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  Monday 7th of October 2024 and my alarm goes off ta 03:50. I am not sure, but I am pretty sure I was awake when the alarm went off. I popped open one of the refreshments that I bought arriving to Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup yesterday. Breakfast start at 5 thirty and I had time to rearrange my luggage. I will fly to Brazil, but the original plan was to fly back home. So I had ordered 2 kilo of Göta Kanal tea. My plan was also to buy Swedish honey and sausages. But now I need to bring the tea with me to Brazil so I will try to arrange some space.  The breakfast was good and there was quite a few people even though it was 5 thirty in the morning. I left the hotel at 8 thirty and I walked to the train station under Copenhagen International Airport, Kastrup station. One train left at 08:42 but I let the train leave and I took the train leaving just before 9 o'clock. No need to be early in Malmö to pick up my AVIS rented car.  My train arrives
 My luggage on board the train
 On the way to Malmö, Sweden
I get on the train and I am pleasantly surprised to find the train almost empty. No problem to find a seat for me and my bags. It will take about 30 minutes to reach Malmö and there will be a little bit of walking from the train station to AVIS office. And there was road work so I had to walk around the construction site. But I managed to get to AVIS in 15 minutes and I had my car before 10 o'clock. And I left just after 10 o'clock after having set up my entertainment center via Bluetooth. I programmed my GPS with eSmokes, a vape shop that I had found on internet. I was searching for vape shops after checking in to my hotel yesterday. I had tried to call but no answer. I was desperate after having lost my e-cigarettes in New Delhi yesterday. I had one that they had not found so I had one to suck on. But I need to replace the others so I took a chance to go to check out eSmokes 10 minutes from AVIS office.  eSmokes in Malmö
 A very helpful and nice girl working at the shop and we found two vapes for me and I left. Back in the car and I decided to go back in to buy a third one to have as back-up as I might be away for a few months. Now I have “e” equipment to last me until I am back home. I had been worried since I passed the security in New Delhi but now, I was very relieved. I was really not happy with their stupid idea that e-cigarettes are dangerous cargo. For sure, I will not be back to India. I understand that you cannot use them onboard, but dangerous cargo, really? Come on! I bought two refreshments in the mini mart before I left Malmö, Next stop Gerda's Tea in Halmstad to pick up my Göta Kanal Tea. Good music was blasting high and I was enjoying my new vape driving towards north. Leaving Malmö behind and I can put one girl on the list of people getting upset about my MEGA cap. I do not care, but the girl was looking sullen looking at my MAGA cap. I was actually  hoping for her to say something.
 Enjoying my new vape
Hauling arse going north on the highway. Gloom and grey for long as I could see and it looked that it would start to rain any seconds. There were thousands of birds flying towards south in huge groups but I could not stop to have a look. Most likely geese coming from the north of Sweden. Took me about an hour to reach Hallarna in Halmstad. Well, the shopping center Hallarna is just outside the town of Halmstad along the highway so it was very convenient. Took me awhile to find the shop and I had to change parking one time. The shop is located at the “GREEN” entrance and I finally found a parking close to the “GREEN” entrance  Hallarna
 Gerdas Tea
 Two kilo Göta Kanal Tea in the back of my car
Buying some groceries and tea bags before I left. I jar of Swedish honey went down my shopping basket as well. I was on my way after about one hour, heading north again. Arrival to the ferry around 3 o'clock according to the GPS. I was getting tired and I wanted to get to my hotel as quick as possible. And the weather was not inviting for any stops to look for birds along the way, not even thinking about getting out of the car. There are some eBird hotspots along the highway and I had planned to make a few stops. But now it was full speed ahead wanting to arrive to Tuvesvik båtterminal on Orust as quick as possible  Headed north
 Headed north
Leaving the highway at Stenungsund to get on the bridge to Tjörn. Making a stop to fill up gasoline in Stenungsund. I am about to buy some chocolate, Marabou chocolate, the best in the world. But I escape in my car, just to make a U-turn to get back. Lucky me, I leave without buying any chocolate. I know it would be very nice with chocolate to my tea, but I also know that I would feel very bad after having finished the chocolate. Crossing the bridge to Tjörn and I have about 30 minutes to go to Tuvesvik båtterminal on Orust. I pass a small lake and on the rock in the lake there are 6 or 7 Grey Herons. It started to rain so I never bothered to stop. And my camera is in my bag. And it was raining when I reached the ferry terminal, but I was lucky that the parking was very close to the parking.  The parking area
 Ferry Terminal
 Tuvesvik båtterminal
 Tuvesvik båtterminal
 Waiting area
The is a vending machine for the ticket and it sets me back by about 4 US $ and I was happy to discover the indoor waiting area as it was raining. 52 minutes until next departure. There is another guy coming to wait for the ferry after 5 minutes. He is having a tripod on his back pack and I ask him if he is a bird photographer. But he is here to take pictures of houses. Two guys arriving after 20 minutes and I recognise one of them. Turns out to be a friend from back when I was studying in Gothenburg 35 years ago. I have not seen him since we finished school and back then it was party every day. We were talking about the good ol' days and suddenly the ferry arrived.  The ferry to Käringön
 Käringön
 Käringön
 Käringön
 Käringön
 Käringön
 Reaching Hotel Käringön
 The ferry takes 40 minutes to reach Käringön and the time passes very quickly as I am talking with my old friend from school. No cars allowed on Käringön and we have to walk from the ferry to the hotel. We will stay at Hotel Käringön. A few minutes’ walk and it was a beautiful walk along the marina and the old wooden houses. I pass a hotel and I think it is my hotel, but it turns out that there are two hotels plus one hostel on this small island. We get our rooms and the dinner will be served at 6 o'clock. I was disappointed with the room, I had expected much more for this price. No desk, two small beds and one had to be used for my small bag. I could borrow one water kettle, fridge and kettle should be standard. Cost nothing, but there is no room for any fridge or desk in the room. I had a cup of tea and I discover that I had forgotten my Swedish honey and my snus. I could borrow some honey in the restaurant. Snus, I will have to buy first thing tomorrow morning. I was asleep just after 8 o'clock in the evening.  +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 8th of October 2024 and I was awake when my alarm went off at 4 o'clock. There was time for two buckets of tea before I went for breakfast at 7 o'clock and we left for the training center quarter to 8. It was a 5 minutes’ walk and we meet the other participants.
We were 8 people in the group and the day will start in the class room. We will be in the class room until the lunch break and when we return after the lunch break there will be practice driving the lifeboat.  In the class room
Time turned very quick and it was soon time to walk back to Hotel Käringön for our lunch. I went to the supermarket to buy some snus. One of the guys had given me a can of snus this morning and I went to buy some. I returned the can to him when I was back at the hotel. The lunch was good and I walked back to the training center together with my old friend. We were excited for the upcoming afternoon lifeboat adventure extravaganza. We will be 4 people in the boat, and as we are 8 there will be two team. The second team will start around 14 thirty when we are ready. We will launch the lifeboat and we will manoeuvre out to the open sea where we will throw the dummy overboard. Then we will manoeuvre in to pick up the dummy again before returning to the davit in the marina. We are 4 people in the boat and there are 4 tasks in the boat: • Driver • Aft hook • Forward hook • Rescue the dummy So, we will do it 4 times so we change tasks every time so we will have performed each task before we are ready.  Inspecting the lifeboat
 Inspecting the lifeboat
 Entering the lifeboat
 Our hero in the lifeboat
 35 years ago since I saw him last time
 Stand-by to release the hook aft
 35 years ago since I saw him last time
 Looking for the dummy
 Looking for the dummy
  We are on the way
 It is very noisy in the lifeboat
The dummy is very heavy and it is not easy to see the dummy when steering the lifeboat. The hatch is very small so only place for one guy to lift up the dummy. But the guy at the forward hook came back and he pulled the dummy while the guy in the hatch lifted up the dummy from the water. So, it went quite smooth and quick to get the dummy back on to the lifeboat. When the dummy was onboard, we returned to the davit where we connected the boat to the hook. Heaving up the lifeboat and we changed our positions and we started all over again.  The dummy is in the water
 Pulling onboard the dummy
 We are back ashore again
 The A-team
It was fun, but anyway, it was nice when we had completed four rounds and we could step out from the lifeboat. I took the opportunity to get a picture of the A-team before we went to the dressing room to get rid of our protective clothing. We had a chat in the coffee room before we went out to have a look at the second team doing the drills we just had completed. They had just completed the first round when we came out on the jetty and when they completed the second round I walked back to my hotel  Second team doing the drills
 Dinner at 6 o'clock, my last dinner on Käringön. I will go home tomorrow, I have completed the rest of the training back in May so I do not need to do the life raft training tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 9th of September 2024 and I wake up a few minutes before my alarm is going off at 4 o'clock. I was aching after having slept for 8 hours non-stop on the soft mattres.
Making a bucket of tea first thing and I had some cheese and ham with my tea. My room, for this price I had expected more. No desk and no space to keep my luggage. I had to use the second bed as a desk and a storage place for my wheeled carry-on unit. The internet leaves a lot to wish for, coming and going and it was annoying.  My room
 My room
But it is for two nights only and it was OK. And the training course was good and I have had a good time. And now I am set for the next 5 years with my safety and fire training as I did all the other courses back in May 2024. I went for my last breakfast and when the guys went for the course I returned to my room to pck my bag. I left the hotel 20 minutes before 9 o’clock. The ferry departs at 09:15 so that gives me some time to look for birds. Starting my eBird app and I started to walk toward the ferry station. I spotted a couple of Heering Gulls in winter plumage outside the hotel and I took a few pictures.  Herring Gull in winter plumage
 Herring Gull in winter plumage
 Herring Gull in winter plumage
 House Sparrow
 House Sparrow
I spot some magpies and there were four House Sparrows sitting on a fishing boat. Otherwise, there was not many birds to see. No Grey Heron or any Great Tits that I had seen yesterday. Spotting one cormorant flying across the sea outside the marina, but not 100% sure so I did not bother to report the bird to eBird. Leaving my luggage on the jetty and I walked around looking for birds, a lot of gulls but nothing exciting. I could see the ferry approaching and I went back to my luggage. I could hear one bird, I think it was a Great Tit, but I was not sure as I never found the bird.  I can see the ferry approaching
 Ferry arriving to Käringön
 Ferry arriving to Käringön
 Ferry arriving to Käringön
 Ferry arriving to Käringön
 Today's track on Käringön
 The ferry arrived and I turned off my eBird app. My plan is to run the eBird app during the ferry trip and I hope to see birds on the way. There are maybe 8 passengers waiting for the ferry and I board as last passenger. I will stay on deck looking for birds, just to buy a ticket and to put my luggage inside. We left after a few minutes, gloom and grey for long as I could see, but it was not cold and quite comfy to stay up front. Haze, so everything was wet. We left Käringön and as soon as we had passed the pier there were 3 Eiders that I could report in my eBird app. Good start!  Boarding the ferry
 Leaving Käringön bound for Tuvesvik
 Possible to sit inside as well
 On our way to Tuvesvik
 Bound for Tuvesvik
I see Great Black-backed Gulls as soon as we leave Käringön behind. In the village there were only Herring Gulls, but I could only see the Great Black-backed Gulls on the passage. The only way for me to see the difference between the Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls is by the colour of the legs. So I need a picture, and all the Black-backed Gulls I spotted was the Great Black-backed Gull. There were a lot of Great Cormorants sitting on the rocks and I spotted 13 Canada Gooses along the ride. There were also Grey Herons sitting on the rocks. We will make a stop at Gullholmen on the way to Tuvesvik and from there it is about 5 minutes to the end station where I have my rented car.  Little Cormorant
 Great Cormorants and one Grey Heron
 Great Black-backed Gull
 Grey Heron
 Two Canada Gooses
 Approach Gullholmen
 As soon as we approached Gullholmen the Great Black-backed Gulls and now it was only Herring Gulls that I could see. Gullholmen looked to be a little bit bigger than Käringön. When I was at my hotel I checked the internet: • Käringön - Population 80 (Summer time, thousands of people) • Gullholmen - Population 65 There is a lot of houses, but they are, I guess, mostly used on the summer. There are quite a few passengers joining us at Gullholmen. and I spot 16 Herring Gulls at Gullholmen. I try to get pictures, but they turned out to be no good.  Arriving to Gullholmen
 Arriving to Gullholmen
 Arriving to Gullholmen
 Arriving to Gullholmen
 People waiting for the ferry
 Passengers boarding us at Gullholmen
5 or 6 passengers joining us at Gullholmen and from there it as about 5 minutes or so to the end station Tuvesvik. We leave Gullholmen and I spot one more Grey Heron on a rock with Herring Guls and Great Cormorants. There is also one Great Black-backed Gull on the rock and that is the last birds I report on my eBird app. We are arriving to Tuvesvik and it is time to get off the ferry. I had been speaking with one guy joining me on deck at Gullholmen and he told me that there had not been many seagulls this year. We talked about the different gulls and suddenly, we had arrived and I said good bye.  Approaching Tuvesvik
 Arriving to Tuvesvik
 Today's track with the ferry
Click HERE to see bigger map
Walking to the parking and I am soon on my way south. I stop after 5 minutes to report one Grey Heron in my eBird app. Driving south and I am soon on Tjörn and I make two stops to report birds in my eBird app. Calling my nephew and he is in school and he will finish school at 3 o'clock. I tell him that I will come to pick him up at the school. 3 o'clock and that means that I will have one hour to spend and I decide to go to Skummeslövsstrand. Skummeslövsstrand and the beach is open to drive along the water to look for birds. Skummeslövsstrand is also an eBird hotspot. Disappointment, the beach is closed for cars and I was surprised. After 100 years and not they have closed the beach. I was here back in May and it was open for cars. I was hungry and I stopped to buy a hot dog and a burger. I had the hot dog while he was preparing the burger.  A starter while waiting for my burger
 My burger is very good
I hear one Eurasian Green Woodpecker and I see the bird landing in a tree across the street. I finish my burger and the food was very good, now I had had a Swedish sausage, always one of my goals when coming to Sweden. Trying to make a recording of the bird but the bird was quiet, and I could not see the bird so I went to the supermarket to buy two refreshments before I left Skummeslövsstrand. Soon driving south on the highway and I reached Helsingborg in time. Picking up my nephew and we left Helsingborg to pick up my other nephew. We went to have a pizza before I continued to return my car at AVIS in Malmö. And yes, I should not have had any pizza, but it is 6 months since I ha dmy last pizza, and two per year is OK.  Waiting for the pizza
 Dropping my nephews at their house and I was soon on my south towards Malmö and it started to pour down and the traffic was slow on the highway. Reaching Malmö and I had to look for a petrol station to fill up the car before returning it to AVIS. I called an airport taxi and the taxi was here after 10 minutes and we were soon on our way to Copenhagen International Airport, Kastrup. I will spend the night at Clarion Hotel at Terminal 3. We drive through Malmö and it takes some time, but as soon as we are on the highway it is full speed ahead.  On the bridge to Denmark
Crossing the bridge and coming up from the tunnel and we are at Copenhagen International Airport, Kastrup and Clarion Hotel. I said bye bye to the taxi driver and I went to check-in. What the  is this? A long line to check-in.
Only one in the reception and people are coming from the airport and there was a long line of people waiting to check-in. Just what you wish for landing after a full day of travelling. I manage to get my key after a while and I could get to my room and it was about 18 thirty when I could step in to my room.  Waiting to check-in at Clarion Hotel
 Line to check-in at Clarion Hotel, not impressing
 At least there is a proper desk in my room
I was happy to discover that there was a proper desk in my room. I went back down to the restaurant to get some milk for my tea. I opened one of my refreshments that I bought in Skummeslövsstrand. I relaxed for a bit before going to bed with the alarm set to go off at 4 o'clock tomorrow morning. Will I make it to my flight tomorrow morning? Will I make it to Brazil? You just need to click HERE to find out! This promise to be an adventure. 
    
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To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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