The morning forecast is for fine weather initially, but increasing winds and rain overnight. We have decided to head a short way north-west to the settlement of Timmernabben. One reason for moving is that Pataholm is too small to have a shop and I need to buy fresh bread – and a toothbrush! You would think that in a modern, industrialised and apparently civilised country one could buy a simple thing like a toothbrush almost anywhere. But for some obscure reason they seem to be scarce this summer in Sweden. Before I left home, I stocked up on groceries for a month, but my local supermarket was out of toothbrushes. I forgot to check at the other supermarket chain before we left, but was confident that we could find one as soon as we came to land. Well, I tried in Loftahammar, but they were also out of stock. And here in Timmernabben.....hmmm.....they are also out of stock! Is this a conspiracy by Swedish dentists to drum up business, I wonder. So I’ll have to continue to use my embarrassingly old, scummy looking toothbrush until we find another town.

Timmernabben is set out quite differently from Pataholm. It reminds me a little of small country towns in southern Australia. Those of us who have driven from Adelaide to Melbourne along the old Princess Highway would remember the settlements spread along the route, especially on the Victorian side of the border. The towns stretched for 3-4 kilometres along the main highway and generally consisted of a main commercial street with one or two residential streets on either side. Timmernabben, a town with a year round population of 1,500 people stretches along the old coastal highway, bounded by the sea. It is about 5 kilometres long and only a couple of streets wide, so from the water one would think that it was a much larger settlement.



They call this area Småland’s Riviera because it is surrounded by fine beaches and swimming areas and we saw that the caravan park was still busy and the supermarket was full of tourists from Germany, Holland and England. The guest harbour closed for the season last weekend, so we can tie up at the pier free of charge.

The town is small, quiet and very pretty with the coastal views out to sea from the gardens surrounding the houses along the esplanade.



Many of the tourists are following the scenic coastal tourist route that passes through Timmernabben and while here they can visit (and shop!) at Gabriel Keramik which has been manufacturing ceramic products at this location since the 1850’s. They lie a short distance from the guest harbour, near the old mill.



In July they even allow visitors to have a try at pottery making. They had an extensive range of quality ceramic and stoneware to suit any taste. I was quite taken aback at the sheer size of the range – anything from tableware and ornaments to vases and kakelugnar. These are my favourites – beautiful tiled woodburning fireplaces that are a feature here in many older homes and apartments. I’m always a sucker for an open fire in cold weather. I think comfort, a sofa, tea and hot buttered crumpets....



I did see some really cute coffee mugs with a moose on them that were calling out my name, but Lars-Göran gave me the rolling eye look, so I had to put them back. Maybe Santa is reading this blog and remembers them and will surprise me on Christmas eve (“Or maybe not” quips my Swede). Oh well, no harm in dreaming.

After a couple of days of walking around and checking out the beaches and town, I feel it’s time to move on. We nabbed a few freebie brochures about the area while we were at the ceramic factory and can see that there is a wonderful medieval town just north of here with no less than THREE guest harbours.

And lets hope they also sell toothbrushes....