Mölle and Kullaberg

Sometimes spontaneous day plans are amazing. The Swedish ones have all been aces. Take this jaunt to Mölle with Sarah, for example.

We've been on a bit of a hiking kick, so we decided to explore this small seaside town and nature area. It's not that far away, but required 2 different transfers. We couldn't find the right bay for our first transfer, and ended up seeing the tail-end of the bus as it left the station. Not a big deal - wait, the bus only comes every hour? Oh.

Of course, when one misses their first transfer, they also miss their second. I don't remember what city we were stranded in, but I think it had one street. We ventured into some sort of cultural center (?) because it was pretty cold and we waited it out while being baffled at the art they had displayed. Think tin foil animals with 10 legs, no head and polka dots.

At last, the bus came and dropped us off at our final destination! Except that the signs we were promised weren't there and we couldn't find the nature reserve until this nice, old man pointed it out. He also took one look at us and shot us the there's-no-way-these-girls-can-hike-but-I'll-humour-them smile. We'll show you, nice old man! (Except that he's Swedish so he could probably kick our butts and then run a marathon).We did eventually find the start of the trail (at the other end of town). It was awesome - as hiking tends to be - with the pretty fall leaves on the ground. The views were beautiful - thought it was very un-Skåne as we traipsed the cliffs along the sea. Unfortunately, dusk settled in pretty soon after, and we couldn't make it to the end view point due to our doubly delayed transportation woes.

Returning home ended up being an altogether different story. It got dark really fast and all the people just disappeared. Adorable seaside towns turns eerie. We thought it might be fun to just stay the night at a B&B, of which we saw many, and finish off the hike the next morning. We knocked on every B&B/hotel/hostel we could find and everything was closed. empty. dark. Needless to say, left alone with our over active imagination, and Sarah's obsession fascination with Buffy, it was creepy!

Thus began our few hours in Vampire Town. 

We survived to tell the tale, but we never did get the chance to go back. Alas, some regrets stay in Sweden.

Soderåson National Park

Good company made for a lovely time in a National Park. Fog and rain made for a very muddy time.

It was a couple weeks too late for the leaves to still be on the trees but I quite liked the blanket of reds and oranges littering the forest floor. 

Mushrooms grow everywhere and anywhere!

And, of course, the only way to take a break in a Swedish forest is with kannelbular. 'Twas a great day.

Kristianstad Naturum

Impromptu trips are the best.

How awesome is the architecture of this nature center? Oh, Sweden! We had fika here, watching the reflections on the water whilst sipping tea and coffee. 

We were so lucky the weather held up, always a bit tricky in Sweden. Plus, we came across these beautiful horses along the way! I really love the changing fall leaves, autumn can be really great sometimes.

Part 1 here.

Kristianstad

"We missed our train to Kalmar, where can we go today?"

We were planning to go to Kalmar this day, even willing, but not so eager, to sit on a 3 hour train. Alas, we missed the train. And seeing how the train only comes every 2 hours, and knowing we had to get out of Lund for awhile, we decided to change our plans. So, my friend and I walk into SJ (aka Swedish train people), queued up (story of Swedish life) and had a little conversation with the ticket person... 

....who suggested we check out Kristianstad. Easy day trip, he said. And so, we went.

I liked this church a lot because, while it was traditional, it had been modified to suit the current congregation. Like a children's play area in between the pews. Or the cutest diorama of the Nativity Scene in the main aisle. Or directions at the entrance of this one room church. People use this church, they share part of their lives here. It was so much more welcoming and wonderful than any church I've been to for awhile and it made it all the more beautiful.

Afterwards, we went had an adventure in the spirit of Carl Linneaus, botanist extraordinaire and binomial nomenclature guru.