Well, actually from Landsort to Arlanda, which are respectively the southernmost and northermost islands in the archipelago. Yesterday we made landfall on Öja, where Landsort is situated and were surprised to discover that what looks like a long streak of rock on the map (4km long and 500m wide) is in fact absolutely delightful and full of Historic Interest. In the Swedish fashion, the bits of Historical Interest were fairly low-key, but interesting nonetheless. This, for instance, is a mass grave from 1710, when 79 of the 300 islanders were wiped out by plague. Rather cruelly, the commemorative plaque names the name of the man responsible for bringing it to Öja (“and”, it adds disapprovingly, “to a number of other islands”) but his spirit will be relieved to hear that i have forgotten it,
At the other end of the island from the marina is an enchanting wooden village with the duckiest little harbour I have ever seen.
Also plenty of works of art and Sweden’s oldest lighthouse.
Behind the lighthouse there is also the command centre of a 1930s system of bunkers, hidden in the rocks. The Swedes correctly guessed that things were going to go to hell in a handbasket over in the rest of Europe some time in the decade and decided to update their defence system with a series of batteries along the outer edge of the archipelago. A very informative sign inside the command centre explains that though the batteries and bunkers were state of the art, most of the artillery consisted of 19th century cannons from old warships. Lucky for them they never had to be tested, eh? Alas, the entrances to the bunkers have been sealed up – they went down three levels and contained getting on for a hundred personnel – but you can go and admire the weaponry that was added during the Cold War. It looks rather as if daleks had sunk in quicksand thatthe Doctor then magically turned to rock.
Then today we tacked back up the way we’d come down but in a stiff breeze that let us test Wolfgang’s new reefing system (thumbs up) and are now back in the bay at Ranö (with an invisible circle over the a) and I am going to go for a swim.