[旅行] 瑞典人的渡假勝地 哥特蘭島 Gotland Sep. 20-22, 2013

        Gotland(哥特蘭島)，並不是什麼舉世聞名的渡假勝地，也不位於熱帶，他的地位有點像是瑞典的澎湖，歷史悠久並在當地頗負盛名，大多的遊客都是瑞典人。
        Gotland, not a world famous paradise for vacation, nor is it a tropical island. Yet, Gotland is definitely one of the most popular places where the Swedes spend there vacation. It is an island that has rich historical heritages and also scenic views.

On ferry to Gotland

Arrived around midnight

        可以搭船或飛機到哥特蘭島，夏天是旺季，我們星期五晚上出發，星期天下午返回，船班並不多，最便宜的票也不好搶，建議及早預訂：訂票網站。我們是搭船，在斯德哥爾摩的Nynäshamn港口上船，而有火車直接到Nynäshamn。比較值得注意的是，搭船通常要提早30分鐘check-in，我們當時就差點來不及趕上。住宿的部分，我們是透過booking.com預定，我們六人住可容納八人的公寓，價錢相當划算。
        Travelers can choose to either take a plane or a ferry to Gotland. Summer is the high season, so if you would like to go to Gotland in summer and especially on weekends, you should book earlier. We took the Friday night ferry from Stockholm to Gotland and we came back to Stockholm on Sunday afternoon. The website for booking the ferry tickets is here. The port in Stockholm is called Nynäshamn and there are trains that directly arrive at Nynäshamn. Note that travelers need to arrive 30 minutes before departure for check-in. Regarding accommodation, we booked a house through booking.com.

At the balcony of the apartment we lived in

        Gotland本島交通還算便利，各大景點都有公車。然而，如果要安排到大導演Ingmar Bergman落腳拍片的Fårö(法羅島)，則須搭船，而且島上交通並不方便，沒有公車。幸運的，我們到的那個周末正好是Fårönatta，有一系列活動，因此有大眾運輸工具。平日去除了走路或騎車外，可以試著搭便車，多人的話可以搭計程車，有駕照則可以考慮事先租車。
         Transportation in Gotland is quite convenient. There are buses to almost every sight. However, if you plan to visit Fårö island, where the world-famous director Ingmar Bergman filmed most of his movies, you will need to take a ferry there. The transportation on Fårö island is really inconvenient. Luckily, we visited Fårö island during Fårönatta, which involved plenty of celebration and activities on the island. There were buses to most of the sights. If you visit Fårö island in other days, you might need to take the taxi or rent a car. Hitchhiking is also a choice.

Medieval City Wall in Visby 古城牆 (1)

Medieval City Wall in Visby 古城牆 (2)

        Gotland其實是個省份，首府Visby在中古世紀時可是重要的貿易商港，因此島上有不少古蹟。Visby四處都是紅瓦屋和石頭鋪成的路，教堂雖已在歲月的磨損中只剩遺跡，但站在其中仍能感受當年繁華之景。Gotland本島有公車，但其實只要住在市區，景點大多能夠走到。
        Gotland is actually one of the provinces in Sweden. The capital Visby was a large trading port during the medieval ages and thus there were a lot of historical sites on the island. In Visby, almost all the houses have red tile roofs and the roads were stone paved. The churches were worn and torn through the ages but standing there, I could still feel how prosperous it was in the past.

        我們第二天前往法羅島，從Visby市區搭乘公車前往乘船處，再搭乘小船到法羅島。若有租車，可以開車上船。我們參觀了Ingmar Bergman的博物館，詳細記錄這位出生於Uppsala的大師如何和法羅島結緣。當然，我們也造訪了Ingmar Bergman拍片的許多場景，其中有許多特色海灘，寂靜而美麗。

        We visited Fårö island on the second day. We took a bus from the city center of Visby to the port and then we took a small ferry to Fårö island. If you rented a car, you could also drive your car on board. We visited Ingmar Bergman museum. The museum displayed how this Uppsala born director met and fell in love with Fårö island. We also visited many of his movie scenes around Fårö island. Most of them were beaches, which was serene and beautiful.

        瑞典雖非美食天堂，但來到Gotland勢必要去嘗嘗當地有名的下午茶小點厚煎餅(saffranspannkaka)配咖啡也是種浪漫的饗宴。

        Although Gotland is not known for its food, travelers should still try its most famous dessert called saffranspannkaka. Eating it with coffee is the best afternoon tea in Gotland.

        如果你看膩了歐洲大城市的繁忙，如果你厭倦了教堂和城堡，哥特蘭島這個靜謐、古典又有人情味的美麗島嶼，值得你的駐足。
        If you are tired with the hustle and bustle of large cities or the numerous castle and churches in Europe, I strongly recommend Gotland. The island itself was quiet and historical and the people there were far more than friendly. It was definitely worth the visit.