Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Provinces: Östergötland, Södermanland
Municipalities: Norrköping, Söderköping, Mjölby, Linköping, Katrineholm, Flen, Eskilstuna
Wednesday 21st of July
08.15 The shower here at our accommodation Turistgårdens Vandrarhem (https://turistgarden.se) in Norrköping is great. Water comes out of it, hot water. In addition, there is plenty of space. Today we will not actually pack the car as we usually do. Two full days without car travel awaits. There will be some variation.
09.02 Yesterday was International Chess Day so the guys in the queue at the restaurant last night did quite right, playing chess on their mobiles. Today is International Beer Day. Maybe we'll adjust to it, but not for breakfast.
09.45 Breakfast is again over. We had it in the common dining room here at Turistgården. The residents here seem partly to be travellers on transit but also others who seem to stay here more permanently. It's time to gather strength for a day on the town. We visited Norrköping during winter in connection with a travel fair just over two years ago. Now we want to see more than we saw then and also in the summer version of the city.
10.12 We have left our temporary home to start our full day here in Norrköping, the Northern City if translated. The centre begins on the other side of the railway. First, it must be passed. Norrköping is an old industrial city with 97,854 inhabitants. It is Sweden's tenth largest city. There are also a bunch of government agencies here. It is the Swedish Aviation Administration, the Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Maritime Administration, Correctional Services and meteorological centre SMHI. Norrköping has sometimes been called both Sweden's Manchester (because of the textile industry) and Beijing (because it means Northern city in Chinese).
10.47 In the shade of the tree, near a fountain, we take a bench break in Carl Johans Park. Here in the park there should be cacti somewhere. Carl Johan who gave name to the park is none other than our first Bernadotte on the throne, namely the king Karl XIV Johan.
11.06 After immortalizing King Karl XIV Johan with a dove on his head and a cactus arrangement that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Pentecostal Church, we will now go further. The cactus plantation in the park has been around since 1926. The park also claimed to have 25,000 planted flowers. We didn't count.
11.27 Now we are standing on a pedestrian bridge over the Motala ström, also called Strömmen. It is the watershed that flows throughout central Norrköping. Again couples in love have hung their padlocks on the railing. Beside the padlocks something heavier hangs as well, it might be a piston.
13.59 Here in the green area some worn-out gentlemen with some kind of drug problems have pulled up a bicycle on a cliff where they now sit and play music. We sit further down and try to read as well as soak up the sun on some wooden furniture.
18.00 I studied and copied how Christer did it, thus things went well. It is now time to travel to another town a bit south.
19.32 The town is a real gem. I'm glad we didn't just rush through it yesterday. Now we are at the Göta Canal that passes here. Along the canal there is a crowd of people. It seems that most of the town gathered right here. It's almost time for dinner. Unfortunately, we are not alone in this thought. Our plans to eat at one of the restaurants by the canal, we'll probably have to cancel. Also here is Smultronstället, a famous ice cream restaurant. There's a long queue to it.
Thursday 22nd of July
Turistgården Hostel in Norrköping.
In Norrköping you can take a tram, unusual in Sweden.
King Karl XIV Johan with a dove on his head.
Carl Johans Park, Norrköping.
The king looks out over his park.
The cactus plantation, Norrköping.
Grand Hotel in central Norrköping.
Peter is testing a chair in Strömparken.
Christer is on his way to Arbetets Museum (the Museum of Work).
Norrköping's old industrial district has been given new life.
This building is called The iron.
IFK Norrköping plays football at Platinum Cars Arena but who uses that name?
Football shirts at the Campino City lunch restaurant.
Drottninggatan, Norrköping.
Norrköping City Hall.
Motala ström.
Norrköping railway station.
Our bus has arrived to Söderköping.
Hagatorget, Söderköping.
Saint Laurentii Church from the 13th century.
Söderköpingsån.
Söderköping can be recognized from the films about Madicken (Mardie).
Söderköping Town Hall.
A duck on a duck.
Rådhustorget, Söderköping.
Söderköping´s famous ice cream restaurant, Smultronstället.
Söderköping is located by the Göta Canal.
Christer is eating Nasi Goreng at the restaurant Österns stjärna.
Drothem church, Söderköping.
Klosterkvarn in Söderköping sells feed for farm animals and pets.
08.20 Ten years ago there was the terror attack on Utøya in Norway. Then we found ourselves in Santa Rosa de Copan in western Honduras. Norrköping where we are now does not feel as exotic. In eleven years, Brisbane will host the Summer Olympics. Today we will explore more of Sweden, more specifically Östergötland province.
09.56 The quiet morning continues. We just had our breakfast. Soon we will get train tickets to the Östgötapendeln. The use of public transport continues. Yesterday we went by bus, today there will be a train. 10.16 I picked up the small plastic bag with sunscreen from my toiletry bag. Christer took the sunscreen and began to rub it on. Then I did the same. Now that both have covered ourselves, the bag is gone without a trace. We can't look any more now. We have a train waiting for us. 10.44 Just as suddenly as it disappeared, the bag reappeared. We are now on board the Östgötatrafiken, The train that will take us from Norrköping to Mjölby. You can go all the way to Motala but we went there last year. We focus on the new, the unseen. 11.18 During the train journey, we listen to a man from Stockholm who is advised by a local people about how and where to ride a bike in Östergötland. The man from Stockholm brings a bike and is going from Mjölby cycling off to the plain as soon as we get there. 11.43 The air is stirred by a fresh wind. In front of us is Svartån. We are in Kvarnparken in Mjölby. It's time to figure out what we're going to do here and how long we're doing what we're going to. Out in the river moves a strange craft. It is probably doing some sort of cleaning.
Peter on the Östgötapendeln train.
We have arrived to Mjölby.
Svartån river in Mjölby.
Christer is visiting the café Konditori Hörnet.
Kungsvägen, Mjölby.
Det kom en gång en mjölnare…, skulptures from 1971.
12.12 The greeting goodbye! was exchanged between a few people here at the café Konditori Hörnet. The radio is playing Nangilima by Smith & Thell. This is where it happens. Mjölby, meaning Flour village, in western Östergötland is not a village full of flour. The name comes from the word Mölla which means mill. There are 13,947 inhabitants here.
12.57 Mjölby is for sure a completely okay town to live in but here there is really nothing to see after seeing the river. On the way back to the railway station we have stopped in another park, or rather a small isthmus in Svartån. Here are, among others, a gazebo and a few statues. They are called, Det kom en gång en mjölnare, Once upon a time a miller came. The sculptures came into being in connection with Mjölby celebrating 50 years as a city. 13.06 A mint green American car from the 50´s rolls by on the road between Mjölby church and Stora Torget. It's warm today, but it's great. The main square is actually quite small. 13.24 We have boarded another train from Östgötapendeln. Soon a short journey to the east will begin. 13.55 We and the train were separated in Linköping. After photographing a wooden statue of a station master at Linköping's railway station, we went through Järnvägsparken. Now we are having a bench break and Christer announces that Brazil is leading over Germany in the Olympic football in Japan. 14.06 We are currently being harassed by wasps here along Vasavägen. We have some experiences with Linköping before. More than ten years ago, our friend John lived here with his family. Christer and I had a tradition for a few years to visit him in the autumn. A few times we lived in a cottage among the allotment cottages in Emmalund but also the apartment on Munkhagsgatan was visited. Linköping is Sweden's seventh largest city. The city has both a cathedral and a university. It has 115,672 inhabitants.
Christer in Mjölby.
Mjölby church.
A giant stationmaster greets us in Linköping.
Shady and pleasant along Vasavägen.
Monument of Raoul Wallenberg in Linköping.
Works of art outside Östergötland Museum, Fifth element and The Swedish melancholy .
14.25 After seeing a replica of the Hungarian memorial of Raoul Wallenberg on Raoul Wallenberg's square, we are now at the statue "Det svenska tungsinnet (The Swedish melancholy)". It is located outside the museum.
14.35 We have seen and photographed a stone house from the 15th century. It is located at the Linköping monastery. Now we are at the third Cathedral of the trip, Linköping Cathedral. This thing about cathedrals is special. Time has really been spent building this too. We are trying to recreate our previous visits to the city. Where did we go? What pub were we at? Some things have certainly changed in over a decade. 14.59 We have been to the main square and seen the famous statue of Folke Filbyter. Now we are sitting in hospital square next to a small fountain. Who was Folke? A search on Wikipedia provides the following information. Folke Filbyter was, according to the legends, the progenitor of Bjälboätten. The name Filbyter allegedly comes from an older Swedish form of Foal biters, it would thus be a nickname because Folke would have castrated horses with his teeth. He is supposed have had the sons Ingevald, Ingemund and Halsten. He does not appear in any with him contemporary historical material. His name first appears in 1616, in writing by John Messenius. However, Messenius had obtained data from a later transcript preserved 15th century source. According to this source, both the Birger Jarl and a grouping of his political opponents, who were called Folkungar, originated from people named Folke. We also remember Folke Filbyter from Umea University. We often looked at a bust of him outside the lecture halls of the Humanist house there. 15.12 It is far too late to have lunch. Instead, we plan to buy with us a snack and retreat to some nice park here in the city. We'll see what we find. It's hard to keep going all the time during these hot summer days.
Christer photographs a house from the Middle Ages.
Linköping Cathedral.
Stora torget in Linköping.
Folke Filbyter is a central figure in the city.
On our way to Trädgårdsföreningen.
Gazebo in Trädgårdsföreningen.
15.28 A kiosk offered us some to eat and drink. We have now taken this with us. Now we are in the park and green area Linköping's Garden Association. It's time for some snacks. We just need to find the perfect place for this. There are a lot of people in motion and many benches are occupied.
15.51 Christer started our bench break on a cliff shelf by sneezing twice. Now toes, soles and heels, in short our feet, should be ventilated. We sit on a cliff overlooking through the foliage towards the park area below. Just before, we ate our snacks on another bench a bit from here. 16.09 From the time we sat here, a minor creature has sat down on one of Christer's feet on three occasions. It doesn't help that he waves it away. 16.36 It's nice to just sit and take it easy. We have also read some of our books. However, it is time to put on your shoes and head towards a suitable dinner restaurant. 16.50 We looked a little more at the park area but turned at the University Hospital and now walk into the centre again. 17.18 Today there will be dinner at Hörnan Bar och Käk (https://www.restaurang-hornan.se). The restaurant is located at Stora Torget and is one of the ones that sound most promising according to the information we have learned. We ordered burgers with extra meat. To this we drink good beer. 18.03 It was very good food and beverages. Now we sit at the Church of Saint Lars and wonder if we will buy necessary food and drinks here in the city or if we do it when we return to Norrköping. 18.45 It is, without purchases made, time to depart from Linköping. We will once again board the train from Östgötapendeln.
Café Belvederen is located in this tower.
Another way to plant flowers.
Hamburgers and good beer at Hörnan Bar & Käk.
Hörnan (The corner) Bar & Käk is not completely unexpectedly located in a corner of Stora torget.
Sankt Lars church, Linköping.
Linköping railway station.
19.14 We are back in Norrköping again. It's starting to feel like home now.
19.31 We are back in our room at Turistgården for a short time. We are in need of evening drinks and morning meals. 20.09 Our evening walk went to the same street (Stockholmsgatan) as the first evening here in Norrköping. That time we had a good dinner at Kolgrill Sulaymani. Tonight we went a little further, namely to COOP supermarket for various necessary purchases. 21.15 We take it easy in our room and watch the room's TV. There is a big focus on the 10th anniversary of Utøya on current affairs. 23.01 Since last we have seen, among other things, a documentary about the presidential wife Nancy Reagan. She was a lady with many skills. PR-minded to say the least. Now there is not much more left than summing up our stay here in Östergötland and then sleeping. Tomorrow a new province awaits us.
Friday 23rd of July
08.11 Chirping birds begin this quiet morning in Norrköping. I fell asleep really fast last night. Today we continue in the Golf again. After two days of bus and train travel, it feels almost unusual to get in the car again.
09.40 Our last breakfast here in Norrköping is now history. On television, the chances regarding gold for Daniel Ståhl and Armand Duplantis in the Tokyo Olympics are analyzed. They're supposed to be really good. 10.07 We are back in a car again. It was crowded in the roundabouts but eventually we got out of Norrköping. We left the road E4 and road 51 at junction Loddby and continued north on the combined roads 55 and 56. 10.38 We have left Östergötland and entered Södermanland. Near Katrineholm we connected to road 52. We skipped the city of Katrineholm since we did a visit there last summer. It was certainly a short visit but we prioritize the places we did not visit last year. 10.41 Roads 55 and 57 take us in the direction of Strängnäs, Södertälje and most current for us, Flen. 11.01 Now we are in Flen. I have hiccups. It will be cured with a beverage made from beans. Hopefully we can find a suitable café in Flen. 11.06 Ingela Hellman" teenager "17 6 1964 is written on the pedestal of a statue. It depicts a girl with a skirt, high heels and handbag. We are at Centralplan in Flen which is one of all these places that emerged with the help of the railway during the 1800´s. Today there are 6,577 people living here. 11.36 After another exercise at an outdoor gym, we took aim at a cafe located using Google Maps. On the way there we passed GB's glass factory. It is the only ice cream factory in Sweden and has been here since 1957. The café (Café Orlog) existed but unfortunately was closed for holiday. We haven't found any other café. Bad. 11.49 A train drives past from the right. We end our stay in Flen without any visit to a café. Hope is now set to nearby Malmköping instead.
Christer is trying an outdoor gym in Flen.
A woman made of stone and a living one.
The icecream factory in Flen.
Cozy environments in Malmköping.
Kafé Ottilia became the place for our coffee break.
Friday coffee in Malmköping.
12.01 Road 55 takes us out of Flen. Right now, Christer's cell phone was ringing.
12.30 I would not have thought this morning that I would sit outside Café Ottilia in Malmköping. But here we are. We have parked the car outside COOP here in the crowded Malmköping. We are still in Flens municipality. 2,180 inhabitants live here. 13.09 Time for a small summary of what has passed and happened since last. It was a cozy café, good coffee and mainly good service. We ordered sandwiches of sourdough bread. Very good. The waitress carried out a small white bucket of water to a collie. Everyone who is kind to dogs is appreciated by me. Behind us at the COOP car park there is a branch of Systembolaget. A little over 2,000 people live here but they have a system company. We can't back out right now because representatives from the "genius forum" are behind the Golf talking about God knows what. Get away from you! 13.24 Maximum speed is 80 km/h according to a sign. The number of the road is 53. Now we have 29 kilometres to find a parking lot. We are going to take a break to insert the taillights Christer bought in Tranås. He wasn't able to perform such craft during his stay in Östergötland. 13.35 We have parked here at a large parking lot named Slytan, named after the nearby village. Now we will find out the way to our upcoming accommodation in Eskilstuna and change the light. Maybe we can have a cup of coffee as well.
We have stopped in Slytan.
The car is parked outside Golden Spa Hotell.
Peter in the room at Golden Spa Hotell.
Christer is walking through Eskilstuna city centre.
Kungsgatan, Eskilstuna.
The bronze sculpture Torgmadam at Kungsgatan.
13.50 It went beyond the expectation to change the light. According to the instruction manual for the car, it can pose great danger if you do not hire a professional to work. We didn't believe it, and luck is. Many thanks to the information film that Christer found on Youtube. Now we celebrate with coffee and cognac. Well, at least it will be coffee and ICA's Blueberry Cake with vanilla. They resemble Singoalla. At another table here, a red-haired girl sits and eats her lunch bag. We don't see any other car. She actually came here. Christer is texting the accommodation in Eskilstuna that we are on our way there.
14.14 We will stay in the western part of Eskilstuna so we enter the city "back road" to avoid traffic through the city centre. We are currently passing by Skogstorp. 14.36 We stand at the door of the Golden Spa Hotell in Eskilstuna. The name sounds luxurious but the hotel is in the middle of an area with workshops, car companies and such. Christer is calling right now to confirm that we are here. We are asked to wait. They should come someone with key and payment stuff. 14.51 The door was opened from the inside. A lady has given us all the necessary information. The interior is fresh and pleasant despite the Spartan surroundings. Now we sit in room 1 and plan the time we have here in Eskilstuna. We are in the largest city in South Holland. It has 70,342 inhabitants and takes its name from the bishop, missionary and Apostle Eskil, one of the patron saints of Södermanland. 15.45 We will soon leave our room. As I said, Eskilstuna is waiting for us. It's another beautiful summer day today. We really had the weather with us during this trip. 16.14 We went through a park (Rinmansparken) with some yellow-green lumps on the lampposts. Now we are on Kungsgatan. More precisely, we stand at the 21st shopping centre and a sculpture of a square woman and a cat. The sculpture is called Torgmadam. 16.27 Here at the beginning/end of Kungsgatan there is a roundabout with an artistic circle and the two of us who are in search of ice cream. We'll see if we find any.
The city hall in Eskilstuna.
Fristadstorget, Eskilstuna.
It is beautiful along Eskilstunaån.
Christer in Eskilstuna.
The artwork God's hand in Stadsparken.
Kloster church, Eskilstuna.
16.50 We are still on a hunt for ice cream. It's not going well. Right now we take a bench rest at the sparkling Eskilstuna River.
17.13 The hunt ended at ICA Nära Safiren on Strandgatan. The ice creams are currently being consumed on a bench in the City Park. Behind us is a statue reminiscent of Carl Milles "Hand of God". Tomorrow we can't have to miss lunch. It is not possible to survive from only a breakfast at 09.00 until 20.00-21.00 in the evening. Coffee and cheese sandwiches are not a lunch. We feel that the energy has disappeared. 17.20 I was right. It is the "hand of God" by Carl Milles. It is in bronze and erected in 1954 in memory of the inventor, CE Johansson. Carl Edvard Johansson, also known as Mått-Johansson, was a Swedish engineer, technologist and inventor in engineering equipment. He invented the combination set that came to have a crucial significance for the development of all modern industrial production. 17.34 Stadsparken is a really nice park. There are sun loungers, picnic areas and a nice view towards the city centre. Except here in the park, we have been to Kloster church to photograph the beautiful building. 18.10 We have left Stadsparken, crossed the Eskilstuna River and walked into the city centre again. I've been to Systembolaget and bought some good for the evening. Those who stood in front me, a Swedish-speaking girl with Asian traits and a guy from Slovenia who spoke English, had to show some id. Before the visit to Systembolaget we have seen the artworks Blacksmiths and Pin Point. 19.01 Here at home in room 1 we will mostly get stamina and become like people before we return to the centre to have dinner. 19.50 Berglund, why do you have a freight company? Christer wonders when he looks out the room window. The light went out when he just showered. Let's go to the dinner restaurant tonight. We will once again it will be a walk to the centre.
Nybron with Kloster church in the background.
Eskilstuna railway station.
Basmati, a bengali/indian restaurant in Eskilstuna.
Peter is having dinner at Basmati.
This evening´s delicious dinner.
Golden Spa Hotell, Eskilstuna.
20.14 We pass Eskilstuna Central Station on our walk back to the centre. We take a new path to see a little new.
20.34 We have on the internet and finally also in the real world found Basmati (https://www.basmati.se), a restaurant that promises to serve Bengali and Indian cuisine. 22.05 The food was both delicious and yummy. Of course, we drank beer from the same part of the world that the food comes from. Bangla is the beer from Bangladesh. Now we enjoy some coffee in our room. In addition, we see a television documentary about the Nazis. 23.17 The day ends by enjoying Bulmer's Cider and Eskilstuna Dry Stout. It was these drinks that were purchased at Systembolaget. Let's greet the weekend with some sleeping.
You can see 145 photos from July 21 in this photoalbum.
You can see 97 photos from July 22 in this photoalbum.
You can see 98 photos from July 23 in this photoalbum.