Sweden is BIG - Very BIG!

After seeing the future for VW at the Autostadt I also enjoyed a comprehensive history of their more iconic vehicles in the nearby museum before heading north for a more sobering look in to the past. Bergen Belsen is nowadays a place of peace and tranquility but the austere display building pulls no punches when it comes to describing the atrocities that took place 70 years ago - I also offer no apology for including some disturbing images in the photo link as sadly judging by world events we have learnt very little. All the buildings were eventually burnt down by the Allies to eradicate disease and the site now offers no more than trees and a stillness only interrupted by birdsong and ironically the sound of the heavy artillery of the 7th Armoured Brigade 'The Desert Rats' stationed nearby. This may also have explained the curious number of old camper vans tucked away in nearby woods which I had assumed were people wild camping but turned out to be the business premises of working girls as indicated by the fluffy dashboards and flashing red lights. I shall have to chose my spots carefully.
Luneberg and Lubeck were both crammed full of half timbered houses, mighty churches and impressive castles which I enjoyed en route to Puttgarden where on a whim I decided to get the next ferry over to Denmark. A couple of hours up to Copenhagen and a crossing of the impressive Ostersund Bridge put me in  Malmo in southern Sweden.
After enjoying the sunshine of the Skane coast I decided to head north and was soon passing through wonderful scenery with mixed woodland interspersed with shimmering lakes and dotted with brightly painted wooden houses that were all kept in perfect condition. Diesel prices were similar to the UK but food at least twice the price so the tinned and dried goods I have brought will have to go a fair way. Camp sites seemed about the UK average (which I still think outrageous for one) but by chance I met a retired nurse and her husband who had a list of smaller cheaper sites so was able to photocopy the details for future use.
Karlsborg's huge fortress was full of interest and sat beside a vast lake - rendered obsolete by advances in weaponry the town sized site is now a training academy and public museum
Mariestad had a centre full of old houses and an impressive church and I watched numerous boats traversing the Gotha canal which links Stockholm and Gothenburg saving a lengthy sea voyage.
I then headed in to the Sewdish high country towards the Norwegian border where the long winters attract skiers and skidooers in large numbers. At this time of year it is relatively quiet and I found plenty of small deserted sites with just the occasional hiking group staying. Sweden's highest waterfall freezes solid for 5 months of the year and is a popular ice climb but of course I saw it pouring majestically from the high plateau beyond. The highest campsite in Sweden at Tanandalet once recorded a temperature of -5 Celsius in July 1888 but was pleasantly warm during my stay which of course led to large numbers of flies and mosquitoes which played havoc with a group in tents. Yet again I was grateful for the relative comforts of the van and even found a TV channel in English with Swedish subtitles showing old UK day time telly.
A quick whizz over in to Norway rewarded me with my first sight of reindeer who were ambling around grazing the verges - they were surprisingly compact and looked rather shabby as they were moulting but made for a remarkable sight.
The remote and lonely road (Sweden's highest) over the Flatruet plateau dropped down in to Mittadalen from where a bike ride and walk took me to some Stone Age rock art that was eerily similar to the Aboriginal images in Kakadu, Northern Territory.
Isolated hamlets were dotted around - fishing and hunting are still traditions but the locals also provide wonderful huts and lodges for the visiting winter sports enthusiasts.
Last night I stayed out in the wilds where a young German couple have spent 13 years constructing lodges and a home whilst raising a young family - it was all perfectly presented but so far this year has been quiet and after a poor summer last year I did wonder how they managed - winter images in their brochure looked wonderful but I think the economic downturn in Europe will have a serious effect on their business.
Today has seen a long haul north as I want to maximise my stay in Norway. The 'Inland Road' follows the same route as the 'Inland Railway' and some time tomorrow I expect to cross the Arctic Circle but the Nord Kapp is still a few hundred miles on from there reached by crossing Lappland which straddles the northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and even Russia. The van seems content to chug along on the empty roads - 2000 miles covered over the last fortnight - and provides as ever for all my needs. Out here there is very little between the villages but this peaceful campsite has all mod cons - a good job too as wifi is almost non existent elsewhere.
Pictures that may cause you to reflect are here and my whereabouts can be monitored here. It may well be some time before I can post again but who knows.