Intrepid Travels

It has been 11 days since our arrival in this beautiful city and we have filled the time with a variety of activities. We entertained our Swedish friends from the Atlantic crossing, enjoying seeing them again on home soil, with a chance to thank them for all their guidance in travelling these waters. Richard arrived for a few days, to see us and catch up with friends, and he was a great help with fixing the solent furler which had suffered damage from all the pounding across the oceans. Like his Dad, he enjoyed going up the mast and surveying the world from on high! We were treated to a night on one of the islands in the archipelago, and really enjoyed the ferry trip that island-hopped with largely locals on board (the tourist numbers have dropped significantly now). Life on the islands is very much part of the existence of the Swedes who live in the Stockholm area, and all the services are organised to enable this to continue right through the year (with hovercraft when the waterways are frozen). The weather was consistently sunny on most days, although night time temperatures were noticeably lower, and the deciduous plants are already in their autumn colours. The proximity of Djurgarden Park to the marina meant that we had wonderful walks just on our doorstep. The time went too quickly and it is now time to head south once more.