We spent three nights here mid-week a couple of weeks ago. I don't know what the Swedish equivalent of Anglophile is, but the Nelsons have a fascination with all things Swedish (Mr. Nelson's grandfather came from Sweden, and they have visited many times.) They have opened a very Swedish B & B. We too stayed in the Skne room, and since that's the part of Sweden we've lived in, we wanted to give it a test.
We had a WONDERFUL experience. First, we were lucky and had great weather. The room was very pretty and the bed was very comfortable, with thick duvets we didn't need to use. The Nelsons were full of helpful information on the area, and were great to talk with. The place is decorated with a Scandinavian aesthetic (in their family area as well as the guest areas) and this is clearly a labor of love for them. If you are familiar with Carl Larsson's paintings, you will feel like you've stepped into his home when you enter the breakfast room. (I would like to know why, when I hang posters, prints and needlework from Sweden, they look kind of tacky, but in this B & B, they look terrific? Similarly, when I get furniture from IKEA, it screams IKEA, but here it totally works. But I digress.)
The Swedish breakfast incorporated the best of California as well, which meant we had freshly-picked berries every morning, freshly-baked muffins, pancakes or pastries, eggs in some form, yummy sausages, crisp breads and crackers, cheese, and fresh jam. (The herring is optional!) The food kept coming as long as anyone was hungry. They advertise that they will meet special dietary requirements with notice. There is a fridge in the breakfast area for guests, which we found helpful.
You are welcome to tour their gardens and make friends with the alpacas, ducks, and cats. (I will confess I stole a fresh berry or two!) Mrs. Nelson's gardens are beautiful.
A caveat or two: the Skne room is on the second floor, and the stairs are steep for anyone who has difficulty managing stairs or schlepping luggage up said stairs. You are asked to remove your shoes before entering, so you might want to wear some kind of slip-ons. It got a little tedious to keep lacing running shoes every time I stepped outside. But I understand-- it keeps the dirt outside and most Swedes do it at home. We found out at the end of our stay that we could have requested a TV. I will if we stay there again: Point Reyes and surrounding communities seem to roll up the sidewalks at sundown (yeah, I know: "no TV" is probably part of a true B & B experience, and if we were avid hikers or cyclists we would have been ready for bed, but we're not, so... we read a lot.) Although we were invited to use the breakfast room to read or talk, everyone seemed to go to their respective rooms after coming back from dinner and we were trying not to disturb anyone else, so we too went back to our room.
The price midweek was $140 for the two of us, I think. Quite reasonable for the value (although a real splurge for us!) We will definitely return. read more