Kalmar - 56° 39' 31" N 16° 21' 34" E

Kalmar was our next port of call but rather than going into the guesthamn in the main harbour, we pulled up next to Kalmar Castle just before sunset!  Yay for our lifting centreboard!

Our track in - past the castle, into the shallow bits, through the marsh.

The winding channel was very narrow and rather shallow, Chinook may have dragged her rudders through the mud, but we made it to the dock.  Wow, what a location! 

Mooring in a castle moat!

The freshly manicured lawns and bursting flowerbeds of the City Gardens ... and a bird watchers paradise!  From the comfort of the cockpit, Gord and Jenny started racking up their sightings.  Merlin, the birdwatchers' identification and tallying app, was running hot.  Black-headed gulls, greylag geese, mute swans, arctic terns, mallard and tufted ducks were all merrily identified and tallied - just to name a few. And the noise ... being spring, avian hordes were very chatty!

The crew posing for a snap with castle and tulips!

The tulips here are still in glorious full bloom

You would think we are still in Holland!

Although Kate and Sean had been to Kalmar before and walked around the castle grounds, they had not been inside. We all decided to go in to see the exhibits, including a touring temporary exhibition on Artificial Intelligence. We thought the contrast of such a contemporary topic presented in 18th century surroundings could be an interersting contrast.

Trying hard to raise the drawbridge

Artifacts, illustrations and descriptions (in English, too!)

Part of the trippy Artificial Intelligence exhibition that was visiting the castle

Travelling with Gord and Jenny on previous trips has led us to other castles - some geared more for battle than defence. Kalmar castle survived a number of seiges due to excellent fortification and a good moat. Although the ramparts and bastions had gunports and loopholes, there was a dissappointing lack of ancient warfare heavy weapons within the castle. We couldn't find a single trebuchet!

A formidable obstacle in older times

After our castle tour and an afternoon stroll through the city gardens, we provisioned up, bought a few things for Chinook at the chandlery (courtesy flags and a chart for the area north of Stockholm) and prepared to continue north.