Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Province: Gotland
Municipality: Gotland
Tuesday 27th of July
08.44 The cell sharing and sleep here at the hostel Visby Fängelse (http://visbyfangelse.se) has worked well so far. Today there was no alarm that woke us up. It's nice to have those mornings too. Today awaits a day here in Visby when we will explore this interesting city. Unfortunately, we have noted that it will be rain, no great weather in other words.
09.32 As mentioned earlier, the space in our cell is scarce. The same goes for breakfast here. If you want one, you can arrange it yourself. It will either be here in the cell or at some café somewhere in Visby. We're aiming for option number two. It feels considerably nicer. We long to get out, just like the feelings prisoners usually have in a prison.
10.14 Free the prisoners no, wait we are just visiting. Now we have walked a few streets towards the centre and are at Saint Hans cafe ((http://sthansvisby.se) on St Hansplan 2. It's time for coffee and sandwiches. This will be today's breakfast for us. We sit outside. Fortunately, there is no rain yet.
10.32 I sneaked in to the café and arranged with refills for both Christer and me. I have also advised those at the table next to ours to do the same. I don't know if another cup is included. Let's hope so.
10.50 With coffee and sandwiches in the stomachs we have walked the short distance down to the park area Almedalen. Almedalen Week is held here every year when representatives of both the Swedish political parties and all sorts of interest groups and companies gather and discuss politics and social issues. Some seats on the bench rows have been and are reserved for various politicians. Today there was no one who wanted to talk but it was interesting to sit on the same benches as various politicians sat different years. The origins of Almedalen Week are the speeches that former Prime Minister Olof Palme held here in the park for several summers. Here, too, there is a monument to his memory. It's about +25 C and the air is completely still today. It is stuffy but still no rain.
11.06 We have decided to walk around the city centre and enter through the city wall from the north side. We get there by walking along the sea.
11.30 Now we take a break between the wall and the sea. Visby city walls is probably the most famous attraction from this city. Most of the wall is built in the 1200s and is up to eleven meters high in places. The wall originally had 29 ground towers and 22 or 23 towers perched on the wall itself. Today there are 27 of the ground towers and nine others.
11.41 It is varied with people in motion today. Some parts of the city are sparse while others are more populated by these visitors.
11.59 We are now at the beautiful tower Snäckgärdsporten, former Västerport. Soon we will also go inside the city walls. The park area outside the wall is called Nordergravar.
12.07 Christer has climbed the tower at Snäckgärdsporten and photographed the views of the sea and Nordergravar.
12.19 We are not yet inside the wall. It is instead a new bench break in the stuffy weather. Now we are at Sankt Göransporten. The old Saint George returns again on our travels. It is warm, windless and we rest a little before entering the city centre.
12.48 We realized that we need lunch and decided that the best options for this probably lie outside the walls. Again, we have postponed the visit inside the walls. To fully appreciate and enjoy Visby inside the walls, we need energy. It should be collected at Marco Polo Pizzeria (https://marco-polo.se) on Broväg 1.
13.32 This lunch eased our hunger but not so much more. I can't call my pizza something culinary. Maybe I should stop eat pizza from now on? Inside the pizzeria itself there was tropical heat. We wonder how the staff survives it. We sat instead on the outdoor terrace despite proximity to wasps and two families with children from the mainland.
13.46 Now we have finally passed the city wall and are inside Visby's medieval city centre, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was during the Middle Ages that Visby became a city and, in addition, an important trading centre. The city was during that period included in the trade confederation Hanseatic League which consisted mainly of German cities. To this day, there are about 200 medieval buildings in the inner city of Visby. An estimated 8,000 inhabitants lived inside the city walls at the beginning of the 1300s.
13.52 The first stop inside the wall will be at the cultudral of Saint Nicolai church. The church was built in the 1200s as a parish church for the Germans in the northern parish of the city, but by a fire suspended the work. Instead, the current cathedral was used. In 1228, the damaged church was taken over by the Dominican brothers who rebuilt it into a monastery church. The weather is still really tough, it's like the tropics in a light version, warm and humid.
14.09 We have strolled through the cozy city centre together with many other tourists. It is a lovely city, different in atmosphere from most other cities in Sweden.
14.24 Now we are inside Saint Katarina's church ruin at Stortorget. The ruin was originally a church built by the Franciscan order for the Visby convention founded in 1233. I think we need some time at home in the cell before we see more of the city. It feels hard to think and appreciate more impressions right now. Partly it depends on the weather and partly it depends on us. We are not used to this many attractions at once when we travel in Sweden.
15.25 After having been home in Visby Fängelse to shower and rest for a while, it is now time for the next period in our exploration of Visby city.
15.42 A small guy was tired of riding a bike but was praised by his mother. His little brother sat in a small chair behind his cycling dad. We just sat down in a park for a little reading in our books. According to Google Maps, the park area is called Palissaderna.
16.48 Enough with the reading. It's time to see more of Visby. Right now we see a little odd birdhouse. They are actually three houses on top of each other.
17.07 We have entered the city centre again via Sydport and admire the view from the lookout point near Vårdklockan church. The church itself is one of the country's first Methodist churches. At the top of the tower boasts a rooster. A few meters below Visby's old warning bell is hanging. The bell, which used to be in the ruin of Santa Katarina at Stora Torget, was intended to warn and protect the people of Visby from danger. The bell still rings, although nowadays inviting to the gatherings in the church. On the way here we passed Wisby Jernvägshotel, where we planned to stay here in Visby. Unfortunately, it was full before we booked. That's how it goes. Now we live in a cell instead.
17.13 It is fascinating that a city with such a small population can have so many attractions, restaurants, bars and cafés. It feels like we are in a much larger city. In part, it feels like being in Tallinn, Estonia. The cities are very reminiscent of each other. Both have been Hanseatic cities with German and Danish influence. In fact, Reval (present-day Tallinn) was founded by merchants from Visby in 1232.
17.24 It is a beautiful town we visit and beautiful is the church we are in now, Visby Saint Mary's Cathedral. Soon we have seen most of the country's cathedrals during our Sweden trips. The church was built in 1225 as a guest church for German merchants. The connection to Astrid Lindgren's work continues. Here in Visby's older parts of the Pippi Longstocking movies were recorded.
17.53 It has started to rain and we are far from home. We have known all day that it would rain and again we are now standing here without umbrellas. Like so many times before, these are nicely packed in the bags we have in the room. We have now sought shelter at Espresso House near Österport. This year, too, this chain is with us. We have grazed it in a number of provinces during our two Sweden tours.
18.12 Coffee is good and the armchairs are comfortable but we cannot stay overnight here at Espresso House. I hope the rain calms down soon.
18.51 Despite the weather, we left the dry and warm café behind. The rain eased on our long walk home. Now let's dry up and think about how we use and spend the last hours here in Visby. Tomorrow we will go and see other parts of Gotland.
19.52 We have made up plans for tonight and tomorrow. At the moment, we have what appears to be a working plan. Restaurant food feels distant right now but we should find something if we go shopping. We'll go for an evening snack in the cell instead.
21.28 ICA Supermarket Atterdag got a visit from us again. We have made some mixed purchases for tonight and for a breakfast in the morning. Now we will mostly wait for everything.
22.59 It's "sing-along in jail" out there. Well, Song and song, they do make some sound anyway. Some young people try to sing various songs in some kind of karaoke. We ourselves try to endure it. In order not to be completely suffocated by bad air here in the cell, we must have the window open out to the courtyard where the howling is going on. I have been younger myself, but I had good manners after all. At least that's how I decided to remember it.
Wednesday 28th of July
Christer is having a late breakfast at S:t Hans Café.
House covered with ivy at Donners Plats.
No speakers today in Almedalen.
On these seats there have been a lot of politicians through the years.
Almedalen, Visby.
We are walking along the sea on Strandpromenaden.
Snäckgärdsporten, this gate was built in the 1290´s.
A view towards Nordergravar.
Visby city walls are around the medieval centre.
Lunch at Marco Polo Pizzeria.
S:t Göransporten (Saint George´s Gate), another gate from the 1290 decade.
Saint Nicolai church ruin is a restaurant these days.
Tranhusgatan, Visby.
The father of Swedish mechanics, Christopher Polhem in front of Drottens church ruin.
Saint Lars church ruin.
Stora Torget, Visby.
Inside Saint Katarina church ruin.
Saint Hans School in Visby.
Beautiful view from Vårdklockan church.
The streets of Visby are filled with tourists.
Inside Visby Cathedral.
Peter is visiting one more Swedish cathedral.
Sandstone altar from 1682 in Visby Cathedral.
Visby Saint Mary Cathedral.
08.04 It has been a quiet night after all. The sing along tour we were plagued by moved on sometime after midnight and we were able to fall asleep undisturbed. In two hours I hope we pick up the rental car and move on ourselves. Visby is nice but we want to see more of Gotland. It will also be nice to upgrade from this cell. We already dare to assume that we will stay more spacious next night.
08.43 Now that we've washed off the dust of the night from the bodies, we're going to get ready for breakfast in here in the cell.
09.25 Our simple, purchased breakfast, rosehip soup and sandwiches, is over. We pack ever so slowly. We want to go further. There was nothing good here. We want a home with space.
10.01 We are at Mickes Biluthyrning (http://www.mickesbiluthyrning.se) at Färjeleden 2 in the port area. They rent out cars of older models at really good prices. I picked up a car key. We are now heading towards the vehicle waiting in a parking lot further afield.
10.16 It was a bit to walk but now we arrive at our VW Vento car with registration number DUD 215. First, it's time to go and refuel. It is really needed; the tank is almost completely empty.
10.34 It took some time before I managed to open the fuel cap. When it was finished, I refuelled more than we need here on Gotland. Out of habit, we refuelled full tank.
11.30 We have travelled along the west coast of Gotland this morning. Now we have made a stop in Klintehamn. For the first time in these two summers, I'm behind the wheel. We are thirty kilometres south of Visby. In this urban area, 1,541 people have their home. there are many empty houses and defunct shops here. The place seems to have been better before. Right now we drink coffee and eat sandwiches at Warfsholm Café.
Waiting for our car keys at Mickes Biluthyrning (Micke´s car rental).
A new driver and a new car.
We are heading south on road 140.
We have parked the car in Klintehamn.
Klintevallen, not one of the largest football stadiums in Sweden.
Empty shops in Klintehamn.
12.11 Imagine what a little coffee can do to a man. I feel strengthened and charged for new adventures. Is this physical or just psychological?
12.43 Now that we bought lunch and breakfast at the supermarket COOP Konsum Klintehamn, we will soon proceed. We bought locally produced evening beers. They are brewed by Jodu brewery a few hundred meters away from the supermarket.
13.08 We have reached Hemse. Here we change directions. Our southern journey will now be a journey to the northeast. Road 141 has been abandoned. Now it will be further journey on road 142 and then 144.
13.20 We glide so slowly through Stånga village. It's slow because of my driving. It is also slow due to speed limits. Here in the village the so-called Stånga Games are held. People meet in noble struggle in various traditional Gotland games.
13.56 After a fruitless hunt on a vacant parking lot in Ljugarn, we are now at the Swedish Trafikverkets rest stop Hallute Backe at the entrance to the community. It's time for new tactics and a new strategy.
14.37 Now let's break up and travel on. Christer should just plug the adapter into the cigarette lighter socket. He should connect the umbilical cord/charging cord to the mobile.
15.27 Our assistant Ruth in Google Maps in collaboration with Christer navigated me right among all the small roads in the countryside south of Ljugarn. We are now at När Golf Club. We're not going to play golf. I don't think it would go so well. We are here because the golf club rents cottages at a good price. We stay in the cottage called Jan´E. The car is parked next to a tractor in the Golf Club parking.
16.10 We have micro waved sausages for a simple lunch outside the cottage. Now we have the company of flies, lots of flies. Where the hell do they come from? They are around us all the time when we are on our car trips. Are they hidden in our luggage? The flies are around our sausages and have even found their way into the cottage.
Peter is visiting Warfsholm Café.
Donnersgatan, Klintehamn.
A stop outside Ljugarn.
Peter at När Golf Club.
Christer outside our cottage at När Golf Club.
Närsholmen lighthouse, built 1872.
16.40 Just as we were going for a walk towards the sea, a dog with gray fur came and greeted us at the cottage. The question remains. Why do we attract dogs almost wherever we go in the world? We have a wild theory that the dogs are organized in FIDO, the Federated International Dog Organization, but that may well not be the case. Hopefully we don't smell like dogs.
17.07 We started walking along the dirt road towards Hamnbadet in När but it felt far to walk so we have returned and picked up the car instead.
17.21 Something went wrong. I have not come to the beach, instead I have driven into some kind of nature reserve. We turn. Nothing wrong with nature reserves but we have other plans.
17.37 The car was parked and we went to a beach, unfortunately a beach where it smelled bad and the sea did not look very inviting. We instead moved inland and found something that I thought was a bird watching hut. It turned out to be a slide that ends down in a reed rug, a wet hole. Here we are sitting right now because the beach area in general lacks all forms of conceivable seating.
18.31 Our När study and contact is over at the moment. It is time to make beds and ourselves ready for what is to come. On the way home we saw a rabbis, a wild rabbit. It was during the late 1800s and early 1900s that the wild rabbits were brought to Sweden and then mainly to Skåne and Gotland. Here on Gotland the wild rabbit is called rabbis which was the name given to it when it was introduced.
19.21 Now that we showered in the golf club's locker room, I, blind as a bat, managed to shower at the ladies (but no ladies in place); we are going to have dinner. It's not really close to restaurants out here in the countryside in När.
The beach in När.
We found a strange building.
Who wants to use this slide?
Beautiful sky above southern Gotland.
Snäusbodi, a shop in Hemse.
A peaceful summer evening in Hemse.
19.46 We travel on various small roads based on instructions in Google Maps. We just passed the village of Burs. The sky is semi coloured and beautiful this summer evening.
20.07 We are now in the urban area Hemse, main village in southern Gotland with a population of 1,766 inhabitants. This part of Gotland is called Sudret. Sudret is an abbreviation for Sudertredingen, southern third, which is one of the three parts that Gotland was traditionally divided into before and during the Middle Ages. Here in Hemse we have ordered dinner at Hemse restaurant och Pizzeria (https://hemse-restaurang-pizzeria.business.site). On the way here, I drove unnecessarily close to the roadside. Better then to drive on the road.
21.38 It was a good dinner. My single burger became a double for free. thanks for that! Before returning home we bought beverages at ICA Supermarket Hemse. It was American Coke and Gotland gooseberry beverage. The journey home at dusk went well. The gray dog we met at our cabin is apparently called Chip, fit a golfer. We are reached by the news of yet another dead celebrity. ZZ Top bass player Dusty Hill has died at the age of 72.
23.15 While we sit outside the cottage and drink evening beer, Modern Lager from Svanqvist brewery we heard crackles in blackberry bushes. Out comes a hedgehog. We have seen yet another wild animal on our travels.
23.39 All the flies we share a room with seem to have fallen asleep. The neighbours in the other cottages have also prepared for the night. Outside, the Gotland darkness is compact. Tomorrow will be our third and last full day here on the island.
Dinner at Hemse Restaurant and Pizzeria.
Evening beer outside the cottage.
Thursday 29th of July
08.10 Morning is here again. This time I found the right way and used the men's shower in the Golf Club premises. Today we are going to travel more here on Gotland with me behind the wheel of the rental car. In fact, we will travel from the southern tip of Gotland all the way to the northernmost parts.
09.03 It's really time to get ready. 09.47 The cottage we rented from När Golf Club is cleaned and the key is returned to the reception at the golf club. It's time for the second car day here on Gotland. A strong wind is blowing today. 10.31 It's a bit tricky to drive a car and write travel journal at the same time. It is illegal to use your phone behind the wheel. This probably applies to journal writing as well. We're heading south on road 142. 10.46 It is a different landscape and different houses here on southernmost Gotland. Many older houses have grass roofs. We have passed Burgsvik and there is not much left of the island south of us. 11.11 We and several with us are at Hoburgen on southern Gotland. This is as far south as you can get on this island. We have placed the car on a large parking area near the sea. Here we look at the so-called Hoburgsgubben (Hoburg man). It is a rauk that with a little imagination and at the right angle can be likened to an old man. What is a rauk? According to Wikipedia, the answer is that a rauk is a geological weathering phenomenon that is formed when relatively softer rocks on beaches are eroded by the surrounding sea and a harder core of limestone remains. The still ongoing land uplift after the last glaciation takes the rauks up out of the sea. 12.00 We have walked around the sea, climbed mountain slopes and looked at the wild surroundings. It is windy but beautiful, windswept and nice. We saw another rabbis. Was it sick or just lethargic? The most low down. Only when we were really close did it gently jump on. Now we have coffee at Majstre Restaurang Bar Café ((https://majstre.se). It remains windy. We chose to sit outside. It's after all sunny.
We have parked the car at Hoburgen.
The waves of the Baltic Sea reaches Gotland.
Hoburgsgubben.
Christer at Hoburgen.
Peter is climbing the hills at Hoburgen.
Beautiful views from Hoburgen.
12.24 It was good with coffee but now it's time to say goodbye to both Hoburgsgubben and rabbis. The wind will probably stay. Visby Harbour is currently closed due to strong winds. I hope it cease until tomorrow. That's when we go by ferry back to the mainland. Last year, we almost got stranded on Öland. We do not want to experience a Gotland replay on it.
13.03 We make another stop along road 142. Now we are at Hundlausar. Here there are three windmills and one so-called lambgift, i.e. a cattle house. There, cattle and sheep may seek protection from the elements. It has a grass-like roof. Cattle houses and windmills are erected on a moorland. This place is located just south of Burgsvik. 14.09 We are still travelling on road 142. We now pass Lojsta. Here is the famous forest area Lojsta heath. Among other things, it is known for its free range horses, Gotland Russ/pony. 14.44 On our journey to the north, sometimes again close to the roadside, we have passed the villages of Dans(Dance) and Väte(Hydrogen). Now we have parked along the Visby road in Roma, centrally located on the island. There is no connection with the Italian capital. The name comes from the word room as in gathering place. Roma with 1,198 inhabitants is best known for its monastery ruin. The monastery was built by Cistercian monks in 1164. The monastery was closed sometime around 1530 in connection with the Reformation. It was then completely confiscated by the Danish Crown. The monastery then became Roma royal estate and was used by county lords who supplied the Danish king and his court with food. 14.55 A bit away from where we parked is a larger ugly factory building. It is Roma's Sugar Factory. The mill was in operation between 1894 and 1997. Today, the building is disposed of by other companies, such as. Gotland Whisky and Gotland Snuff. 15.07 At COOP Roma supermarket we have bought something to consume. Now we just need to find a place of consumption. Inside the COOP, two young boys with bare upper bodies went looking for something to buy.
The coast at Hoburgen.
A cruise ship passes Gotland's southernmost cape.
A rabbis (wild rabbit).
Peter is having coffee at Majstre Café.
Sheep shelters at Hundlausar.
Peter is exploring a lambgift.
15.19 One of the young boys we saw before has had problems. His mother had sent him to COOP to recycle bottles for money before they were going to aunt Jessica. Almost buying up everything he recycled for was not appreciated. The two of us will take a walk towards Roma monastery.
15.27 We were going to have our meals on some furniture near the COOP but we decided to move on towards some better place. 15.42 At the curve are some pallets. On these we have just sat down. Now we will eat and drink the purchased. I bet that further on, closer to the monastery, there is probably a good rest area. 16.17 After the picnic we wandered through a long tree avenue and are now at Roma monastery ruin. There is not much left of the old monastery. Today it is located at the monastery ruin and the Kungsgården Roma theatre, which has had performances here for 30 years. 16.53 It was good to walk back despite a threatening rain that chased us. BJR 340 is the registration number of the car next to ours. It seems to have been here for quite some time. 17.25 We drive on smaller roads and shortcuts between the major roads 143, 147 and 148. We have passed the small village of Endre which despite its smallness managed to get a team in the highest series in floorball for ladies. 18.25 Ever so slowly we made our way north to the village Lärbro. It is a good car we rent, it is always at the front of the car queues. Now we are at STF Hostel Lärbro (https://www.grannen.se) and in room 89. First we stepped into the main building where there was a large gym. Soon we realized that this is not where we´ll stay. The hostel itself can be found on the other side of the road a bit further away.
Christer in front of the windmills at Hundlausar.
Our car has reached Roma.
The old sugar factory in Roma.
Roma is a well-known name in football, but it´s not Roma IF.
Roma monastery ruin, nowadays a place for theater.
A picture of what Roma monastery probably looked like.
19.41 It has been a long day with many minutes behind the wheel. I have treated myself to a powernap in the supine position and shared snoring with the others here at the accommodation. Now we are going off on an evening tour for dinner as well as the purchase of tomorrow's breakfast.
20.52 The guidance from Google Maps Ruth to the destination we wanted to in Fårösund was not to be trusted. We were sent to a road where you could not drive. New bids were given, Christer assisted and now we are parked at ICA Supermarket Bunge. We just ordered our dinner at Sukh, an Indian restaurant. Fårösund with ferry connection to Fårö is the northernmost urban area on Gotland. The village has a population of 815 people. 22.15 It was very good food and we just had time to shop at ICA supermarket before they closed for the evening. On the way home there was a little night driving. I felt the light was weak. Now we will get ready for the last Gotland night and plan for the long journey tomorrow. 23.22 Both of us have unsuccessfully tried to buy tickets to the Allsvenskan football match Sirius vs Örebro on August 2nd. Hopefully we will be in Uppsala that day if all goes well. 23.40 It is a dark summer night in northern Gotland. We are awaiting a well deserved sleep.
We stay in this building at STF Hostel Lärbro.
Another Indian dinner this summer. Tonight we visit Sukh in Fårösund.
Sukh Indisk Restaurang, Fårösund.
You can see 158 photos from July 27 in this photoalbum.
You can see 58 photos from July 28 in this photoalbum.
You can see 117 photos from July 29 in this photoalbum.