OOOOH, the weather outside is…not so frightful anymore.
A tad chilly but the minus temperatures are hopefully in the past. We are finally in the double digit temps. Aaah… the sun is shining bright. We are finally starting to peel away the layers of clothing.
FLASHBACK to warmer times and cool places…. July 2014… Gotland! 🙂
My first time in Gotland. I was totally left to my own devices. I had connections. My cool friend Cecilia has a Summer house there. So, when I told her I was coming to Gotland, she and I knew we HAD to meet up!
Right after the Embassy’s July 4th Celebration, it was time to break out. Cicci called me at the hotel and I met her at the docks. Hmm, that sounded quite seedy.. 😉
It was just after 6pm and the sun was still fairly high… Gotta love Swedish Summers.
So, we took a drive away from the hustle and bustle of Visby. We headed North and the further we drove, the more scenic the ride became.
When we finally stopped, parked and walked up to this small café. Folks were sitting outside. The waitress asked us where we wanted to sit, I replied that we could sit outside but Cicci insisted that we go inside. So, we walk in. I went in first. My jaw dropped! HOLY CRAP! Yes, I said this out loud with a look of surprise on my face! It was a diner!! Not just ANY diner but an AMERICAN Diner! Like “Happy Days, The Fonz and Laverne and Shirley” Diner!
The Maven Diner Café! Located in Lärbro Kappelshamn.
It was the cutest place with the red vinyl barstools at the counter, the jukebox, the red booths and the nostalgic comic book paintings on the wall. It felt as if someone just plopped this place down like a mini space capsule.
I had to laugh. It had all the fixins of a real 50’s Diner. Minus the extras like wine and kanelbullar, this was a spot known to the locals and those who sought out a quaint, funky hideaway to chill out after you have been in town. The menu had the typical Milkshakes and hamburgers with french fries along with BBQ Spareribs, beer and some not so typical items like muffins, coffee and bookmakertoast with Gotlänsk Oxfilé.
What is a Bookmakertoast and how is it made you wonder?An open-face sandwich to have originated in Ireland. It’s a slice of bread which is fried and then smeared with a good mustard, lettuce and then a slice of beef tenderloin or sirloin steak. Freshly grated horseradish and a raw egg yolk(yolk optional) on top gives an extra kick!
Afterwards we hopped in the car. Cicci schooled me on Gotland and the Gotlänsk dialect which I refused to emulate AND embarrass not only myself but shame the wonderful folk of Gotland!
Our car journey took us to Lickershamn.
Lickershamn is a small settlement and fishing village situated in Gotland Municipality. The place is most noted for the rauks in the area. A Rauk(in English) is a stack or seastack. A geological landform consisting of steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by erosion. They are formed when part of a headland is eroded by the force of the sea or water crashing against the rock. The force of the water weakens cracks, causing them to later collapse, forming free-standing stacks and even a small island.
Here in Lickershamn is Gotland’s biggest rauk the Jungfrun (“The Maiden”)
