Rain was forecast last weekend but we really wanted to head out for a hike, so we said sod the weather and did it anyway. These photos are quite dark and moody! It was finally cool enough to wear our proper hiking boots again, which was good because we never did get around to buying Summer hiking shoes.
Erstaviksbadet (Erstavik’s beach) was our first stop and only a five minute walk from the train station. Times like this are always a good reminder of how lucky we are to live here — you can access wilderness without a car and for next to no money (SL charge ~£3 for up to 75 minutes of travel). Something I will never take for granted!
The sandy beach was desserted apart from one other couple. Standing at the water’s edge, we had an amazing view of the tree lined shore in the distance. Scott pointed out it was odd to see a pinecone on a beach.
We didn’t hang around for long because we had quite a long route planned — and we’re generally slower than the time estimation because we stop to take photos and eat blueberries!
We snaked through miles of forest for the rest of the day and I can’t find a name for the area but it’s a large green area to the West of Erstaviksbadet on a map. Most of these photos capture small details that are the reason I love the forest so much.
Autumn is definitely on the way. The air was chilly and the forest had started fading to orange and brown.
We stopped for a cookie in this shelter cabin. It smelt like campfire from the last people who stopped by. Unfortunately it was too early for lunch so we continued making our way to the lake we planned to stop at.
This lunch view was worth the wait! We perched up on the bank, unpacked all our goodies and enjoyed being bootless for a little while. Our luck with the weather started running out as the first drops of rain plopped down onto the picnic blanket.
The wind and rain arrived just as we set foot on this hill. We were battered by the rain but boy was the view worth it! This was the point we learned out jackets have finally lost their waterproofing (they are quite old now)! Thankfully, it wasn’t freezing and we were able to carry on without feeling too uncomfortable.
I didn’t take many photos of these rocks, but this is what most of the trails on higher ground look like. Reindeer lichen and heather grows out of the gaps and trees grow perched on rock. It’s one of my favourite parts of the Swedish landscape.
It was an amazing hike and after weeks of strong heat, the cool weather was a welcome change!
Beautiful photos 🥰