Åland's Castle

On Monday, Melanie took the day off work (because she is so nice!) and squired us around Åland. 

This is Åland's only castle, so we decided to take a peek see. 

Signposts

In Sweden, they always had WC for bathroom. Which seems funny. I thought that was only a British thing. 

Lichen-y trees

Isn't that impressively tall? 

And look at the impressively thick walls. 

To be honest, if I were an invading horde, I would take a look at these walls and decide I was better off drinking tea at home. 

Nothing much would have gotten done if I was in charge of the Vikings.

Back of the castle, with rocks build into the foundation. 

Cool wall

Things fallen from trees

Isn't the lichen terrific? 

The fences were terribly interesting. They had  tons of slanted posts tied with twine. They look fairly secure, but as Ashley pointed out, sheep would probably try to climb right up them and get out. 

Owen and Ashley's sheep were always, always getting out. 

Maybe sheep in Åland are better behaved.

We were a colorful group

Behind the castle, there is a little historical area

This is a traditional Swedish house. The beds were in the kitchen because the kitchen would have been the warmest place. 

Breakfast in bed? Don't mind if I do. 

Mosaic  (or would it be mandela?) on the living room ceiling

Midsummer pole

Mel said that this will be coming down soon and the decorations from last year (evergreens, little evergreen trees at the end of each post, and the red and yellow things) will come off. Women in the village are probably already busy making new thingys for the end (I don't know what they are called) and it will be gotten ready for this year's celebration where it would be raised at midnight. 

I am in love with all the red

Thatch roof (which I had never seen up close)

Close up of the thatch. These look more like reeds than straw, but maybe different areas use different materials, or maybe this is normal straw and I don't know what I am talking about. 

Livie scampering up a rocky outcropping (that was her thing this trip--rocky outcroppings) while we all told her dire things about ticks and Lyme's disease.

Someone, once upon a time decided Åland needed deer, so they brought them over. The deer on Åland have no natural predators, so the deer have been multiplying with no check. As a result, deer ticks (that carry Lyme) have become rampant. Åland has one of the highest frequencies of Lyme's disease in the world. 

A cute little flower I do not know the name of

Nifty chimney

Livie coming from her broody rocky outcropping

This is the kind of house I picture when I picture little country cottages