Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Provinces: Skåne, Blekinge
Municipalities: Lund, Staffanstorp, Svedala, Trelleborg, Skurup, Ystad, Tomelilla, Simrishamn, Kristanstad, Bromölla, Sölvesborg, Karlshamn
Tuesday 28th of July
09.00 It took some time to get started with the travel journal writing this day. We are still at hotel Good Morning Lund and have now reached the southernmost day of the trip. We will soon know what it means and what it will contain.
09.25 Before we leave Lund we need to buy a light lunch, a lunch bag. We need it during today's first excursion. We are about to return to the nearby ICA Kvantum Mobilia.
10.12 Now that we have our supplies, we will begin by going against the Google Maps helper Ruth's recommendations regarding route choices. She can't decide all the time.
10.26 They really like to have roundabouts along road 108. We pass roundabout after roundabout and never get up to speed. We've just reached Staffanstorp.
10.32 At Hyby village we left road 108. We now go along the Hyby Grindväg. Soon we will arrive at this morning's chosen destination.
10.40 The first stop of the day is done at Parkvägen parking spot. We are in Torup's Recreation Area. Nearby is Torup Castle and there are hiking areas in the beech forest. Let's go into the woods for a start.
10.57 There are many dog owners on the go here. We are not far from the cities Malmö and Lund. This is probably a perfect area to visit when city dwellers want a simple nature experience. Torup's Recreation Area is a 365 hectare beech forest area. There are jogging tracks, walking paths and horse riding paths.
11.25 A refreshing morning hike in the beech forest has given us deer in an enclosure, beautiful forest views and small simple illustrated signs that with pictures showing and with text teaching words like, wall, fence, tree trunk and more. Talk about educational picture support. Now we are at the beautiful Torup Castle.
11.35 We have photographed the beautiful Torup Castle from all possible angles. The castle began to be built in 1545 when the area belonged to Denmark. Görvel Fadersdotter (Sparre), the widow of Truid Gregersen Ulfstand, erected the present castle building in honour of her son. She then remarried Lave Brahe. So Torup eventually came to the Danish family Grubbe. During Sivert Grubbe's time, Torup was often visited by Kristian IV. He had soldiers damming up the lake that surrounded the castle until 1775. On the 21st of May, 1775, a tragic accident occurred at Torup Castle, when the cornet Fredrich Trolle, along with his aunt Fredrica Harmens and his sisters Brita Sophia Trolle and Elisabeth Augusta Trolle on an occasional walk would embark on a rowing tour of the Castle Lake. It was no better than that the boat capsized and all four, neither able to swim, ended up in the water. Despite rapid action and later resuscitation attempts, their lives couldn't be saved (source: Wikipedia)
13.50 We have reached the next destination. Alléns parking place will be our place for the car here in Trelleborg. I crave some coffee. In other words, our first business will be to find a place that serves the noble drink. Trelleborg is Sweden's southernmost city and takes its name from the old trelleborg found here. A trelleborg is a Danish ring-shaped Viking Castle. The city was first mentioned in 1257. Today it has 30 668 inhabitants.
18.11 In front of us on the road there is a limousine driving. We're heading on road 9 out of Trelleborg. The journey now goes east. It is not possible to continue much further south if we are to stay in Sweden. We have now travelled on both road 9 and road 99 this summer.
20.25 Our room is named after the bishop that used to sleep here when visiting in the past. We take it easy in the room after an intense day. There's not much reason to go out either. Soon it's dark and Äspö village is not full of sights and activities.
Wednesday 29th of July
Welcome to Torup.
We took photos of some shy deer.
The beautiful beech forest in Torup.
The educational Word Trail.
The entrance to Torup castle.
Torup castle was built from 1545.
The gardens at Torup castle.
The beautiful castle from another angle.
Christer is looking for some shadow.
Butterfly meets flower.
We are slowly walking away from the castle.
We are saying good bye to the beech forests in Torup.
St Nicolai church, Trelleborg.
In Trelleborg you can find palm trees. We are that far south.
Peter is entering a photo showing the pretty Blå Huset (Blue house).
The Mikaeli well on Gamla Torg.
This bronze fountain is called Böst. Böst is a local word meaning bad.
Here it is about bad weather.
Peter is visiting Espresso House in Trelleborg.
A runestone outside Trelleborgen.
Smygehuk, you can´t travel further south in Sweden than this.
It is windy in Smygehuk.
Peter in the room at Äspögården.
An old bible at Äspögården.
Old school posters in our room.
08.15 We've slept so well here at Äspögården. A nice bed and a dark cool room in a quiet and calm village is something extra. What does this day have to offer? One thing is certain; it is my name day today. My middle name is Olof.
09.20 What a breakfast, what an accommodation, what a host. Unlike most previous hosts during the summer, Thorbjörn mingles with all guests. There is no fear of corona here. Everything is on top, inside anyway. Outside it rains but we cannot blame Äspögården and its owners for that. 10.11 We do, although we really like it here in tiny Äspö, have to move on. There may be more pleasant things waiting here in Skåne. If nothing else, we will continue the journey to the north sooner or later. 10.36 Now we have checked out, drove on various village roads and stopped at Östra Torp church on the outskirts of Smygehamn. It is the southernmost church in the country. Now we have been to the easternmost, northernmost, highest situated and southernmost. The westernmost and the lowest situated, if any, will have to wait for another trip. Unfortunately, the car gave off a strange sound just when we drove in here. Is there a problem? It sounded kind of like a metal string that snapped. 11.01 Now we drive east along the sea and pass through Abbekås. No more strange sounds have been heard from the car but we have noticed a strange smell. It certainly does not have to be connected to the car or us. Probably, it was some stone from the dirt roads that was the reason of the strange sound. At least we hope so. 11.21 We have reached Ystad and have stopped to park at Västervångshallen. Here we will let the car stay as we discover Ystad. Why have we parked right here? Well, it's free. 11.43 The sun breaks through the clouds and shines on us, a grey friar monastery from the 1200s and over the rest of Ystad. We sit on a bench by a beautiful flowerbed. In the middle of it stands a statue of the monk Eskil. Ystad is a real cozy city with a population of 19,904 inhabitants.
This beautiful room is next to ours on Äspögården.
The southernmost church in Sweden, Östra Torp.
On the road to Ystad.
The small stream at Norra Promenaden, Ystad.
Christer is walking along Sladdergatan.
We are visiting the nice city Ystad.
12.06 Our walk through Ystad continues. There are quite a lot of people in motion despite the unreliable weather. Now we are at St. Maria Church and Stortorget. It is a stately and beautiful church. Often it is simply called the Maria Church. The church dates from the 1200s and is one of Skåne's oldest brick churches. In the tower of the church you can find the tower of the Guardian, also called the lur blower. He has been guarding the city since 1748.
12.52 It has now become time for coffee and sandwich at Fridolf's Konditori. This is where Inspector Kurt Wallander goes for pastries and coffee in the books written by Henning Mankell. 13.30 After the visit to the café we have now been passed the house where Kurt Wallander lives (according to the books). The house where the fictional apartment is located is on Mariagatan and is, to be completely honest, not much to see. In January 2011, we moved around in the footsteps of inspector John Rebus in Edinburgh. He is a main character in Ian Rankin's books. Time passes unnecessarily fast. Now the hood on my jacket blew up on my head. Perhaps a helping hand from Mother Nature? 13.53 We're back at the car. Along Blekegatan there was a water leak model larger that stopped up all traffic. We got past it but instead got water on us from above. A heavy rain caused us to lose some time on the way back. 14.08 The sky is blue-gray. We just left Ystad behind us and swung into Kristianstadvägen, now it rains again on route 19 and on our vehicle. 14.36 We left road 19 in Fågeltofta village. On the way to the small community of Sankt Olof we now go through what feels like a long tunnel of trees. We are now in Simrishamn municipality. After all, the town is named after Saint Olof and therefore celebrates his Memorial Day every year on the 29th of July. It is today. The village was originally called Lunkende. The church of the pilgrimage here increased in importance and was called St. Olof's church at Lunkende. Later, the original village name was lost and the name just became Saint Olof. 14.55 On the Olof day we have been to ICA Nära in Sankt Olof and bought some groceries, partly for our upcoming excursion and partly some snacks for later tonight.
The monastery church in central Ystad.
A monk among the flowers.
St Maria church (Maria church) in Ystad.
It is beautiful inside St Maria church.
Stortorget, Ystad.
Fridolfs konditori, Ystad.
15.11 What the .... is this? We who had a nice plan to be able to visit the National Park Stenshuvud for a nature experience. It was also to the excursion we just bought food for. We were greeted by a sign that it was full in the National Park and that we were welcome another day. It was simply teeming with people. We have quickly turned around. What do we do now?
15.25 In a desperate search of a parking place to gather our thoughts and make new plans we drive past Brösarp hills and Brösarp village. The hills are worth a visit but there are simply too much people here as well. The corona virus has made most travelling Swedes stay within the country and in some cases in the places we set out to visit. Österlen is popular otherwise and even worse as it is right now. 15.43 Back on the well-trafficked road 19 we finally found a parking place. However, there are no new, brilliant ideas. Maybe we have our travel snack here in the parking lot before we go on to Åhus. 16.06 The snack break is over, it is time to get to Åhus. The number of ideas, whether brilliant or not, has not increased. 16.19 The sky remains overcast. The landscape remains flat. The wind continues and we are now on road 118 that goes north along the sea. 16.29 We have passed the village Yngsjö. It might have many nice things to offer but is probably best known for the Yngsjö murder. On the 28th of March, 1889, Hanna Johansdotter was murdered by her husband Per Nilsson and her mother-in-law Anna Månsdotter. In connection with the investigation of the murder, it was revealed that Anna Månsdotter exposed her son with sexual assault since childhood. Per Nilsson was sentenced to life's hard labour and Anna Månsdotter was the last woman to be executed in Sweden on the 7th of August 1890. 16.45 The car is now located at the ICA Kvantum parking. We ourselves sit on a bench on Köpmansgatan in Åhus. Along this street there are no less than four different pizzerias. What is the probability that we will eventually sit on one of these? Given our food behaviour earlier during the trip, the probability is quite high. Åhus, not to be confused with the Danish city Aarhus, is the second largest urban area in the municipality of Kristianstad. It has a population of 10,341.
According to Henning Mankell´s books, this is the house where Kurt Wallander lives.
We are leaving the rain behind us and are heading to Österlen in southeast Skåne.
In Åhus you can find The Absolut Company with its vodka factory.
Vodka shower?
Köpmangatan, Åhus.
The icecream boat at Skeppsbron in Åhus.
17.14 There are four pizzerias but none that attracted us or seemed inviting. There are not many other restaurants either. We have to find out about dinner later. Now we are down by the water, at Skeppsbron. Here it is a boat harbour and a simpler homemade boat transports people over to the opposite side. Previously, we looked at the liquor factory The Absolut Company which since 2008 belongs to the Pernod Ricard group. They produce Absolut Vodka here. Right now we hear sirens.
17.29 Something big seems to have happened. We have seen several emergency vehicles with blue lights, a helicopter heading towards the sea, a howling collie and now the sea rescue boat. Well, the howling collie may not belong to the ongoing effort. 18.05 Things are still going on outside. In here at the restaurant we wait for our pizzas. It's a little unclear what the restaurant is called. It seems to be called both Rio and Piri Piri depending on where you look and who you ask. If asking the internet it is called Piri Piri (https://piripiri-ahus.se). What could have caused all the commotion out there? 18.28 There were great pizzas and through an internet search we were told that there was a drowning incident with four people just outside Åhus this afternoon. There were two kayaks that ended up too far out on the sea. Four people have been taken to hospital. Then we know the answer to our thinking about the emergency vehicles. 18.51 After a breakfast purchase at ICA Kvantum we will now go towards the next overnight place. It's not far from here. 19.35 To find out which room we should have, we had to call Madelene. She told us that we should have number 5 and that there was also a letter to me there. In the letter, sent by my mother, were a scratch lottery ticket and a name day congratulations. What a pleasant surprise! Now we will stay in and get acquainted with Kärraton Hostel (https://www.ahusboende.se) just northwest of Åhus.
Kärraton Vandrarhem, a perfect place to stay.
Peter is opening a mysterious letter.
The sun is fighting against the clouds in northeast Skåne.
21.05 Kärraton (not Sheraton) has a small shower space and a large kitchen. There I have found a kettle and now we have had our long-awaited evening coffee. The hostel is located in the middle of nothing on a large field. However, it is close to both Kristianstad and Åhus.
21.50 Strengthened by today's events and experiences and the coffee we are working to arrange so that tomorrow also be successful. We have managed to forget the disappointment at Stenshuvud. Unfortunately, the weather remains unstable and it is quite chilly. Skåne despite its southern location has so far given us more rain and cold than sun and heat. 23.14 With some thinking and more we have now got together the plans for tomorrow. We hope there will be several new municipalities, a new region, a new lowest location and a lot more.
Thursday 30th of July
08.46 The man who just left Kärraton hostel brought with him no less than four bags. We too will in the near future go out of here carrying possessions. However, the number of bags will be significantly less.
09.20 The usual hostel routines have been taken care of. First we eat a breakfast that we ourselves bought. Then the room should be cleaned and our bedding packed down. 09.32 Why do rooms always seem to be nicer on arrival? Why do they have a more pleasant and fresh scent? Could it depend on us and what we expose the rooms for during our stays? According to a message from the next accomodation, they will receive us between 15.00 and 21.00. It gives us more time for our excursions today. 10.03 The ignition key is turned, the reverse is put in, the gear is changed, a car meeting and our departure from rural Kärraton is here. 10.37 The car was parked on Kristianstad parking, a huge parking area near the centre. This might be among the best parking opportunities we've seen in any city. To some extent, nature helps. The parking is adjacent to a large green area called Kristianstad Vattenrike. We then walked past Naturum Vattenriket and took the wooden bridge over Helge River. The classic padlocks hanged in the net by the bridge. Couples in love lock in the net and throw away the key. We have seen this in various places around the world. It blows as we now venture into the city centre.
Our vehicle will soon leave Kärraton Hostel.
Naturum Vattenriket in Kristianstad.
The bridge leading to central Kristianstad.
On our way to Kristianstad city center.
Heliga Trefaldighets kyrka (Holy Trinity Church), Kristianstad.
Stora Kronohuset.
10.44 We are now in Kristianstad, Skåne's fourth largest urban area. The city was founded after the Kalmar war in 1614 by the Danish king Kristian IV, since the nearby town of Vä was burned down. Today, 41,300 inhabitants live here. Christer has visited the city before. Then was the year 1999 and our friend Roberth had just finished his teacher education here. For a few years he studied at the University of Kristianstad and lived in Bromölla east of the city.
10.53 We have walked to the grand but oh so difficult to photograph Holy Trinity Church near the railway station. The church was built on behalf of King Kristian IV of Denmark 1618-28. The church was consecrated on the day of the Holy Trinity, 8th of July, 1628. Architect was the Dutchman Lorenz van Steenwinckel. 11.01 We are on the main square and admire a large yellow building. What we see is Stora Kronohuset, which was built 1840-1841 for the Court of Appeal over Skåne and Blekinge and Wende Artillery Regiment. It was part of Kristianstad's Garrison until 2002. Two cannons still stand in front of the building. 11.09 We, Christer and I, have on this gray cold July day, made it to the mall Galleria Boulevard. Here it will be coffee and further planning of the day. The extra hours we have given are now to be filled with content. Hey, didn't I write where we drink coffee? Do I need it? We're at Espresso House. 12.03 We sit down and have a small bench break at Lilla Torg. Here there are food trucks, outdoor servings, a sleeping fountain and people. However, the most interesting is the pink painted book changing cabinet, an amazing idea. Every city should have that. Kristianstad has not so many amazing sights but we are impressed by the city planning that managed to have both a giant parking space and a large shopping mall right next to the city's heart. 12.41 We have zigzagged our way back to the car. We have among other things walked through the beautiful Tivoli Park. We have again passed/through Naturum Vattenriket. It is Sweden's oldest existing biosphere area. It covers almost the entire municipality of Kristianstad, and among other things Helge river flows through the landscape. The area includes almost all Swedish nature types. The biosphere area, which will serve as the model area for sustainable development, is 35x35 kilometres large. Now we'll drive a bit through the city before we are going to a new low.
Galleria Boulevard.
Lilla Torg (Small Square), Kristianstad.
A book exchange on Lilla Torg.
A memory stone about the end of Kristainstad region which ended on 31st of December 1996.
Östra Storgatan, Kristianstad.
Welcome to Kristianstad Theatre.
13.02 We've made a small detour before we go out on the E22 road. Right now I stand at Sweden's lowest point, 2,32 meters below sea level. Had there been water here, I would have had water surface 56 centimetres above the top of my head. Some go to the highest point of the country, but we don't. We are still there in the biosphere area.
13.27 Retro FM plays on the car radio. We're on another European Road, E22. New amazing things are waiting and we have changed channel to P4. We say goodbye to Skåne for this time but we will return sooner or later. 13.52 We are now parked down by the harbour in Sölvesborg, Blekinge. Can we stand here? If so, how long can we stand here? On both sides around us are cars with a puncture on the left front tire. One still got the snow tires. We hope the air is still in our tires when we are going to travel on later today. 14.11 It is probably possible to stand here without a parking disc or payment. We now take a bench break on Stortorget. It is a cozy square with a fountain. Unfortunately, it is windy in Blekinge too. Soon we will need some kind of food. You can't live on coffee alone. 14.49 There are actually plenty of restaurants to choose from in the city. But they are either under renovation, a bit simple, ceased to exist or simply not opened yet. 15.02 Although we had other plans, we once again ended up with the same kind of meal. There was a delayed lunch at Sölvesborg Pizza and Restaurant. The weather remains dull. 15.43 Time for a new bench break, a new reflection on what our next move will be. Continued crap weather additionally. 16.03 It feels like Sölvesborg doesn't have much more to offer us right now. Nice at least to have been here and to be able to associate with something other than the right wing politician Jimmie Åkesson next time we hear something about the town. In this small town there is a population of 8,870 inhabitants.
Christer on the lowest point in Sweden.
Sölvesborg bridge.
Stortorget, Sölvesborg.
St Nicolai church in Sölvesborg is hiding behind the trees.
Mörrumsån river, famous for fishing.
Christer at Mörrumsån.
16.12 We had air left in the tires and now we are on the road again. First we get out of Sölvesborg and then we drive on the E22.
16.40 We make a new stop and have reached a new watercourse. We are now down at Laxens Hus (Salmon house) at Mörrumsån in Mörrum. Here salmon has been fished for a long time. It was first described in 1231. Salmons are still caught with hand nets during some days in the summer and in connection with the autumn fishing. They catch breeding salmon to the fish farm. All other salmon-and trout fishing is recreational fishing. Mörrum is a small urban area with 4008 inhabitants and is located near the larger town of Karlshamn. We've been shopping at ICA Nära Laxen where we parked the car. Tonight's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast is purchased. 17.30 There will be a new form of accommodation the coming night. We're staying at a campsite. We checked in here at Kolleviks Camping (https://mycamping.se) by the sea just east of Karlshamn. We don't want to drive the car into the area past the road barrier, cottages and caravans. We have parked outside the fenced area and have picked up the key and received instructions at the reception. Now we will head for cabin 44. 18.10 We have moved into the simple little cottage. At first we thought we would live in one of the nice cottages on the slope on the other side of the road but it wasn't that nice. It's time to get acquainted with what is offered here. 18.49 There's hustle and bustle out there. We hear playing children and a motorcycle. Debts between us are cleared up. What remains to be done? Well, of course, we have to make our beds. We are starting to get routine on this now but the bedding is getting a little well worn and would probably need a wash. 19.44 I feel really lazy. It's time for an evening walk in the immediate area.
Kolleviks Camping.
Our small wooden cottage.
Peter inside the cottage.
We found a lovely forest near Kollevik Beach.
After some research, we believe that this orchid is a Skogsknipprot (Epipactis helleborine).
We found a honeysuckle.
20.03 Blekinge offers a better weather than Skåne. It's a good evening. We have started to walk along Kolleviksvägen, the road we came along by car earlier today.
20.10 Opposite Sommarstaden (Summer City), a large allotment area, we found a path into a deciduous forest. Out of curiosity, we have begun to follow it to see where we end up. 20.19 In addition to having experienced a lot of mosquitoes, we have seen some interesting plants along our walk and now we have reached the sea. 20.45 It was a rewarding forest walk with a wonderful beech forest, orchids, large brown slug, honeysuckle and various other nature experiences. The path took us back to Kollevik's bathing place. 21.06 We have taken a walk to the car to pick up what we need for dinner, namely salt. It is fascinating to stroll through the campsite and see how many Swedes choose to spend their holidays. 22.11 The cottage cooked dinner (pasta and sausages) was welcome and tasty. We have prepared food in various different ways and places this summer. We have been in hostel kitchens, fought with mosquitoes in picnic areas, cooked sausage in rain and now this. Outside, darkness prevails. To visit the toilet you have to walk some distance from the cottage to a common facility. You'd rather avoid that at night. 23.32 Another day is coming to an end. Tomorrow we'll see more of Blekinge.
Kollevik's bathing place.
You can see 86 photos from July 28 in this photoalbum.
You can see 55 photos from July 29 in this photoalbum.
You can see 86 photos from July 30 in this photoalbum.