6 July: Stockholm to Mariehamn, Aland Islands, Finland (By Ferry 10 miles; 493)

July 6

We woke at 6 am to pack and ride to board the ferry by 7 am. The voyage to Mariehamn, Aland Island, Finland, was 4.5 hours, including the 1 hour time change.

Boarding the Ferry to Mariehamn, Aland. Bikes board with the cars. This shows the length of the ferry. The elevators show 12 levels. While we have have to wait in line with the cars, they do let us park at the front and leave first.

Bikes and Trailer Parked on the Ferry

John, Stuart, and A Swiss Family. The first tour for their daughter riding her own bike.

Exiting the Ferry

We cruised by hundreds of islands outside Stockholm.

Fortified Island With Cannon

Some islands are unoccupied, some have single homes with boat docks, some have small towns.

Smallest Lighthouse?

We arrived to overcast skies, easily found our lodging, and then it began to rain.

Arrival in Mariehamn, Aland Islands

Our lodging is in a group of cabins by the water. We opted for the upgrade to an individual log cabin with porch, shower, kitchen, and breakfast.

Our Little Log Cabin in Mariehamn

Cabins on the Sea

Interesting sleeping arrangements. I have the attic loft. To avoid the 85 degree ladder to the loft, Stuart and John selected the bedroom with bunk beds. Then John opted for one of the two couches rather than the top bunk. It’s a great log cabin with character.

When the rain continued, I volunteered to ride into town, find the store, and buy dinner. I returned in time to see the closing minutes of Stage 3, TDF. The forecast is rain in the morning—clearing in the afternoon, then we board the ferry to Tallinn at midnight. We can leave luggage at our lodging and shower, hence adventure cycling.

Aland has an interesting history. The island(s) are Finnish, the population is Swedish, and Swedish is the universal language. The ferry companies have an EU tax provision that eliminates all duties for goods sold on the ferries providing the ferry stops in Aland for more than 15 minutes. Otherwise, all taxes apply. If not for that provision, Aland would comprise minor island communities barely getting by on tourism, minimal farming, and minimal fishing.

Reflections So Far

Weather. The initial days in Copenhagen were often cloudy but no rain. However, beginning with our first day in Sweden, cycling east across southern Sweden to Kalmar, a loop about Oland Island, and then two days in Stockholm presented perfect summer weather. Today is the perfect day to be inside on the ferry to Aland—gray overcast, perhaps 60F, with occasional drops of rain.

Ferry. Huge ferry and absolutely smooth ride. Perhaps the islands minimize the waves. Everything is for sale. Due to high liquor taxes, spirits on board seem to be popular, with departing passengers carting off cases of beer. Not much to purchase for cycle tourists; just extra weight if we had the means and will to carry it.

Similar to Our Ferry.

Currency. Often a challenge when outside the euro-zone. Using credit cards eliminates the hassle of coins, and coins can seldom be exchanged. So we leave Sweden with unused Swedish kroners, unsure if they will be spendable on Aland. Aland is Finnish territory, the language and population is Swedish, and locals negotiated duty-free or low-duty site to encourage tourism. If not, perhaps few would visit. Based on the following table, the cost of living drops in Finland; no idea if Aland is typical, but Estonia looks promising. I think we will avoid the Ukraine (low) and Norway, the most expensive.

COUNTRY	Average Pint Price ( in Euro)	Average Pint Price ( in Pound)
Ukraine( The winner!)	€0.58	£0.49
Lithuania	€1.49	£1.26
Portugal	€1.92	£1.63
Latvia	€2.6	£2.20
Estonia	€1.98	£1.68
Poland	€1.47	£1.25
England	€3.48	£3.00
Germany	€2.5	£2.12
Ireland	€4.5	£3.81
Spain	€1.99	£1.69
France	€5.9	£5
Finland	€4.85	£4.11
Sweden	€5.9	£5
Denmark	€5.5	£4.70
Norway	€7.08	£6.00

Shopping. Having traveled extensively for 30 years, bringing gifts home is a losing proposition. More to carry about, most items cost less at home, and gifts become expected. However, Dan is returning to Wisconsin as we sail to Finland. So John, Dan’s father-in-law, suggested that Dan get something for his wife, who stayed home with 4 young children. Venturing into a jewelry store in Gamla Stan’s tourist district, John advised the sales clerk of Dan’s situation. When Dan selected a modest $50-item, she admonishes, That’s not nearly enough for a wife who stayed home with four young children. Commission doubled!

Dining. Casual dining options in Denmark and Sweden abound, providing you like pizza and kabobs. Perhaps due to extensive emigration, Danish and Swedish local cuisine is not that different. Everything has been fresh and well prepared. We see fewer fried food, none of it greasy, as they seem to take care in getting the correct fry oil temperature. The side vegetables are well prepared, not just decorations. Fresh arugula is often sprinkled over pizzas, enjoyed by Dan and me, not so much for John and Stuart.

We encountered poor service a few times, perhaps due to language differences, as much of the wait staff are recent emigrants. In one restaurant, John and Stuart repeatedly asked the waiter to bring their soup with the main course; the waiter twice brought it early, and once tried to give Stuart’s soup to John. Frida and James both corrected him in Swedish, but Swedish or English—same result. However, I would be much worse if in a similar position — fired for incompetence.

Near Term Plan. John booked a seaside cottage near the ferry port. Then we will explore Aland before taking a midnight departure ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday evening. We have a cabin, hoping to sleep before our early morning arrival, then a day and overnight in Tallinn.

Dog of the Day. Owns the cabins where we are staying.