By sea to a rocky outcrop

• Now I hope you slept well and were ready for our early start. Here is your transport. Well you didn’t expect a small Sydney Ferry did you? Ferries are frequently used to travel between countries ,some are day trips and others could be overnight. Day ferries offer entertainment for children with music,dancing and bingo. There is a play area and shops. Many Swedes travel so they can get duty free drinks and other goods to take home. For adults there are Fashion shops, restaurants,bars and of course duty free shops. Perfect- retail therapy ,coffee and time to relax.

Where are we heading you ask? To the Áland Islands. Off the coast of Finland in the Gulf of Bothnia ( you might need the atlas to find it) are a collection of    granite outcrops and islands of different sizes. These form an archipelago . Some island are extremely small, others may have a scattering of summer houses but the Áland Island is a thriving community. It has a Scandinavia feel with its wooden buildings. The people of the island speak Swedish although  it is part of Finland. They have their own Parliament and economy.

Wide streets,tree lined esplanades ,parks sculptures and gardens make this a pleasant place for people to live. People are friendly and welcoming.Most of the plants on the islands are trees common to the region or are seeds carried by people or in the ballast of boats coming to the island. Tomorrow we are visiting the Maritime Museum here as it’s main exhibit ,(the Pommern) has a long history of grain transport from South Australia to Europe. In the evening, we will catch the ferry for Helsinki and then before you know it , I will be home drinking tea or coffee with you.