My travels in Sweden:
Lappland tour in Northern Sweden, 2002

Content:

1. Introduction to the Lappland tour, 1963
2. Day 1 to 3: From Stockholm to Holmbacka
3. Day 4 to 5: From Holmbacka to Jämtön
4. Day 6 to 7: From Jämtön to Barsele
5. Day 8 to 9: From Barsele to Munkfors
6. Day 10 to 12: From Munkfors back to Stockholm

Our own Lappland tour, 2002

Here at Google map you can follow our travels day 10, 11 and 12:

Day 10, Rymån, Älvdalen, Mora, Malung, Munkfors, Vallargärdet

Rymån:

One of the carpenters from Berg spoke warmly about Älvdalen and that it should be so beautiful there, then we drived to that place and watched.

Just before Älvdalen we take a little break at the river Rymån. I stretch out on the blanket and listen to the purging water in the brook.

Rosie said: "Lars tries to swim but screams: it's too cold" (Rosie exaggerates a little thinks Lars).

Rosie picks up some red stones. "Please, Rosie, just small rocks" Lars said. Rosie told me 20 years later that she still had a red stone left at home.

Can the red color be porphyry?
Answer = No!

The red stone is Älvdalquartzite or "Wasastenen". An old volcanic rock like used, among other things, as building materials. We got this information later in Älvdalen.

Älvdalen:

Rosie said: "Lars looks into the cinema in Älvdalen, still active even though it looks shut down. The whole society seems to have stayed in 1960s or 70s. A visit to the alcoholic shop where we bought a 3-liter wine box. Tonight we will have a party."

More information about Älvdalen's porphyry at Wikipedia (only Swedish):

• https://sv.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Älvdalens porfyrverk

It was really a nice place in Älvdalen and it's surroundings.

Mora:

When we arrive at Mora we eat hot dogs and shop some clothes. After two weeks out on the roads new fresh clothes are needed.

Rosie poses in front of St: George and the dragon.

Rosie said: "Lars has gone in goal ... Vasaloppet."

Rosie has bought a big sharp kitchen knife she is happy with. Now we leave Mora and continue to Malung.

More information about Mora at Wikipedia:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Mora, Sweden

On our way to Malung we received a nice refreshing rain over us, one of few this summer.

Malung:

We are taking a break. We saw a moose cow by the way. Now we have driven 3420 km in total on our trip. We have entered Värmland and civilization. Now is not only ... marshes and forests, marshes and forests, marshes and forests. We drive towards Alstrums farm in Vallargärden where we will spend the night.

Munkfors:

First, we will find a place to eat which was easier said than done, we had to move on to another city. At Wärdshuset Munken in Munkfors we had a tasty dinner. There we could have stayed for 35 Euro / person in a nice room, but already booked this night at other place. Well worth a visit once again in the future.

Day 11, Storfors, Degerfors, Askersund, Zinkgruvan, Myckelmossa

Alstrums farm, North of Karlstad:

Rosie said: "Now we have arrived at Alstrums farm. A mansion where we can stay in one of the wings. The wife of the farm makes a great entrance and turns up in her open MG sport car with her dog in passenger seat in front of the mansion staircase. The courtyard is guarded by the Portuguese water dog and a tame ferret who met us in the shower."

A beautiful morning and a lovely breakfast. Nasse (illern) slept in the cabinet under the sink. Annika (the hostess) thought that he was on the run. Annika drives both a motor cycle and a MG sport car, today it may be the newly purchased motor cycle with a private teacher. Now on in the morning, the whole family will be out for a competition with their island horses.

Here is the wing we were sleeping in. Much bigger than it looks. Four large rooms on the ground floor and two on the upper level.

Storfors:

Rosie said: "Little bit boring city, but the power station with the small waterfall was nice. Storfors is probably Sweden's smallest "city". System alcoholic shop and banks were there but not much more."

More information about Storfors at Wikipedia:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Storfors

A week before we left Stockholm I have found an add with a Pontiac Trans Am car for sale in Storfors. I called the owner and ask if we could have a look at the car.

Rosie said: "Lars is going to look at a Pontiac Trans Am so we'll stay for a little while. The Pontiac sounds fine but by the way ... not good enough."

Degerfors:

My Ford pass the 200'000 km barrier, still going strong!

Askersund:

Here we stayed for 2 hours. What a lovely summer city, why go to Greece when Askersund is so close? We ate pizza and wandered around the harbor. A very nice red old timber house with cafe and B & B was close to the canal, unfortunately fully booked.

More information about Askersund at Wikipedia:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Askersund

After Askersund we continue towards the Zink Mine community.

Zinkgruvan:

The knallagruvan in Närke. The mine was built in the 1860s. Alfred Nobel tested his nitroglycerin blasting in the Zink mine in 1863.

Rosie said: "Lars ”test drive” the mining locomotive that was delivered to the mine in 1961."

Rosie admires a compressed-air lorry machine delivered by Kopparberg's Mechanical Workshop in 1952.

Rosie not only take care of me, but also a worn lorry that got a flat tire, "Poor little tractor" said Rosie.

In the new mine immediately away we can read about zinc, lead and silver. Rudolf appeared, probably someone neighbor had called him and said: "There are some strange people walking around the courtyard to the mine." He offered to give a private view on Saturday night in the museum, he shows among other things, how we see the difference between zinc and lead ore.

More information about Zinkgruvan at Wikipedia:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Zinkgruvan

Rudolf who worked 25 years in the mine shows us how the lorry works. It is powered by compressed air and sounds terribly loud. A bit of a "Donald Duck machine ". Part of the mine are used as compressed air reservoirs.

The mine is about 1 km deep and several km wide. Inside the museum we saw a 3-dimensional map of the mine. There were scale models of the houses on top of the mining map. They looked incredibly small compared to the pits of the mine. The zinc mine was an incredible interesting experience. Rosie got two stones of zinc ore with her. Now, I thinks the Ford begins more resemble an ore train than a holiday car :-)

Myckelmossa:

Finally there! We have driven 5.3 km of forest roads, total wasteland. Here we will stay this last night. Their son met us with a big hug. A super cozy place with jacuzzi. The brook pours outside our window. To the evening we have a party in the jacuzzi.

Day 12, Nyköping, Vagnhärad, Mörkö, Fittja, Stockholm

We are taking the final roads and places at a rapid pace, Nyköping, Vagnhärad and Mörkö.

Fittja:

At Fittja we stop for a break, coffee, soda and sandwiches. What a sad felling we got, it's over now and the work waiting next day.

Stockholm:

Home again after 12 days and 4200 km on the roads, no accidents and we are full of exiting memories.

Now after 16 years I still remember this travel very well and now I had made a new page on my web site, enjoy the reading and maybe you get inspired to do something like this too?

What an exiting trip to Northern Sweden, thanks Rosie that you followed me and guided me around in Lappland!