Hej och tak, Maria, Svenerik och Lua ..

We arrived at the the GPS coordinates that Svenerik had texted me. As the sat nav predicted we were 2kms down an 'unmade' road, albeit a wide and well surfaced one. There were three rust red painted houses nearby, each in a wooded plot. The question was, which one was Svenerik and Maria's? Thinking back to the photos that Svenerik had posted on Facebook of their epic fencing project, we figured the small cottage up the narrow road to the right with a a few pallets of timber in front of it had to be the one.

Gill walked up to investigate and disappeared behind a bush. A moment later a few excited barks announced the appearance of a brown and white border collie, it was Lua, Svenerik and Maria's sweet natured dog who we had made friends with in Spain.

I drove carefully up the track then hopped out of the cab. Big hugs all around! Svenerik opened a side gate to the big lawn at the back and we parked the motorhome there. The plan was to stay here for two nights. 'Next time you came we will have finished the guest room!' Maria promised. They are part way through a major renovation project; downstairs is finished but upstairs remains "work in progress'. However, we were very happy to sleep in the van and spend the day with them.

A typical Swedish summer lunch - pickled herring, cream sauce and boiled potatoes

The weather remained changeable so we did not do some of things Svenerik and Maria had planned. Simple things though were really useful, like visiting a supermarket.with Maria who was able to explain all those labels in Swedish that were incomprehensible to us. Nothing too technical, simply stuff like being to tell the difference between still and Sparkling mineral water.

We took Lua to his favourite swimming lake and watched him paddle about. Our planned visit to Arboga was curtailed by a thundery shower. 

The town centre looked interesting, especially the old wooden houses lining the river. For a small place it has an important place in Swedish history. It was here in 1435 that the first Riksdag of the Estates took place, a precursor of the Swedish parliament and a key moment in Sweden's assertion of  its independence.

It has been great to stop for a couple days. Svenerik and Maria made us very welcome. It struck me, after two days of being with other people just how solitary our travels can be, Weeks with only each other for company, apart from contact with family on social media and occasional messages on the blog and Facebook.

I hope we will meet our Swedish friends again, perhaps in Isla Cristina, though the eastern Mediterranean beckons too, a return trip to Greece, perhaps next spring.