मला जसे आवडते तसे मी जग बनवतो

We get in the canoe and just paddle away. If you have the wind at your back, you quickly make progress. On the shore, we see beautiful red houses with plenty of space, their own jetty, and a view of the lake. After some time, we discover a beautiful little island.

You can take a break anywhere with the canoe. So we steer towards the island, dock, and marvel once again at nature. In the middle of nowhere, completely alone, only water around you. And what a peaceful silence!

The sun is shining, today it's time for a t-shirt and shorts. We decide to make a fire, we also brought something to eat. We're making stick bread over the campfire. And suddenly, it smells so good!

Such silence, only the crackling of the fire, a gentle breeze, and a few seagulls.

So we enjoy the last rays of sunshine, climb back into the canoe, and start the way back.

A day flies by. When we arrive back at the starting point, the effort slowly becomes noticeable. It feels good.

It sounds good, doesn't it? It's so nice that Sweden makes it possible. It's a completely different way to get to know a country. A truly beautiful opportunity.

Sweden consists of a huge number of lakes, and many of them are connected by small canals. With the canoe, you can explore nature wonderfully here. Sweden consists of so much untouched nature, you just have to take it all in. Yes, I think that's what makes Sweden special. It's so beautiful everywhere, so natural and quiet. A little cottage by the lake, all to yourself? .. I wouldn't say no. Just let it all sink in and don't overlook the little things.

Slowly but surely, the third week of our Scandinavia trip is passing by. We arrive in Vimmerby and meet Sophia, a very good friend of mine/ours. She rode 50 kilometers to get to Vimmerby. That deserves a big praise! She's on vacation in Sweden for two weeks. What a coincidence that we happen to be in Sweden at the same time, right? Coincidence or fate, whatever you want to call it. Of course, we seize the opportunity and spend a few days together. If we couldn't do it at home, then we'll do it in Sweden, we joke.

Vimmerby is located in the north of Småland. Småland nature, deep forests, lakes, meadows, winding gravel roads, red wooden houses and barns. Just like in the stories of Astrid Lindgren, who was born in Vimmerby in 1907.

It's practical that Bob has three seats. So we pack a few cinnamon rolls and take off.

First, we visit the world of Astrid Lindgren. "I make the world as I like it." Who doesn't know that? Childhood memories were refreshed here.

In Vimmerby, there is a monument of the children's book author. After that, we made our way to Lönneberga, or rather to Katthult. Most of the scenes for Michel from Lönneberga were filmed in Katthult. There is nothing to see of it in the village of Lönneberga. Did you know that Michel's actual name is Emil? At least in the Swedish adaptation. Strange, isn't it? Well, for us it is and remains Michel.

The parent's house, the shed with the carved figures, the flagpole on which little Ida was pulled up, it's all there. And you can visit everything for a measly 6 euros.

You can also visit Bullerbyn. Unfortunately, Villa Villekulla is located on a small island called Gotland.

It was beautiful! In the evening, a barbecue area by the lake was very convenient for us, especially since the previous people were so kind and left the grill still hot for us. Perfect, because we were hungry. When the wine bottle suddenly became empty, even though Sophia and I only planned to have one glass, we definitely had our fun! At least it was a funny ride home, well, David might claim something else. Anyway, it was a really good drop!

We were allowed to stay at Sophia's accommodation overnight. The owner was so kind to let us use the shower and toilet for a small fee.

When I woke up the next morning and could only see the world with one eye, I turned around and hoped that it was just a dream.

Nope, unfortunately it wasn't a dream. And don't think it was because of the wine!

No, my whole eye was swollen, all from a single mosquito bite. Somehow, I sometimes react very strongly to those things. Well, surely some wondered why I wear sunglasses in the rain. Fortunately, it slowly subsided throughout the day and I could explore the world with both eyes again.

Have you ever seen a white deer? Sweden made it possible for us. It was standing there by the roadside along with other deer and roe deer. Apparently, such an animal is very rare to see. Amazing, isn't it?

Overall, I now understand why the speed is often limited for car drivers. When dusk falls, you can see wildlife everywhere. It's not uncommon to have several deer standing in your own backyard here.

The next day, we started our second canoe tour, this time with Sophia. As you can deduce from the above text, it was also a complete success. We were allowed to borrow the canoes from the owner of Sophia's accommodation.

Our first canoe tour last week was also a success. The weather was a bit changeable, but it was still a nice tour. We were also allowed to stay at the owner's place and use the dry toilet and shower for free. By the way, the owner, Maik, is also German. He emigrated to Sweden several years ago.

We really talked with him for ages. It was impossible to overlook that he is now doing what he enjoys and making money at the same time. That sounds good, doesn't it? However, there is a long story and a long path before that. Well, in any case, it was a very interesting acquaintance. The man is surely far ahead of us and many others.

Today we left Sophia's accommodation and are now heading towards Stockholm. Today, we will make a stopover in Oxelösund, again by the lake. Tomorrow, we will take a closer look at Stockholm.

I will end this blog post with a statement from Maik:

"You're doing it right! And don't give a damn about what others think of you."