Sweden Days 2 and 3

Hi again, 

I don’t really know how to format this blog post, so here comes some random word vomit that I hope y’all can somewhat follow.

On Monday morningish (idk at this point), we left from our “KOA” accommodations for an island off the coast of a town called Karlskorona. 

We (as in Mom) were not entirely sure of how getting to the island worked. We didn’t know if we would have to schlepp all our belongings + bountiful amounts of groceries onto the ferry or what. 

Brief interlude: Here is our experience of a Swedish grocery store. They have the baked goods right when you walk in, so OBVIOUSLY you’re gonna grab a selection…. Because why would you not? The shopping carts were also these huge grocery baskets on wheels, which were fun. 

Back to the ferry: turns out you put your car in a queue. As soon as the incoming ferry unloads, the cars are immediately shepherded on. This process might be the most efficient I’ve ever seen. It literally took 5 minutes, and then we were off. 

Once on the island, we drove about a mile to our accommodation for the next two days. It’s this cute little cottage. The sleeping area makes it feel like we’re all at a grown-up summer camp. ANDDDDDD I was definitely excited to have a pillow 🙂 

We also have a Bocce Ball court, which is a new one for me (none of us are competitive at all, so it’s all fun and games)— this is sarcasm for anyone who doesn’t know us. 

The island is small, which invites a slow pace of life. There is a tiny beach, but the most renowned attraction is an old naval castle that was constructed between the years of 1680 and 1769. According to the signage, it has never been attacked, so Hayden, Coni, and I joked that if we didn’t have anything to do the next day, that would be our claim to fame. 

Last night, Coni cooked us a banger dinner of spaghetti bolognese (he’s a stellar chef), and we all hung out and played cards. I fell asleep SO fast only to wake up at 4 in the morning woooohooooooooo. 

This morning, Coni, Hayden, and I decided to take the ferry back over the Karlskrona for some exploring. We first and most importantly found a bakery/coffee shop and indulged in some delicacies. 

The town is an old naval town (see pictures below), and it was coolio to see the Swedish building aesthetics. 

Also had to stop for a beer/cider break.

Our final destination was the naval museum (lots of learning about the Swedish navy). Fun fact: even though Sweden remained neutral in both world wars, it still lost about 2,000 merchant sailors due to accidental bombings (very decent strategic location).  I didn’t take any pictures so I’ll make it up with the one below.

After our ferry back to the island, we walked to the castle’s tavern, where I decided to try a black licorice-coated ice cream. I’ve seen it in a few places and thought, why the hell not? I like black licorice, but this was DISGUSTING.

The castle itself is a spectacle as you’ll see below. 

Currently, we are all sitting back at the cottage with me writing this post, Coni cooking dinner. Hayden is teaching Mom how to choose her seats on her flight for the way home so she doesn’t end up in the middle seat between two burly men again. 

Ohhhhh I almost forgot. I discovered this new drink that I am obsessed with called a Ginger Joe which is an alcoholic ginger beer. As the bottle states it’s “refreshingly feisty” (incase you all want a new descriptor for your drink). 

Tomorrow we leave for Oland, the second largest island in Sweden, which supposedly has amazing beaches. 

Peace out,  

Mahala