Sunday 17 August

Today has been a cold and miserable day. We made our passage from Fjaellbacka to Stroemstad. "Sunday Tristesse" reigns supreme: no shop is open (the tourist information included!), no one is moving.... The only movement consists of the church bells tolling.

We made a lunch stop for anchor by the Koster Islands (but did not go ashore) and realised we had made the right choice spending time at he Weather Islands instead.

Yesterday night we performed a small ceremony to honour Bertil: we had a small shot of whiskey on deck, said a toast, thanked Bertil for the Hunnebostrand years, then offered some whiskey to the Spirits of the Sea.

Then Elliottt wrote his action-packed blog (a so called "Ottie's Blog"!) and I had a night off from blog writing!

I have started making note of boats' names - only "deserving ones".... They are many "naff" boat names out there! I always feel that there is poetry in boat names. For instance yesterday two yachts passed us within minutes: White Shadow and Moon Dance - that evokes cinematic images of white shadows dancing under the moon.... Of Wave Maidens and Wind Maidens holding hands to form a larger circle and dancing the world into being...

On Friday night a pink dragon sat briefly on a mountain before sliding into the sea along with setting sun.

Yesterday morning we woke to a ragged half Moon sailing in the daytime sky - but then She was swallowed by a Polar Bear Cloud.

Next a huge seagull feather appeared in the sky - reminding us that the Weather Islands are the Bird Islands. Humans can visit - but they cannot leave their mark. Seals were keeping a close eye on Queenie and Crew for the whole time we were there.

There was a Kodak moment with Elliott flapping his arms on mountain top, surrounded by a flock of sea gulls flapping their wings. The Bird Boy!!!

This morning Dad was alone on deck as we passed Grebbestad. In a "fetching" combination of pajamas and full weather gear...

The only sunshine I saw today was the Morning Sun making a very brief appearance and chasing dragons across the wall of my cabin.

I am glad that we didn't choose today as our land-based day "exploring Bronze Age sites".

We would have been washed away....
On a Dragon-ish day....

Imelda Almqvist