My blog normally is a year (now even more) behind in my life but I will try to catch up and summarize the main events that happened during my life during the last year. Apart from the Rally there were many short trips, lots of work, joy, love, and surprises during the last 2013, I should say it was much better than expected.
So will start with a bicycle trip we did together with my girlfriend, we are an energetic couple and our relation has built around a healthy life with healthy food and sports. Some time before, at the end of the winter in a cold evening we got a couple of bicycle in a second hand give away day, for almost nothing. They needed to be fixed but it was something I could do by myself. Once the bicycles were ready, I got the idea to make a short bike trip on a weekend, not so far, but enough to enjoy the exercise and also know some new place, and the destination was Marstrand.
Marstrand is a small town in the west coast of Sweden, about 46 km north of Göteborg, and it is probably the main summer resort and sailing center of the region, being part also of the Volvo Ocean Race. Fortunately we were going in the early spring, warm enough to survive but cold enough so the roads wouldn’t be full of tourist. Marstrand is very know due to its fortress Carlsten built in the 17th Century.
The trip went smooth going through nature reserves and roadside houses landscapes until arrive to the coast. We did a couple of stops, the first one to wait a ferry to cross a river and the second just for a snack. Already in Martsrand, the town is divided in two, in one side we have the most of the town, and in the island the fortress and its surroundings. they are connected by a public ferry.
My idea was to stay a night there and return next day to Göteborg, and I didn’t get any better idea than find a room to sleep inside the fortress! doesn’t it sound amazing? to spend a night in a room inside a 17th century fortress? well, it is similar to a castle, however it is not close to it. during the afternoon we walk around the fortress and we found out it worked as a jail and even executions were done in that place. After those discoveries the idea became little less romantic than before. In addition, only another couple was staying in the whole fortress, not even those who work at it sleep there. The room was located in the building that some centuries ago functioned as dormitories for soldiers. it was furnished with a couple of bunk beds, a double bed, an old fat TV with inbuilt VHS. Actually , in the halls of the building were shelves with a long collection of horror and suspense movies to choose from, our choice for the night was The Shinning. Well I can not say we got a good sleep, and that it was a peaceful night free of noises and nightmares, but we survived.
Next morning we complete the tour around the fortress, where we learned about Lasse Maja, a man full of sense of humor and creativity to enjoy the life in his way despite the illegality of his acts. We also did a walk around the island, we visited the light house and the stores of the town before starting our way back. The bad thing about the trip was the light rain and opposite direction wind during the way back. We did a lot more effort than the day before and we still spent the same time.
Some months later, during the summer, we came back with some friends by car looking through the window how easy and fast was to arrive to that place. The effort given to some adventures makes them more satisfactory
Oliver's Mind 