So we have now reached the end of another stage of our Swedish Archipelago trip. On Sunday we entered the main channel, Fälstrom, which leads to Stockholm. And so it's goodbye to the Baltic Sea for a while. Over the next week we will make our way, via the inland waterways, past Stockholm and out near Nynäshamn, and into the Baltic again briefly, to get down to the start of the Gota Canal, and our westerly trip.

Some defining characteristics that make the Swedish, Swedish....
Summer is very special and they make the very most of it... unsurprisingly seen as most of their year is dark, cold and gloomy. In complete contrast, it doesn't ever properly get dark in the north in summer which is rather special. So...even though the sea temp is only 16 degrees....the Swedes swim. They are obsessive about sea temperature and you will see thermometers in the sea tied to a ladder on the jetty.
Every home and many marinas seem to have saunas, and as far as possible these are found close to or on a jetty. And the best ones are wooden and wood-fired. So, you overheat in the sauna, and then jump into the sea, and repeat. The Baltic is not very salty, being fed by melted snow and being enclosed on all but a small segment in the south-west. So it's really refreshing.
Then....if there are rocks, there will Swedes on them, soaking up the heat like lounge lizards, often in no kit.

Portable charcoal barbecues! They love them! If you see a big flat rock, near a row of boats, it will be adorned by several bbq's.
Then....ice creams! They are irresistible! And sold everywhere.....salted liquorice, pistachio, Daim (chocolate with caramel bits) are some typical flavours. And yes, we have succumbed to them!

Oh yes! Very endearing is the way the Swedes greet you. 'Hey!' Is the universal greeting. Always, by young and old....between friends as well as in the harbour office or shop. I love it!

We spent the last two days in a great marina where I got to catch up with laundry and shopping. In the laundry, you invariably meet other women (it's a sexist world we live in!) doing their laundry. Well, this time I met a lovely British lady who hails from Hamble. That afternoon and evening we had a drink with her and her husband which turned into dinner with them, Mike and Sharon and their daughter and her boyfriend. This turned into a night cap on our boat, which turned into the wee hours! It was a great evening and also our last with Mike and Sharon who left us yesterday morning. We are now on our own until John and Sharon join us on Saturday.

Today is rudder replacement day! The boat is up in slings as I write. Tomorrow we will explore Stockholm a bit more, particularly the Wasa Museum which has been highly recommend by many!