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You are here: Home / Life in Sweden / Our weekend on Sweden's west coast

Our weekend on Sweden's west coast

August 10, 2016 By Jodi

Climbing Flatholmen with Leif

Speaking of summer, last weekend we took a train to the west coast of Sweden to spend a few days sailing with our wonderful neighbors (who we call the kids' Swedish grandparents). Henrik has had his boat Maja for forty-five years! We didn't do any actual sailing (we motored around because we didn't have the best wind conditions), but we had a great time island hopping, fishing, and just chilling out. The boys loved it! If you're curious, here are some photos.

james-august-on-boat

We took a train (technically we took three trains and two buses) to Lysekil, where our neighbors met us. James and August looked too cool as we headed out the first night. We anchored on a low, small island called Flatholmen. It was perfect for climbing around and playing hide-and-go-seek, August's favorite game right now.

boat-moored-at-flatholmen

view-from-flatholmen-clouds-water

fishing-village-sweden-west-coast

The views from the top of the island were amazing, and I loved this little fishing village tucked into a small cove on a neighboring island.

boy-holding-crab-claws

Both boys had fun collecting crab claws and stuffing my pockets with them. (On our way home a few days later, I reached into my pocket so I could pay for our train ticket and I pulled out a handful of crab claws!)

henrik-boys-fishing

The boys loved fishing, even if they weren't successful.

The next day, while the boys and I napped down below, Henrik and Agneta took us to another island. It was cold and rainy and they got soaked while we sailed, but by the time the boys and I woke up, we were docking at a lovely, green island under clear skies. James and the boys and I ran off to find ice cream and explore the island a bit, which was so different from Flatholmen.

Bassholmen-near-dusk

Maja is the wooden sailboat you can see closest to the camera.

wonky-dock-bassholmen

This old dock looked so rickety, I couldn't imagine it was still in use. But the next morning, a woman walked out of the cottage across from it wearing a bath towel, walked to the end of the dock, and got in the water!

boys-playing-chess-with-grandparents

The kids loved "playing chess", which mostly involved putting all the white pieces on white squares and the black pieces on black squares, and then being done.

koster-on-boat

Koster, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, watched over all of us and got so attentive and worried when August or Leif left the boat. He'd whine and watch for us until we were safely back on board.

swedish-flat-sunset-water

This was my first overnight sailing adventure, and I had such a great time. We were worried that the boys wouldn't like being on the boat or it might feel too cramped, but it was perfect. They thought everything was so cool and loved all the ropes and knobs and buttons to push. The food and the company were wonderful, and we can't wait to do it again!

What was your favorite trip or excursion this summer? Have you ever been sailing? Do you get seasick? I'd love to know!

All photos by me.

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Filed Under: Beautiful Places, Life in Sweden Tagged With: bassholmen, flatholmen, sailing, summer, Sweden, west coast

Previous Post: « Summer in Sweden: the Basics
Next Post: On Having Imperfect Pictures of Myself on the Blog »

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Comments

  1. Sophia

    August 13, 2016 at 10:22 am

    Your trip looks so gorgeous! I can't quite get my fill of the skies and light and water during the summer. I feel nostalgic already and it is only August. Also, I wasn't even on your vacation, I was on my own, but it still has that effect.

    Reply
    • Jodi

      August 15, 2016 at 9:11 am

      There is something about the quality of the light and all the water that makes summer here in Sweden feel so different from everywhere else I've been. And it's so easy to feel nostalgic about, I think, because the whole season feels frozen in time.

      Reply
  2. KP

    August 14, 2016 at 5:42 pm

    How special to have such a relationship with your neighbors! I love picturing you reaching in your pocket and finding crab claws! I definitely get sea sick. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jodi

      August 15, 2016 at 9:11 am

      We have the best neighbors in the world. =)

      Reply
  3. Katie

    May 25, 2017 at 12:08 am

    What a gorgeous trip! Frank and I had our first "this is a relationship" date/trip sailing to Catalina, one of the Channel Islands, with a few of his coworkers. I learned about his seasickness and general propensity to vomit () but enjoyed every bit of the trip, and it ranks high on my list of perfect dates.

    I love the blog, Jodi! Thank you for your eloquence and candor!

    Reply
    • Jodi

      May 25, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      Thanks, Katie! Your trip around Catalina and the islands sounds fantastic - something I never knew you'd done. I'm glad you enjoy the blog, and hope you continue to do so (and that I continue to write it, as it's so hard to find time while preparing for our move).

      Reply

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About Jodi

I just repatriated from Sweden to the US with my British husband and three young kids. I started this site while living in Sweden to build the conversations and community we've had with loved ones around the world, and to create a space to share thoughts about life, beauty, motherhood, and everything else. read more →

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