A crisp archipelago dream

We could’ve stayed in bed amongst the cool, fluffy sheets all day. Listened to the birds outside the window. Just be. Malören Lodge is luxury – packaged like a crisp archipelago dream. We finally make it out of bed and meet the day with breakfast on the sunny deck. The other cabin owners have also started their days on the island. A handful of children are running to the water in the horseshoe-shaped cove, equipped with spades and buckets.

The island is approximately 2 km long and between 600-800 meters wide. The middle section is mostly covered in the round stones that create a curvy landscape with natural ridges. Malören is a nature reserve and an important place for many birds that breed on the island. We balance on the nature-made stacks of stones and head over towards the shipwreck on the east side of the island. The ship Jenolin ran aground here in 1935 and left splintered wood and other parts of the ship behind. A few steps away, Captain Blomfeldt is buried. Hundred years before Jenolin’s accident, a sailor ship capsized and the sailor perished. The seaman’s grave is proudly framed with a tall memory stone, big round boulders from the island and a chain.

We meet Patrik on our way back to Lotsstugan and he offers us a tour up in the lighthouse, which we eagerly accept. The stairs get more and more narrow and ladder-like the higher up we get. At the top, it is quite cramped. We step out through the low door with care, onto the narrow balcony that wraps around the lighthouse. From this height, we can see the entire island and the vast ocean. Magnificent!

Hanna is serving a flavorful reindeer stew for lunch and we keep enjoying the day on the deck. I borrow a straw hat from Lotsstugan and feel like a true islander. The digital withdrawal is however craving my attention. There is Wi-Fi and I try to open my email and check my social media without much luck.

– The nicer the weather gets, the worse the reception gets, says Hanna and smiles.

Johan decides to read his book and I take a walk to the west side of the island that has more grass than rock. Many of the picturesque cabins have decorated their stairs or deck with rocks and reclaimed wood from the island, which I admire during my stroll.

We reluctantly leave Malören in the afternoon and this is also the end of our trip. Patrik and Hanna bring their entire family on the boat this time, it is time for them to spend a few days on the mainland, buying groceries and run errands. It is difficult to stop watching the beautiful little island and we are not letting go until the lighthouse disappears under the horizon.