Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Provinces: Småland, Östergötland
Municipalities: Kalmar, Mönsterås, Oskarshamn, Västervik, Kinda, Vimmerby, Hultsfred, Vetlanda, Eksjö, Nässjö, Jönköping
Monday 3rd of August
08.14 It is morning and a new week for us here at Hotel Svanen (https://hotellsvanen.se) in Kalmar. We are still grateful that we did not have to spend the night in the car on Öland. The eastern Småland-based newspaper Barometern's online edition announces that two persons have been arrested for involvement in yesterday's Öland robbery. It doesn't apply to us so we continue our journey north today.
08.42 We have once again eaten our own purchased breakfast before departure. It is sparse with glasses in the common kitchen or do the glasses just keep a distance in these Corona times?
09.40 Christer stretches before he steps in, buckles the belt, starts the ignition, loosens the handbrake and we're off. I sit next t him in the vehicle and write this. We got home so late yesterday that the hotel parking lot was full. Luckily there was another parking on the other side of Bjelkegatan. However, it cost some money.
10.03 The news on the radio announces that the arrested two are a woman and a man. They are suspected of involvement in the robbery in northern Öland but are not the ones who carried it out. Outside Madrid it is over +40 C and a forest fire rages. Here in Småland it is not as hot and no trace of a forest fire either. We're heading north along the E22.
10.22 We passed Emån and have just entered Oskarshamn municipality. Before that we have been to Mönsterås municipality without noting it more than on the map and road signs.
10.38 We have left road E22 and have now parked in a parking lot along Åsavägen in Döderhultsvik or as the city is called nowadays, Oskarshamn. After the ninth application, the city privileges were granted to the city in 1856. Döderhultsvik then changed its name to Oskarshamn, after the reigning King Oscar I. Oskarshamn was the last town in the country that received city privileges according to old ways. Today there are 18,785 inhabitants here.
11.04 Above me a sign points for a pedestrian street towards the harbour. By the way, the street is called, Besvärsgatan, The Trouble Street. We are on foot heading towards the centre for coffee and sightseeing.
14.30 The arrested people on Öland, a woman in her 20´s and a man in his 60´s are now detentioned. One can assume that it is a sister/girlfriend and a parent who protected a criminal but it is only speculation. At least we are far from Öland now and just passed the road to Mörtfors. That place is famous for, well what do I know? I've never heard of it before.
17.46 Now we have managed to get behind an extremely slow excavator out here on the E22. It is not so fun on a single-lane road between wire railings.
20.13 During our walk through the city centre we saw 5-6 small girls playing hide and seek with a girl in her teens. She was asked to count to 30. The counting started and the hiding went, well so and so. We moved on before it was finished.
Tuesday 4th of August
We have arrived to Mönsterås.
Today´s first stop is Oskarshamn.
Stadsparken (Town Park) with Oskarshamn church.
King Oscar I gave his name to this town.
The Small square feels bigger than the Big square.
Lilla torget, Oskarshamn.
Flanaden is the name of this pedestrian street.
From Oskarshamn there are car ferries to the islands Öland and Gotland.
One of the attractions in Oskarshamn.
Is this the world´s longest park bench?
A beautiful ship in Oskarshamn harbour.
Jellyfish in the water.
Peter outside our new home.
Room 4 was a small apartment.
Överum Hostel.
Rådhusgatan, Västervik.
Christer is walking uphill along Fabriksgatan.
We are walking on beautiful streets in Västervik.
Peter is writing in his journal in front of Saint Gertrud church.
Christer in Stadsparken.
Storgatan, Västervik.
Saint Petri church, Västervik.
Fiskaretorget at Västervik harbour.
Västervik.
08.13 We have slept undisturbed and without any interruption here in our old wooden house at Överum's hostel. Now the desire to travel is surging and we are leaving the coast today to see more of the interior of Småland.
09.16 Watching TV sometimes teaches you something new. Today we have learned that in Lysekil there is an annual shark release. Sharks raised in large aquariums are released into the sea at one point. 10.05 A preschool class passed just as I came out to the car with the belongings. They greeted me with a happy hello. One of the children saw my thermos and wondered if I got to bring coffee on the car tour. I confirmed that was the case. Let's go and bring the coffee with us away from Överum and go on new adventures. 10.15 Per Måns Bygg was written on the cover of the trailer behind the car we met when we turned in on route 135. It's a sunny day and this road can take us to Kisa. 10.31 We just passed a small road that led to Qvigestad. I did not know that Sweden had places starting with a Q. The village was spelled like that on the road sign. 10.42 We are no longer in Småland. We make a short visit to Kinda municipality belonging to Östergötland province. 10.51 The time has come to drive on a new road. We have turned in on route 23/34 and continue south. There have become a number of different routes on this journey. Let's aim for Vimmerby. 11.28 Just as we stayed and parked, Christer's phone rang. It was Eli, our last host. He wondered if we checked out as well as where the key was now. The answer was yes and left in the door. He was satisfied with the answers. Now we are in Vimmerby and will think about what to see and how long we will be here. I think we should get a lunch here, too, eventually. Vimmerby, which has 8,241 inhabitants, is a small town most associated with the world famous author of children´s books, Astrid Lindgren. Here is also the Corona closed park Astrid Lindgren's world. Besides Astrid is perhaps the brewery Åbro what this place is best known for.
We have reached Vimmerby.
Vimmerby.
Stadshotellet (Town Hotel) at Stora torget (Main Square), Vimmerby.
Vimmerby church.
Vimmerby tourist office.
We will have lunch at Mammas Pizzeria.
11.49 We sit on a church bench next to a park. Oh, on the contrary. It is a park bench next to a church, Vimmerby church from 1856. We're thinking about lunch. Intellectually, we know we should eat here but we're not really hungry yet.
12.25 Now we have sat down on another bench. We are in front of the closed restaurant Thai Fu Qing at the main square and are little wiser about the food. I will refrain from making fun of the name of the restaurant. I still have some manners. 12.41 Our search for a suitable restaurant for lunch has taken us out of the central parts of Vimmerby. In fact, it can bring some success. 12.48 Soon our glasses will be filled with MER orange and 18gränges97 light beer. We're at Mammas restaurant and Pizzeria (http://mammaspizzeria.se). Here it will be filled rolls for both of us. Look, we managed to avoid ordering pizza! 13.32 It was tasty rolls and we are back where we sat about an hour ago. We are waiting for an audience with Mrs Lindgren. If you're in Vimmerby, you just have to meet her. 13.37 I now sit on a chair opposite the children's book author Astrid Lindgren, at least in sculpture form. It is a beautiful sculpture of a seated Astrid by her typewriter. The sculpture at Stora Torget was inaugurated on 1 June 2007 and is made by the artist Marie-Louise Ekman in collaboration with Hanna Beling and Heinz Müllner as well as students at the Royal Institute of art in Stockholm. 14.01 We have bid farewell to Astrid and her home region. Once again, Christer's car is rolling towards new locations and new events. To avoid major road work at the southern exit, we have now made a plan to get around this via some smaller roads.
The Astrid Lindgren sculpture in Vimmerby.
Two authors meet.
We are turning left here.
A strange blue circle and Christer at Espresso House in Vetlanda.
This piece of art in Vetlanda is called Animals and people.
The sculpture Ljugarbänken was made 1980. It is placed on Stortorget in Vetlanda.
14.12 Our map check was somehow too sloppy and we began with driving wrong in Vimmerby industrial area. Then we got it right and are now go on Källsåkravägen.
14.25 After arriving at small Vena we now head west towards Hultsfred. 14.46 At Ingo in Målilla we have now refuelled 37 new litres for 500 SEK. Four weeks ago we were in Börtnan, which is supposed to be the coldest resort in Sweden. Målilla has the Swedish heat record, +38 C. This happened on the 29th of June 1947. In addition to the heat record, Målilla is known for the speedway team Dackarna. Neither heat nor motorsports makes us stay here. We travel further west. 15.03 With new litres in the car and Madness singing Our house on the radio we go on route 47 towards Vetlanda. 15.17 Barely had we arrived to Jönköping County and Vetlanda municipality as we saw a signpost to Qvillö. Look, another place on Q, and Storkens flea market. 15.40 So we are now in a sun drenched Vetlanda. Here it will be a depot stop for our part. The car got what it wanted in Målilla. What we need is not a big secret. 16.01 Nathalie at this summer's coffee chain Espresso House has satisfied our coffee wish. We get sunshine and outside coffee, simply perfect. We are centrally located in the city, at Storgatan. Vetlanda is probably a nice city but we have not found anything to photograph. It's like nothing stands out and wants to be a motive on our pictures. Vetlanda has a population of 13,743. 16.53 A search on the internet has taught us that the next city is yet another city in the line this summer that wants us to put a P-disc in the front window. Maybe it's time to get one? Here on the square in Vetlanda we have just seen a man climb down from a car roof and start the car. He has been in charge of donuts that were on sale.
We have arrived to Eksjö and doubled the amount of cars on this free parking area.
The town hall in Eksjö.
Eksjö church.
Eksjö Stadshotell at Stora torget (Main square).
Stora torget, Eksjö.
Smålandsryttaren from 1927, a unique equestrian statue in Eksjö.
17.26 We just swung out of the Nydala roundabout and onto the combined road 31, 32 and 47. We are now heading north towards Eksjö, one of Sweden's wooden cities. After seeing Nora and Hjo earlier during the trip, the trio now becomes complete. Before leaving Vetlanda, we saw the city's indoor arena for bandy, Hydro Arena.
17.34 It is slow to say the least behind an excavator with trailer and a Serbian truck. We just passed the excavator. 17.51 Around us are now the outskirts of Eksjö, below us are Borgmästare Munthes Väg. Ahead of us there is a load of hay. It is becoming a tradition to get stuck behind slowly moving vehicles. 18.01 Now we have as almost only the vehicle parked on the large free parking at Eksjö Skatepark outside Prästängshallen and Prästängsskolan. Since December 2016, you have been able to come here with skateboards, kick-bikes and BMX. 18.15 Much has happened since last time. We have passed the nursery Fröhuset, housed in a church-like building. On the gravel inside the gate a saucepan lay upside down. We've met a cycling military dressed man who didn't have his hands on the handle. To rest and to collect facts, we are at Eksjö church. Some minor facts about the city, Eksjö got city rights by Erik of Pomerania, 1403, the city is located 215 meters above sea level, has 10 756 inhabitants, between 1756 and 1785 the mayor of this city was Johan Lorentz Munthe. The town's ice hockey club is also the mother club for three-time Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson. Now we were offered to buy men's perfume by a young woman. 18.30 In the square in front of the church is a statue of a man on horseback. It is not a king but an unnamed Hussar, that is, a cavalryman with a sabre but also a pistol and carbine, sometimes even a light lance. The word can come from Hungarian húsz, twenty. Twenty households would exhibit and equip a soldier. The statue is unique in that it does not represent any particular royalty or similar known man of power.
Christer in Eksjö town.
Nygatan, a street in old Eksjö.
Eksjö is one of Sweden´s three famous wooden cities.
Christer in front of Mariannelund candy factory.
Beautiful flowers outside Eksjö Museum.
A beautiful house on Storegårdsgatan, Eksjö.
18.48 Just as we left the statue, a small gray dog unseen snuck up behind me and licked my right leg. His visit made me jump. It feels good that I am welcomed by dogs again. Last Friday, a dog avoided visiting me. Now we are in the old part of the city. There are beautiful old wooden houses here. It is cozy, yes even charming. Unfortunately, cars drive around in the old environment.
19.15 Eksjö is a real gem. Too bad we're not spending the night here. We are back in the parking lot at Eksjö Skatepark in the company of some of the local teenagers playing with some motor vehicles. 19.24 Christer has under the guidance of Google Maps helper Ruth taken us out on route 40. The good cooperation between Christer and our Ruth is going well. 19.41 Now we are for the second time on this trip in Nässjö. Last one was on the first day. Then it was a village near Bjästa where I live, now it is a city in the Highlands of Småland. 19.57 Here in the city we have seen a bust of innkeeper Carl Petersson. It was the railway that brought innkeeper Carl Petersson from Operakällaren in Stockholm to Nässjö, where he was commissioned to arrange the opening of Östra Stambanan in 1874. He liked the station community, saw the possibilities of the railway and decided to stay there and operate the railway restaurant. The business flourished and here Carl Peterson laid the foundation for the great fortune that his housekeeper, life partner and heiress Maria would eventually donate to Nässjö city. Today in Nässjö there are 18,472 inhabitants. 20.15 There is not much happening in Nässjö tonight. Most places are closed and there are few people in motion. At least we've seen a man in white pants fall over and heard his drinking brothers urge him to step up. Further we have seen two churches, one white and one brick. In addition, we saw a big beer barrel with a big beer bottle on it as it was Nässjö beer on. Now we are on Stortorget and thinking again about what and where we eat. It is sparse with people and also unfortunately sparse with open eateries. 20.36 We went for a simple solution. We're at Pizzeria Cactus to eat the House Burgers and a Parma pizza.
Nässjö Town Hall.
Nässjö remembers Carl Petersson
A small library for children.
Evening at Stortorget in Nässjö.
21.30 At ICA Kvantum here in Nässjö we bought our upcoming breakfasts. After all, we will stay in a hotel where we have chosen a cheap room where breakfast is not included. Now we are on Route 40 with destination Jönköping. Our journey down continues. The Småland Highlands are to be replaced by the shores of Vättern.
21.48 We travel in the summer darkness of Småland. It has been a long intense day with many stops and a number of cities. We have been to so many Swedish cities this summer that it is becoming difficult to keep them all apart in our memories. 22.14 What Ruth in the phone offers us is mostly incoherent buzz and we just drive around without any order. The descent with height difference has also affected our hearing. There were so many exits to choose from when road 40 joined the E4 here in Jönköping that we obviously drove the wrong way. We managed to end up in the Rosenlund district near HV71's ice hockey rink before we saw the E4 again. 22.33 For the second time this year we stay at the hotel chain Good Morning Hotels. Now it is Good Morning Jönköping and room 213 that apply. Before us, two motorcycle-borne Swiss travelers checked in. 23.17 There is not much space in our room. In short, it's crowded. The news talks about over 70 dead after an explosion in Beirut. What on Earth is this explosion that could kill so many people?
Wednesday 5th of August
08.18 A morning without sunshine. It's gray and dull weather out there. The room here at Good Morning Jönköping is still lacking space. How do we solve that with breakfast? It would have been great with a bedside table to put everything on.
09.07 The breakfast problem was taken care of. The explosion in Beirut has damaged buildings 10 kilometres away from it. Over 4,000 are injured and 100 dead. It was a building with 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate that burned and exploded. Ammonium nitrate is a substance used in the production of chemical fertilizers. 09.50 It's now 90 days to the presidential election in the United States. It's a day until we go out and bike on Visingsö. Now we have booked a bike each for that activity. The booking number is 20TO58. 10.46 Just as we were basically ready to go out of the hotel came the shock, the bang, the knock, to borrow words from the tabloid journalism, it is pouring rain. 10.54 Now we have travelled 7040 kilometres since Christer started this car journey in Sundsvall. I have covered almost the same distance. Once again we sit in the car and see and listen to the falling rain. 11.04 Now that the worst force in the rain subsided, we will roll off to more central parts of Jönköping. This city was probably founded during the time of Magnus Ladulås. It was then the trading town and a border town with Denmark. The Lagastigen and Nissastigen converge here. On the 18th of May, 1284, the city received its first known city privileges. Today it is Småland's largest and Sweden's tenth largest urban area and has a population of 100 259 inhabitants. 11.18 After an odd payment of the P-ticket, I cancelled the whole thing in the same moment that Christer left, unclear why, we are back in the car for further plans this rainy day. We are in an expensive parking lot at the culture house Spiran, a building with Gert Wingårdh as architect. It's hardly a beauty, Spiran that is. I have no comments regarding Mr Wingårdh.
Peter outside our accomodation Good Morning Jönköping.
Kulturhuset (Culture house) Spira.
Munksjöbron (Munksjö Bridge), Jönköping.
Jönköping has a large lake (Munksjön) within the central parts of the city.
The university in Jönköping.
Sofiakyrkan (Sofia church), Jönköping.
11.45 A partly padlocked bridge, Munksjöbron, has taken us to Jönköping city centre. Right now we are at Sweden's television building. We have also seen the University of Jönköping. The sky remains gray and gloomy. Rain is a continuing threat.
12.09 We have walked around to inspect possible candidates for today's lunch. We are hungry for some kind of Asian lunch buffet. A Thai restaurant was ignored because in Corona times they did not allow you to take food yourself. In addition to restaurants, we have of course seen churches. Jönköping is known for its church. There are many free churches here but the most beautiful church, Sofia Church, belongs to the Swedish Church. Sofia church from the 1880s got its name from Queen Sofia, married to King Oscar II. 12.30 Today it will be lunch at Indiska köket (https://www.indiska-koket.se). They offer a smaller buffet in the traditional way. You can pick the food yourself. 13.15 It was a delicious India inspired buffet. While we were eating, a young girl came in looking for a job. We could listen to her whole spontaneous job interview. Toward the end of the meal, some correctional officers also came in to eat. One said that when he was a child at a restaurant, his father had said, "We have bread and potatoes at home, eat what is more expensive". Another complained over all the candy that today's children receive. He had only been given a small box of candy on Saturdays. On the way from there we saw a car bought in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. The car had a license plate from Isle of Man, a premiere anyway for me. Right now we are in the Hamnparken and a train set passes on the railway. 13.48 Now we have had time to see Rådhusparken (Town Hall Park) where we of course saw the town hall and also the statue Harpolekaren and his son. Since then, we have crossed the road of iron where trains travel. We are therefore down at Lake Vättern and ready to see more. 14.08 We have photographed Sweden´s second largest lake Vättern and walked past the marina. After a bench break along the lake shore, we are now ready to hike back to the side railway we came from. 14.40 IB Laursen on Tour was written on a parked truck we walked by. We're on the next, but probably not the last Espresso House on this trip. This time we sit downstairs at the address Östra Storgatan 32. IB Laursen seems to be big in home decor. 15.20 After a relaxing coffee break we are now on our way back to the parked car. It has become time to seek us further towards the next destination. It is a pity that we did not experience Jönköping in more pleasant weather. It's probably a much more glorious city when the sun shines.
Lunch at Indiska köket.
Rådhusparken in Jönköping.
Christer at Jönköping harbour.
A view towards the western suburbs in Jönköping.
Along the shores of Lake Vättern.
Christer is visiting Espresso House in Jönköping.
15.38 Jönköping is a tough city to drive a car in, well for a visitor at least. The E4 passes here and there are an infinite number of alternative routes to get to and from the heavy trafficked road. It was also road works in the centre that slowed us down. We ignore Huskvarna and are now aiming to get us quickly north.
15.57 Our car just passed we wooden statue of the giant Vist. It is he who, according to legend, created Visingsö. He threw out a piece of land so that his wife would have something to step on. 16.05 A large sign, attached to what resembles three Polkagrisar candy, has just greeted us welcome to Gränna and Visingsö. 16.21 After passing a roundabout with a hot air balloon in the middle, we are now on our way through Gränna. The hot air balloon is probably a tribute to Solomon August Andrée born in Gränna. Together with Knut Frænkel and Nils Strindberg, son of a cousin of August Strindberg, he tried to reach the North Pole with the hydrogen balloon Eagle. On the 11th of July, 1897, the winds were the right, and Andrée and his fellow travellers Frænkel and Strindberg lifted with the hydrogen balloon Eagle towards the North Pole. Soon after the start, the concern began as parts of the trailer lines (to be used to control the air balloon) came loose at a joint. After just over two days of travel, the air travel (the valves were opened) ended when the moist air created ice that weighed down the balloon. They then began their trek on the ice east towards the depot on the Franz Josef Land. However, the ice pushed them westward and the course was then turned towards Svalbard. For three months, the three fought on the ice before they camped on Vitön. There they died for an undetermined reason, first Strindberg, then Andrée and Fraenkel (Source: Wikipedia). 16.32 It is not easy to get through narrow Gränna. The local bus to Jönköping, German motor homes and we all want to fit on the narrow main street. In some inexplicable way we managed to navigate through all vehicles and have now turned down the Amiralsvägen down to Gränna harbour. 16.46 We've parked the car in the large parking lot where many visitors to Visingsö leave their vehicles. 17.07 It is a new place and a new home. We are at the hostel Strandterrassen (http://www.strandterrassen.se) at Gränna harbour and in Room 21. Tonight it will be a bunk bed. Christer has contacted the next accommodation and asked if it is OK that we arrive later than first said. It is now time to get to know the room, accommodation and Gränna.
Östra Storgatan, Jönköping.
Warning for otters.
Driving on E4, heading to Gränna.
The entrance into Gränna town.
Strandterrassen Hostel, Gränna.
The waves of Lake Vättern.
18.30 Now we know where and how tickets are purchased for the ferry that goes to Visingsö. We've even had ice cream. Next, we will now get acquainted in more detail with Gränna. So far we have only seen the port area around our accommodation. Next door to us is also the large Gränna Camping. Christer seems to remember that he lived there during a road trip in 1985. Then he was on his way home from Öland with his family.
18.53 We have walked up to the main street Brahegatan. Right now we are next to a red wooden house of older kind. We will look around at this tourist resort and later try to find somewhere to have dinner. Gränna at Lake Vättern has 2,713 inhabitants and is known for its Polkagris candy. Along Brahegatan there are various cookeries and shops selling these. Polkagris is a special candy stick type which was invented in Gränna 1859 by Amalia Eriksson (1824–1923), a poor 35-year-old widow. Amalia needed to support herself and her family, when her husband died. Amalia Eriksson got the town council's permission to open a bakery to make pastries and peppermint rocks, and opened a shop in Gränna. She kept the recipe secret and it was only revealed upon her death. The candy is made of sugar dough which is boiled, kneaded on a marble baking table, pulled, and twisted by hand to the right size. The candies contain peppermint, sugar, water, and a very small amount of vinegar, and are sold in about 20 stores in the town. 19.21 Some more walking took us to the shop Polkaprinsen where we bought polkagrisar in the form of bars and pillows. Christer has also been told that it is OK that we come a little later to the next accommodation tomorrow. That's good. It gives us more time on Visingsö and less stress in life. 20.33 Neither options for dinner nor any direct craving to eat have appeared. We simply walked into COOP instead. There we bought something edible for tonight and packed lunch for the island excursion tomorrow. Why don't we get hungry? We have even seen a hedgehog, a new wild animal on this journey. Will there be any more? 21.58 Hey, now we have to get something sensible done. We have eaten bread and had rosehip soup but now evening coffee is also needed. 22.57 Coffee has been drunk and a rough planning for tomorrow is ready. Soon we'll let the night in.
Amiralsvägen, Gränna.
Brahegatan, the main street in Gränna.
Gränna, the home of the polkagris candy.
A ferry heading to Visingsö island.
Gränna church.
This bus stop sign has been here for a while.
You can see 76 photos from August 3 in this photoalbum.
You can see 78 photos from August 4 in this photoalbum.
You can see 81 photos from August 5 in this photoalbum.