week 42 & 43 of „One Year – One Island“
Just north of Äleklinta lies a small historic fishing port called Bruddesta, dating from the early 19th century. It consists of nine limestone huts thatched with reeds, with walled net gardens and drying facilities for the nets. Between the huts and the water’s edge, you can still see the old winch also called capstans, the rotating devices used to pull boats from the water onto land. In 1985, the entire complex was listed as a historical monument. Fishing has long since ceased here.
On the September day I sat and painted Bruddesta, it was windy but sunny. To optimally paint the place, I sat on top of the cliff and was therefore quite exposed to the wind. A car was already parked near the huts, and from up above, I could see two men walking around below. After they had disappeared again, a group of cyclists – three elderly couples, it seemed to me – came down the coastal path, parked their bikes, and descended to the fishermen’s huts. They stayed there for quite a while, strolling around trough the grounds, spread out and finally resting on wooden benches with their backs against the sunlit hut walls, protected from the wind. They then unpacked a thermos flask and presumably had a “fika.” The owners of the huts are probably not allowed to do much more than that themselfs. These more than simply furnished four walls with a roof are highly sought-after properties, command high prices, and are sometimes even managed by a homeowners’ association. But they are subject to the Beach Protection Act of 1975. This 50-year-old set of rules has been proposed for reform several times, but so far, the various proposals have failed to gain a majority. Therefore, what has been in place since then still applies:
The huts are divided into three categories depending on their original purpose.
A tool shed was used to store nets, oily clothing for use on the boat, repair kits, buckets, etc. – everything a fisherman needed. There was no bunk here, at most a chair. Spending the night here was not permitted.
A fisherman’s hut is like a tool shed, but with a simple bunk, usually also a table and a chair. Here, the fisherman could wait for the time to leave, for example, in case of an approaching storm, or even spend the night so he could head out to sea very early in the morning. Even today, sleeping on the bunk is permitted for individual nights.
Declaring it a summer hut generally allows overnight stays, but no facilities intended for residential purposes, such as a stove or a power connection, are permitted. Even a declared summer hut (within a fishing port) may not be rented to tourists or used as accommodation for family members on vacation.
However, checks to see whether these rules are being complied with are very rare because the responsible authority is understaffed.
Middle of september, week 43 of the project
The following week, between my other tasks, I couldn’t find a single day where I could have spent a few hours painting, so I left late one afternoon. I already knew exactly where I wanted to go, which made things easier: an Öland curiosity that has even led to several rear-end collisions: the Kamelranch in Ormöga. The camel pastures and stables are located right next to the main road that runs north-south across the entire island. In summer, you can drive up to 80 km/h here (many drive even faster). Those who visit Öland for the first time often know nothing about the camel farm and can hardly believe their eyes when they suddenly see camels grazing over the fence instead of the usual cows. It’s not uncommon for drivers to slam on their brakes in surprise—often just to take a quick photo through the car window. This has led to numerous accidents over the years. Cars with hazard lights on also repeatedly stopped at the side of the road just to take a selfie with the animals. Now the Swedish Traffic Inspectorate has relented and created a parking bay parallel to the camel pasture.
The camels belong to “Kamel-Bengt”. He started his camel farm on Öland in 1991, and it is now one of the largest camel farms in Northern Europe. Bengt, who stands out for his flowing white mane and equally white beard, breeds and sells his camels, especially white camels. In the summer, his business also offers camel rides for tourists, he sells keychains made of camel hair, and he is always happy to tell you more about these unusual animals. The farm also houses rabbits, goats, llamas, and, more recently, kangaroos, as I read on the website (https://kamelranch.se). Bengt is frequently asked to give lectures about his camels. On these occasions, he often plays a piece on his nyckelharpa (Swedish key fiddle) too. While everyone knows him on Öland, he has become famous throughout Sweden since 2011 through his participation in the reality show “Farmer Seeks Wife.” And of course the King and the Queen has visited him too (see picture from the magazin Svensk Dam)
And here I have a very special picture for you. Yes, it’s cheesy, but this is what it looked like over the course of the evening.
Hope to meet you next week, when I will pay homage to the several grocery stores in the countryside all over Sweden.
