From Malaysia to Sweden: Gotland in 24 hours: Part 3

14 July 2018

We got off the bus at Fårö jetty and collected our rented bicycles at a small shop behind the wooden restaurant. The wooden restaurant is the second building after the jetty. There is a path next to the row of shops (where the restaurant is). Payment is made once we collected our bicycles. This bicycle shop is by Gotlands Cykeluthyrning and is only open in July (for the one at Faro jetty).

We got on the ferry and was on Fårö Island within 10 minutes. Here is how the ferry looks like - there are 2 ferries that takes turn to go to and fro.

It was my first time cycling in Sweden, and also maneuvering a 3-gear bicycle. To be honest, I am not familiar with all these gear stuff. I don't usually pay attention to it. I am happy enough if the bicycle can function. So, it was a bit stiff when I cycled. Then, I got the hang of it. It was about a 14km-cycle to the nearest sea stacks. See the signboard with the brown background that reads - Raukområde. We cycled on the main road and the cars avoided us carefully. It was also burning hot as we cycled. We stopped a couple of times to check the map. We saw other cyclists using the same route, and I stopped one of them to ask and she affirmed that we were on the right route.

Finally, after 45 minutes of cycling, we reached the nearest sea stacks which is called Digerhuvud. I was so happy when we reached here, as I can't read maps and have an awful sense of direction.

Digerhuvud is Sweden's largest sea stack area. There are hundreds of rocks on a 3.5 km long stretch of coastline. The highest at Digerhuvud is 8 meters. The rocks consist of tougher limestone that resisted the abrasion of the sea waves, and are ancient remains of ancient reefs that existed in the tropical sea from the time of the sea 430 million years ago. Sea stacks are large vertical rock formations that have been shaped by the sea, leaving a core of limestone. Source from Gotland.net.

Along the way back, I detoured to Fårö Church.

Fårö Church dates from the Middle Ages and parts of it were built during the 14th century. A possible date for its inauguration is 1324, though it may have been earlier. Almost the entire nave and tower are medieval, but the church has lost much of its original look through subsequent reconstructions. The most unusual items in the church are two paintings, dating from 1618 and 1767 respectively. They were both made in memory of seal-hunters who during winter had found themselves isolated on drifting ice sheets, unable to return to land but against all odds eventually brought to safety again. In the church cemetery is the grave of film-maker Ingmar Bergman and his wife Ingrid von Rosen. They were buried there together in 2007. Bergman had chosen the spot himself. Source from Wikipedia.

A staff explained to me that this baptism bowl is deep and was made in the 13th century.

The 1618 painting depicting the rescue of the seal hunters.

We take the ferry back again to the main island.

That is me - sunburnt and more brown than ever.

This is the wooden restaurant I was referring to. We had our dinner here after returning the bicycles. I had fried herring with mashed potatoes and salad for SEK99. That was probably one of the cheapest dish on the menu.