travelogue: gotland, sweden's gem part 5 (the north)

the northern part of gotland, might just be my favourite. these highlights are just the tip of the iceberg, so many more gems to discover.  enjoy...

blå lagunen
our drive north started with a stop at the blue lagoon for a swim.  an old limestone quarry now filled with water, it's a popular place.  we found space on some rocks and jumped right in.  well, i may have needed a bit of persuading to jump.  the water is crystal clear, a stunning blue and not too chilly :)  

the littlest frog

 

prima gård

one of my favourite places in gotland, prima gård, is a haven for organic food.  the best thing about prima gård, besides the food, is the atmosphere...  it's a simple farm with old barns decorated with flea market finds and a new greenhouse which sits beautifully in the courtyard. 

bungenäs

here, you can easily spend an entire day.  this little peninsula is a hidden gem.  car free, the area is fenced in giving it a sense of mystery, you can bike (no longer free i'm afraid) or walk towards the ocean.  either way, once through the gate, the trek through pine and spruce trees is pretty nice.

an old limestone quarry active in the 1900s and a military area in the 60s, bungenäs is now a magical spot; peaceful and isolated.  the owner bought the land in 2007, opened a coffee shop and hoped someone would find it.  well, people found this middle of nowhere place... and so much more.  now, along with the cafe, the other once worn out buildings have been transformed into a restaurant, hotel, and a bistro/bar.  152 summer homes are being built too, wouldn't that be a dream!

we stopped at nyström for caffeine and ice cream.  

the boys tried to nap on the old military cots by the beach overlooking the baltic sea.

the kids took a dip in the ocean.

then, drinking champagne at the bistro/bar under its towering twin chimneys of the old limestone kilns.  the space was first the old limestone storage barn.  here, they hold art exhibitions and music performances too.

 

oh, i mustn't forget to mention to stop by fint o fult on the way to bungenäs. full of lamps, tea cups, chairs, old cameras, rugs (still thinking about the one i didn't buy!), iron beds, vases and selected clothes to name a few things. fint o fult translates to nice and ugly but i assure you things in here are nice :) 

i hope you enjoyed my posts on gotland... wish i could take a little bit of this place with me to stockholm.  if you care to take a peek, visit here, here, here, here, and here to see our first visit to gotland, during medieval week.

travelogue: gotland, sweden's gem part 4 (the east and south coasts)

east gotland

upon arriving in ljugarn, we stopped at a cafe for some caffeine and pastries, my almond cookie dipped in tea was a nice treat.

ljugarn beach

this beach is a true summer classic. long and narrow sandy beach - with the softest sand - and lots of room to spread out. the waves were wild, the ocean so cold but taking a dip - when i finally talked myself into it - was pretty wonderful. and fun, with the waves rushing forward.  there are many more beaches like ljugarn that line the eastern coast like herte and sandviken too.

beach cafe

when we tired of the beach, we walked up to the beach cafe for some food.  we ate really well, i loved my poke bowl, it hit the spot perfectly.  sitting there bathed in the late afternoon sun, made for a pretty perfect beach day.

the fishhouse

down a winding road, we stopped at the fishhouse to pick up a selection of fish. smoked mackerel and salmon to put on the grill and seafood like smoked shrimp with aioli to take home and enjoy.

south gotland 

hoburgen

on the very southern tip of the island, is hoburgen.  the nature here looks out of place; not what you'd expect from gotland. we had a bright day to make most of the scenery.  it was quite special.

austre beach
they say the light at this beach is some kind of magic and that the weather here is extra sunny.  it's true! on this day, while it was extremely windy, there was no rain unlike the weather just a tad north on the island.

either end of the beach there are fishing huts and from the beach heligholmen island can be seen which is popular with the birds.  some of us strolled the beach and/or took a dip in the icy waters.

hamra krog
all i have to say about the hamra krog... smoked shrimp and aioli heaven!

gotland, part 5 the northern coast - maybe my favourite part, it's a tough call - is next.