Sweden - July 2024

After leaving the UK, we flew to Sweden to spend 10 days with Kersten, Mia, Byron and their kids Sally and Kaj.  We arrived into Stockholm where Kersten met us at the airport.  We then took the tram over to the central station where we met up with Mia and the kids.  Byron arrived later that evening via car.  

Stockholm

We stayed for two nights at a friend of Kersten's house which is about 5 minutes away from her apartment.  It was a nice two story home with four bedrooms so that we could spread out and also spend some time together.  After getting settled in, Kersten took us to her apartment where we had a snack.  It was then that Kerstin and Mia finally told us the itinerary of our trip - they had kept it a secret until we arrived!  We then on a brief walking tour of the area.  For dinner, we met up with the kids at Krubb Telefonplan where we had some yummy chicken and feta bowls and a couple of beers.  

Skansen

The next day, we did a mini-tour of Stockholm.  We first took the ferry over to an island where we walked around Skansen, an open air museum that showcases various homes/buildings of Sweden dating back to the 14th century.  We also saw a few animals (e.g. bears and owls).  We had lunch at Restaurangen Bla Porten, which is a cafe with nice outdoor seating - we shared a fantastic feta/lentil/tomato salad and a traditional meatball dish with mashed potatoes.  Kersten then took us on a mini-tour of the city via buses.  

Touring around Stockholm

That evening, we all went to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in concert.  We got to the Strawberry Arena which is attached to the Mall of Scandinavia and each got a quick bite to eat at the mall.  Kersten got us floor tickets which were great to be up closer to the band. The concert was amazing - they played non-stop for a little over three hours and the band sounded really great!

Bruce Springsteen Concert

The next morning, we headed out for a week in Northern Sweden after having breakfast at the house.  Shawna, Kersten and Keith drove in one car (a rental) while Mia and the family drove in their car.

Sundsvall

We spent one night here on our way up north to break up the trip.  On the way, we stopped at a roadside rest stop for a quick lunch and then stopped in Hudiksvall for a pastry and to meet up with a colleague of Mia's who lives there - we did a brief walking tour of the town.

Hudiksvall

In Sunsdsvall, we stayed at the Clarion Hotel which had nice rooms for a standard hotel - what was even more amazing was that dinner (buffet) and breakfast (also buffet) were included in the rate.  After checking in, we had our dinner and then did a walk around town - hearing all the reasons from Mia why Sunsdvall was not the best town.  She works here on occasion and it happens to be a 'rival' town to Ostersund where she lives.  It was quite funny.  We walked to the top of the hill just north of town in the Bergfotsvagen park and climbed to the top of the Norra Berget Friluftsmuseum tower which had nice views of the town below.  

Top of Norra Berget

The next morning, Keith and Shawna did the hike up the hill again and then we left to continue our journey north after having breakfast.

Ulvon

We took the ferry over to one of the islands off the Northern Coast to Ulvon where we stayed for two nights. The island is very cute with a small fishing village on the south side where the hotel and a few restaurants are located.  We stayed at the very cute Ulvo Hotel where we had a wonderful room with a balcony overlooking the water.  Breakfast was included with the room which was a buffet - we enjoyed this both mornings, sitting outside with views of the water.

Ulvon

Ulvo Hotel

After we checked into our hotel, we walked about 3km to the northern side of the island where a friend of Kersten's (Anna and Bjorn) has a campsite with their family.  Her friends have a nice plot of land overlooking the water with a small house build in the '40s that is not livable - they plan to rebuild but for now, they set up a large tent and stay there for a week at a time.  They cooked sausages for us which we enjoyed after the kids (and Keith) did various 'competitive' dives (judged by Shawna) into the lake from the pier.  Back at the hotel, we had a couple of drinks before retreating to bed.

Hanging out at Anna and Bjorn's campsite

The next day was chock full of activity.  After having a leisurely breakfast, we did a three hour hike along the rocky coast and then took a path through the forest back. The distance was not far but it was slow going on the rocks.  The coastline was beautiful! We then had a quick snack of pastries from the local bakery and toured the museum (which showcased the history of fishing in the area) and local church (which had beautiful colorful paintings on the walls inside and is touted to be the oldest wooden church in Northern Sweden).  Mia, Shawna and Keith took turns on the paddle boards which was really fun to be out on the water and to see the village from the water.  The last activity of the day was playing paddle where everyone took their turn hitting the balls. Shawna stayed behind at the hotel to catch up on reading.

Hike around the island

That evening, we had dinner at the hotel - Kersten's friends joined us. We first had a few drinks in the bar and then sat down for dinner.  We shared a baked goat cheese appetizer and a fish for our entree - both very tasty.  

The next morning, we went for an hour walk up a hill near the hotel to the Lotsberget platform and then packed up and took the longer ferry back.  We went grocery shopping to stock up for the next few days and then drove to Docksta - the next leg of our journey.

FriluftsByn / Docksta

We stayed for three nights at FriluftsByn, a very cute campsite located on a lake outside of Docksta and close to the Skuleskogen National Park.  The campsite has cabins as well as tent sites, along with a restaurant, toilet/shower facilities, a lounge area and activities for kids.  We got one cabin where Keith and Shawna stayed - it had a double bed along with a sofa, table with two chairs and a few other stools for sitting.  It also had a kitchenette - small refrigerator, hot plate for stove, microwave, coffee pot and kettle.  The rest of the crew stayed in tents but used the cabin for meals and for changing clothes and relaxing.

The cabin at FriluftsByn

After checking in and getting settled, Kersten and Mia cooked dinner - pasta with meatballs and arrabbiata sauce along with a salad,  We all ate it on the picnic table outside of our cabin.  We then did an hour and 45 min hike up the mountain in the Skuleberget nature preserve that was next to our campsite.  It was only 3 miles but about 1K in elevation gain.  The sun was quite nice so we got some beautiful views of the valley.

On top of Skuleberget

The next day, we went into the Skuleskogen National Park and did the Tarnattstugan Loop from the south entrance which is a 10 mile, 1.5K elevation gain hike that took us up the narrow, rocky canyon called Skattdalskrevan and then along a sandy beach.  It was cloudy and a bit misty so we didn't see much of the views from the top but got to experience the hike in the misty clouds which was cool.  Mia and Kersten had several 'fika' stops which were rest stops to have coffee/tea and biscuits so it took us over six hours to complete the hike! That evening, Byron and Keith (OK, mostly Byron) cooked a veggie chili with salad - much to Shawna's pleasant surprise, the chili was very tasty! We then played a couple of rounds of Monopoly deal.

Skattdalskrevan

During our last full day here, Bryon and the kids did the Via Ferrata while the rest of us went back to the park to do a one way hike from the north entrance to the south entrance, taking us up a small mountain and then back over to the canyon - this time we climbed up on the ridge and had amazing views of the surrounding area since it was sunny.  We went for 7.5 miles, 1K elevation gain and it took us over five hours - there were a few stops for tea, lunch, calling Jan from the mountain top and picking berries! While we repeated some of the hike from the day before, it was really nice to be on the ridge and see the views in the sunshine.

View from our hike

That evening, we booked the 'burgers and beer' night at the campsite where we enjoyed some yummy burgers and beer (aptly named)! We stayed to listen to the local musicians who were quite good and enjoyed the people watching.

Dinner at our cabin

The next morning, we packed up after breakfast and said our goodbyes to Mia, Bryon and the kids. We then drove back to Stockholm, breaking up the journey to have lunch at En Liten Sjokrog, an excellent restaurant on the water that was recommended by Mia. We shared a fantastic salad with smoked trout and a fish with sautéed vegetables. We also shared a smoked shrimp appetizer amongst the three of us and a couple of desserts.  We were quite full!  We stopped again in Uppsala to stretch our legs - first walking around the grounds of the Gamla Uppsala Museum where they have old burial mounds and then around the old part of town to see the church, castle and the university where Kerstin took some of her classes.  We had a quick bite of savory pie with an apple cake for dinner at Kafferummet Storken, a cafe frequented by students.  We made it back to Kersten's close to 9pm.

Lunch at En Liten Sjokrog

Stockholm

Our final day in Sweden was spent doing some laundry and admin catch up in the morning after a nice leisurely breakfast at Kersten's apartment.  We then did a wonderful two hour kayak around Langholmen and Reimersholme (two of the islands in Stockholm) and across the water to the city hall.  It was sunny and beautiful to see the city from the water.  We had a light lunch at Bullbon, a small cafe, where we had lentil soup with bread and then had a scoop of ice cream at Sno - our usual salted caramel - the ice cream was very creamy.

Kayaking in Stockholm

That evening, the three of us met up with Helena, Hakan, Victoria and Lasse for drinks at Urban Deli, a rooftop bar.  Helena and Victoria also worked at Kandersteg with Keith.  Helena was not feeling great so they left after the bar and the rest of us had dinner at Rolfs Kok - a great restaurant that Kersten selected.  We shared a pork chop with Kersten (it was enough for two people) and then Keith and Shawna also shared a lamb rib dish.  We then ended the evening with our final 'pastry of the day' - enjoying some madelines with a caramel cream.  Everything was delicious.  

Drinks at Urban Deli with Kersten, Helena, Hakan, Victoria and Lasse

The next morning, Kersten spoiled us once more with breakfast and then we left for the airport to fly to Munich.

Scotland - July 2024

After we spent a week in the Lake District, we went to Scotland to spend a few days in Glasgow with Anne and a few days in Edinburgh with Kirsty.  On our way to Glasgow, we drove through Keswick which is on the northern side of the Lake District - the town was not as cutesy as we expected.  It was raining quite a bit so we went to the Derwent Pencil Museum where we learned about pencil making (and oddly interesting).  We then did a tour of the Dalemain Mansion and Gardens - a historic estate that hosts the annual marmalade festival.  The person who gave us the tour was informative.  Our last stop was to see the Lockerbie Memorial Garden (which is the site where part of the plane crashed into a residence and killed some of the people on the ground) and the Lockerbie Cemetery where they had a memorial to all of the people who died in the crash.  

Dalemain Mansion and Gardens

Glasgow

We arrived at Anne's apartment around 5pm. We stayed in for the evening catching up while drinking wine.  She made us a yummy meal of salad and pasta. 

The next day, we did a walking tour of Glasgow for 1.5 hours where we learned about the history of the town.  We grabbed a quick lunch at Maki and Ramen where we shared a tasty bowl of ramen with edamame and gyoza.  After lunch, we went into the Glasgow Cathedral which has really cool archways and then walked around the Necropolis, which is a hillside cemetery, and around town.  

Glasgow Cathedral

That evening, we went out with Anne and had dinner at Mharsanta which is a nice Scottish restaurant - we shared a goat cheese croquette, fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding.  We then had a drink at the Metropolitan Bar and at the House of Gods.  We wrapped up the evening with a nightcap back at Anne's place.

Drinks with Anne at House of Gods

The next day, we walked around the Pollok Country Park where we saw the highland cows and then saw the exhibit at the Burrell Collection which had wonderful displays of all kinds of art donated by a wealthy businessman who had a castle near Berwick.  We went back to Anne's and then drove to Loch Lomand where we stopped for a few photos and then went for a swam in the lake - man that was cold!! We drove to the northern side of the lake and stopped at a place (Beinglas Campsite) that Anne's boyfriend worked for a few months to have a beer and some chips.  We then drove on the other side of the lake back to Glasgow where we had some cheese and wine at Anne's place before crashing for the evening.  

Loch Lomond with Anne

The next morning, we had breakfast at a local cafe with Anne and then drove to Edinburgh. 

Edinburgh

We arrived at Kirsty's mid-day and after getting settled, she took us on a wonderful and long walking tour of Edinburgh, seeing many of the main sites but also some 'off the beaten path' places.  Some of sites that we saw included: walking along the Water of Leith, the Botanic Gardens, St. Bernard's Well, around Dean Village (old beautiful buildings that are now homes along the river), the Royal Mile, National Museum of Scotland (we went inside briefly and also went to the rooftop to see the views), Grassmarket (where there was a jazz festival underway), St Giles' Cathedral (we also went inside this one), Edinburgh Castle (just walked up to the top but did not go inside), some of the Closes (which are small alleyways off of High Street) and the Palace of Holyroodhouse (did not go inside).  We stopped for a scone at the cafe at the National Galleries of Scotland and towards the end of the tour, we stopped for a beer at the Jolly Judge which is a cute pub tucked away down an alley.  That evening, Kirsty made us a yummy halloumi salad which we had with a bottle of rose.

Touring around Edinburgh

Drinks at the Jolly Judge with Kirsty

The next day, we did the Pentland Five Peaks hike - 8 miles, 3.2K elevation and 5.5 hours.  It was a great walk in the hills with lots of up and down as we bagged each of the five peaks.  After, we celebrated with a beer at Old Chain Pier, a nice pub near Kirsty's house.  That evening, Kirsty made a tasty risotto while Shawna made a salad.  

Hiking Pentland Five Peaks with Kirsty

The following day, we drove out to Yellowcraig Beach and walked along the beach and then back along the John Muir trail.  We then hiked up Berwick Law - it was a clear day so we could see much of the surrounding area.  We then toured inside Tantallon Castle which is a great ruin right on the water where you can walk up to the top of the castle and walked around the harbor at North Berwick which is a very cute town.  On our way back to Edinburgh, we stopped for S Luca ice cream in Musselburgh (we had been here with Keith's family two weeks prior). That evening, we drove to Glasgow to have dinner with Kevin (friend of Keith's who grow up across from Keith's grandparents in Berwick) and his wife Linda.  We met at Ga Ga which is a great Malaysian place in West Glasgow.  We shared a couple of appetizers and entrees amongst the four of us - it was all very tasty.  

Tantallon Castle

Dinner with Kevin and Linda in Glasgow

Our final day in the UK for this leg of the trip was spend having lunch with Stewart and Alison (who lived across the street from Keith's grandparents) - we me them for lunch at The Barn at Beal which is a great cafe with outside seating with views of Holy Island. We sat outside and shared a delicious fish and chips and pea soup. We then hiked St Abb's Head to the light house and a bit beyond - total of 2 hours and just over 4 miles - beautiful cliffs with lots of birds.  We did a quick walk around the town of St Abb's and then drove over to Eyemouth where Keith's grandfather is from.  We walked around the harbor and then got some mussels for dinner (we were still quite full from lunch) at The Ship Bar and Restaurant. When we got back to Kirsty's we chatted a bit and then packed up.

Lunch with Stewart and Alison at The Barn

Hiking at St Abb's Head

The next morning, we flew out to Sweden to start the mainline Europe part of our trip!

England (Lake District) - July 2024

After we left the Dodds family in Wimbledon, we started making our way back to Scotland. We spent one night in Lincoln, one night in Leeds and six nights in the Lake District.

Lincoln

We stayed one night in Lincoln so that we could meet up with Eloise (Ann's daughter) to treat her to dinner.  Shawna had not seen her since our wedding when she was just three years old.  We drove to Lincoln from Wimbledon, stopping at Belton Estate near Grantham (where Margaret Thatcher grew up) to stretch our legs.  The Estate was used in the filming of Queen Charlotte (Bridgerton Prequel). We walked around the grounds which were quite beautiful for 1.5 hours.  Once in Lincoln, we also stopped to see the Bomber Memorial, upon the suggestion of Eloise.  

Belton Estate

We then checked in our hotel - we stayed at the Tower Inn which is a very cute, small hotel located in the old quarter across from the castle.  Our room was cute and it included breakfast for a very affordable price.  That evening, we had dinner with Eloise at Antlers, located in the White Hart hotel, just a five minute walk from our hotel.  Dinner was great - we shared a few appetizers for the table and then we split a fish dish.  We ended up chatting for about three hours before returning to our hotel for a nightcap where we talked to one customer in the bar who was quite hard to understand - a combination of him having a bit too much (lot too much) and having a very strong accent!!

Dinner with Eloise at Antlers

The old town is quite cute so we decided the next day to do some exploring - we walked around a bit and then went into the Castle where we walked the walls and saw one of the four originals of the Magna Carta.  The castle is quite impressive.  We then went into the Cathedral which is huge and equally as impressive!  For lunch, we had a yummy cheese tray and a cheese toastie at The Cheese Society before making our way to Leeds.  We thought the town was beautiful and interesting enough that we would return to visit for a few more days.  

Lincoln Cathedral

Leeds

We stayed in Leeds one night to visit with Lovely and Tim, staying at their house.  On our way to Leeds, we stopped at Clumber Park - a very large park - where we walked for about two hours.  Nice place but not something we would say is a must do for anyone.  We mainly did it so we could stretch our legs.

We arrived at Loveday's house around 7pm and immediately went to their local cricket club to have a couple of beers.  We then returned to their house to have dinner - Tim made a yummy seafood stew that we had with bread, followed by a dessert of meringue with strawberries and cream.  We stayed up to almost midnight chatting.

Dinner with Loveday and Tim at their house

The next morning, we got an early start to drive to the Lake District.  

Lake District

On our way to the Lake District, we stopped in two places in the Yorkshire Dales - both of which were amazing.  We first stopped at Bolton Abbey, a tiny, adorable hamlet with an amazing abbey.  We got a scone with clotted cream and jam from the local tea house and had that while sitting on a bench at the abbey.  After exploring the abbey, we then walked along the river for about an hour.  Our next stop was Malham where we did a wonderful two hour, 8 mile hike on the Malham Landscape Trail.  On this trail, we got to see Janet's Floss (a waterfall), Gordale Scar (a cove with a waterfall shooting through) and Malham Cove (a beautiful limestone cove).  We definitely want to come back to spend more time in this area!

Bolton Abbey

Malham Landscape Trail

We arrived late afternoon at our hotel, The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, where we stayed for six nights.  This place was one of our splurges for the year as we were celebrating our 23rd anniversary here.  The hotel is a beautiful, small inn located just a few miles outside of Windermere.  We got a junior suite which was a large room with a sitting area that was nicely appointed.  We also had a hot tub right outside our room which we used once after a long hike!  Our room included breakfast so we had that each morning at the hotel.  Overall, the hotel was nice but the service was not top notch.

Our room at Gilpin Hotel

Our plan for our time here was to do lots of hikes and have some nice dinners. While here, we did the following activities:

Helvellyn Circuit Hike - We did the circuit hike which was a little over seven miles and 3K elevation - we did it in 4 hours and 15 minutes.  It was a strenuous hike with a steep grade to the top but well worth it to see the views of the lakes and the surrounding mountains!

Helvellyn Circuit Hike

Old Man of Coniston and Brim Fell Circular Hike - Just when we thought the hike could not get better than the day before, this hike was amazing.  Views from the get-go!  It was a 6 mile, 2K elevation that took us 3.5 hours.  A bit steep at parts but not too strenuous.  Only downside is there were a lot of people on the hike.  

Old Man of Coniston Hike

Hill Top Beatrix Potter Home - We stopped here on the way back from our hike - cute stone house with artifacts from when she lived there and a nice garden.  

Beatrix Potter Home

Ambleside and Troutbeck Hike - It was supposed to rain so we opted for a moderate hike.  That said, it was 8 miles and 1.9K in elevation gain!! It was a nice hike that took 3.5 hours.  It started in Ambleside, passed by the Stock Ghyll Force Waterfalls and then got steep as we hiked over Wansfell Pike to the town of Troutbeck where we stopped at the tea house for a scone.  The walk back had nice views of sheep farms.  

Ambleside and Troutbeck Hike

Langdale Pikes Circuit - This was the hardest hike - non-stop up and down over rough terrain.  That said it was beautiful!  It was 5.5 miles in length, 2K elevation and took 5 hours.  The hike took us up a waterfall to a lake and then over the peaks of Stickle, Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle.

Langdale Pikes Circuit Hike

Wordsworth House and Museum and Grasmere - Our last full day was rainy so we went into Grasmere to visit one of Wordsworth's houses (Dove Cottage), gardens and the museum which is really well done.  We then walked around the town and saw the Wordsworths graves near the chapel.  

Wordsworth House (Dove Cottage)

Spa - We wrapped up our last day with a massage at our hotel.  We could only get 50 minute massages which seemed to fly by - both very relaxing!

And went to the following restaurants:

L'Enclume - We had dinner at this Michelin Three Star restaurant located in Cartmel, about 35 minutes from our hotel.  The meal was amazing - Shawna said it was up there with Eleven Madison Park.  The restaurant is very nice, with cozy alcoves, and not stuffy.  We had a fifteen course tasting menu with the wine pairing - every dish was so tasty!!  Definitely worth it! While we waited for our cab, we got to see the kitchen as well.  

Dinner at L'Enclume

Old Stamp House - We had dinner at this Micheline One Star restaurant located in Ambleside, about 20 minutes from our hotel.  The meals was really good - it was a ten course meal which we had with the wine pairing.  We had a gin and tonic to start and opted to have the optional cheese course at the end.  Every dish was very tasty!  Cute restaurant located in what was the place that Wordsworth worked as a tax collector before he became an author.  

Dinner at Old Stamp House

The Little Ice Cream Shop - Located in Hawkshead which is a very cute town - we stopped here after our hike and had some yummy salted caramel ice cream!

Rogan and Co - Located in Cartmel, we had dinner at this Michelin One Star restaurant that is the sister restaurant to L'Enclume.  The restaurant itself is really nice and the food was amazing!  We had a 10 course tasting menu with wine pairing.  

Dinner at Rogan and Co

The Old Post Office Tea Room - Located in Troutbeck, we had scones and a hot chocolate as a break on our hike.  Pretty good - hot chocolate had lots of toppings so turned out to be a bit much!

Old Post Office Tea Room

Source - Located at our hotel (Gilpin), we had dinner at this Michelin One Star restaurant.  We had another 10 course tasting menu with wine pairing.  And we first had a cocktail in the bar before dinner.  This was our Anniversary evening so we had hoped they would do something nice for us - the only thing we got was the bartender wishing us a Happy Anniversary!  Overall the food was really good but not as impressive as the prior nights and the service was a bit lacking!

Anniversary Dinner at Source

Gilpin Spice - Located at our hotel (Gilpin), we had dinner here - first night not at a Michelin Star restaurant and also first night not having a drink in a long time! The food was very good.  We sat at the 'Chefs Table' which is essentially at the bar and we shared a couple of appetizers and a lamb dish with fried rice.  

Sarah Nelson's Grasmere Gingerbread - Located in Grasmere, we stopped at this famous bakery that was celebrating 170 years of making gingerbread.  We got a few gifts and a few treats for ourselves.  Gingerbread was very good!

Sarah Nelson Grasmere Gingerbread

Westmorland Inn - Located in Windermere, we had dinner here for our final night.  We shared a goat cheese and a mushroom appetizer and pork chops for our entree.  Food was pretty good!

Next stop:

Our next part of our trip will be another week in Scotland, visiting Ann in Glasgow and Kirsty in Edinburgh.