Sunday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts for the Milan-Cortina Olympics unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific. 🏅 — medal event for live broadcasts.
CLOSING CEREMONY 11:30 a.m. — NBC
MULTIPLE SPORTS 2 p.m. — Best of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games | NBC 9 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay): Closing ceremony, bobsled, cross-country skiing, curling, hockey. | NBC
BOBSLED 1 a.m. — Four-man bobsled, Run 3 | Peacock 3:15 a.m. — 🏅Four-man bobsled, final run | Peacock 3:35 a.m. — 🏅Four-man bobsled, final run (in progress) | USA 4:15 a.m. — Four-man bobsled, final run (delay) | NBC 8 a.m. — Four-man bobsled, runs 3-4 (re-air) | NBC
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 1 a.m. — 🏅Women’s 50-kilometer mass start classic | USA 4 a.m. — Women’s 50-kilometer mass start classic (re-air) | USA 8:45 a.m. — Women’s 50-kilometer mass start classic (re-air) | NBC
CURLING 🏅Women’s gold-medal match 2:05 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Sweden | Peacock 4 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Sweden (delay) | USA, NBC 10:30 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Sweden (re-air) | USA
HOCKEY 🏅Men’s gold-medal match 5:10 a.m. — United States vs. Canada | NBC 1:30 p.m. — United States vs. Canada (re-air) | USA
Alina Muller repeats history from Sochi in 2014, scoring an overtime winner as Switzerland beat Sweden 2-1 to claim bronze in the women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Muller scored the winner 12 years ago as a 15-year-old against the same opponents in a 4-3 victory to win the bronze medal.
MILAN — The U.S. men haven’t stood on the podium at the end of an Olympic hockey tournament in 16 years and haven’t played for a medal in 12.
In fact, it’s been so long since an American hockey team took home a prize from the Winter Games none of the players on this year’s team, the second youngest in the Milan-Cortina competition, had finished high school the last time it happened.
No one on the team was even alive the last time the U.S. won gold in 1980.
This team has a chance to end that drought after beating Sweden 2-1 in overtime Wednesday to advance to Friday’s semifinals, where they will play Slovakia. The win was the Americans’ first over Sweden in an Olympic tournament in nine games dating to 1960.
The winning goal came from Quinn Hughes 3:27 into the extra period. Canada also advanced to the semifinals, overcoming one-goal deficits twice to beat Czechia 4-3 in overtime. Canada will play Finland, another overtime winner, in its semifinals.
The first U.S. goal came from Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings but Sweden forced the overtime when it pulled its goalie, allowing Mika Zibanejad to score on a slap shot from the left circle with 91 seconds left in regulation.
Hughes, a Minnesota Wild defenseman, then ended things, circling around the ice to create space, then skating into the high slot and blasting a shot between two defenders and past Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom.
“Quinn, he’s a special player,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin of the Vegas Golden Knights. “So much swagger and confidence on the ice. And he’s always looking to take over. He did that for us in overtime.”
The game began like a heavyweight title fight, with both teams cautiously probing the other for weaknesses. The U.S. finally found one midway through the second period with Larkin deflecting in a one-timer from Jack Hughes at the blue line. Hughes’ shot was headed directly into the pads of Markstrom, who was perfectly positioned for an easy save, before Larkin, perched on the doorstep, reached out to deflect the puck by Markstrom on his gloved side.
The Americans haven’t trailed since the middle of the second period of their second game. But losing a lead with just 1 ½ minutes to play tested the team’s “character, just the will to win,” forward Brady Tkachuk said.
“That’s something that can deflate you and end your tournament, if you don’t just put your mind back in a good spot,” he added. “It shows the character being able to bounce back get that one.”
“That’s a big momentum shift. But there wasn’t any panic,” Charlie McAvoy added. “I got back to the bench [and] it’s just you’ve got to flush it. That was kind of what I was saying to myself. It’s a tie game now.”
Dylan Larkin (21) is congratulated by U.S. teammates on the bench as he skates off the ice after scoring a goal against Sweden during the second period Wednesday.
(Hassan Ammar / Associated Press)
It didn’t stay that way for long before Hughes broke Sweden’s heart, beating Markstrom cleanly. Markstrom was otherwise spectacular, making 38 saves — two with his helmeted head and probably deserved a better fate.
In the last two Olympic tournaments the Americans, playing without NHL players, were bounced in the quarterfinals while Canada got no further than the bronze-medal game. The top pros didn’t participate in the 2018 Games because of a dispute between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee regarding insurance, travel costs and marketing rights. They were held out four years ago over scheduling complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Not surprisingly, getting some of the best players in the world back has made a difference, with the unbeaten Canadians rolling to a tournament-best plus-18 goal differential while the averaged 4 1/2 goals a game in their four wins.
“It’s been unreal,” Hanifin said of the tournament. “It’s so fun to be a part of. Anytime you get into these one-game eliminations, anything can happen so you’ve got to be to be prepared.
“But that’s part of what makes the Olympics so special and hard to win.”
Canada’s comeback spoiled good performances by a pair of Anaheim Ducks. Defenseman Radko Gudas got an assist on the Czechs’ first score while NHL teammate Lukas Dostal turned away 37 shots in goal. But Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki got a fortunate bounce on a deflection to tie the score with 3:27 left in regulation before Vegas’ Mitch Marner scored the game-winner 82 seconds in overtime for Canada, which led for less than six minutes.
On his way to the dressing room, Gudas picked some snow off the ice and kissed it. At 35, this was his second and likely last Olympic tournament.
“It’s a mix of emotions, because you feel sad but proud in the same time,” said Dostal, who was playing in his first Olympics. “It hurts. It’s probably gonna hurt for a long time.”
The victory might have come at a high cost for Canada, which saw captain Sidney Crosby limp to the dressing room in the second period following a collision with Gudas along the boards. Crosby, who has two goals and four assists in the tournament, will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday; his status for Friday’s semifinal is unknown.
For the U.S. and Canada, two more wins brings a gold medal while a loss Friday means that dream is over.
“It’s a one-game tournament,” Canada’s Tom Wilson said. “It’s not seven games. It’s a one-game tournament. And everybody thinks they can win.”
MILAN — The U.S. advanced to the final of the women’s hockey tournament at the Milan-Cortina Olympics with a 5-0 rout of Sweden on Monday and will meet the winner of the second semifinal between Canada and Switzerland in Thursday’s gold-medal game.
The goals came from Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne, Hayley Scamurra and Abbey Murphy. Hannah Bilka had two assists while Aerin Frankel turned back 23 shots in pitching the Americans’ fifth consecutive shutout, running their scoreless streak to more than 331 minutes. The unbeaten U.S. has scored at least five times in each of its six games, outscoring opponents 31-1 overall.
Kendall Coyne, top left, celebrates with her teammates after scoring against Sweden in the second period Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Barnes got things started 5:09 into the first period, taking a pass from Kelley Pannek behind the goal line, settling it inside the right faceoff circle, then blasting a shot over the shoulder of Swedish goalie Ebba Svensson Traff for her first goal of the Games. Barnes is the 15th American to score in the tournament.
But that was all the U.S. would get in a first period in which it built a 13-2 shot advantage.
Heise doubled the advantage midway through the second period, although Bilka did most of the work, taking the puck at center ice and driving hard up the right wing before slipping a deft pass across the front of the goal for Heise, who had an easy tap-in.
Six minutes later Murphy made it 3-0 and the rout was on, with Coyne and Scamurra adding goals 109 seconds apart to extend the U.S. lead to 5-0 heading into the second intermission.
U.S. forward Abbey Murphy, right, scores past Sweden goalkeeper Ebba Svensson Traff in the second period Monday.
Tuesday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts for the Milan-Cortina Olympics unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific. 🏅 — medal event for live broadcasts.
MULTIPLE SPORTS 8 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay): Figure skating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, short track speedskating and more. | NBC
CURLING Men (round robin) 12:05 a.m. — U.S. vs. China | Peacock 12:05 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Sweden | Peacock 12:05 a.m. — Czechia vs. Germany | Peacock 3 a.m. — U.S. vs. China (delay) | USA Women (round robin) 5:05 a.m. — Denmark vs. U.S. | Peacock 5:05 a.m. — Italy vs. Japan | Peacock 5:05 a.m. — South Korea vs. Switzerland | Peacock 5:05 a.m. — Sweden vs. Canada | Peacock Men (round robin) 10:05 a.m. — U.S. vs. Italy | Peacock 10:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Britain | Peacock 10:05 a.m. — Germany vs. Switzerland | Peacock 10:05 a.m. — Sweden vs. Norway | Peacock Men (round robin) 6:30 p.m. — U.S. vs. Italy (delay) | USA
BIATHLON 5:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay | Peacock 6:05 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay (in progress) | USA
BOBSLED 10 a.m. — Two-man bobsled, Run 3 | Peacock 12:05 p.m. — 🏅Two-man bobsled, final run | Peacock 2:30 p.m. — Two-man bobsled, runs 3-4 (delay) | USA
FIGURE SKATING 7:20 a.m. — Women’s short program, warm-up | Peacock 9:30 a.m. — Women’s short program, Part 1 | USA 11:40 a.m. — Women’s short program, Part 2 | NBC
FREESTYLE SKIING 1:45 a.m. — Women’s aerials, qualifying | USA 4:30 a.m. — Men’s aerials, qualifying | Peacock 8 a.m. — Men’s aerials, qualifying (delay) | USA 9 a.m. — Men’s and women’s aerials (re-air) | NBC 10:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s big air, final | NBC
HOCKEY Men (qualification playoff) 3:10 a.m. — Germany vs. France| Peacock 3:10 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Italy | Peacock 7:40 a.m. — Czechia vs. Denmark | Peacock 12:10 p.m. — Sweden vs. Latvia | USA
NORDIC COMBINED 12:10 a.m. — Men’s ski jump, large hill | Peacock 1 a.m. — Men’s ski jump, large hill (delay) | USA 4:45 a.m. — 🏅Cross-country, 10 kilometers | Peacock 6:50 a.m. — Cross-country, 10 kilometers (delay) | USA
SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING 5:30 a.m. — Men’s and women’s team pursuit, semifinals | USA 7:20 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s team pursuit, finals | USA
SNOWBOARDING 4 a.m. — 🏅Women’s slopestyle, final | USA 9:45 a.m. — Women’s slopestyle, final (re-air) | NBC
Two of curling’s best men’s teams, Sweden and Canada, involved in fiery and controversial match at Winter Olympics.
Published On 14 Feb 202614 Feb 2026
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The often sedate world of curling has gotten heated at the Winter Olympics as cheating allegations and audible swear words overshadowed a feisty match between two of the best men’s teams.
Canada’s Marc Kennedy got offended when he was accused by Swedish rival Oskar Eriksson of “double-touching” – essentially, touching the rock again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice – during Canada’s 8-6 win in round-robin play late on Friday.
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Kennedy repeatedly used expletives to deny he broke any rules. The match came to a brief standstill as fingers were pointed and Kennedy argued with members of the Swedish team across the ice.
“I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” the 44-year-old Kennedy said.
“So,” he added, “I told him where to stick it. Because we’re the wrong team to do that to.”
Canada’s Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert in action [ [Misper Apawu/AP]
Eriksson said he simply wanted everyone to “play by the same rules”.
“We want a game that is as sportsmanlike, honest and clean as possible,” he said, “so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone.”
The rules state that a stone must be delivered using the handle that sits on top of the rock and that it must be released from the hand before it reaches the hog line. At the Olympics, that is the thick green line at each end.
Replays appeared to show Kennedy releasing the stone using the handle, then touching it again with an outstretched finger as it approached the hog line.
In the early ends of the match, Sweden notified the officials of their complaints. An official then remained at the hog line to monitor Canada’s curlers, and no action was taken. Curling does not use video replays.
World Curling did not take any action against either team.
MILAN — Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse became the first U.S. curlers to medal in Olympic mixed doubles competition Tuesday, but the medal wasn’t the one they were trying to achieve.
The American pair lost in a dramatic final, 6-5, to the Swedish brother-sister combo of Isabella and Rasmus Wrana at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Dropkin and Thiesse led going into the final throw of the match.
A team skipped by John Shuster won gold in 2018, the last time the U.S. reached the medal podium in the sport. Shuster was also part of the only other U.S. medal-winning team, in 2006. That team was skipped by Peter Fenson.
Dropkin and Thiesse are the first Americans to win a medal in mixed doubles, which joined the Olympic calendar in 2018, while Thiesse is the first American woman to win a curling medal.
The U.S. reached the final when an incredible shot by Thiesse on the final delivery of Monday’s semifinal scored two points, turning a deficit into a 9-8 upset of Italy, a team that had beat the Americans in round-robin play. Sweden routed Britain 9-3 in its semifinal. Italy defeated Britain 5-3 for the bronze medal.
Friday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific.
OPENING CEREMONY: 11 a.m.| NBC, Peacock (replay at 8 p.m. on NBC)
MULTIPLE SPORTS 7 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay): Figure skating, curling, hockey, skiing and more.| NBC
ALPINE SKIING 2:30 a.m. — Men’s downhill, training | Peacock 2:30 a.m. — Women’s downhill, training | Peacock
CURLING Mixed doubles (round robin) 1:05 a.m. — U.S. vs. Canada | Peacock 1:05 a.m. — Italy vs. Switzerland | Peacock 1:05 a.m. — Sweden vs. Britain | Peacock 5:35 a.m. — Czechia vs. U.S. | Peacock 5:35 a.m. — Estonia vs. Italy | Peacock 5:35 a.m. — South Korea vs. Britain | Peacock 5:35 a.m. — Sweden vs. Norway | Peacock 5:55 a.m. — Czechia vs. U.S. (in progress) | USA
FIGURE SKATING Team competition 1 a.m. — Rhythm dance | USA 2:35 a.m. — Pairs, short program | USA 4:35 a.m. — Women, short program | USA
HOCKEY Women (group play) 3:10 a.m. — France vs. Japan | Peacock 5:40 a.m. — Czechia vs. Switzerland | Peacock
Not the sinister kind, who give away state secrets for money or revenge; Buckley is privy to much lower-level intelligence. But that doesn’t mean it’s not just as valuable to the people involved.
Buckley is the Kings’ goaltender coach and his chief pupil is Darcy Kuemper, who will be playing for Team Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympic hockey tournament. Buckley will be in Milan coaching for Team USA. And if the competition goes to form, Canada and the U.S. will meet in the final.
You can see where this is going.
So would Buckley give up the goods on his NHL goalie if it meant helping his national team win a gold medal?
“I probably have a little bit more insight being with him on a day-to-day basis. But at the end of the day, the players still have to execute,” said Buckley, like Kuemper, a first-time Olympian. “So if I tell someone to shoot somewhere at a certain time or a certain spot, they’re going to have to be able to execute that.”
The answer then is maybe.
Still, that’s a dilemma Buckley will probably never face since Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, who was spectacular in goal in last year’s Four Nations Face-off, will probably start for Canada in Milan. But with the Kings sending four other players (defenseman Drew Doughty, Canada; and forwards Adrian Kempe, Sweden; Kevin Fiala, Switzerland; and Joel Armia, Finland) plus Canadian equipment manager Darren Granger to the Olympics, there’s a good chance guys who have shared a dressing room since September will be competing against one another.
Kings forward Kevin Fiala controls the puck while playing for Team Switzerland at the 2025 world championships.
(Michael Campanella / Getty Images)
The same goes for the Ducks, who are sending four players — goalie Lukas Dostal and defenseman Radko Gudas, Czechia; forward Mikael Granlund, Finland; and defenseman Jackson LaCombe, U.S. — to Milan. Ducks star Leo Carlsson, who was expected to start for Sweden, will miss the Games after undergoing surgery to repair a rare injury in his left thigh last month.
So while the Olympics may bring countries together, it also has the potential to turn teammates against one another — at least temporarily.
In the group stage of the tournament, for example, Armia and Finland will play against Kempe’s Sweden. And Canada, with Kuemper and Doughty, will face Switzerland, which is led by Fiala.
“It’s obviously going to be a little strange,” Gudas said. “It’s only for a few games. For that amount of time, you can put things aside a little bit.”
Those kinds of match-ups were rare in the last two Olympic tournaments since NHL players didn’t take part, sidelined by a dispute over insurance, travel costs and scheduling issues. This year 147 NHL players are on the 12 Olympic rosters, with all 32 NHL clubs represented.
Not all the top NHL players will be in Milan, however. Russia has been banned from the tournament because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, meaning Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, won’t play.
Granlund, who won a bronze medal with Finland in 2014, the last time NHL players participated in the Olympics, is glad to be back.
“It was such a cool experience,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest honors I can have as a hockey player, playing for a country in the Olympics. There’s no player in the NHL who wouldn’t go.”
That’s due in large part to the rush that comes with wearing your country’s colors on your chest.
“It’s tough to explain how much it means,” he said. “You grow up in a country like Finland, watching the national team play. As a kid you’re dreaming to play for that team.
“Every single time you put that jersey on, it’s such a pride you feel.”
Doughty, who already has two gold medals, agreed, saying the only time he sings along with the Canadian anthem is at the Olympics.
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty controls the puck while playing for Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off last year.
(Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
“When we hear it in the NHL, I’m not singing,” he said. “But when you’re wearing a Canadian jersey, that’s one of the biggest moments you can have.”
Not just for the guys on the ice. Granger, the equipment manager, will be making his third trip to the Olympics with Canada. And the journey never gets old.
“It’s not something that you apply for. It’s something that you’re asked to do,” he said. “So I don’t take that lightly. It’s an honor.”
The equipment managers may have the most difficult job in the Olympic hockey tournament since they must prepare and maintain the sticks, skates, gloves and uniforms for 25 players, some of whom they’ve never met. That means checking in with the equipment managers of rival NHL teams to get prepared.
“We have quite a few players that are particular about certain things,” he said. “After a while, you just kind of get used to what those things are. If it’s a player that likes to use three sticks a game, then making sure he has that. If it’s a guy that likes to change gloves every other game, making sure you have enough.”
Yet if Canada wins the tournament, Granger’s reward won’t be a gold medal. Olympic rules say medals only go to the players, leaving the equipment managers, trainers and coaches — even coaches with inside information like Buckley — out in the cold.
“That’s OK,” Buckley said. “I just want the players to get one.”
Out on the water, paddling across the straits between two small rocky islands, the dusk fades and the stars appear. Jennie has done her best to coach me in local geography before darkness, showing me the map with its patchwork of islands and bays, and describing the shape of each landmark. All to no avail. I’m more than happy to be lost at sea, leaning back in my kayak to gaze at the constellations, occasionally checking that the red light on the stern of her kayak is still visible ahead. We stop in the sheltered lee of an island and hear a hoot. “Eurasian eagle owl,” says Jennie. “They nest here.” Then she switches off all the lights. “Let’s paddle slowly close to shore. Watch what happens.”
As soon as we move, the sea flickers into life, every paddle stroke triggering thrilling trails of cold, blue sparkles. When we stop, I slap my hand on the surface and the sea is momentarily electrified into a nebulous neural network of light, like some great salty brain figuring out this alien intrusion. Below that, squadrons of jellyfish pulse their own spectral contribution.
“When I was a child,” Jennie whispers (we are both whispering), “there was no light pollution. We would throw stones from the shore to see what we called ‘sea fire’.” I spend a pointless few minutes attempting to photograph this elusive bioluminescence, then relax and simply enjoy it. Travel should broaden the mind, not the iCloud.
We are in the maze of deserted islands off Hälsö (population: 569), one of 10 inhabited islands in Sweden’s northern Gothenburg archipelago. To get here, all it took was a short bus ride out of Sweden’s second city, a brief ferry ride, then a leisurely hike along the new coastal trail that snakes round these islands, using bridges, causeways and ferries to connect. It does not feel like a lot, not for the sensation of being on the far side of the Milky Way in a kayak-shaped flying saucer.
A tidal pool amid a rocky landscape on Hönö. Photograph: Utterstrom Photography/Alamy
My own definition of an island is any land mass surrounded by water that is large enough for Robinson Crusoe to survive on. I want a beach, a lookout point and enough driftwood to build a shack. The Swedish mapping office, Lantmäteriet, however, defines an island as anything more than 9 sq metres, an area sufficient to pitch a small tent. Using this definition, Sweden boasts in excess of 260,000, though only about 8,000 have ever been settled and less than 1,000 are now inhabited. My aim on this trip is to visit about half a dozen in the Gothenburg archipelago.
The new footpath is a 21.7-mile(35km) section of the much longer Kuststigen trail that goes from Gothenburg to Oslo, but this small slice is worth taking a little time over. I base myself in Skärgårdshotellet on Hönö, where there are a few cafes and restaurants. It’s a quiet place outside school summer holidays. On the first morning, I walk over a soaring bridge to the southernmost island of Fotö and discover why the relatively short distances can take time. As soon as the path leaves the road, you are on a maze of boulders, a massive adventure playground for anyone who loves leaping and scrambling. The fantastical patterns of striations, crystallisation and lichen only cause further delays.
I am almost late back to Hönö for my boat trip with Lasse, an avuncular computer expert turned sailor, who takes visitors out on his veteran fishing vessel. We do not spot any seals – the ostensible objective – but that doesn’t matter. We spend a couple of hours wending our way through the uninhabited islands out to the archipelago’s farthest point, the rocky outcrop of Vinga. This was once home to Evert Taube, one of Sweden’s great folk music balladeers, whose father was the lighthouse keeper.
Climber Andreas Lundqvist bouldering in Ersdalen. Photograph: Kevin Rushby
That evening, back in Hönö, in the Tullhuset restaurant at the harbour mouth, I sit with the owner, Preben Pedersen, and watch the Vinga lighthouse flash. “The islands are very proud of the Evert Taube connection,” he tells me. “Music has always been important here. The church played a big part in that.”
As usual, however, the devil had the best tunes. While the islands were once officially “dry”, smuggling and illicit production were rife, and had their own geography: Moonshine Bay was a popular hangout for local folk music heroes such as Arne I Bora (real name John Arne Jansson) who blasted out a rougher kind of melody. (He made one album, after relentless encouragement from locals). Preben’s brother, Leif, upholds the tradition, occasionally playing at the restaurant. The church retains a strong presence: I see signs out for prayer meetings. “Don’t miss the old church on Öckerö,” Jennie had told me while we were kayaking. “As kids, we were terrified of it!”
The quayside in Öckerö. Photograph: DES/Alamy
Next day, I meet local climber Andreas Lundqvist at Ersdalen, a vast boulder-strewn coastal area on Hönö. Andreas brings a crash mat and I turn myself inside out attempting routes that he breezes up without any apparent effort. The mix of the otherworldly seascape and Andreas’s storytelling about growing up on the islands and subsequent adventures makes the whole experience hugely enjoyable.
Exploring the archipelago is made simple with the Västtrafik app on your phone, so I catch the ferry out to the last, most northerly island, Rörö. The weather has turned from blue skies to thick mist, but this suits the sparse, mysterious splendour of a remote island. I squelch through bogs, scramble over lichen-crusted boulders and come across wild ponies.
The ferry back connects promptly with a bus that takes me back across the islands. There is one more place I want to explore: the old church on Öckerö. Why did local kids such as Jennie grow up terrified of this place?
It is a simple red-roofed Scandinavian church dating from the 1450s, but the door is locked and the windows too high to see anything. Determined to get inside, I ring around local contacts and get the number of the verger who agrees to come down. Ten minutes later, he arrives and unlocks, but does not enter. “Text me when you’re finished,” he says.
The interior of the 15th-century church on Öckerö, with its ‘scary’ ceiling frescoes. Photograph: Kevin Rushby
In the small vestibule there are some ancient stones and a sword. I step into the nave. There are 17th-century models of sailing ships in cases either side, and everything is as might be expected, with robust, precise woodwork. Then I see the ceiling frescoes. The rear of the church roof is a painted hell. No wonder the island kids were terrified: fire-breathing monsters and demons dance across the barrel-vaulted timbers, torturing sinners who are sinking into scarlet flames. But then a suspended sailing ship points the way to salvation, the colours lighten, and by the time I reach the altar, everyone is floating on clouds and blowing trumpets. I guess those are the ones who stayed away from Moonshine Bay. Painted in 1792, it is a tour de force.
Eventually, I drag myself away, text the verger and, after just a couple of bus rides and a ferry, step down in Gothenburg. I’m still feeling a little dazed, as if I’ve been somewhere very far away indeed.
