For years we’ve been traveling around the Nordics and there is still so much to see. Highest on my list was Gotland, especially after getting to know a fellow Belgian who’s living on the island. I got the tip to travel in spring when most restaurants are open and flowers color the island, but the idea of winter light and colors got us to plan a rather last-minute trip. We booked a cottage through Airbnb not far from Visby (the super charming main city)- which you might remember from the sixties movie Pippi Långstrump!

It was impossible to not think about that catchy intro song from the movie while wandering around the narrow streets, passing tiny houses and absorbing the beautiful light. While Mo was proudly posing with her sheep (isn’t she great at herding this one?!), she was actually standing at the former execution site.

Our cottage turned out to be at walking distance from Högklint where the morning light treated us with a stunning view from the top.

The number one thing that I wished to see was Fårö, a small island north of Gotland that is known for the rocky coastline, Ingmar Bergman and the impressive Digerhuvud. To our surprise, it was super easy to access the island. Every 15minutes there is a free boat that will bring you to the other side in about 10 minutes. Dogs are no problem. In winter it might be good to have some blankets, food, and water in the car to stay warm when you’re waiting or enjoying the view or not getting hungry while exploring the island.

The first few days we got a few drops of rain, lots of chilly wind and we saw the last bits of snow melting on the sides of the roads. Sooner than ‘our’ part of Sweden, it felt almost ready for spring- just snoozing a bit longer. The weather and smells reminded me – funny enough- of winter in Belgium. I was wearing more sweaters, walked around in normal boots without crampons and the dogs got muddy for the first time in months- and oh they loved it!

Although not that big, the different parts of the island all have their unique surprises that I haven’t seen on the Swedish mainland. The island is mostly flat but with impressive cliffs, the water is at some points bright blue mixed with turkois and there is something creative going on with restaurant signs and music spots. Also unique are the trees that have the weirdest and most interesting shapes.

And somehow I feel like these textures fit Mogwai.

At Hoburgs we were almost alone, just a couple of people leaving when we arrived, leaving the cliff all to our curiosity. We climbed the rocks, watched flocks of birds fly high above us and sat in a cave while watching the endless sea.

At the east of the Island, around Ljugarn, we found funny shaped rocks and a quiet spot in the sun where the dogs played in the water while I just enjoyed the view and their joy. With every rock that Mogwai saw, she wanted to pose 😀 (but also keeping an eye on Lizzie)

Biggest stick of the day!

Although there was so much more which we hadn’t seen yet, when the sun came out, I wanted to get back to Fårö and its beautiful textures. I had been photographing so many rocks and details as inspiration for paintings later so I was super curious what they looked like with sunlight.
And it didn’t disappoint. wow!
-I photographed a lot of ice :-)))

Ok, although I captured some photos of me and my dogs with the self-timer,  when trying to pose, that didn’t really work out haha!

Gotland was a fantastic experience and huge inspiration when wandering around. I can’t wait to get back and see some more, but at the same time, I’m not sure when. While googling and seeing mostly summer pictures, it seems like such a crazy busy place in summer that I have no desire to join that crowd. If you’re ok with lots of fellow travelers, I’ve read that there is a day in September where restaurants and bars stay open all night- which sounds really cool!