Day Three: Tjudö-Kastelholm

Today, we woke a bit earlier and refreshed without feeling the effects of the night's heavy winds and rain. We had our breakfast of oatmeal, tea, bread and cheese.  As we slowly packed our bikes, we could see the sunlight shining on the west side of the lake. This gave us hope that it would be a warmer day. As we biked north towards Pettböle, the sun remained constant, but the temperature hovered around 7 or 8 C. We passed many hay fields and farms of sheep and cows. Passing through Näs took us into our 3rd parish of Saltvik and into Kvarnbo. The village gave us our first experience of urban life since we left Mariahamn  on the first day. There was a local market, a bank, a few small shops and, of course, the Saltviks Kyrka. After resupplying our water at the market, we quickly took a look at the church. We also visited a site that at one time had buried pottery, jewelry, and other trinkets. It was not well marked so after walking around perhaps 10 minutes, we got back on our bikes and headed east towards Björby. 

Just past Rangsby, we saw a sign for the Fornborg (ancient castle). A 600 meter walk up the rocky hill took us to the top of what might be called a mountain. What we saw was a rock wall that stood perhaps 1 meter high. The view of the rock face to the south was inviting as a climbing crag. We didn't see any castles, but rereading the sign at the trailhead revealed information that stated the possibility that the locals would head to the top of the hill during war time and through stones to fend off intruders. However, this is only speculation. This area seemed rich with hills and a lack of traffic so it made the highlight of my trip thus far. The road we traveled from Björby and Sibby was called Norra Sundsvägen and is the oldest official road on Åland from the 17th century.

After passing several small villages and anticipating heavier traffic, we arrived at Finby to see another windmill. Here is where we stopped to take enlightenment in the caged yet well groomed cats on someone's horse farm. I think Serge took an especially warm view of them given he is the proud owner of a cat. Given the cold temperatures, I wasn't sure how they were able to withstand the night cold. Serge had our first bike mechanical and pulled out his tools. As the reward for enduring the cold in the moment, we took pleasure in the last pieces of his Tallink purchased chocolate.  

Most of the wind on the trip had come from the south and west, so most days we didn't have the headwinds. However, immediately leaving Finby and biking west, we had this to contend with. As the evening approached we biked into what I saw as the Skansen (swedish museum village) equilvalent-Kastelholm's Jan Karlsgården (outdoor museum of old houses). Had it been the season of tourism, I am certain buses would abound. However, with temperatures hovering around 5-6 C, wind and the time of day, it was empty. In this museum was 4 windmills, animal houses, and old red wooden homes. Cold and windswept, we debated whether this would be a good place to make camp. I was not keen on it, but with a bit of persistence from Serge, we found ourselves putting our sleeping bags on the floor of small hay storage barn. It was without any regret, because the night's wind and rain held nothing back. Our 3rd night of pasta, cheese and tea was even better because we had to deal with no inclement weather. It took not long after dinner that I was asleep and snoring (according to Serge). In the night, I was sure that the strong winds were going to blow over the shelter.