could park wherever we wanted to). However, there were a few spots that were a bit larger than the traditional ones, one of which we took, right next to the toilet-house.

Would not say service house really, but a handicap accessible toilet and a regular one, thus, the RV toilet had to rest a bit and it’s some kind of service however. But a wonderful motorhome parking,absolutely free. Ulricehamn really seems to invest in motorhome tourism, and we found this and several other pitches in the municipality here.

Martin started right away with the food, while me and the kids explored the playground with a big P! An obstacle course, swings, water-sand playground, slides, a “spin-carousel” as Noomie said.. and a sandy beach! Which was still so far from the play area so that you do not have to feel that the children run there uncontrollably. In other words… absolutely perfect!

We took walk in the evening. Noomie finally got to ride her bike, and we found a restaurant just down by the water. Unfortunately, it was quite full this nice evening, but we still got a chance to order and got seats near the water where the children could walk around a bit in the grass. It was not a very long evening, but we got to see the sun go down over Ulricehamns lake. And what else do you really need? Than a sunset by the water…

UPDATE: Later in the morning, after this post has just been written, we are reached by the news that Astrid Lindgrens world is being forced to close for the season. A very sad decision, in our view, and perhaps a case where the rules around the spread of infection did not seem to hit the right kinds of business. In our opinion, the park has succeeded very well in dealing with the new pandemic situation. They spread out the guests, ensure the right type of queuing, hand hygiene and more. A special thought goes to all the employees, who did a phenomenal job when we were there, but who are now out of work. We hope things will work out for all of them.

Adventures in Astrid Lindgrens world

After managing to get some days off over the weekend, we decided to steer The Pearl towards Astrid Lindgrens world in Vimmerby. Vimmerby is barely an hour away from Linköping, so it is not so far and we really would not have needed to bring the RV. Apparently, the most convenient way to get here is by train, as trains stop just outside the park. However, we chose to still take The Pearl, partly because we will travel further during the next days, but mainly because another family also wanted to come along. One of Noomie’s best friends brought mom, dad and her little sister (who is the same age as Lowe), and also slept over in their caravan at the campsite next to us.

I have to say that Astrid Lindgrens world impresses me. To take a step into the park is really to take a step into all the fairy tales Astrid created. I’ll be honest with you that I was never a superfan of the Astrid Lindgren tales when I was little (possibly the exception of The Brothers Lionheart), but it’s therefore a bit cool that I still know them. It still says something about how this woman managed to create stories that several generations keep close to their heart. Just walking through the park becomes an experience in itself, as suddenly a Mrs Blomberg came bicycling past us., or Paradise-Oskar will be walking past you playing on his accordion.

It is certainly not difficult to be blown away, either as a child or as an adult. The different shows are of very high quality, and what impresses the most are all child actors who are real professionals. We laughed pretty well when our daughter, completely absorbed in the story of Pippi Longstocking and the Pirates, shouted encouraging comments and tips so that Pippi would find her father. When Pippi after the show then came and greeted all the children and said goodbye, our daughters eyes were as big as saucers. Talk about star strucked!

Astrid Lindgrens world succeeds in dealing with a strange situation

Astrid Lindgren’s world is remarkable. All the buildings, playgrounds, sets and service facilities seem to be in very good condition. None of what we looked at or used seemed like it was worn out. That is quite impressive when you normally manage thousands of families with children every year. However, it was clear that things were different this year. The park had very few visitors, which of course is because they follow the restrictions due to the pandemic situation. Everywhere there were markings telling us to keep distance when queuing, and it was also ensured that only one person in each family was in line for the shows. Outside every shop and restaurant there was hand sanitizer, and the staff constantly walked around and disinfected surfaces that are frequently touched.

Keeping a distance was not a problem whatsoever. In fact, there are undeniably advantages to not having to queue too long, especially when your day at Astrid Lindgrens world offers 30-degree heat.

Something that there is room to improve however, is the possibility to entertain “adult children” between shows. Yes, you may think I’m a crappy parent if you like, but anyone who says they are not tired of watching two five-year-olds ride a drag raft for the 47th time, it’s lying. Above all, I think there are no things to do together with the children. Apart from the little water war we started, there were quite few of the activities where I could do anything else but watch the kids play. But, of course, the most important thing is that the kids had fun, and they definitely did!

We will most likely return to Astrid Lindgrens world in the future. Especially because she’s written fairy tales that kids can grow into. From Lotta on Troublemaker Street and Pippi Longstocking, which are very cute stories, to Ronja The Robber’s Daughter and the Brothers Lionheart who are sometimes more scary. So the kids will probably like to visit for many years to come.

Tonight we sleep at the campsite right next to Astrid Lindgrens world (a review will be published later about the campsite under Campsites). During the morning we will look at the surroundings, and among other things visit Katthult and the farms where the children in Noisy Village were recorded. We believe that the journey then goes on to Ulricehamn, but as usual with us it may well have changed four times before departure actually takes place.