Fjällbacka, where we were staying, is a fishing village with some 800 inhabitants. It is famous for being the home of the great Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman when she was in Sweden. It is just short of 100 miles (150 km) from Gothenburg although we had taken 130 miles (196 km) to get there.
After the past couple of days we were glad to have a day off from cycling. Mauro and I both woke up around 7am and so decided to go have a wander around. The hostel is set in the grounds of the Fjällbacka Valö hotel and has a view that few can match.
Across from the dorms where we were staying there was a large crop of rock which allowed you to view the sea across to Fjällbacka and the surrounding area from an elevated position. The view across the bay was like most of the scenery I had seen so far on the journey up the coast... stunning. We sat on the jetty and soaked in the atmosphere of the place. Shoals of Whitebait were swimming around the jetty which was an unusual sight.
Breakfast was served around 9am in the hotel at the top of the garden. We ate heartily and discussed the past couple of days' cycle. Afterwards a few of us went back across the water to Fjällbacka with Fred. It was his girlfriend's birthday so he was taking the van and driving back to Gothenburg and would return in the morning. Before he left he told us about a large crag in the rock behind the harbour that we should go and have a look at.
Tom, John, Mauro and I headed up the steps from the harbour which led to the crag. How something like this crag is created I have no idea but it was an amazing site. The entire rock was split in two with a large channel down the centre. Further on into it there were 4 huge boulders wedged in between the two halves of the crag. It was a but unnerving walking underneath them but we were completely safe. The locals call it the Kungsklyftan (The King's Shaft).
Safely through the passage there was another set of stairs leading up on top of the rock. From the top you could see over the whole bay and beyond.
After climbing down from the rock we bought some supplies at the supermarket then sat down at the bar on the harbour for a drink in the sun. There are few better ways or places to relax on such a beautiful day.
1:30pm and the taxi boat came and took us back to Valö. We had some food and then I decided to take the path round the back of the hotel and follow the trail on to the top of the hill that constitutes the bulk of the island. The hill, in fact the whole island, is a massive piece of rock sticking out of the sea. The route to the top of the hill was marked with white paint.
The proprietor of the house told me that in winter they can experience temperatures of down to -30˚C because of winds coming down from the North. Amazing then that the hill supported so much life. There were bushes and even a small wooded area on the summit. From the other side of the island you could see for tens of miles. I am fast running out of superlatives to describe the scenery here. Breathtaking isn't a word I use a lot (if at all) but the views from here were all that.
After climbing all over the hill for a couple of hours I went back to the hostel via the beach that the other guys had discovered earlier. For dinner Bob made a superb curry. Everyone ate well that night. Afterwards Pete and I sat on the rocks across from our dorms and took in the view of the bay. Later on I took a walk down the jetty to call my wife on the phone. Big mistake. This was the realm of the local mosquitos. Ouch!!!
Today was an amazing day with amazing weather. Unfortunately that was soon to change...
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