Just winding up five days of self-guided kayaking with my daughter in the Saint Anna and Gryt archipelagos in Sweden. The gear for the trip, as well as pickup and drop-off from Norrköping, was admirably organised by Do The North — the kit was excellent, and Thomas, Rob, Helena and crew did a fantastic job of making us feel safe and welcome in their beautiful region.

We started our week with two days in Stockholm. Is there a more beautiful European city in July? Its maze of islands, the old city, innumerable bridges, and great food, along with long northern days, is a wining combination.

The weather in Saint Anna was kind, though scattered showers did blow in occasionally, and we had a few choppy crossing to deal with. If anything these periods added a little frisson — seeing the sea and the islands in different light and conditions.

The archipelago is teeming with bird life and we spent the week surrounded by terms, gulls, guillemots, white-tailed eagles, grebes, swans, coots… often wheeling above our heads to warn us off their nesting sites. We even had an otter paddle in front of us, fish in mouth, as it moved from one skerry to the next.

On land we were woken one morning at dawn by a large male elk, noisily proclaiming his supremacy as he came down from the forest to drink.

We camped each night on small deserted islands, and carried all our provisions. The simple life! Some of the larger islands have marinas and the opportunity for a well-deserved fika, an ice cream, or even a sauna.

The week was a great way to leave my worries behind: the rhythm of the paddle strokes, the sun, rain and wind, amazing land and seascapes, the knotty challenge of navigating through four thousand plus islands, and the pleasure of spending quality time with my daughter.