ice skating on the alvar

It's almost sports break! Then we plan to continue with the weekend fun of the last few weeks – skating on the ice rink here on Öland!

On the alvar, water collects here and there at small “bogs”, and it is perfect for skating there! Most of the time the water is quite shallow so it freezes quickly. One of the most popular ice rinks on the alvar is Möckelmossen, which is the alvar’s largest lake. Here, however, we are at a slightly smaller ice rink that we found just behind Resmo Church. When I was little, we used to go out and skate on the alvar, and it is so fun to be able to do it now together with the children.

Helena Elm

The girls learn quickly. The youngest is completely fearless and almost runs across the ice, while the older sister takes it a little more cautiously. Although you can also make snow angels on the ice, of course.

What else can you do on your sports break? You can go winter swimming! Yes, you read that right. And I've tried it!

Helena Elm

The picture proof! We went to Borgholm to the swimming area called Sjöstugan where there is a long jetty with a ladder that has been left for all winter bathers. The otherwise popular cold bathhouse in Borgholm has been closed for a period like so many others these days, but at Sjöstugan I was far from the only winter bather there.

Calling myself a winter bather might be a stretch. This was my first time swimming in the winter, but it's not certain that it was my last! Sure, it was incredibly cold, but just like everyone says, it felt really good afterwards. And it was definitely refreshing!

Helena Elm

I had read up beforehand about all the things to think about, like wearing a hat, a towel to stand on as soon as you got out of the water, and something hot to drink in a thermos afterwards. I was so proud that I had taken a dip! The girls thought their mother was a bit crazy swimming in the cold weather, but cheered happily from up on the dock.

Helena Elm

After the bath we went to the café and bistro Sjöstugan which is located just behind the pier, a very cozy little cafe with a lot of history. Doesn't the red old 1700th century house look nice? It was previously an old courthouse, but was moved here in the early 1900th century. Nils Ferlin has been a guest in this house, and maybe even sat and wrote poems.

A completely different kind of poem can be read on the receipts taped to one wall. At Café Sjöstugan you can buy a coffee that a fellow human being can then enjoy, and the staff told us that their “Donate a Coffee” initiative has become very popular. If not as many people come to pick up the coffee as others have donated, they will instead donate coffee for the amount to Hela människan Ria in Borgholm. We bought our coffee as a takeaway, but if we were extra hungry they serve lunch on the weekends, both on site and as a takeaway, and they also have delivery. Biscuits are the specialty, and we filled the box with a semmelbiskvi, a rhombusbiskvi and a biscuit that tasted like violets. We each bought a coffee to take with us, and an extra coffee for Sjöstugan’s donate a coffee initiative.