Blog 15 Figeholm, Idö, Loftahammar The last few days weather had got into a pattern of low wind with early sun then at 3 pm on the dot thunderclouds with all the trimmings dampening everything until evening. This discouraged our first attempts at using a nature harbour - which are effectively sheltered spots at the back of a pile of rocks where nobody in their right mind would normally take a boat and where you tie to a tree, a stone - or anything you can fin...

Blog 14 Kalmar, Mönsterås, Sandvik A well earned rest day at Kalmar having battled high winds to get here, however the sun was shining for most of the time making it bearable but difficult to photograph many spectacular flocks of eider duck as they all took off up wind ( spray on the lens ) and into the sun, meanwhile an eagle with wings like barn doors had passed across our stern before I had the camera out and ready - too late, just imagine it. This city w...

Blog 12 Sweden- well, the first bit which includes a lot of stops on the way after leaving Christianso and arriving at Sandhamn beyond Karlskrona. One of the things that sailors wish they didn't have to do is get up very early to "catch the tide" or something similar to do with the sea. Now wouldn't you think that in the Baltic where there are no tides that need would disappear - not a bit of it - for some reason many yachts leave at anything from 6 am onwards a...

Blog 16 Skanör and Malmö Sweden Then we came to Sweden. Brainstorming en route what we knew of Sweden - after the industry, au pairs, pop groups and Stig Laarson the list tapered off quite quickly but shock horror we forgot IKEA - have we lived so closely to their products that they lose their nationality? I know I am about to offend my Danish friends but I just love to hear Swedes speaking their own language, it has that singing lilt and dynamics that wou...