Today, being our last day on Gotland, was spent wandering around Visby and going to dinner in a fancy restaurant. It was also the perfect opportunity to buy stuff we didn’t really need but were really keen to have. Like you do.
The highlight was dinner. I know that Nicoline is going to call me petit bourgeoisie, but it’s worth it. We had a six course taster menu at Lilla Bjers. It’s attached to a farm and most of the food is produced there. It was magnificent.
Mirinda said it was the best meal she’s ever had, which upset me greatly. I mean, the Chez Gaz mousaka is supposedly pretty good. Actually, I reckoned the meal was pretty bloody brilliant as well. Far beyond anything I could create. And all eaten in a large greenhouse in the dying rays of the sun.
And the evening was just as beautiful as the food. Which was a turn up for the books. After all, weather wise, the day had been very windy. We’d had some pretty torrential rain over night but the fierce winds had blown it all away, so the day turned out lovely, just very windy.
As I said, we set off into Visby. And we have a new favourite Visby breakfast place so, obviously, we stopped for brunch outside the Café Amalia. Mind you, the wind was so fierce that I lost quite a bit of the cheese and rocket from the top of my avocado toast.
Still, there was more than enough left to sustain me.
Suitably filled, we then wandered down, stopping in the sort of shops that Mirinda loves and I think are too smelly.
We didn’t really do anything particularly touristy though we did pop into one of Visby’s ruined churches. It was called Drotten Church but was actually dedicated to All Saints. Drotten is a Viking word meaning ‘ruler’ or ‘god’.
It was built in the 13th century and abandoned in the 16th with the Reformation.
A lovely old ruin. Like all the other lovely old ruins in Visby. It really is the city of ruined churches. Am I the only person who thinks they could be turned into bars, à la Budapest?
During our wanderings, I noticed a small plaque on a wall and have since discovered it’s from the Europa Nostra organisation. I’d never heard of them. It’s sounds like something you’d need a nose job for. However, rather than cosmetic, it’s actually an organisation that serves to protect heritage.
From their website: “Europa Nostra was founded on 29 November 1963 in Paris. For 60 years, we have celebrated, protected and advocated for cultural heritage. Covering over 40 countries, Europa Nostra is recognised as the largest and the most representative heritage network in Europe. It maintains close relations with the European Union, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and other international bodies.” (https://www.europanostra.org/)
The small plaque was on a wall next to the Café Amalia.
I wonder if Amex sponsored it in order to get more people to accept their cards in Europe. It makes sense. So often I see little signs saying ‘Amex not accepted here’.
Anyway, this is clearly going to be a short post because, basically, that was it for our last full day on Gotland. Tomorrow we have a very early ferry ensuring we’ll be home by lunchtime.
What a marvellous week away it has been.
