A Pilgrimage in Sweden - Before, During and After - Part Three - Conclusion
Sheila and me after arriving at our final destination on our Inn to Inn Hike.
Writing this now three part blog has been challenging, using a computer I'm not used to, and writing during the time we are visiting with Sheila's family in Cyprus. I was hoping to write the conclusion in Part Two, but started getting nervous that I might be approaching a limit on this blog platform and didn't want to risk not publishing the hours of work I had done, so here is Part 3, beginning part way through Day 9 of our time in Sweden and Day 6 of our Inn to Inn Hike, walking the 11.8 kilometers (7.3 miles) from Brösarp to Alunbruket. This day and the day before we walked in a westerly direction away from the sea, crossing through lots of farmland and nature preserves.
A building in a camping area on a part of the trail shared by the Skåneleden (orange marked) and Backaleden (yellow marked) trails.
Sheila taking a picture of a camping shelter.
This was a very, very steep climb up and then right back down.
This fit the description of a PUD - Pointless Up and Down - a term Alex and I learned while hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail and reading excerpts from a first hand account of an Appalachian Trail Hiker. We could actually see, after we'd descended the other side, where there was a trail that went around this steep, yellow marked PUD!
Some pretty chickens we passed.
The rooster pretty much ignored us - roosters intimidate me - for good reason!
And more mushrooms.
Looking down at the river.
The waterfall at Hallamölla where there has been a mill since the 1400s.
Waterfall up close.
The mill building that operated up until 1948.
You can see the trough where water went into the water wheel that is underneath the building.
Upstream from the mill.
A very picturesque setting where the mill is.
She wouldn't venture further in.
Back on the trail again.
Ruins of the Alum Works in Andrarum.
This industry began in 1637 and at its peak in the mid 18th century there were 900 people living nearby. From 1725 to 1752 it was owned by Christina Piper.
The sign pointing the way to our final night's lodging.
This little hut would be our room for the night.
It looked very old, but I think it was built in the last 20 or 30 years by a local builder who uses traditional building methods.
Low ceiling!
This was the main building for Alunbrukets B & B.
This building was also a replica of a traditional house.
Our little cottage can be partially seen behind the end on the left.
Part of the common space in the main building.
The table where we would eat dinner.
We were the only guests that night, so it was pretty quiet.
The cafe next to the B & B where our dinner was prepared and where we had breakfast in the morning. This building was over 400 years old.
Easter feathers by the front door.
We arrived early enough in the afternoon to go for a walk to a "castle," Christinehof Manor, about a mile away. Building of the Manor House was begun in 1737 shortly after Christina Piper purchased the nearby Andrarum Alum works and was not named Christinehof Manor House until after her death. It now sits in the Christinehof Ecopark. We enjoyed walking around and exploring the spacious grounds and trying to peek in windows. Like many old and grand houses it is not fully utilized today. There is a restaurant in it, and signage indicates various meetings are held there, but nothing was open the day we were there, and we got the impression that much restoration is needed in its many rooms.
A gazebo on the grounds.
Sheila inside the fanciful structure.
Castle one way, our Alunbrukets Cafe the other.
After breakfast on our last morning a taxi arrived promptly to take us back to Brösarp to catch a bus that would take us to Ystad where we would catch a train to the airport in Copenhagen - our Pilgrimage in Sweden was coming to an end. It felt a bit surreal to go by taxi, bus and train, over the span of less than two hours to the place where we had started hiking 7 days earlier. The official distance of the six days of hiking was 67 miles, but we walked over 80 miles on those days because of the extra distance to get to our lodging on some days, and the local exploring we did. Over the course of our 10 days in Sweden we walked just a little over 100 miles, and we'd both be happy to walk that distance again.
We experienced all 7 of the Pilgrim's Words along the way: 1) Simplicity - It was certainly not simple to get to this adventure, especially with cancellations, but there was the simplicity of what we carried and how we were supported by the company we booked with, and by not being constrained by busy schedules. 2) Silence - We each managed moments of quiet and silent time, mainly in the morning when Sheila would often go out to explore and I would stay inside to write in my journal. The roads and trails we walked were not necessarily silent, but they were certainly more quiet than we would have experienced in busy city places. 3) Sharing - While we walked together we talked and shared continually. Sheila and I have never spent this much time together with no other responsibility than to walk to our next destination or decide what food to pick up to sustain us on the trail. It was glorious to have so much time to talk together, and the shared experience of our pilgrimage will be with us always. We also enjoyed sharing with the various people we encountered. 4) Slowness - I'm sure Sheila experienced this more than I did since her normal 51 year old pace is a bit faster than my 71 year old pace. Obviously walking is slower than using other forms of transportation, and we saw less in some ways than if this had been a different kind of tour, but the slower pace of walking meant we saw and experienced much more depth and were able to experience the subtle changes as we walked through the region. 5) Freedom - At first I thought, how can walking a prescribed route be "freedom," but then I realized it truly is. By having everything, including our route, prescribed ahead of time we were free from the need to make decisions about where to go or what to do. And we were free from all the everyday responsibilities of lives back home - especially Sheila with her large family and her volunteer work with refugees in Cyprus and many other activities. 6) Spirituality - It may seem obvious that our visiting of churches and reflecting on Holy Week as we hiked would touch on this word, but I would say the most spiritually rich part of the journey was being outside in the beautiful natural world most of the day. 7) Light-heartedness - Closely related to Freedom. Having such limited choices of what we were to do each day, and being in an environment and activity (walking) we both loved certainly helped our hearts be "light!"
We didn't have long to wait for the bus in Brösarp, but it was enough for Sheila to walk to the hotel we had stayed in there to buy a small Easter treat we had seen many places. It would be a souvenir to take to the family to share in Cyprus on western Easter Sunday, two days after we would arrive in Larnaca, Cyprus. From there we would take a bus to Ystad where we would take the train to Copenhagen. We were not able to book the same flights to Cyprus - I would be flying through London and Sheila through Vienna where we would both have to spend the night. Originally my flight connection in London was only a two hour layover and I had been scheduled to arrive in the middle of the night in Larnaca, where fortunately the airport is a short distance from Sheila's home. A few days earlier I received an email saying my connecting flight had been cancelled and did I want a refund! What good would a refund do me, I needed to get from Copenhagen to Cyprus! After a phone call I got rescheduled on a flight that would leave the next morning, so though Sheila and I were flying totally different routes on different airlines we were scheduled to arrive in Larnaca at exactly the same time in the afternoon. Having had overnight layovers at Heathrow Airport in London in the past I knew that finding a place to wait overnight at the airport was difficult, if not impossible. When I arrived I went to British Air Customer Service asking where I could go since the terminal where I arrived and would depart would close for the night. I said I was perfectly willing to stay in the airport, but wanted to know where. The agent took awhile, went to speak with a supervisor, and came back to tell me they would give me a hotel for the night with dinner and breakfast, bus passes to and from the hotel and even a voucher for a snack in the airport since I had been so patient. I think my age was a factor in their generosity, but also they were accepting responsibility for the last minute switch that I had no control over. As it turned out I needed to get a taxi in the morning because the bus didn't run early enough, but it was a small price to pay for a comfortable bed to sleep in - thank you British Airways!
Swedish Easter treat that Sheila arrived back at the bus station with just in time for our bus.
This was made of meringue wrapped around a hollow center. We wondered how well it would survive the next 24 hours, but it wasn't very expensive, so thought it worth the risk to share what we had seen in many locations throughout our time in Sweden. These treats came in larger sizes as well, but this one would be big enough for everyone to taste. As it turned out it survived the journey just fine, and was more pretty to look at than it was tasty. Who knows how long ago it had been made!
In the train crossing the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark.
Note the little treat safely on the tray.
The 16 kilometer (9.9 mile) bridge we crossed was built in 2000.
Prior to that the only way to cross was by ferry or air.
The Copenhagen Airport.
A play structure outside at the airport that looked Lego inspired.
After all Denmark is the land of Legos!
A Lego tourist in the airport - about 3 feet tall.
My London Airport Hotel.
Much nicer accommodations than the Travelodge Rob and I have stayed in previously when we've had layovers at Heathrow.
Arriving at Larnaca airport in Cyprus with the Larnaca Port on the Mediterranean Sea visible.
The body of water at the bottom of the picture is the Salt Lake.
Sheila and family used to live a very short distance from the Salt Lake where there is a beautiful nature trail. They now live closer to the sea front and in walking distance to many of their activities.
They purchased their own home in 2018, and have been in Cyprus since 2009 - looks like they're staying.
Helen, Katie, Jörn, Elisabeth, Sheila, me, Rob and Lukas.
Rob had arrived the day before from San Francisco and he and Jörn came to the airport to pick up Sheila and me. This photo was taken at Europe Square, about a 1/2 mile from their house and right across the street from the sea. This is a meeting place for many, near the promenade that runs for over a mile by the water front.
Rob with a family cat Connie - Straus and Elsie would be jealous!
Next Blog post - our time in Cyprus.
As always, so enjoyable. Thanks!
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