Week 16 – Sweden, here we come!

The night shook the van as if Denmark didn't want to let us go. Gusts of wind, little sleep, and yet this view from the window directly onto the ferries. A truly idyllic spot. Without the storm, it would probably have been deathly quiet. Our spirits remained high nonetheless. We were as excited about Sweden as little children. Perhaps because this was our fourth trip here in just a year and a half. This country has captivated us. We've already seen many corners, from the south through central Sweden all the way up to Lapland.

What we'd always overlooked, though, was Gothenburg. We'd somehow had preconceived notions, and the city never really appealed to us. Since we'd now arrived there, we decided to check it out. And yes, Gothenburg, we were wrong. The city is edgier and rougher than Stockholm, but at the same time calmer and more authentic. Everything was relaxed with the dogs. We especially loved Haga, essentially the old town. Wooden houses, small shops, secondhand stores, and cinnamon buns as big as our steering wheel.

Gothenburg is very dog-friendly in general. Dogs aren't allowed in restaurants due to hygiene regulations, but we went to a shopping center to warm up. Completely normal in Sweden. Dogs are welcome. A bit unusual at first, but worth their weight in gold for Mooi and Milo's paws.

After this positive experience, we continued on towards Smögen, a small fishing village on the west coast of Bohuslän. It's known for its long wooden pier, the Smögenbryggan, with its colorful houses right on the water. Bustling in summer, almost empty in winter. Just wind, sea, and seagulls. The boats lie still in the harbor, and the only sound on the rocks is the lapping of the waves. That's when Smögen is at its most powerful.

We spent a night among the rocks, a clear, starry sky above us. The next day, refreshed, we set off on our slightly more than 300-kilometer leg north to Torsby. It was our third time in this small town, and it felt almost familiar. No need for a GPS. We found everything immediately and felt ourselves drifting back into daydreams. Then we went shopping at the Coop, because we wanted to make meatballs that evening. Homemade, not from the freezer. So there we were, standing in a parking lot by the ski resort in minus 15 degrees Celsius, cooking. Unusual, but that's exactly why we travel like this.

A day later, we visited a small nature campsite for sale just north of Torsby. We only intended to have a quick look. Since it's closed for the winter, we thought we wouldn't be bothering anyone. Little did we know we'd end up staying. Despite the site being closed, the owner allowed us to camp overnight, use the sanitary facilities, and even take wood from the sauna. That evening, a fire was burning in front of our van, and suddenly, all sorts of things started to play out in our minds.

After another peaceful night, we explored the surrounding area and drove back to Torsby. We still had to go to Systembolaget, the state-run liquor store. In Sweden, anything over 3.5% alcohol by volume is only available there. You can't just quickly grab a bottle of wine at the supermarket. And it's closed on Sundays. At the same time, supermarkets, shopping centers, and hardware stores are open almost every day from early morning until late at night. It's a mix that takes some getting used to.

On the way to the next campsite, we made a quick stop at a wooded property with a house. It was right on the route. One can dream. Afterwards, we continued on to a spot further out, because we needed to do laundry.

And suddenly it was Sunday again. Week 16 of our European tour was over. A quiet, warm week in the cold north. Smoke in the air in the evenings, snow crunching underfoot, and that feeling of not just being a visitor up here. Torsby, we'll be back.