Sweden & Gota Canal

July 1, 2024

5:30 departure from Bozeman…5 hour layover in Minneapolis….no luggage when I finally arrive in Gothenburg Sweden…..making me a little out of sorts…..however it is a mild sunny day….Gothenburg is charming…cobblestone streets mostly pedestrian with an occasional car or scooter easing through…sitting in the shade I am happy to have a jacket on …but many locals are in summer dresses or shirt sleeves….seafood seems to be on the menu for lunch …have a wonderful open faced shrimp sandwich…trying to decide what dill chips with bleak roe might taste like……half heartedly checking out shops in case I have to shop for socks and underwear tomorrow ….Hotel Flora is located near a shopping district and across the street from a lovely park…I opted for what was called a tiny room….a single bed…small desk..and few open shelves…entire space only 6 ft wide and perhaps 12 ft long…bathroom almost the same size…all the thresholds have either a tiny step up or down….very unexpected in the middle of night I would think…..square in front of the hotel full of large metal containers with interesting dark flowers and some very large trees…a group of young woman have been having a concert there all afternoon…love being able to listen from my room…the traffic here is surprisingly subdued sound wise…there is a fair amount of people and cars out and about…it is not jarring or fast but rather stately …..even polite……..now might be a good time to mention that I am VERY tired……a short nap….thinking a shower may be a good idea…..fiddling with the controls….I CANNOT find hot water….this day is conspiring to make me very unhappy….wander through the park on the way to dinner …..lots of people enjoying a game of miniature golf….traditional architecture next to modern structures…beautiful brick with intricate patterns on the facade….Dinner tonight at Koka…Michelin starred…exquisite little plates that keep coming and coming ….I am satiated and blissful…what wonderful flavors  and perfect presentation…on coarse 6 of 8 I start to fade but hope I can get to final coarse before falling asleep

DAY 2 in Gothenburg

Still no luggage…visit the Gothenburg Cathedral….locate dock where the boat will be in the am…call airline again…bag has arrived in Gothenburg…just not at the hotel….window shopping….stop at a very busy spot for lunch…small chalk board with only one item written on it….sort of confused as to what that might be since it is only in Swedish….…fellow at the counter says they only serve ONE THING..…thought it was some type of kebab but in fact it was a yummy bowl of rice …meat…greens and some amazing sauce…pop back to hotel….still no luggage…….there is some sort of a park every few blocks…young mothers pushing strollers…old couples strolling along holding hands…pulling their market shopping behind them…my IPad has died…adapter is in the luggage…front desk didn’t have an extra….lying on the bed staring at the pressed metal ceiling thinking perhaps taking a shower in my clothes might be a good idea when the phone rings….FINALLY the bag is here….glad I don’t have to shop in the tiny store on the ship and end up wearing a T shirt with Gota Canal on it for the next week….Tonite try Familien another Michelin star restaurant..…didn’t have a reservation but politely inquire…of course they say……please come in….happily pursue the menu….super low key …has a real neighborhood vibe….lovely evening…walk back to hotel through a sculpture park

DAY 3

Everything seems to be within 15 to 20 minutes walking distance….so off I go …rolling bag in tow….ship can hold 48 passengers but only 40 on board…my ship the Diana was built in 1931…the newest ship in the fleet..the first ship was built in 1857……my cabin is 5 ft x 6 ft….luckily my suitcase fits under the bunk….cannot imagine how 2 people can squeeze in here…only minutes into the trip we have to stop for a bridge to open for us to pass through…majority of passengers are German …then Swedish…..happily I am the only American…..I share an assigned table with an older couple from the UK and a couple from Norway….probably never pronounced their names correctly…..go under a few more bridges…lots of boat traffic…cabin cruisers…sailboats….a large castle upon a hill…massive trees line the banks as well as cattails….reeds… and some type of marsh grasses….industrial area has turned into beautiful lush countryside ….swans…large groups of ducks ..geese…cormorants….small islands…cows grazing along the edge of the river…..perfect little villages appear and disappear ……after lunch we enter the first of 60 locks on our way to Stockholm…..a surprising amount of water is displaced in a very short time….motor into a series of 3 locks…visit the canal museum…did a super quick walk through then took the path into town of Trollhattan…..so pretty…wonderful pine trees line the paths…many people out walking their dogs or biking….sunny afternoon…really appreciate it since rain is in the forecast…..there was an old car rally…lots of folks in attendance….Saab museum in town…as we are leaving a group of sailboats and cruisers join in behind us as we go through/under several drawbridges…some pivot..some raise 1/2 the bridge and one large bridge had 4 towers that lifted the 4 railroad tracks….the town was lovely and quiet….anchor tonight in Vanersborg

PS….usually on ships that need fenders..they are made out of durable plastic/rubber sometimes covered in rope…on our ship they are posts or pieces of lumber about 6 inches in diameter x 4 ft…..attached by rope…I asked the captain about this as we were going through a very narrow lock…as we smashed into the side of the lock the wood shattered and splintered …he said that is why we use wood....easily replaced and more affordable than other types of fenders

DAY 4

Set off into a wet windy morning at 4:30am….luckily passengers were able to stay in bed…Lake Vanern is one of the largest lakes in Europe…..very choppy but rain has stopped…..since it is rainy not many people up and around….decide it might be a good idea to jump in the shower……if I thought the cabin was small …the bathroom / shower is tiny…elbows bang into the walls…ship is really rocking back and forth….staggered into the shower…bump into the wall…..try to keep shampoo out of my eyes …..bolt back to my room thinking it will easier to get dressed in there…since the entire room is basically the shower…if the floor is wet…..it is a real struggle to keep pants dry as you use the toilet….so many islands in this archipelago ..stop at Lacko Castle….incredibly well maintained castle built in the 1625…had several art exhibits in the castle….what an  interesting juxtaposition…..nice walk around the grounds…back on board then off to Sjotorp…where we will go through a series of 8 locks and actual start of the Gota Canal….there is a nice walking path from lock 1 to 8 many of us decided to stretch our legs….the rain was intermittent until we were nearing the end….many of us were waiting at lock 8….started to rain quite hard…time for the boat to be at the lock has come and gone…..pouring ….huddled under whatever cover we could find….finally the ship appears..but we still have to wait until it is actually in the lock…lots of grumbling going on…gratefully get back onboard…. a total of 12 locks today…sure our 2 young lady decks hands will be glad when we stay the night in the final lock of today…spending the night in a lock in Toreboda

DAY 5

Left the lock at 6 am…..happily fell back asleep….suddenly Captain announces that we are forced to stop since a drawbridge in front of us has lost power and will not open….quickly dress and grab some breakfast….lots of arm waving and calling to the fellow from the power company….success…the bridge opens……a short time later we see what is called the smallest ferry in Sweden…..canal is about 40 ft wide….the ferry is the size of a Suburban….obviously most of the passengers are going to and from the village…..many sizable farms with huge barns….majority of the homes are atypical Swedish red or yellow/maize color…a few cows and some sheep but mainly agricultural …all the houses are perfectly manicured…this part of the canal is idyllic…huge oak trees line both banks….100 ft wide so the landscape drifts by….so happy sitting on the top deck wrapped in a warm blanket watching to world go by…...going at a fairly good speed around a curve when suddenly WHAM….obviously very shallow …because our boat is the largest type of vessel in the canal…quite often there are only inches on either side of the lock……this is the first of only 2 locks on the entire canal that are hand operated….a large beam is attached to the ground and arm is attached to the lock door…then someone grabs the handle and pushes while walking in a circle ….4 people needed one for each lock door….suddenly windy and raining as we enter Lake Viken…very choppy …quickly retreat to my cabin….upon leaving the lake we have to make a very sharp turn…canal is so narrow that one of the deck hands jumps out on the tow path…ship going very slowly one rope is hooked on the ponnare to keep the boat from drifting too far away from the side…as we move forward she runs ahead and attaches the rope to the next ponnare…..hopscotching down the path until we reach a wider portion of the canal…..lunch today was typical Swedish food…..Akvavit is needed to choke down several varieties of herring…pickeled…cream sauce…and one more which was much more palatable…first shot of Akvavit…..finished a couple more bites….now all of us down a second shot….40% proof….the room is starting to warm up nicely….second coarse was some type of corned beef….didn’t love this typical Swedish meal all that much…normally the food is quite good…… the Captain announces that when we cross the top of Lake Vattern the wind will make the crossing quite rough….offers seasick pills…then warning that we all need to be somewhere secure….sounds like a good time to retreat to my cabin….water covered with white caps…the ship does not have a stabilizer …lots of back..forth…up..down…I can hear objects in other cabins banging around….crossing only lasted a hour or so….glide into Vadstena….large imposing castle greets us….boat does a very clever bow line pivot….little touristy train takes us to far side of town to tour an abbey…decided to skip that and wander through town…lots of people..dogs…kids..out in the late afternoon…..I will say there are numerous public spaces to enjoy…charming town..cobblestone streets lined with all types of shops….and roses everywhere..climbing..shrubs..in pots….and they all smelled heavenly….nice to walk around after being confined by the weather earlier….short trip over to Motola where we will spend the night…took a quick walk around town after dinner….so quite not sure what it is about these towns but they certainly are not night spots….a beautiful promenade along the waters edge…a few people out but it feels very unreal to see no traffic or business open on a Friday night …our sister ship the Juno is docked next to us…crews from both ships take the opportunity to visit with each other…the Juno makes the same trip we are doing but instead of 6 full days…they do it in 4…not sure that would be all that enjoyable 

DAY 6

leave Motola…many stately homes line the canal… clusters of red houses with tiles roofs…everything very tidy…no junky cars…no broken down lawn mowers…orderly and well cared for…..perhaps almost Stepford in its perfectness……enter a series of step locks….5 in total that bring us to the level of Lake Boren…..beautiful Lime trees line the canal…a breezy morning but not rainy which is a nice change….the rain tends to come with a fair amount of wind….after lunch a chance to go for a walk along the tow path…visit Vreta Kloster….a monastery…..starting to lightly rain……today a lot of work for the crew…..12 locks in total…a set of 3 then 2 plus 2 more with the final 5 being step locks….which are locks that immediately open into another lock..raising or lowering the boat 20 or so ft each time….so much engineering….as we get back on the boat start to rain in ernest….enter Lake Roxen…….we are in a lock tonite…assume when we moor in a place that is not near a town…or village…they tell us we will be enjoying nature….nature had plenty to say that night…thunder lightning….wind and rain…rain…rain…

DAY 7

Thankfully the storm has past…except for the wind…..mostly sunny….had a pleasant walk along the towpath…many large farmhouses overlooking the canal…..pristine fields…...about 3 miles into the lovely town of Soderkoping….lots of boats in the marina because of the high winds….the town is touristy but in a good way…..tiny canals throughout the village ….beautiful flower baskets on all the pedestrian bridges….lots of character and charm…sadly it was Sunday so most of the shops were closed….except for the ice cream shops….the promenade along the canal is busy with people…dogs…children from the sailboats in the marina….we enter the last lock of the canal…then head into the Baltic Sea……thankfully the wind is behind us ….so waves not causing too much trouble…..truly a boaters paradise…islands..hidden inlets…more islands…we stop at Stegeborg….there is a fantastic stone fortress…parts are very well preserved….a enchanting garden with lots of heritage herbs….masses of sweet peas…hollyhocks….daisies and roses roses and more roses….a huge orchard …wonderful restaurant with a fantastic deck to sit and enjoy and beautiful sunny day and a glass of wine….cruise into a large bay….pull up to a dock…stunning property…captain announces that anyone that would like to swim should get ready….several of the crew and a couple of passengers gamely jump into the  water…the sun has gone behind the hill side so very shady…peaceful idyllic spot…we dock here for the night

DAY 8

Lots of action about 4am when we depart….seems everyone is up early this am…preparing for final stretch to Stockholm….weather finally sunny…warm…perfect…not having to wear several layers feels fantastic …we are now a small boat in a large waterway …..instead of being the biggest boat on the canal…this inland waterway has many cargo ships and industrial areas…waterway lined with apartments and beautiful homes once you get past the industry there are long stretches of trees and water with very few signs of civilization ….we stop for a tour of a Viking settlement Birka….in its prime there were over 1000 residents….some where between 625- 750 BC….a replica of the village has been reconstructed….1000’s of burial mounds dot the ground surrounding the village area…a beautiful modern museum explains the history of the island…it is a world heritage site…amazing location and scenery was gorgeous ….meandering through islands small and large….see the summer palace of the Swedish royal family …about an hour out of Stockholm…high rise apartments line both sides of the water…trains and roads crisscross overhead…..quite a few people swimming…..even though it was not terribly warm….inching our way into the final lock of the journey….numerous construction both in the water and near by…..lots of traffic…road construction…bicycles….so glad I decided to take a taxi from ship to hotel…hotel was built in the 1600’s…many floors and even 1/2 floors…that was new to me…...winding stairways…several courtyards…another tiny room….but bigger than former tiny room in Gothenburg….and a 1000% bigger than cabin on the ship

DAY 9

An amazing selection of beautiful food this morning for breakfast…many sweets…even a strawberry cake…cheeses…fruit…meats…fresh juices all lined up in various sized shot glasses…they looked like jewels….several items I could not identify…all perfectly presented…..crossed the bridge into the Old Town….cobblestone alleys…tiny gaps between buildings that were just wide enough to walk through …not many folks out and about…shops don’t open until 10….and everything except restaurants and 7 11 type stores close at 6pm….sidewalk cafes attach tiny “tables” the size of dinner plates to the wall..secure a railing …voila….outside seating….best weather of the trip today…so sidewalk cafes and coffee shops are packed with people….pass the Noble Museum…Royal Palace….stopping to sit and people watch occasionally….decided to visit the Vasa Museum….an absolutely stunning museum of a sailing ship that sank in Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage…it was under water from over 300 yrs….nearly 100% intact…jaw dropping when you first enter the space….many items …clothing…tools…weapons…and other artifacts were very well preserved…many levels to observe the ship…there was a fantastic computer setup…you could click on various points on the ship..it would explain the meaning of the carving..or explain the purpose of the area……bit tricky keeping your bearings here…instead of thinking you are heading the right direction because the water is on your left…the water is everywhere…numerous islands connect by rail…or bus/car bridges…tunnel or subway…..or you can hop a ferry to get around….ran into several fellow passengers out walking today….stopped in the oldest coffee house in Stockholm….needed to rest before heading back to the hotel

DAY 10

Have time this morning before heading to the airport….take a lovely walk  that over looks Stockholm….spires and steeples of churches and cathedrals dot the horizon with an occasional modern building…houseboats….marinas tucked in every available space…barges that are restaurants or hostels…or private homes…so grateful that yesterdays weather was warm and sunny since I was out and about all day…I am very impressed with Sweden…it’s beauty..charm..and culture….I could see visiting here again some time……