It was icy cold, one of the last days of the year. I should go to Åland for meeting my girlfriend Mis who lived here. In good time I had booked the train tickets to Stockholm, booked the hotel room for the night, and the ferry tickets to the Åland ferry.

The suitcase was already packed. The last days on my work had been stressing. I was tired and now I looked forward to some days of holiday together with Mis and her familiy far in the archipelago on Vårdö.
Mis and I, we have known each other since the teenages and we have kept in touch all these years. We have seen our children being born, rising up and then flying out for living their own lives.

I was sitting in the train to Stockholm looking in my handbag for the address to the small hotel, in the Old City, where I had booked me a room for the night. I should get up early in the morning for taking the first ferry to Mariehamn. However I tried to find the piece of paper it was lost.

I must have forgotten it at home on my writing table ...

There is some consolation in knowing the taxidrivers know most of the city hotels. Things will sort themselves, I thought. After leaving the railway station in Stockholm I am going to the taxi station asking for help by one of the taxidrivers. We are driving up and down on the small narrow streets in the Old Town looking for some small hotel sign. The only one the taxidriver knows is a small cargo boat, now a hotel, by the South Malarstrand and he drives me to it.

Down by the quay lies an old red painted cargo boat with lightened lamps as a flagstaff between the masts. It looks very tempting in the darkness. I leave the taxi and ask the driver to wait for me. The receptionist says I am on the right place. She found my booking here. I give up, take my suitcase and pay the taxi.

Inside it is warm with living candles on the tables in the restaurant. I order me some food because I am really hungry now . Last time I ate anything was at lunch. There are some other guests too in the restaurant. When I am ready I ask for the keys to my room. I was shown downsteps a spiral staircase to the cargo space. Here are about ten cabins but they all are empty. I am the only night guest.

Here downstairs it is icy cold! The receptionist switches on the electric heater and hopes it will be warmer soon. Meanwhile I am bringing the other blankets for putting them on me.

I look at the stars in the sky this cold night in December before I let the blanket cover the porthole (window). The closest time I am spending by stopping up the portholes in the cabin. The draugh from them is cold.

I put some other blankets on the bed before I lie down and try to sleep. I let the light be switched on, anyhow it is some uncanny to lay alone here in a cargo space on a cargo boat by a quay in Stockholm. Maybe I have been half-asleep some times but I cannot fall really asleep. I am freezing even I am wearing all clothes on me inclusive the jacket, the cap and the boots.

Five o´clock in the morning I get up. Bring together all my things and go upstairs to the reception calling for a taxi. Soon I am in the Viking terminal and I am one of the first passengers. I am in the warmth. I sit down in a chair in the waitinghall. Fall half-asleep meanwhile the time runs slowly. Now it is only one hour to the departure time and inchecking must have started. Anyhow I am the only passenger!

I go upstairs to the floor where from the entrance to the ferry is and to my great surprise it is totally empty - anyhow the boat is there. I understand nothing!

A cleaning-woman, alert in the morning, comes into the waitinghall and I decide to ask her where all the other passengers are. She is looking at me saying; there is no ferry today! What? I have the tickets here - and here goes no ferry today? I say. I understand still nothing.

In the same moment comes a clark to the inchecking desk and I am asking her the same questions. She confirms what I already have heard before. "But you can catch up the ferry that goes within two hours from Kapellskär if you take a taxi now!", she said. Now starts a febrile activity in catching a taxi just in the worst morning traffic. The clark is also calling the ferry for asking them to wait on us. Now starts a nervous time in finding a free taxi. The taxi comes and in high speed is the driver driving zig-zag between buses and cars in other files. Soon we are on the nothern high-way on the way to Kapellskär. I can cool down and start telling the driver my mostly unbelieveably story.

The traffic is calming down too. The frosty winter landscape is white and a pale yellow sun is shining. Coming closer the Kapellskär terminal the taxidriver calls up the Viking terminal informing them about our coming. It hangs on only minutes before the ferry casts off and I am stranded.

No one has asked me having money for all these extra costs. Luckily I have enough for paying the taxi. Then starts my hardest maraton race in my life. Upstairs all steps that seem to having no end. Now is only the long exit way left to the ferry. I can hear the noise from the mashines and now two strong arms helps me on the ferry with bagage and all. The ferry casts off.

I fixed it! I am on board!

I could now look forward to some peaceful hours. When two hours are passed we are coming to Mariehamn, but also two hours earlier than that time I had said to Mis. I buy me a weekly and sit down in the waiting hall. Words are not enough for describing the great surprise when Mis is coming and seeing me there. Of course, we got a good laugh to my telling story.

When I was back at home and free from my pneumonia, as a result of the trip, I returned to the travel agency that had sold me the tickets. I told them my story and they decided to pay me back all my costs, why this became quite an extra-ordinary trip at no charge.

Facts about Åland

Vårdö - the magic island

Cargo boat in the harbour