Morning At Sea & Afternoon Exploring The Swedish Archipelago
Early this morning the National Geographic Endeavour left Stockholm heading east into the Swedish Archipelago. Cruising slowly and following a set navigational channel our ship threaded her way through this group of islands, islets and skerries that numbers over 30,000. Almost immediately upon leaving Stockholm and essentially within the outer suburbs of this city we found ourselves in an area that is considered truly Swedish! Though the houses were on small islets, we were still very close to Stockholm's center, and in an area that is dear to every Swede. As our ship continued on her easterly course the islands and islets continued to be dotted with smaller and smaller cottages. We were now outside of Stockholm and moving through one of the largest archipelagos in the world. Against a backdrop of green-forested islands we cruised past many, many little red cottages: a small dock in the front at the waters edge, and almost always a second smaller building nearby, often painted red, a stovepipe on the roof letting us know that this was the family sauna sitting at the edge of the Baltic Sea. It is said, in Sweden, that finding a postcard stand, a tourist brochure or any kind of Swedish international exhibit without the omnipresence of the little red wooden cottage would be considered quite strange to a Swede. This red paint is no ordinary paint; it is rather a stain that has been in use since the 1600's. The original red Swedish cottage is painted in the unmistakable nuance of Genuine Falun Red Paint, a trademark-paint manufactured according to a traditional recipe at the ancient copper mine in Falun, in the Dalarna region of Sweden. The paint uses baked slag from the mine for pigment, which is mixed with iron vitriol, water and wheat-flour and boiled until ready for use. The paint is applied to unfinished raw wood and is said to last for over twenty-five years. Our journey this morning was a transit of forty-one nautical miles taking the National Geographic Endeavour to the outer islands of the Swedish Archipelago. The waters around these outer islands are shallow and filled with many unseen large rocks just under the surface of the Baltic Sea. Once the Endeavour was anchored and Zodiacs were lowered, we were ready to make a three-mile trip into the Bullerö Nature Reserve. The wind had increased during the morning, so the ride into this island was a bumpy one.
We arrived at a scenic dock and were welcomed by Johan Stake, a retired caretaker who had lived for more than twenty years with his family on Buller. He invited our group to the old hunting lodge, built by one of the most famous residents of this small island, the painter Bruno Liljefors. The human history of this tiny island has been very interesting and Johan, a wonderful storyteller brought that history of fishing, seal and bird hunting, farming and finally livestock rearing all to the forefront of the island's current history, one of preserving a unique ecosystem representing the outer Swedish Archipelago.
After the introduction the Natural History staff were available for hikes around the island. Before our arrival Johan had stoked the sauna, and for those intrepid guests a sauna mister awaited their arrival. A small group took up the challenge, joining the sauna mister and enjoyed the intense wood heat of a very traditional Swedish sauna followed by a brisk tip in the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile back at the hunting lodge and museum, our hospitable host offered a lax macka, a traditional Swedish snack. A warming schnapps along with delicately smoked salmon served on a rye cracker with dill sauce on top, rounding out a wonderful mixture of flavors.
All to soon we were called back to the waiting Zodiacs to begin our three-mile journey back to the National Geographic Endeavour. Fond memories held by all, as we rolled with the seas and wind, threading our way back through skerries and islets, of our day exploring both the landscape and traditions of Sweden and the Swedish Archipelago.
Early this morning the National Geographic Endeavour left Stockholm heading east into the Swedish Archipelago. Cruising slowly and following a set navigational channel our ship threaded her way through this group of islands, islets and skerries that numbers over 30,000. Almost immediately upon leaving Stockholm and essentially within the outer suburbs of this city we found ourselves in an area that is considered truly Swedish! Though the houses were on small islets, we were still very close to Stockholm's center, and in an area that is dear to every Swede. As our ship continued on her easterly course the islands and islets continued to be dotted with smaller and smaller cottages. We were now outside of Stockholm and moving through one of the largest archipelagos in the world. Against a backdrop of green-forested islands we cruised past many, many little red cottages: a small dock in the front at the waters edge, and almost always a second smaller building nearby, often painted red, a stovepipe on the roof letting us know that this was the family sauna sitting at the edge of the Baltic Sea. It is said, in Sweden, that finding a postcard stand, a tourist brochure or any kind of Swedish international exhibit without the omnipresence of the little red wooden cottage would be considered quite strange to a Swede. This red paint is no ordinary paint; it is rather a stain that has been in use since the 1600's. The original red Swedish cottage is painted in the unmistakable nuance of Genuine Falun Red Paint, a trademark-paint manufactured according to a traditional recipe at the ancient copper mine in Falun, in the Dalarna region of Sweden. The paint uses baked slag from the mine for pigment, which is mixed with iron vitriol, water and wheat-flour and boiled until ready for use. The paint is applied to unfinished raw wood and is said to last for over twenty-five years. Our journey this morning was a transit of forty-one nautical miles taking the National Geographic Endeavour to the outer islands of the Swedish Archipelago. The waters around these outer islands are shallow and filled with many unseen large rocks just under the surface of the Baltic Sea. Once the Endeavour was anchored and Zodiacs were lowered, we were ready to make a three-mile trip into the Bullerö Nature Reserve. The wind had increased during the morning, so the ride into this island was a bumpy one.
We arrived at a scenic dock and were welcomed by Johan Stake, a retired caretaker who had lived for more than twenty years with his family on Buller. He invited our group to the old hunting lodge, built by one of the most famous residents of this small island, the painter Bruno Liljefors. The human history of this tiny island has been very interesting and Johan, a wonderful storyteller brought that history of fishing, seal and bird hunting, farming and finally livestock rearing all to the forefront of the island's current history, one of preserving a unique ecosystem representing the outer Swedish Archipelago.
After the introduction the Natural History staff were available for hikes around the island. Before our arrival Johan had stoked the sauna, and for those intrepid guests a sauna mister awaited their arrival. A small group took up the challenge, joining the sauna mister and enjoyed the intense wood heat of a very traditional Swedish sauna followed by a brisk tip in the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile back at the hunting lodge and museum, our hospitable host offered a lax macka, a traditional Swedish snack. A warming schnapps along with delicately smoked salmon served on a rye cracker with dill sauce on top, rounding out a wonderful mixture of flavors.
All to soon we were called back to the waiting Zodiacs to begin our three-mile journey back to the National Geographic Endeavour. Fond memories held by all, as we rolled with the seas and wind, threading our way back through skerries and islets, of our day exploring both the landscape and traditions of Sweden and the Swedish Archipelago.
