While studying the charts, we noticed that just a short distance across Kudoxafjärden was the island of Norröra, a place that we had been hoping to visit as it was here that the 1960’s TV series “Vi på Saltkråkan” was filmed. Lars-Göran had always wondered where this mythical “Saltkråkan” was and he wanted to see it. I guess it is the Swedish equivalent of the Skippy series. It was based on a book by the well loved Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren and was basically a story revolving around this small summer community. There was the precocious child (Tjorven) and her faithful companion, Båtsman (a huge St Bernard) whose family owned the local shop and there were other families and visitors, as well as the obligatory clumsy adult (Melker) who fell off the pier in nearly every episode.

I’ve seen a couple of the shows and while it is by no means an acting masterpiece, it still has charm as a picture of Sweden in a more innocent, simple time as well as providing a lovely picture of summer in the archipelago.

But there is no wind!



Yes, it is very pretty, but not if you are actually trying to get anywhere. It was so light that it was barely enough to fill the gennaker (our nylon lightwind sail) and it took us three and a half hours to travel the 4 NM to Norröra. That’s really lazy sailing! But it was very sunny and at 30C, very hot for Sweden. The weather forecaster breathlessly told us the this has been the hottest start to July since........ 2001! I laughed at that as it was only a couple of years ago and hardly worth mentioning.



Norröra means “north ear” (though öra also means a leafy, green isle) and of course there is a Söderöra (south ear), separated by a very narrow, shallow channel so we dropped anchor in the large eastern bay near the channel and took the dinghy around to the main harbour on the south west. I had expected a signpost or at the very leat a map of the area at the ferry pier, especially as there are regular and apparently popular “Saltkråkan” excursions from Stockholm, Furusund and Spillersboda. But I was greeted with the usual Swedish nothing. No signs, no information, no map and nobody to ask. Just the usual fork in the road!

It is very pretty here and Lars-Göran is sure that this is Tjorven’s house from the TV series.



The houses here are much more posh than those on Rödlöga, so I presume that this area was wealthier. The island was settled in the sixteenth century as a farming and forestry community, though even fishing and seal hunting helped build up the area, which had a thriving township until both the local school and shop closed in the 1960’s.

The island is not that far from the mainland, so people go by boat for shopping and there is a regular ferry service to keep them in touch. Quite a few of the houses are permanent ones with cool, lush gardens overflowing with flowering plants and a view of the pretty bay.



Others are simpler summer residences and nearly all are built to take advantage of a sea view across the fields. There are no motorised vehicles at all here – not even the dreaded mopeds that plague most Swedish towns, so people get around by walking or by bicycle. Dotted here and there are older homes, barns and piers – a reminder of former times.



Today it is hot again – 30C with little or no wind, so we have set our sights on more lazy sailing, perhaps to Tjockö, as much for the name of the place as anything else. When you see the suffix “ö” on a place name, it means island. Thus Utö is “outer island”, Björkö is “birch island”, Ängsö is “meadow island” and so on. Well, Tjockö means “Fat Island” and I made a few jokes about it a day or so ago and now it looks like the best place to moor tonight, so off to fat island we go. I wonder if there is a health farm there?

Nope, no health farm. We had moored in a small bay (Grännesviken), a little way off the main traffic route and tied up to a rocky cliff for a change. We were initially quite alone, but by late evening three other sailing boats had tied up to the same cliff and one other lay by anchor out in the bay, then two kyakers came in and set up camp on the small island in the bay. But everyone is quiet, so it is not painful to be here at all, even though we rarely choose to moor close to others.

The island has a beautifully preserved archipelago community and on a warm summer afternoon, it is lovely to tramp along the country road for a kilometer or so into town.



We knew we were close to the settlement when the letterboxes came into view.



This set of letterboxes (112 in all - no I didn't count them, they were already numbered) is located near the charming little shop (Ö Butiken) where we stopped for a welcome sit under the shady verandah and an ice cream. This shop also functions as the local post office, so when the mail arrives by boat, they walk across and post them in the correct letterbox and you can collect it when you pass by. There are some lovely homes on the island and I was especially taken with this yellow house.



The garden area was extensive and well cared for and just inside the side fence I spotted a pretty patch of daisies.



The home must belong to one of the 50 permanent residents here as this is far too big to be a summer house. There are several summer houses and about 400 people spend their July holidays on Tjockö. It must be great to be totally surrounded by water and the sun glinting off the surface adds a special dimension to the scene.



Back on the boat we settle for our evening G&T and now Bruce and Sheila are demanding their share of chips. I can’t believe how excited they get when they hear the rustle of the chip bag and they squawk incessantly and rattle the cage until they get their share. Bloody pushy Australians!



Not to be outdone, a family of swans arrives for their share of handouts.



But I remember from home that one should not feed them things like bread etc as it is not good for them, filling them up without providing any nutrition for them. It also encourages them to rely on handouts and not collect their own food, so I didn’t feed them and soon they moved on and grazed on the water grass nearby.



In the morning, I heard barking and looked up to see the local farmer (whose fields border the place where we are moored) pop down to the water’s edge with his two cute doggies for an early morning dip. They frolicked around and had a lovely time. My dog slept through it all. She HATES water with a passion, despite being a poodle and thus originally bred as a water dog! She is much more a couch dog and does everything she can to avoid water at all costs. However, the farm dogs looked like they were having a ball.



I’ve decided that Swedish summer is really and truly here as my viking took his first skinny dip for the season. He tried to tell me the water was lovely, but I heard the muttered curses as he gingerly lowered himself into the sea, so I sensibly stayed on board.



Time for more slacking off I think. We’ve brought out the comfy cockpit mattresses and cushions, set up the umbrellas and are intending to stay like this for the foreseeable future!