SWEDEN - Scandinavia - page 883

Söderportcafé, just across the street from the castle drawbridge, is handy
for a quick, light lunch or afternoon snack. They're well-regarded locally for
their live music in the evenings (140-200-kr meals, 200-kr early-evening din-
ner buffet in summer, Mon-Fri 9:00-23:00, Sat 13:00-23:00, Sun 13:00-22:00,
closed Sun off-season, Slottsvägen 1, tel. [phone]).
Kalmar Connections
From Kalmar by Train to: Växjö (12/day, 60-70 minutes), Copenhagen
and its airport (12/day, 3.5-4 hours, transfer in Alvesta), Stockholm (12/day,
4.5-5 hours, transfer in Alvesta, reservations required).
By Bus to Stockholm: The bus to Stockholm is much cheaper but slower
than the train (4/day, fewer on weekends, 6 hours).
Route Tips for Drivers
Kalmar to Copenhagen: See “Route Tips for Drivers” at the end of the Near
Copenhagen chapter.
Kalmar to Stockholm (230 miles, 6 hours): Leaving Kalmar, follow E-22
Lindsdal and Nörrköping signs. Sweden did a cheap widening job, paving the
shoulders of the old two-lane road to get 3.8 lanes. Fortunately, traffic is polite
and sparse. There's little to see, so stock the pantry, set the compass on north,
and home in on Stockholm. Make two pleasant stops along the way: Västervik
and the Göta Canal.
Västervik is 90 miles north of Kalmar, with an 18th-century core of
wooden houses (3 miles off the highway, Centrum signs lead you to the har-
bor). Park on the waterfront near the great little smoked-fish market (Mon-
Sat).
Sweden's famous Göta Canal consists of 190 miles of canals cutting the
country in half, with 58 locks (slussen) working up to a summit of 300 feet.
It was built 150 years ago, with more than seven million 12-hour man-days
(60,000 men working about 22 years) at a low ebb in the country's self-es-
teem—to show her industrial might. Today it's a lazy three- or four-day tour,
which shows Sweden's zest for good living.