We go north again

by Martin | 6 January, 2021 | Småland, Sweden

After spending another night at Linneás sister’s house, we decided it was time to move on. My God, two nights in the same place is almost some kind of record;). Jokes aside, we chose to head north again, more specifically towards Växjö. We decided to go camping, mostly so that the kids could play a little, and therefore landed on Evedals Camping .

Living on a campsite in the middle of winter is also a bit special, which you have to reckon with when you choose to drive an RV all year round as we do. Many campsites are not open at all, and those who do have to adjust their expectations for service according to the season. We had a great stay at Evedals, and will be back during the summer to test the summer offer.

Unfortunately, the playground at the campsite was not quite what we had hoped for. The day that came also offered generously with minus degrees, whereupon standing and freezing in a playground did not feel super attractive. We therefore decided to take a chance and go for it Leos Lekland in Växjö. Very many playgrounds have been closed for spontaneous visits due to the pandemic. However, Leos has solved it well by only selling a certain number of tickets, and then only in advance. For us adults no problem at all to keep our distance, and two kids with happiness just bubbleing out of their bodies. Also much appriciated to run around a bit after spending hours seated in the RV.

The playland in Växjö felt well taken care of and well maintained. Maybe you think that Leos at this point could have updated their concepts a bit by now, as it feels like they have looked more or less the same since they opened. On the other hand, the kids do not care at all about it, and still have just as much fun. So why change a winning concept.

When we moved on, we actually made the trip to Värnamo for the simple reason that we wanted to visit Boligheter in Värnamo . This super nice interior design store has been opened by one of our closest friends Jenny, but when we moved to Linköping we have not had the opportunity to actually check it out. We are hardly objective in the matter but: WOW! Now we are not interior design photographers any of us, so the pictures do not do the store justice. But if you have the roads past, make sure to visit Jenny, and feel free to follow Boligheter i Värnamo Instagram . The commitment she has to what she does is clearly difficult to match!

Today we parked next to my mother’s summer cottage. Now we will meet her for a couple of days, work a little, eat some good food and relax. Her cottage is so far out in the country that if you go out at night it is so quiet that you almost get a headache. In other words, it’s hard not to relax.

Then we think that the journey continues to Örebro, but we will see.

It’s getting better – Towards new brighter times

by Martin | 3 January, 2021 | Blekinge, Småland, Sweden

No, we have not stopped camping. No, we have not stopped blogging or shut down the blog either. 2020 has been a very strange year for us, as for most, and we believe that 2021 promises brighter times. Fortunately, we have managed to stay healthy, but the job situation has been very demanding, especially during the autumn. This has meant that we have not been able to travel with Pärlan as we wanted, and thus there has not been much to write about that belongs here on the blog.

But friends, it’s getting better! In fact, everything will be, in due course. We now managed to get time off during New Year, and therefore decided to run the now traditional New Year celebration in the motorhome (because surely it is a tradition if you do it two years in a row?;)). The important thing now was to actually make sure to get going as soon as possible. The first night was therefore spent in the forests outside Borensberg with a little freecamping. An unusually flat piece of land in the middle of the forest was allowed to act as an overnight place. Simple, smooth and really cozy.

For the actual New Year’s celebration, we headed towards the RV-site in the southern harbor in Motala. A RV-site with a very beautiful location right besides Lake Vättern, as well as a neat service house with toilet. The location right on the lake was perfect for enjoying the fireworks, which Noomie and Lowe thought was super cool. The evening was otherwise spent in front of Bingolotto (a Swedish TV-show) as we had been lucky to win new tickets during the “Uppesittarkvällen” this Christmas. (Playing “Bingolotto” the night before christmas eve is quite a well spread tradition in Sweden). Jokes aside, actually a pretty cozy activity, where everyone could join. In combination with good food and a good bottle of wine, we have a hard time coming up with any better ways to celebrate a new year. And few new years have been as welcome as just 2021!

After takin sleeping in on New Year’s Day, we managed to easily conclude that just about everything is closed on New Year’s Day. We therefore set our sights south towards Linnéas sister who lives outside Karlskrona. However, without any kind of urgency, we stopped in Korsberga where we found a place to free camp down at the beach. This worked really well now during the winter, but we strongly doubt that you can camp here during the summer. This is because the beach as such is very nice. The gravel road down to the beach is also quite narrow, and it was not without effort that we managed to meet a car that came in the opposite direction.

In Torsås, there was also a stop to buy some food and a trip to Systembolaget. Here it was a strong positive surprise, as the range of craft beers was huge. After some conversation with the staff, we managed to figure out that it is apparently due to the fact that Småland has a lot of small breweries, and the demand for craft beer is very high compared to the rest of the Sweden. So well worth a stop for those who like good beer (not all are finished yet, but the ones we have tested so far have all been really good).

Once there, we enjoyed a nice dinner with SouVide-cooked chicken with rice, cream sauce and smoked goat cheese. Some practical hassles with washing, washing dishes and charging electronics has also been done. There are advantages to having relatives and friends scattered across the country, as there is always somewhere to make a pit stop for such practical things. The rest of the evening was then spent on the couch with conversation and laughter.

Linnéa took the children and visited her sister’s horses, and I blog and prepare for further travel to Kalmar. What we are going to do in Kalmar we still have no idea … which is half the charm of the wonderful motorhome life.

RV in Linköping – 10 tips

by Martin | 12 July, 2020 | The RV, Östergötland

“If I see the smoke from The Technical Works, I´ll soon be home again…”

If any of you have missed it, we love to travel. It is probably the main reason we got ourselves an RV in the first place. The opportunity to get to drive around and find new adventures and new places. But as with so much else, it’s easy to miss the forest because of all the trees. Therefore, here is a post about what you can do if you go to Linköping by RV, our beloved hometown for over 2 years.

Since we moved here, we’ve never felt as at home as we do now. Certainly it is strange how two people in their thirties (here Linnéa sharply objects that she is not 30 yet) can move to a city where neither of us has any relationship with, and both feel that we have found our home. The reason for this is of course difficult to pinpoint, but part of it is that we think of Linköping as a relatively big city, with all that it means for the mentality. Our view is that the people in the east of Sweden has a tendency to be very welcoming, while minding their own business and not having the time and energy to spend judging others.

In addition to the lovely people, it is also a city that offers a lot of beautiful places to see, and a lot of fun to do. Below we list some of the things you should not miss if you get here. Simply our 10 best tips for exploring Linköping by camper (and of course for everyone else visiting our fine city).

Content – 10 tips for campers in Linköping

Linköping Cathedral
Old Linköping
Lill-valla Lekpark
Trädgårdsföreningen
Discgolf in Rydsskogen
Town Center
Cloetta
Bergs Slussar
Air Force Museum
Ljungsbro Activity Park

1. Linköping Cathedral

Motorhome in Linköping, Linköping Cathedral

Let’s start with the most obvious. Linköping Cathedral is one of the mightiest buildings we have ever seen. “A church tower extends to the sky, like a beggar’s hand out of the slums. You can see it from the highway”, Lars Winnerbäck sings (Lars Winnerbäck is a Swedish singer-songwriter, who was born in Linköping), and it is certainly not difficult to understand the magnificence that inspired these lyrics. You feel incredibly small in its vicinity, and you are also impressed by what we humans can actually manage to create.

For over 800 years, this giant has looked out over the citiescape, watching over the cities population. It is clearly worth a visit if you go by RV to Linköping, even if you only have the opportunity to see it from the outside.

Good information about the church and its history can be found here.

For opening hours and activities, take a look here.

2. Gamla Linköping

Gamla Linköping is one large homestead near the valla district. Gamla Linköping is a collection of very old houses that have been moved to this place, and together create the feeling of a genuine old Swedish city. Here you will find small shops and cafés located in the old buildings. Especially in summer it is a very vibrant area that is well worth a visit. The old houses are very beautiful to look at, and together with the cobbled streets it certainly creates a very special atmosphere.

This is a given place for a “Fika”, regardless if you brought your own or if ju want to enjoy a freshly baked waffle in the sun. For those interested in history there is almost an unlimited supply of information about old times around the small town. For those who get around by camper van in Linköping, there are also suitable parking spaces for our vehicles right nearby.

For information about opening hours, activities and more, take a look here.

3. Lill-Valla Playground

For the family with children, this should be an obvious part of the agenda, and also only a short distance away from Gamla Linköping. A very nice playground in very good condition, divided into different areas suitable for different age categories. In addition, there are chickens, goats and other animals that you can visit. Clearly worth a visit when the playground need becomes too wild after a long day in the RV. There are plenty of parking spaces nearby, and for those who want to learn something along the way, it is also close to the railway museum. All train enthusiasts, kids aswell as adults, are guaranteed to bring something from here.

Right next to the playground, on the other side of the small homestead where the Railway Museum is located, there is a good parking space. If you get around by camper van in Linköping, this is a great place if you want to stay overnight. The area is very quiet, which of course requires that we who stay overnight show a little extra respect for our surroundings.

4. Trädgårdsföreningen

The Gazebo in Trädgårdsföreningen, Linköping

In the Trädgårdsföreningen you will find, besides of course a whole bunch of flowers (which perhaps attracts one of us more than the other) lots of fun activities. There is a nice playground for the small children, but also opportunities to practice different ball games and large green areas. On a sunny day, finding a good place to sunbathe is no problem. When it then becomes tedious (after about 30 seconds for Martin) you can easily find good coffee and “fika” at one of the two cafés that are on the premises.

If you want, you can also try so-called “Park golf”. This is some kind of hybrid between golf and croquet, which is played on a nine-hole course. Well worth it for those who do not want to lie still for hours at a time.

5. Discgolf in Rydsskogen

Frisbee golf (or disc golf, which we think is the correct term) is a new little hobby we found. The total cost of a starter kit so you can get started and play is about 170 SEK. Then it’s just out on the court and play. In Linköping you will find two different courses within cycling distance from the city centre, and we tested one of them. In Rydsskogen, which is then to be regarded as our home course, there are 18 holes (or do you say baskets?) to play on. You can either choose to go all 18 holes, or to just take the first 9 or last 9.

Playing the course itself is free, so you can play as much as you want. Sometimes it’s a bit challenging, and it’s all about a walk in terrain. But both Noomie and Lowe can handle it just fine (although Lowe may need some carrying help, but it can be okay if you’re but a year old ;)). For those of you who have not tried, we highly recommend you to try it. For those who get around by camper van in Linköping or elsewhere, it is a real great activity. This is because the equipment weighs basically zero, takes up very little space, and in addition there are courses almost where ever you are.

To find more courses to play on, we usually use the map on discgolfbanor.se.

6. Downtown

Linköping has a wonderfully vibrant city centre, something that is almost becoming a bit rare in Sweden. Ever since the large shopping centres came to be, we see more and more city centres dying due to lack of visitors. Linköping, however, is fortunately one of the exceptions. Whether you move in the city centre in the day or evening, here is always life and movement. There are still a lot of small shops here that do not belong to the big chains.

Probably a part of the explanation for this is that we have the university, which clearly puts its imprint on the city. It can sometimes turn out in a somewhat strange way, which medium-sized Swedish city has, for example, enough interested customers to provide for three board game stores in the city center? Anyway, there is something for most people, and is well worth a visit if you roll through.

7. Cloetta

Just outside Linköping is one of Cloetta’s candy factories, of course with factory sales. Unfortunately, none of the production can be seen, which we thinks is to bad. But you can be sure that you walk away with “Kexchoklad” and other sweets so that it squirts out through your ears. Not once have the children protested when we proposed an excursion to Cloetta.

The factory is located in a small community a short distance outside the city called Ljungsbro. At the factory sale there is free parking that is perfect even for us with a little larger vehicle. The best candy tip is the second sorting from the taragona production. Nuts wrapped in chocolate. In fact, we find it difficult to understand why we should make matters more complicated than that. In addition, the factory is only a few minutes away from Bergs Slussar (see below) which is a perfect place for overnight stays for those who get around by camper van in Linköping.

For more information and opening hours for factory sales and the store in Gamla Linköping, take a look here.

8. Bergs Slussar

Bergs slussar are a real RV-metropolis. If you want to be sure to meet others who also travel with RV in Linköping, this is where you will find them. Bergs Slussar are simply a gate system in the Göta Canal, used to transport boats over height differences. Right next to the gates there is an ice cream shop, so the “fika” opportunity is obvious. Here you can, at least in the summer months, see the gateing of boats on the front row. The ice cream is also served with a very beautiful view of the water. And should it be tedious, you can always take on the mini golf course, a great opportunity to get really into a real quarrel if you, like us, keep a few winner-oriented people in your family.

Right next to the gates themselves is also a large RV-site that has just undergone a renovation. No amenities beyond a large gravel field, but a perfectly good place to stay the night. Around Bergs Slussar there are also nice walking paths for your morning walk, as well as swimming opportunities when the heat becomes too real.

For information about opening hours and activities in Bergs Slussar, take a look in here.

9. Air Force Museum

Linköping has a long military history, especially with the Air Force. Of course, a big reason for this is that SAAB has its air force factory here. Linköping Air Force Museum has a large exhibition of aircraft, where you can read a lot of information about the different planes and their role in the army. There is a movie theater were they show relevant documentaries, and also an upper floor full of activities for young pilots.

But perhaps the coolest thing of all is the flight simulator, where you can try to be a pilot in a JAS 39 Gripen. In all honesty, perhaps the coolest for the adult computer geek with the his inner child left. Like most museums, the exhibitions on display varied, allowing return visits to be made at regular intervals.

Previously there was also a RV-site outside the Air Force Museum. It unfortunately had to close, as previous guests did not behave. We would also like to tell you that anyone visiting the Air Force Museum will take the time to have lunch in the restaurant. The best tip is to choose a locally produced “Wallenbergare”, made out of wild boar from the plains of eastern Sweden. Really great food!

For information about opening hours, pre-registration, exhibitions and more, check in here.

10. Ljungsbro Activity Park

In spring 2020, this super cool activity park was completed. Here you will find most of what the children like, including a large skateboard park, a DJ booth and an obstacle course. After playing for a few hours, you can light up the grill at one of the barbecue areas. Even for our four-legged friends, there are things to do, including an agility course. In other words, there is something for most people, and it is no problem whatsoever to spend a full day in the park. Especially if you like us have kids who like to be active.

Noomie has also talked about wanting a skateboard for a long time. Now that we have found this place, it may be worth considering, even if we imagine that there are many abrasions until she is so good at it that she can ride herself. On the other hand, that’s how they learn. Maybe even Mom and Dad would invest in learning to board in old age? Anyway, it looks really fun when you look at the ones that are good at it.

Finally

We hope of course that you who have read been inspired and found a new fun excursion. Linköping is a city that in many ways is very well located, but we really want to urge not to just pass trough. A fantastic city to both visit and live in, which is well worth a day of tourism. In addition, easy to find places to stay overnight for those who pass Linköping in a camper van.

Are you missing any information about the excursions above? Or maybe you yourself are an “Östgöte” and have tips on where to go by camper van in Linköping? Please comment, and we will be happy to explore and complement. For tips on other places around Östergötland, please take a look at our post about Excursion Road.

Hope you all get a real big vacation, and drive carefully. See you on the road!

Swimming and playing in Ulricehamn

by Linnéa | 27 June, 2020 | Uncategorized

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…

On an adventure in Astrid Lindgrens fairytale world

by Martin | 26 June, 2020 | Uncategorized

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.

Favourite places along the Utflyktsvägen

by Martin | 7 June, 2020 | Island and Archipelago, Östergötland, East coast, Sweden, Sweden

Did you know that there is a road that is actually called and is signposted “Utflyktsvägen” (the excursion route in Swedish)? At least we didn’t. until yesterday that is.

After spending the night yesterday at Arkösunds Camping,we wanted to explore Arkösund. Said and done so we took The Pearl the 5 minutes drive down to the small harbor. Unfortunately, the day did not offer much for swimming weather, which downright meant that there was not much to do in Arkösund. In addition, it was the Swedish national day (the 6th of June), which meant that the small exhibition about wildlife in the archipelago was closed. However, we took a walk among the rocks, and certainly the archipelago is beautiful. It’s hard to say otherwise.

When we had looked at the archipelago views for a while, and in all honesty it started to get pretty cold, we jumped into The Pearl again. On the way to Arkösund we had seen a sign for an ice cream factory, and of course we did not want to miss that. At Sänkdalen farm they produce their own ice cream, which quite honestly tasted heavenly. Noomie thought the chocolate ice cream was the best, I myself highly recommend the peanut and caramel. The small farm shop really consists only of a two square meter room, where you go in, choose ice cream you want and Swish the payment (Swish is an app for making payments using your phone number). So easy, and well worth a short detour.

During the ice cream break, we tried googleing a little bit to see where we would go next. It was decided that we would go to Oxelösund, which was not so far to drive from where we were. The road there also looked cozy (the trip is the goal when you go by RV, you know 😉 ), with quite a lot of small back roads. We set the GPS, and at the first left turn we saw the sign for “Utflyktsvägen”. Of course, it was a given choice to go by that route, and try to find out what it got its name from. (“Utflyktsvägen” means “the road of excursions” in Swedish).

Utflyktsvägen – Favourite places from Bråviken to Stockholm’s southern archipelago

Pretty soon it was time to stop to make lunch, and right where we stopped we saw the sign for a coffee roastery. If there is one thing you do not have any further discussions about, or compromise with in our family, it is the importance of good coffee. So when we had eaten we went down to the port of Kvarsebo, where we quickly found Qvarsebo Kaffe. Here, of course, we both had a cup of coffee. Noomie got a chocolate ball and elderflower juice, Linnéa ate some licorice cake, and I ate the best macaroon I can remember. For real, Qvarsebo Kaffe is worth its own excursion, the ideal Swedish fika! (Fika is an honorable Swedish tradition, where we eat cake or other sweets and drink coffee with our friends and family. We celebrate this great tradition every day, and it is a great excuse for taking a break and eating some good stuff). The place doesn’t look so much to the outside world, but certainly appearances can be deceiving.

At Qvarsebo Kaffe we found a brochure explaining what Utflyktsvägen is all about. Apparently, a joint effort has been made on tourism along the entire route from Bråviken to Stockholm’s southern archipelago. When we ourselves went along the road, we found that there was hardly 200 meters between each farm shop, attraction or other destination. Given, we could not stop at all, but experienced it as a very cozy road to drive, and made to be explored by RV. Furthermore, we followed Utflyktsvägen towards Oxelösund, with a small detour to Jula in Nyköping to buy some stuff for the garage in the RV.

We stayed for the night at Strandstuvikens Camping (review comeing soon in the campsites section), where I to my own surprise discovered at the gates that I had been before. Me and my fishing buddy Viktor lived in one of the cabins here when we participated in the Swedish Pike Fishing Championship Final.. Strange that I had zero recognition until we stood right at the gates, but it says a lot about my “amazing” sense of direction. All and all, this became a day in the celebration of Fika. But on the other hand, is there something more Swedish than just having a Fika, and thus a better activity on June 6th (the Swedish National Day)?

Warning for… Ostrich?!

by Martin | 6 June, 2020 | Uncategorized, Östergötland, Sweden

After going through a very special spring where you might have preferred to do like an ostrich and stick your head in the sand (or do they actually do that?). But now it’s finally time to get back on the road with The Pearl. The whole family has of course longed for it really much, since this thing of sitting still in the same place for longer periods is not something any one of us enjoy. We therefore got in the RV and set our sights on Arkösund, for the simple reason that we have never been there. A classic “Husbilsbus” thing to do, in other words. On the way to Arkösund we see a large sign along the road advertising for Vikbolandsstruts, the local ostrich farm. After about 2.4 seconds of consideration, the matter was clear, of course we’ll go there!

Said and done, and we start following the signs for the farm. It became a classic “a small road, which becomes a smaller road, which becomes an even smaller road”, but it was always good signposted. Finally we reach the small gravel road into the yard, and laugh when we see the “warning of ostrich” sign. A few hundred meters later we see the first bird, and a “wooooooooow” is heard through the entire RV. Say what you want, but it’s certainly mighty animals we’re talking about. The first ostrich we encounter, which we think is a male (or is it called a rooster?) is simply brutally large. They can grow to three meters high and weigh a bit over 150 kilos. This was of course not as big, but I can promise that it felt that way. Even I felt pretty small.

Around the farm there are also lots of activities that suit a family with children excellently. There is a little playground with swings, sandbox, seesaw, and to Noomie’s great delight a trampoline. There are also other small animals, including rabbits and chickens, to watch and to pet. For us adults, it was perhaps more interesting to look in the farm shop. There were everything from trinkets to meat and meat products for sale. When we arrived at the farm we were all pretty hungry (and this crazy family is NOT fun to deal with when we are fed), but it was easy to solve with an ostrich sausage in the small diner.

Stick your head in the sand like an ostrich… really?

Summed up, this was a super fun excursion, where we learned a lot about this bird, but above all got to see these mighty animals up close. We’ve seen them before when we’ve been to zoos, but never got this close to them. So we are talking about an animal that can grow to 3 meters long, can run at 80 kilometers per hour, and never ever put its head in the sand. However, we stood and wondered why they were pecking on the ground and on the concrete foundations. Apparently, it’s because they have to have pebbles in their stomachs in order to digest the food. What strange animals!

In the evening we landed at Arkösunds Camping (will be reviewed under campsites later), and we were all pretty tired. But of course we ended the day by cooking an ostrich steak with roast potatoes and café de Paris sauce. The result was awesome, one of the best motorhome dinners so far. Both Linnéa and I thought that the meat is more like beef than bird, and the taste was really great. There will clearly be more of this birdie on the menu going forward. 😉

Think again, it might be even better

by Martin | 5 April, 2020 | Long distance travel, Östergötland, Sweden

Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want it to. Just in our slightly stormy lives, it is even quite rarely that things become exactly as it was originally planned. Those of you who follow the blog know that ever since last summer we planned for our first long trip with the RV this summer. The target was France, with Disneyland in Paris as the main target, and among other things the occasional bottle of Champagne purchased in Champagne as a detour.

Little could we have imagined then that most of Europe would go into lockdown, borders would be closed, trips abroad discouraged from the Foreign Ministry and so on. When these kinds of conditions change, there are really two options.

Either you crack, become bitter that things did not turn out as it was intended, and the whole thing becomes really heavy to carry.

Or… you rethink. Reschedule. Dream on, if you like. We have therefore decided that the long vacation will have to wait until February instead. Of course, there will be small trips within the country this summer, where depends on how the situation develops. But the long holidays will have to wait.

France in February, however, feels a bit…cold. If we’re going in the winter, we’re going to want sun and heat. We know that many RV entusiasts spend their winters in Spain, and also Portugal seems more interesting after reading about it at boihusbil. Even Croatia, many people talk about it being very nice, but what how is it in wintertime? This could certainly be a fantastic adventure, even if it didn’t turn out the way it was originally intended. Maybe it can become even better?

Clearly we have some research to do before we make any decisions, and of course we have to follow the progress around travel recommendations and so on. But one thing is certain, after this weekend’s little premiere, the longing for the roads and for new adventures is almost unbearable. Now it’s all about finding the adventures in the surrounding area for a while, because they can be found there also!

Could you keep flowers in the RV?

by Linnéa | 29 March, 2020 | Tips and Tools

Har man många intressen, vilket vi liksom har, måste man ju kunna kombinera dem även i husbilslivet, va? eller hur! Det är självklart för Martin att packa med fiskeutrustning för att kunna utfodra familjen enbart på fiskefångst i veckor….. mina intressen tar inte riktigt lika stor plats, men kanske är något bökigare………

Här är dom! Årets små fröisar!

Nu är det i all enkelhet, några solrosor, Sommaraster och lite tagille, som än så länge var för små för att klara sig själva hemma i 4 dagar i sträck. Nämen då får de ju hänga med i husbilen tyckte jag!

Martin var inte riktigt lika övertygad om att det var en bra idé, och kanske när Lowe kröp fram till dem och rev sönder en kruka och hällde ut jord på den vita mattan … kanske att jag var beredd att hålla med Martin då om att det var en halvbra idé. Fast det säger jag ju inte till honom.

Jag satte årets små frön i en ugnsform från Tupperware, som var lagom stor för att rymma alla, och som var lagom smidig att ta med och flytta runt på. Mest har de stått framför instrumentpanelen när vi stått stilla och vid mina fötter när Martin kör. Ja, det är bara Martin som kör än så länge.. Jag behöver fortfarande ta tag i att ta det där C-kortet……….

Men så svaret på frågan, JA klart man kan ha med blommor i husbilen! 😉

Start of the season 2020 – LPG-chaos och Castle ruins

by Martin | 28 March, 2020 | Island and Archipelago, Uncategorized, Östergötland, East coast, Sweden

In a way, perhaps a truth with modification, as we actually spent New Year in the Pearl this year. But somehow it still feels like it was this weekend that the 2020 season really started.

The first real trip for this year may, due to the circumstances, become a trip around the east of Sweden. Hardly negative from our point of view, as this amazing landscape has much left for us to discover. What has perhaps struck us in recent days is that the eastern plain consists of quite a lot more than just plain. We have had the privilege of seeing much of S:t Anna archipelago, which is amazingly beautiful. In our opinion, just as much nature experience and views as last year’s trip along the west coast, with the difference that you are welcome here with an RV almost anywhere.

The night of today we spent free camped in a parking lot belonging to an outdoor area in a nature reserve called Svartdalen (“Black Valley in English). Free camping really has its very special charm, and it’s a fantastic way to find peace.

What may not be quite as amazing is when the LPG bottle decides to run out in the middle of the night, and you wake up with the fact that there are almost sub-zero temperatures in the RV. The mental strength and impaled psyche required to deduct the duvet (and the little heat that is left), crawl out of the high bed, grope for some clothes in the dark and head out into the sub-zero temperatures and change LPG bottles… it would probably make Gunde Svan* himself jealous. *Gunde Svan is a famous Swedish skier, known for his incredible winner-mindset. Anyway, it feels worth it once the car gets hot again, and you get awake from a brilliant spring sun dazzles you through the roof hatch. Or…at least Linnéa, who remained in bed, thought it was worth it 😉

During the day we took aim at St. Anna, but on the way we saw that along the road was signposted to a castle ruin, which felt like a fun excursion. So we strayed from the main road a little bit and ended up at Stegeborg castle ruin. Stegeborg has a history of a fortress built in the 900s, and since then countless royals have housed the castle. Today the castle is clearly a ruin, but a bit cool is that the high tower itself is still there. 120 SEK costs a visit for the whole family, and although it is not a full day trip, it is quite cozy to walk around the castle area. Especially for someone who’s interested in history. Pay is done smoothly with cards in the machine outside. We also read that during the summer season it is possible to rent some kind of audio guide for 50 SEK per person, where Herman Lindqvist, a well known Swedish historian, guides through the ruin. I think this is a fun addition and enhances the experience somewhat.

The surroundings of the castle are fantastic, as the archipelago makes you feel like you are staring into a painting wherever you look. In the harbour area that is right next door there are also RV-sites , and also a camping on the other side of the cable ferry. We think that we may well come here one night, put the RV on the RV-site, and go to the harbour restaurant. It is clear that the season has not started yet, as everything is still closed for the winter. However, it was fun to see that there were many RVs that were already on the road, just like us.

Furthermore, the trip took us to St. Anna, and we visited some of the islands. Almost everything was closed, so there was not so much of a reason to stop anywhere. Maybe we’ll get back a little later when camping and boating season has started for real. Instead, we set our sights on Valdemarsvik, where the ambition was to get hold of a new gas bottle to avoid the same adventure as the night before. However, this did not go so well, as those who usually sold LPG down in the port also had closed for the winter. We therefore decided to spend the night in Valdemarsvik harbour RV-sites, which we, although it was closed for the winter to a large extent here too, are very happy with. A review on the RV-site comes as a separate post, but we can reveal that it was unusually high standard for a RV-site location. In addition, the staff seems to have humor, which is always a plus.

Now we take evening, and recharge both Pärlans and our own batteries for new adventures tomorrow.