MagBaz and Gränna, Småland, Sweden
Zagan the motorhome’s enjoying the fact we’re out of season in Sweden, so the usual 120 SEK charge to stay in this car park in Gränna has been reduced to nothing, yep, yet another freebie kipping spot (N58.02894, E14.46048). There’s an official aire here too, which is still open and charges 180 SEK, and is about 100 metres away. There’s some kind of Friday social experiment going on, as we count up those paying £16 a night for electricity and a service point, and those paying nothing to stay in the adjacent car parks.
Free out of season parking in Gränna, Sweden
OK, bear with me a minute here, as I feel the urge to vent. Only a little, I’ll try not to bore you to death. Come back in time with me, yep, like the ghost of OurTour past, hold my hand as we whip through space and back to the very beginnings of the OurTour wanderings. We’d just set off on our first trip, were both nervous at making ourselves freshly unemployed, green as cucumbers and were nervously and shyly starting to write blog posts. Lots of blogs had served to guide and inspire us to get to this point, and to help us keep confidence in what we were doing, and one of them was Margaret and Barry’s www.magbaztravels.com site. Packed with years upon years of European motorhome travel info, they were like minor gods to me, and I dropped them a line asking of they’d be so kind as to include a link to our blog on their site.
Months passed, and we heard nothing back. Then one gloomy day (actually, I’ve no idea what the weather was like, but I certainly felt like shit later on that evening), an email appeared. It knocked me sideways in the ferocity with which it carried out what was basically a character assassination. It effectively said we should be ashamed of ourselves, as between emailing them and them writing back, we’d written a book about how to take your motorhome to Morocco, something like that, it rambled a lot. Their view of it was we were exploiting the poverty of the Moroccan people, a view which I’m yet to make sense of. I tried to ‘reach out’ to them and get a better understanding of what we’d done wrong, but instead of a reply, they published this article on the website, and with that were done with us. If not gods, judge and jury? Left without more guidance, I’ve long pondered their position, trying to work out if we are what they say we are, even just a bit.
And then last night I read their blog and realised they’re basically where we are in Sweden, heading to Gothenburg in the next few days, just like us. Ah. Erm. Hmmmm. Sod it. I dropped them an email explaining who I was, and asking if they’d like to meet up to talk through what they’d written. When they first wrote back to us, they told us we were just tourists on a trip, not real travellers. I wondered if now we’d spent the best part of 3 years on the road we’d ‘count’ in their book. Nope. The email below arrived this morning, making not much more sense than the first one they shot our way, but it’s enough for me to understand they just want to vent their anger at the world, and probably not us specifically. With their email, and this blog post, I’m popping the ghost of MagBaz behind me. If one day we do happen to meet, I’m sure it’ll be an education.
Email from Barry and Margaret 7 Oct 2016: I imagine they’re currently talking through how we’re also responsible for the rise of ISIS, Brexit, Global Warming and the philandering of John Major…
“Dear Jason and Julie
Thanks for your email and your reminder of an article we wrote in March 2012.
We see no point in meeting at this late date; the position we presented at that time has, if anything, hardened and we need no debate on the matter. In general, we see the materialistic selfishness of travellers, and particularly motorhomers greatly increased. Whether this is true for you or not, is a matter for you.
Not least, we occupy quite different generations and quite different life experiences!
Barry and Margaret”
Okey dokey, that’s that rubbish done with. Magbaz, I wish you well. Back to today.
After a run (Ju, I hugged the bedsheets), showers, breakfast, servicing the van and half emptying Lidl, we hit the road. Destination: Norrköping an hour south-west on the E4 motorway. Like everything seems to in Sweden, the road flowed smoothly, and shortly we found ourselves driving through the centre of the city en route to a parking place I’d found on Husbilsklubben.se, a Swedish motorhome website. Norrköping has a reputation as a town which has transformed its industrial centre into a welcoming urban area, replete with free industrial museums. We’re struggling a bit to find masses of interesting stuff to visit in Sweden, if I’m honest, and this looked a good spot. Sadly the parking place was a dishevelled car park, and our back-up car park was no better. Neither of us were that taken with the town, so we made do with our quick look at the place through the window, and scooted off.
The closest we got to Norrköping
More E4, with the satnav programmed for here, another hour and a half down the road. Saab aircraft lined the route in places, propped up on, ah, props. After a while we nipped into a cracking motorway service area for lunch and while there spotted a tourist route just a wee way further along the road with, wait for it, a genuine rune stone alongside it:the Rök Runestone. A big one, old as the hills, with loads of Tolkienish runes on it. Winner.
Sweden: historically a neutral country, but they don’t half flog a lot of weapons
Motorway service: Swedish style
The tourist route off the E4, running across and alongside Lake Vattern
Off we went, easily finding the stone stood under a protective wooden gazebo, the runes highlighted in red with large sign boards explaining the whole thing. When I say ‘explaining’, no-one’s entirely sure what the 1200 year old words mean. They can read them, and they know a father had them put there to mourn his dead son, but they’re thought to have cleverly hidden meanings. After staring at the runes for a while, which look utterly indecipherable to me, we had a look at the adjacent church, read the English descriptions on the boards and rejoined the E4.
The Rök Runestone
Ju making (no) sense of the Rök Runestone
Finding ourselves here at Gränna, we pulled into the parking behind a Norwegian van, the couple sat in chairs outside, wrapped up against the cold. They kindly stopped us popping our krona into the machine, explaining they’d double-checked and no payment was necessary. Coming from near Oslo, they took a couple of days to get here. Why do Norwegians come to Sweden when they have such an incredible country of their own? Dunno, I didn’t ask. It must feel dirt cheap to them though, and it’s another safe Scandinavian country to explore. A few photos from around Gränna:
Cheers, happy weekend folks,
Jay
I’ve read several of MnB’s posts. Many of them ranting about something or other. One, I remember having a go at Motor home Monthly,over a piece they had written and hadn’t been published, or published and not been paid for. Some folks are just odd.
Meanwhile, reading your blogs in Zakynthos in between thunder storms. They are the nearest thing to excitement I have at the moment. To be fair, the weather has been great up to today, high 20’s. The food in this hotel is probably the worst I’ve ever eaten, so not a happy bunny. I know we will eat better in the Camper.
Cheers guys, keep me entertained. All the best
Derek
Two years,and I’ll be on the road myself.
Well that’s a relief. When I saw magbaz in the title I thought, O no I hope you guys aren’t bezzies with this bloke. I’ve read his rants in the past and came to the conclusion that he’s up him self. I can see why MMM dropped him. Can you imagine the happy go lucky atmosphere in their motorhome, filled with bitterness and angst. He could learn so much from your blog. Oops sorry I’m slipping into Baz mood now. To quote that famous film I’ve never seen, I need to “Let it go” Keep on doing what your doing, you have the winning formula.
Wow, I’d never heard of MagBaz before. Sorry I ever heard of them now.
Boy are they going to hate ME when I hit the road with my Blog? They don’t know the meaning of materialistic selfishness yet (I’m an only child you understand.. it’s not my fault).
Hello MagBaz… if you are reading this then GOTCHA! you lose, OK? (And I somehow suspect you are reading it).
Life is way too short to get involved with people like that.
The Our Tour Blog is my inspiration to get out of the Rat-Race and hit the road.
Hopefully you will both be more accepting, than MagBaz, of our invite to share a beer or several in part-payment for the enjoyment I get from reading your accounts.
Next phase commences this weekend when Humberto receives some surgery, in the form of Solar panels, GAS-IT LPG kit and and external BBQ point.
See you on the road some time.
Lee & Angeline @ GoHumberto
Haven’t come across that lot but ALWAYS read and enjoy your blogs. Very honest and inspiring! Keep up the good work.
Bye (nr. The Ferrari museum you blogged about)
Ann
Hello Jay, I can understand you wanting to touch base with these opinionated self righteous arrogant ticks.(magbaz) Do yourself a favour.If you see these loathsome individuals on fire, save your urine. Love you three to bits. xx
Ah man, in such an event I know you’d use your urine, or maybe even a fire extinguisher! Take it easy Larry, cheers, Jay
Hello Ju and Jay
I think MagBaz have made a number of good points badly. Much of what they write of Morocco is correct but not put into the right context. Of course they shouldn’t insult you but obviously their view of life is from a completely different angle to yours and probably most other people, but it’s their right to have a different view, just don’t have to be rude and accept as we all should not everybody thinks like us.
I think as ever you are both so brave publishing difficult subjects, total admiration for you doing this.
Jason, shame on you for not asking the Norwegians why they come to Sweden, got to try harder if you ever want to get under their skins. Most people love giving strangers a little snippet of their lives, they really they do, and when you hear lots of snippets you’ll have a more rounded view of the country you are visiting, not just the churches and castles side of their life. Lecture over, I’ll buy you a beer next time for getting on my high horse.
As you’ve guessed we survived Matthew, state police wouldn’t allow us into the area our hotel was in.
Totally agree Jamie, everyone has their own opinion. My feeling is these guys chose to launch a personal attack on us to make a series of moral points about how they see the rich exploiting the poor.
My expectation was that someone who’d travelled widely for years on end would have been wiser in the way in which they made their points.
The criticism against me made me highly defensive. Also it was in no way constructive: what should we be doing to be better travellers, to be better people? It seemed more frustrated rantings than the considered advice of experienced educators. So any value in what they wrote was completely lost. An ally was turned into an enemy and their ’cause’ a tiny bit more detracted from. All they did was spread their hatred.
Hey, what did they do with you guys last night then? Evacuation centre? Sounds frightening and an experience of a lifetime.
Ah, I only though to ask the Norwegian guys why they’re here after we got back inside, les escaliers and all that. If I see them this morning I’ll go ask.
Hope you’re having a magnificent time of it? Cheers, Jay
Re the above. It’s not just me then? :-)
It seems not Derek. :) Jay
Like you, I always thought travel broadened the mind, but it appears to have had the opposite effect on this poor bloke! I think he’s done you a favour by turning down a chance to meet up. The only reason I’d ever look at his website again would be to ensure that I was at least half a continent away from him.
No not an evacuation center but the hotel we had a booking for on Thursday evening found us a small room for Friday night (felt like a cupboard under the stairs but we were very grateful). The police had told us we would be turned back if we tried to get to east Florida so no major excitement for us I’m afraid. We still can’t get to Cocoa Beach where we were having a re-union with a few friends so one couple who arrive in the area today are parking in a KAO in Macon, GA and have offered us the front bedroom of their RV for 2 days ’til we leave for Richmond, VA, how good is that.
One good thing about staying the extra day here is we had a chance to wander around the marinas of Panama City and struck lucky that there was a once a month party in the streets (they are closed off). There were some real characters there including a man who’s wife had disappeared while he was sat next to his immaculate American classic Chevrolet Impala and asked us to seek her out for him with the information she was called Mary and had auburn hair! There were hundreds and hundreds of people there so we had fun asking suitable elderly ladies if they were called Mary. Also a man with a Roush Mustang that was just superb started telling us that his youthful looks were mainly down to dying his hair and how to do it, he had us roaring with laughter. Thought it was ok to write this to you here as it does have a reference to an RV and so in the spirit of your blog.
I think that maybe MagBaz feel you stepped on their toes way back then, as they have never met you it can’t be personal.
Awesome! You guys know how to travel! Met a German chap this morning who shipped his bus (he’s a shipbuilder and converted a bus into an RV) to the US for the world land yacht championships and a tour round for a couple of months. He loved it, hmmmmm. Cheers, Jay
Hi guys – this has been on my mind all day. I don’t generally post on public forums, having had a couple of upsetting experiences with nasty people, but I just felt I wanted to encourage you both.
We are about to embark on our own adventure next week – we’ve acquired a motorhome, left our jobs and we’re off to explore Europe. Being new to this I’ve been reading up all summer and have sampled many blogs, including magbaz, which I didn’t take to – somehow the “feel” of the couple wasn’t right, and I didn’t stick with their site. However, I have devoured yours and although we’ve never met, I’ve read your words and watched your videos, and I just know you are good people who wouldn’t do wrong by anyone. I have got a huge amount of info from your blog and largely through your experiences I’ve gained the confidence to go for it.
So rest assured there are tons of people out here who like and admire you, and who wait eagerly for the next instalment of your story. And through this incident alone I feel more loyal to you both. Right, it’s getting weird so I’ll stop. So well done, keep it up, we’re on your side.
Top man Gareth, hope to meet up somewhere fantastic out here! Thanks for taking the time to comment, appreciated. Ignore the haters, baiters, moaners, whiners and trolls. Life’s good! Cheers, Jay
Why do Norwegians go to Sweden for their holidays? I think you have answered this one yourselves in previous posts. It’s cheaper :D
I have got to agree with Gareth and the others who are similarly inspired by what you two do. Most folks arent as brave as you but simply take their holidays like trolls and never set foot far from the pool on their Costa ‘adventure!’ To do what you two do really isnt being a tourist with a motorhome but so much more to us less brave mortals. OK Magbaz might be ‘real’ travellers in their own minds and look down upon others but if they were’nt so high and mighty they might get more respect!
I think not meeting you is their loss! Keep the blogs coming they are superb and eagerly awaited each day!
I usually just read but really felt like I could not just read and run today.
Your blog (alongside MMM and TEA) has inspired me to plan to leave my full time teaching job in 1 years time. Only yesterday we were looking at motor homes getting the research in early.
I find your site very informative, interesting, detailed, relevant and fun. You really make the places that you visit come alive. Most of all it keeps me going on some of the longest days when I do not get home until 10pm (I teach in further education).
Keep doing what you are doing and thank you.
It all started with The world is our lobster, then Gone with the Wynn’s followed by Our Tour and Our Bumble.Last year we bought Elvis a 1988 36k Autoquest. We have just got back from a months totally wild (composting loo) tour of England and Scotland.
The board goes up on Monday, we are selling up.
Thank you all for the irreplaceable time and energy you have put into your blogs. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love, honesty, the odd tear( Pulpit Rock), information and sheer joy you so willingly share.
I would also like to thank Magbaz while I swirl the ice in my G&T, a decision made. Along with our larger replacement motor home with solar, pure sine inverter, must have toys I’ll have a dish washer, even if I only frame the bugger. Love, lots of it Jane & Mike (2 OAPs with 2 labs and a dream)xx
Bbhhhhaaa…..no seriously bbbhhhhaaaaaaa.
I can’t stop laughing…….the rant is hilarious and MagBaz are unhinged.
Bhhhhhhaaaaaa…..I gunna pee my pants.
No seriously when u read their responses it’s quite laughable
Keep doing what you’re doing folks. There will always be people like bazmag to bring a little rain to the day, fortunately there are also people like you two who bring a lot of sunshine!
“Not least, we occupy quite different generations and quite different life experiences!”
Goodness, if I didn’t mix with people of different generations and different life experiences to myself, then I’d be quite a lonely person! But, each to their own (not that the right to individuality excuses rudeness).
As an aside, you’ve done a good job of education, as I read ‘Småland’ as ‘Smolland’ without any prompting about the action that the halo has on the letter A ;-)
Haha! Our job here is done Gayle. :-) Cheers, Jay
I have read your blog from the beginning and especially enjoyed your descriptions of visiting Morocco and Tunisia. I lived with my parents and sisters in Turkey for several years as a child in the 60s so I have seen the sort of culture you describe. Whilst there is a concern that visiting these countries as tourists we are just viewing their poverty this is largely offset by the fact that we are visiting them and spending our money there. A far bigger worry these days is visiting these countries by all-inclusive package holiday where none F our money finds it way in to the local economy. Having read MagBaz blog a bit I do not think his animosity has anything to do with you and motorhoming and everything to do with your having published your experiences more competently and professionally than he has. He is a highly qualified academic and you are not. Clearly for you to be doing it better than they are cannot be accepted or acknowledged as it threatens their view of the world.
I am sure that virtually everyone who reads your amazing blog loves it just as much as I do. I have played with blogging a little myself and so I know how much work you must put in. I cannot thank you enough for allowing us all to share your adventures. In particular I want to express how much I value the honesty of your writing and sharing the low points as well as the highlights.
Please do not let MagBaz get to you. They are not worth it. You inspire us all and I look forward to reading about your adventures for years to come. Thank you so much.
I actually went and looked at the MagBaz Blog. Oh dear.
I won’t be returning.
Keep it coming Our Tour. MORE VIDEOS PLEASE !!!! Even if it’s just about what you store in the lockers.
I’ve managed to fill Humberto with storage boxes now, to the point that it’s basically an empty storage box transporter.
I looked through their list of links. I was most disappointed to not see links to David Icke’s or Noel Edmonds’ websites.
I have read MagBaz a few time. The blog is full of rants of one sort or another. All that time on the road has perhaps unhinged them!!!
Cheers for the new “Storage Locker” video Jay. I think I need to lose a few of our boxes and resort to the “Chucking it all in” approach a bit more.
We had our B544 “up-plated” to 3850Kg (just an admin change, nothing structural)so we should be good for carrying anything.
It’s only when I started sliding boxes into the rear, underfloor, locker that I realised what a cavernous space it is. I need the awning pole hook to fish boxes out.
The B544 is such a great van, lots of storage but without being unduly massive on the road.
I’ll make a similar video for gohumberto.com once I have something to put in the lockers (apart from booze and the odd T-shirt).
Cheers.
Lee @ gohumberto
The bit you linked to in your blog by ‘MadBag’ blogger is a rant and stinks of sour grapes. Any point they might have made has been lost in the bitter, twisted and snidey tone that has been adopted. Thank god for your sakes you haven’t met up with them, oh the tedium of being lectured to. Anything you’ve done they will of course have done bigger, better, longer blah blah blah. I don’t know them but they come across like that. Such a shame as they could share their experiences. I don’t know you guys either but I love your blog, reading about your adventures, the fun stuff, bits that annoy you and so on. You are inspiring people…it’s really hard to see what ‘MadBag’ are doing except rubbing people up the wrong way.
Happy travels to you!!
It is odd that they have so many links to other blogs but have somehow taken against you guys so strongly. Even odder is their Ramblings (humour) section.
In contrast your blog is compulsive reading. Hopefully you have access to the information as to how widely and often it is read. Coupled with all the positive comments left for you following your posts…..I hope it is evident there is a real appreciation out here for the time you take to write so often.
Hey Dallas, thanks very much. Hey ho, we’re moving on; too much stuff to pack in without dwelling on those that fail to contribute anything positive to one’s life! Cheers, Jay
Don’t let Magbaz get to you two. In life you meet all types. I read your blog(how I hate that word!) and enjoy it for what it is; an interesting and informative read.
All the very best and keep on travelling.
Richard
Cheers Richard. We had so much feedback on those guys, through comments, email, Facebook etc, it was a real eye opener… We’ve moved on now, we wish them well, time to keep on living! Jay
I’m really enjoying your blog. I had never heard of that site you mentioned, so had a wander, and, well… *wrinkles nose* I do neither hate nor anger, and over there, it looks like that’s all there is. I’ll stick to your blog because the love for life and for being here and exploring the world shines through every word you write. Keep going!
Rock on Claudia! Cheers from The Land of the Danes! Jay
WHAT?!?!?!? I mean, seriously… what?!? My mind is utterly blown, both by their article about you and by their rude email!
I know this was several years ago, and I’m sure you’ve moved on, but I’ve just found it whilst researching places to visit on our upcoming trip to Sweden. All planning has currently stopped while I sit here and seethe on your behalf.
I’m so glad you didn’t let their ridiculous opinions stop you. I know we (and many other people) find your blog invaluable for good, common-sense advice about touring and visiting countries. Keep it coming. :)
Ah, the MagBaz effect! Thanks for the support Kat. Yep, it’s been about 8 years since Margaret (or Barry?) let us know we were badduns, without quite explaining exactly what we were doing wrong (a few fellow bloggers received similar ‘advice’ – sounds like you’ve not yet hit their radar despite your top-notch blog – keep your head down!). If you ever bump into ’em, pass on our love (ah, yes, a little tongue in cheek, I admit). I’m sure they’re not as caustic as their online persona suggests. Happy travels Kat, keep on blogging/vlogging, you’re doing a cracking job. Cheers, Jay,
P.S. I release you from seething! :-) Enjoy your planning for Sweden!