À la mer

Today, Anna and I woke the kids early and caught the first Tjörn Express Bus (TEXP) at 6:05 am from the Nils Ericsson Terminal to Rönnäng, passing Angeredsbron shrouded in morning mist before arriving at the most picturesque little harbour.

Dressed in dark blue stripes and a white straw hat, I looked every bit the caricature of a summer seaside tourist as we boarded the ferry M/S Hakefjord, which first stopped at the tiny island of Åstol before continuing to Dyrön.

Having beaten the crowds, we had the island almost entirely to ourselves for the 5.4 km hike along the Dyröleden trail. With the sea calm as glass, we were treated to breathtaking views of the archipelago and even managed a skinny dip in a secluded bay on the northern side of the island before rewarding ourselves with waffles as a post-swim treat.

Considering that all buses and ferries are fully covered by Västtrafik’s “summer card” (860 SEK), we felt like true winners passing the long lines of cars crawling toward Tjörn as we returned by train from Stenungsund after one more swim on the southern side of the island.