Rest day… 15 kilometers walked

After yesterday’s ‘rest day’, I still walked about fifteen kilometers, and I’m feeling motivated again. The plan is to walk to Grebbestad. That’s the next supermarket. But it’s more than forty kilometers away. There are days I can manage that easily, but it totally depends on the terrain and the weather.

Mediterranean vibes

And today… it’s warm. I think it’s even the hottest day so far. The route mostly goes over roads without shade. I still have enough food, so I don’t need to worry about that. What strikes me is how suddenly different Sweden is here. Almost Mediterranean. Because the Swedes are on vacation, it’s also much busier than I’m used to. Not comparable to the Netherlands, but still.

Swedish Zandvoort*

At a small beach, the towels are almost touching each other. It really feels like Swedish Zandvoort. I sit at the edge in the shade. Making coffee. Refilling water. People-watching. They are such interesting herd animals. There’s plenty of space, but they still like to all settle in the same spot.

Camping forbidden

It slowly becomes clear that Grebbestad is not going to happen today. About twenty kilometers before that lies the nature reserve Kragenäs. On the map, I see toilets and a picnic area. That sounds like a great place to pitch my tent. It indeed looks perfect. On the information boards, I see nowhere that camping is prohibited. Only when I refill my water, do I discover in small letters by the faucet: camping förbjuden. My Swedish is good enough now to know what that means. This area appears to be reserved for scouting. Lucky bastards.

On to plan B

But I had already taken this into account. Nature reserve, huh? Plan B was ready. Off to the campsite on Gälto Island. What turns out? Maybe I don’t hate campsites. Perhaps just the wrong ones. This one is right in the middle of nature. Peace. Space. Basic facilities. Kids playing happily without shouting all over the campground. People who come for their peace and also think of others. Here, I’m more than happy to pay for my stay.

Stay: Gälto

*Zandvoort is a very popular and busy beach in The Netherlands