Thursday Thirteen Fårö
1. Fårö is our favorite island outside Swedens east coast above the island Gotland in the Baltic Sea, where we go every summer in July. At least. Last year we were there 6 weeks.
2. If you translate the word Fårö it means Sheep island. Though the permanent living folks there don’t call the sheep får, they call them lamm (lamb) even if it is an adult sheep. I have no idea why. But there is a lot of sheep there. I mean lambs… And the lambs have very cute little lambs.
3. Fårö’s beaches is on our top beaches list, even when we compare it to beaches abroad. It’s the sand that does it. Fårö’s sand is outstanding, very very fine with a lot of sand dunes. And it’s just enough shallow when you’re going for a dip in the sea. I dip the whole of me, but Mr Lifecruiser mostly dip his toes….
4. You can always find the best weather and water temperature conditions on one of the beaches, since you have beaches in three different cardinal points. The island is shaped like a bumerang. The beaches are Sudersand, Ekeviken and Norsta Aura - which is several kilometers long and happens to be our engagement beach.
5. Fårö has awesome areas with big rocks (sea stacks I think it’s called in english) that is called raukar, that truly rocks :-). Digerhuvud, a nature reserve, is the biggest of them 3,5 km long and it’s Swedens biggest. Langhammars have some cool formations. some of them are 8 metres high. The sunsets are unbelievable in these areas. Very romantic!
6. Amazingly idyllic fishing hamlets can be found all over the island, since the local people have been living of what the sea could offer. They’re still doing some fishing.
7. It has a remarkable drifting sand area called Ulla Hau, that nearly buried the island in sand if they hadn’t planted trees and other plants in the early 1900.
8. Fårö took it’s shape around the Iron age, but the islanders of Fårö were first registrered in written documents in the 16th century.
9. Norsholmen is another area which is fauna protected and a real heaven for birdwatchers at the breeding season. No vehicles is allowed here and you have to keep at the few paths at the peninsula. At the end of it there is remains of a limestone industry. Limestones is very common on both Fårö and Gotland. There is also a Medevial cemetery and graves from the Iron Age. And a rosty ship wreck.
10. There is several places to go in the evenings to have fun too. One of the most famous, but most modest places are Kutens bensin, fuel for the soul. The best gas station and rock’n roll club in the world ;-). There you can meet bikers, rockers, tourists and local farmers listening to a genuine 78 rpm SUN RECORDS Single that was once touched by Mr Elvis Presley himself! The owner is a real collector of things from this period and there is a lot of stuff laying around that truly are fascinating to see. You just have to admire this man’s commitment.
11. Fårö only is about 114 square km, so it’s a small island. They have a very nice church, several lighthouses, one grocery store open in the winter, two in the summer - with very long lines because of all the tourists. It’s very popular among tourists.
12. It’s a very popular resort for famous people too and hm, some swedish politicians…. *making some funny faces*. The most famous person is of course our film maker Ingmar Bergman. He hide out on an own part of Fårö.
13. We rent our own little heaven at a local farmer, which Mr Lifecruiser has done for about 21 years now. He is a real pearl, so we love him. No Fårö without Per. He is a hard worker, but he goes to the Philippines during a couple of months in the winter nowadays when he don’t have so many animals any longer and that’s very good for his old aching body. It’s a tough life out on the island year round.
♥ WE’LL LIVE, ENJOY… LOVE… FÅRÖ LIFE 3-31 JULY!
Photos Fårö summer 2005
Photos Fårö summer 2004
Photos engagement on Fårö Feb 2004
Tourist site about Gotland
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