A journey to Landsort

Landsort is the name of the lighthouse on the island of Öja and is the Stockholm archipelago's most southern point. It is a popular place for birdwatching. Apologies now to anyone expecting to read about the profusion of birds on the island - I saw very few. As a people- watcher I guess my attention is elsewhere.









The journey to Landsort entailed catching two buses, two trains and a ferry seriously crammed with people. Here is a photograph from my journey (sorry about the quality) - I just love the way the Swedish treat their dogs! These people had a special blanket that they laid over their knees so that the dog could sit on it if he wished. The use of blankets in Sweden is warming in more ways than one. There seem to be blankets for every purpose - ones to use when you sit outside a restaurant, bar or cafe, ones for animals etc. I do wonder what would happen in the UK if blankets were made available in pubs?




This is the view from the ferry at Ankarudden. A rather sombre sight.









Arriving at Landsort (as the island is commonly known) was exciting as this was my first experience of the archipelago. It was a very small harbour!















Here is where the title of the blog becomes relevant - förlorade i Stockholm. I had previously read that the Swedish are self sufficient and see it as weakness to ask 'unnecessary' questions. I had decided on my previous visit that I would try to find my way around without asking directions! A major step for me as, being a particularly gregarious person, I like to enter into conversation and find out more about the place through talking to people. As we left the ferry it became apparent that most people were in large groups. I was alone. People set off in different directions with some sense of purpose - I meandered down a charming little lane into the centre of the tiny community and set off on the path towards the lighthouse. One of the pilots from the ferry saw me looking at this sculpture and explained that it was to celebrate the centenary of a pilot who had funded the building of the road on the island. I gladly entered into conversation!



The sculptor later allowed me to take a close-up of the four different surfaces of the carving. The actual surface of the carving of the figure of the pilot (AH) is smooth. The rock is black although it looks grey with dust here. Sadly, I couldn't quite understand what he was telling me about the type of rock.





Having eaten my lunch by the lighthouse and seen more birdwatchers than birds I set off to walk to the other end of the island (4 or 5km). I wanted to see the chapel - I understood that this was the site of the road benefactor's (AH) home and he had given it to the island for a chapel.

Further on along the island road I came across the Labyrinth. According to the information about the island this place has 'magical' properties and if the fishermen walked through this labyrinth it would guard them against mishap at sea. Regardless of the truth in this there is certainly evidence that people have walked around and around this 'labyrinth'. We don't have to see the people who have walked on the path before us we just need to see the imprints on the ground. Luckily as I was alone I could experiment a little with trying to walk in the countours. I do think that the circular path had been walked by many people over time. However the purpose of this ritual is interesting. Ostensibly, the ritual helped to guard against harm. But what consequence did it have behaviourally? It would seem that it would be the same as religion - to encourage cooperation. All those fishermen who walked the labyrinth and then in later times went to the chapel were producing an outward sign of 'belief' and more importantly cooperation.
Who is to say what they thought?

Finally, exhausted after walking the length of the island, I settled down with a Landsort lager at the 'pub' before getting the ferry back to Ankarudden and Stockholm.

The journey back to Stockholm is for another post - etiquette changes as the night draws in ...


There will also be a post on scarf-wearing in Stockholm ...