Exploring Fårösund
Mid January saw us head to Gotland for a few days. However, I'm only just getting around to writing it about because I'm so behind with photo sorting.
We fancied an adventure to a random town on Gotland; something we decided on a whim the day before. There weren't a great deal of options given a) the time of year and b) we were relying on bus routes. Fårösund was coastal and the furthest we could travel from Visby by bus. Decision made... with acceptance there may not be much there.
After managing some Swedish small talk at Visby bus station, we were on our way! The bus pootled to various places en route and a surprising number of people got on and off considering most stops were just small roadside signs. Falling snow quickly transformed the landscape into an empty white expanse.
We stepped off the bus at Fårösund an hour later, into what felt like a ghost town! There wasn't a great deal of anything, including people, and we'd out-paced the snow. Our return bus was in three hours time so we planned to just walk around and then find some lunch. We picked up a couple of buns from ICA as insurance, in case nothing was open.
It was a dark, grey day so I laughed out loud when I saw this welcome sign:
SE: Vi önskar en färgglad årstid EN: We wish you a colourful season
There were colourful houses with hand painted postboxes, and couple of galleries and cafés closed until Summer.
It didn't take long to walk the length of Fårösund, so we cut in a couple of roads and explored the coast. Badhusparken was a highlight because the sea had frozen!! Some areas of ice were anchored to the shore and further out, the sea resembled a chunky slushy that rippled lethargically.
Scott said "the wind is like 10,000 knives". I can honestly say this was one of the coldest days of my life; my fingers were numb after just a couple of minutes without gloves. Thankfully the photos were worth it.
Losing all feeling in our faces signalled it was time for lunch. Magasinet Kök och Bar was the only open restaurant and therefore our first choice. The food was fantastic. Scott ordered a Thai curry when he found out it's their post Christmas tradition, and I had fish and chips. I felt like a "Brit abroad" ordering that but it's different to the UK version — breaded rather than battered, and served with curry remoulade. I'll make British enemies saying this but the Swedish version has the edge.
It was so cosy and warm inside that neither of us wanted to go back out into the cold. We stood at the bus stop pondering what we'd do for another three hours if the bus didn't show up. Thankfully, we didn't have to find out.
This is Fårö ferry terminal. We decided against venturing over this time — the days were still short and any ferry delays could have left us stuck in the cold without a bus back to Visby. Hopping over to Fårö will be a warm weather adventure for another time.
We slinked down into our bus seats and enjoyed a warm ride back to Visby. I'm so glad we explored Fårösund, it was a fun day!
