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August 6th, 2011 (pt.2)
Simrishamn,(55*33'N, 14*22'E) and Ystad, (55*25'N 13*49'E)
These last two harbors have brought us a mixed blessing.
Simrishamn, is a pleasant fishing port with cobbled streets, brightly painted houses and a 12th century church. We took advantage of the beautiful weather, put our bikes together and went for a long ride through the countryside. This is an agricultural area and we passed endless wheat fields and fruit orchards as we stretched our weary muscles. The bad news arrived back on the boat when Jim realized our refrigeration system was not working well and the motor needed to be serviced. Consensus of opinions said that Ystad was the best place to have this done as it is a larger town.
We left first thing the next morning and arrived in Ystad before noon, which was good because the harbor master squeezed us into their very busy marina. By six o'clock that afternoon there were two boats rafted off of us. The ailing motor was sent out for diagnosis and hopeful repair by the next afternoon, so we headed into the city to see the sights. Sweden's Jazz Festival began the next day so we picked up tickets for two performances and hoped for the best.
Another beautiful day allowed us to take another beautiful bike ride but our return to the boat brought bad news: the motor needed parts that would take a week to arrive. We cant take that option so Jim went online and ordered a new motor that he will bring back to the boat when we return from the States in three weeks. Unfortunately we have a freezer that is one third full and a fridge that is getting warmer every day. The marina took our frozen stuff in their freezer for the night and we loaded up on ice for the fridge. It's not ideal but it will suffice for the time.
We attended the Jazz Festival performances and our discouragement was washed away by the fantastic array of talent that we saw. Definitely a highlight of our stay in Ystad.
We left Ystad this morning with our frozen goods and more bags of ice. It was a 21 mile trip to the Falsterbo Canal and now we are tied up to the wall at the yacht harbor in Holliviken, our last port in Sweden. Sailing always has its highs and lows, and not just in weather systems. Our high has been sailing up and down the Swedish coast, through its many archipelagos and enjoying the beautiful Baltic Sea and Bay of Bothnia. Our lows, the setbacks are temporary but need to be addressed. Tomorrow we will sail the 21 miles to Copenhagen where we will empty the freezer and fridge and leave the boat while we head home for two weeks.
August 9th, 2011
Copenhagen 55*41N., 12*36'E, Svanemolle Yacht Club
"It's been the wettest summer in Copenhagen - ever!" That's what we've been told since we arrived two days ago and we know it to be true. Today it is a constant downfall but we are busy getting the boat ready for our departure tomorrow morning. Maybe, if it stops, we'll ride into the city and see some of the beautiful old city. Maybe.
We met two angels when we arrived on Saturday afternoon. Two gentlemen, on the pier, admiring Onora and we struck up a conversation with them. Eventually Jim asked them if they knew where we might rent some freezer space for what was left of our frozen food. A supermarket, a fish plant, an ice machine at a gas station? They conferred, made a few calls and then told us to get the food bagged up as we were "going for a ride". Twenty minutes later we were outside the city at the summer cottage of one of the gentlemen, Ole. He hadn't been there in a while but he did have a freezer that was empty and we could store our stuff there until we returned. Wow. We celebrated with a cold beer while we made sure the freezer was indeed working and then the other gentleman, Mogens, drove us back to the Yacht Club with a side trip to some of the downtown sights. Their generosity was spontaneous and our attempt to repay was dismissed. "We'll celebrate onboard Onora when we return on the 22nd" and they agreed.
Sunday was our day off the boat and we headed off to find Louisiana, Copenhagen's Museum of Modern Art. It's a 30 train ride and we needed some local advice as far as what trains to take and when to get off. The museum was well worth the effort it took to get there. It sits on about 30 acres of property overlooking the Oresund, the body of water between Sweden and Denmark, and has a very impressive sculpture garden. Inside, the building is vast with more than 3000 items in their permanent collection and a huge temporary exhibit on living spaces throughout the world. One afternoon was barely enough time to see it all and allow the required time for their fabulous gift store. An amazing experience.
The clock is ticking. Our bags are packed and the freezer and fridge are empty and clean. The rain has stopped and the sun just peaked out so we will ride into the city and see if we can find "The Little Mermaid". She was on loan to China when we were here last year but has returned to her solitary rock in the harbor. Better hurry, the dark clouds are rolling in again. Stay tuned.
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