Getterön - Göteborg - Sunday 18th - Thursday 22nd June 2017
Celebrating Ann's Birthday - Sunday 18th June
I started the day on Getterön sitting in the garden sketching while Lucy and I wished Ann a Happy Birthday. Then I walked around the perimeter of the Peninsula and had a late lunch in the cafe near the nature reserve. The name Getterön dates back to the Vikings, which pleased Lucy. It is popularly known as Stora Gubbanäsan (Old man's nose) because of its shape. It was an island until 1936 when a causeway was built across from the mainland. It is a quiet holiday island away from the bustle and crowded beaches at Varberg. There is a caravan park at one end with its own beach which I kept away from, lots of beautiful holiday chalets dotted along the coast, a small shop and a beach restaurant. Most of the island is a nature reserve which was almost deserted so I spent a great part of the day walking around it.
It was beautiful, although about the only sign of nature I saw, apart from a few sea birds and lots of wild flowers, was when Lucy stumbled over a couple of naked people hidden in the long grass.
She was very indignant when I asked her if she needed a hand over one of the styles. She replied that she thought that I needed help more than she did, so she helped me to climb over.
It was a great way to spend Ann's birthday, and I am sure she was, as always, looking down on us smiling.
Two more days along the Kattegattleden - Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th June
The next two days were spent cycling the final stretch of the Kattegattleden and once again it was beautiful. My first stop was at a nature reserve where Lucy rushed off to one of the hides while I had a cup of coffee. She had read that it is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in Northern Europe.
So it was quite a contrast when I cycled past a nuclear power station and alongside a busy railway line. This time Lucy stayed safely in her pannier and didn't make any unexpected appearances. What surprises me is that the railway lines are not often fenced and there is little warning when you come to a level crossing.
I spent the night at a 'Bed and Bike' guest house. I had a room in the attic with a kitchen and bathroom that I shared with a couple who were also cycling along the Kattegattleden. In the morning I found out that to qualify for 'Bed and Bike' status you have to be flexible about arrival times for cyclists, offer secure cycle storage, provide cycle hire and be able to transport people and bikes so that guests can ride the route with the help of the prevailing wind. I also chatted to Rosie, one of the other cyclists, who was involved in planning the route and was riding it to check it and look for any possible improvements. I took her details and said that Lucy would write an article about it when she gets home: 'The Kattegattleden from a bicycle pannier'.
I certainly haven't had any help from the wind on this section of the ride and my last day on the Kattegattleden was spent riding into gusts of over 40 mph. But as it followed very close to the sea for a lot of the way I didn't mind as there were some fabulous views and lots of places to stop and sit. Lucy was very alarmed when she saw this sign, and stayed well hidden. For someone who wants to be a Viking warrior she is quite feeble at times.
I thought she had forgotten about the obsession with golf that she developed when we were in Scotland, but once again she leapt out of her pannier when we passed a golf course, and wanted to know why we hadn't packed her golf clubs.
The last 10 to 15 miles followed a well marked path along the coast and then straight into the centre of Gothenburg. I was feeling a little bit sad that I was getting to the end of this fabulous Swedish cycle route.
I remember writing that it wasn't a good idea to cycle in Copenhagen in the rush hour. Well the same applies to Gothenburg and I arrived just as people were going home from work. There were cyclists and people coming from all directions, and this time there were also trams to avoid. I found where I had booked for a couple of nights, and once again I had an upgrade to a superior room that was fabulous. It had a huge bay window with a seating area overlooking the theatre district, so I spent the evening in the 'Stage Door Bar' while Lucy planned what she wanted to see in Gothenburg.
Lucy enjoys the Summer Solstice in Göteborg - 21st June
Lucy had been reading about Gothenburg while sitting in her pannier as I cycled along and insisted that I wrote and pronounced it the Swedish way because Gothenburg, like Copenhagen, is one of the few Scandinavian place names that have been anglicised. It should be Göteborg and pronounced Yoteboy, with the final y similar to ch in the Scottish pronunciation of loch.
Lucy wanted to make the most of her day in the city and rushed off to Götaplatsen to see the Poseidon Statue which overlooks the city. It is in the middle of the square surrounded on three sides by the Theatre, Concert Hall and Art Gallery. Lucy sat chatting to people and admiring the view while I went to the Konstmiseum to look at the wonderful collection of Nordic Art. As always it is hard to decide which painting to show here, so I have chosen one that I think Lucy would like and also one of the many modern sculptures that I know she would love.
Gustaf Fjæstad - Snö (1900) and a dancer that revolved around her pole in the centre of the gallery.
I met up with Lucy again in the bar of the Stadttheater and she told me that we were going to walk down the hill, across the Göta River to the harbour as she wanted to talk to a dog belonging to some fishermen outside the Fish Church Market. The Feskekorka is so named as the 1874 building that houses the market looks like a Neo-Gothic church.
The afternoon was spent around the harbour and sitting in cafes, before I walked back to the room to get ready for a very early start in the morning and Lucy had a last look at her Swedish souvenirs. A great way to spend my last day in Sweden, I am so pleased Lucy persuaded me to come here when we were in Copenhagen. Tomorrow we plan to get the early morning ferry to Frederikshavn in Denmark.
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