July 30, 2008...(Day 7)...Uddevalla and the Byfjorden Ferry Ride

Byfjorden Ferry: One of my favorite days of this Sweden adventure is about to begin. We boarded the Byfjorden Ferry for a trip through some of the western islands off the west coast of Sweden. The west coast is know for its wild lands and stark beauty. This was a 9 hour journey that had so many beautiful scenes. You had to be there to truly appreciate it all. I think one of the best parts of the trip was the sight of so many incredible rock formations. AWESOME!!!!! (As always, click on any photo in this blog to get a larger view)

Uddevalla Harbor: Uddevalla gained its town charter in 1496, and was famous for shipbuilding until the 1970s. Now, it is a tourist stop with a museum of cultural and natural heritage, as well as a seafaring museum. It also has a contemporary art gallery. And, of course, it is host to the awesome ferry line that we had just embarked on.

Ferry Route: We began at Uddevalla Harbor at 9 am, traveled down Byfjorden, crossed over Havstens Fjord, traveled down Koljo Fjord (along the west side of Orust Island), turned west and wound our way between Bokenaset and Flato (past Bassholmen), until we reached Lysekil. The ferry let off a few passengers, and we then continued south with the open ocean to our west until we reached Gullholmen. We then traveled through an inland passage for a short way until we hit open ocean and arrived at Karingon. We departed the ferry at Karingon, and were able to enjoy the island for a few hours before boarding the boat and traveling north to Gullholmen. We then took a turn to the east and traveled up the Ellose Fjorden through some very narrow channels until we entered the Koljo Fjord and retraced our way back to Uddevalla (with Orust to our east.) We arrived back at Uddevalla Harbor at 6 pm. Whoo, what an fabulous day we had. The following photos are all from this trip. My thanks go out to Anette and Paul for making reservations on this ferry ride for us to enjoy. The food was great, the views were stunning, and the company was awesome! (Click on the map for a larger view.)

Anette: Anette, mother to Ana and Kristina, is quite the boat woman. She is a sailor from childhood, and knew these waters well. She is also an awesome photographer, and is Amanda's sister-in-law.

Ana: Here stands lovely Ana as we cruised down the fjord. As cloudy as the day began, we would soon find it to become hot and sunny.

Enjoying the ride: Kristina, Amanda, UllaBritt, and Paul were part of my host group for this most awesome of ferry rides. Paul is Amanda's brother.

Uddevalla Bridge: This is a stunning suspension bridge, which spans the Byfjorden out of the city of Uddevalla.

Lindesnas Village: I think this might be Lindesnas, but I am not sure. Isn't it amazing to see the little village at the foot of the granite mountain? Luckily, this village is in a protected area along the Byfjorden. Check out those expensive homes...they rival the prairie mansions I used to see when living in Colorado.

Gull in flight: I didn't get to take many bird photos on this trip, so I was excited to capture this gull in flight as we neared the bridge.

Uddevalla Bridge: This bridge is on the E6 Highway, and crosses the Byfjorden that we were traveling on.

Granite: This reminds me of the back end of a dinosaur, with the trees being the spines. I think this rock might be part of the largest island on the west coast, Orust Island. This island is famous for being the major manufacturer of superior leisure boats in Sweden.

Light on Ledge: We saw a variety of lights, warning boaters of rocks, throughout our ferry ride. Each light was just a tiny bit different than the next.

Mussel Beds: These bouys mark mussel beds. Yummm...

Trees and shrubs in the rock: I am forever fascinated by the fact that trees and small shrubs can gain a roothold into bare rock surfaces. This view was very typical of what we saw on these rocky islands throughout the ferry ride.

Home on the rocks: I was particularly taken with this view of houses nestled into the rock ledge. Amazing...I guess I am not used to seeing homes built directly on the granite, with no soil beneath them. (Click on this photo to view the gorgeous granite patterns.)

Narrow channel to Bassholmen: Our boat had to maneuver through many narrow channels on this trip through the fjords. This channel led us into the protected harbor of Bassholmen.

Red Granite: I have seen this referred to as "red granite". The rocky islands were gorgeous, and oh, so colorful for this rockhound's eyes to behold. Don't you just love rocks? I know I do!

Bassholmen Nature Reserve: This reserve is on the island of Bassholmen, which is located between Orust and Skafto. The reserve consists of narrow valleys, leafy meadows, and pine forest, with grazing horses and sheep.

Community on the rocks: We saw so many tiny communities hugging the rocks where they could be protected from the elements. I was captivated by the variety of house colors all throughout this trip.

Rocky island homes: So...what do these people do for septic? That question was running through my mind throughout this trip, as we saw house, after house situated on bare granite. And, check out the power lines. I was also wondering if they had a central island generator.