One foot in the Öresund - 22km around Falsterbonäset*

Hooked after the previous hike last week, I set off for another long walk on Saturday, this time on my own, towards the coast and with my route not completely decided. I knew that I wanted to do what is known as Falsterbonäset (the Falsterbo "nose"), a small peninsula in the south-western tip of Skåne, well of Sweden even. I chose it because I knew it was going to be a nice warm day with a bit of breeze, so I did not want to be in a forest. I wanted to be out in the sun by the sea.

What I did not yet know was how long I wanted to walk. From the time I decided spontaneously that I was going to set off that day, I did not have much time before I had to get the bus I wanted to get. I fixed myself a packed lunch and literally ran to the bus stop. I decided on the bus, with the help of my walking guide book and my phone, where I wanted to start the walk and got off at the appropriate bus stop and headed on in search of the promised orange markers. They were easily found and off I went. I realised a bit of a way in that I hadn't set my Runkeeper, which is why I could this walk as 22 km even though my Runkeeper tracked 21.something km. And I realised at my first photo opportunity that although I had with great foresight charged my camera battery and packed the camera with me, I had forgotten to remove the battery from the charger and replace it in the camera before packing it. So, all I have from the day are photos from my phone with its dodgy white balance and inadequate zoom.

KM 1 - 5

Off the dirt track and across the fields

The first stretch (the first km) was unspectacular: a straight dirt track, very evidently popular with joggers, walkers, dog walkers, cyclist and horse riders. On a nice day such as it was on Saturday, they were all out in full force. Thankfully, it is the summer holiday season, so no doubt only a fraction of the population was actually around otherwise I have no doubt that there would have been a great many more people about. Nevertheless, I rejoiced at the first detour off the track, which took me across a rather overgrown field which was home to invisible cows. I knew they were there somewhere: the steamy fresh cow dung all around was a bit of a giveaway. They were obviously invisible as I never saw any. Not in that field anyway.

That path took me straight through the field to the water's edge then parallel along the water (the second km), then back to the dirt track (the first km) before heading back to the water's edge (the fourth km). The parts of the trail along the water's edge was incredible. I felt like I had barely got off the bus and could still hear the traffic from the road close by, so I knew I had not left civilisation behind. And yet, I was so close to nature and utterly alone. Perhaps it was the somewhat marshy landscape which I hardly ever encounter in my daily life makes it feel as though I was far away from it. As I walked along the grassy edge, all I had for company were the birds and insects.

KM 5 - 10
I realised that one of the things I like most about being out in nature, and this is not a new revelation, is solitude. To be alone, away from people. Which is why when, somewhere between km 5 and 6 at a branch in the path, I chose without thinking the path leadind through fields as opposed to the one leading towards some buildings. It was only about a kilometre afterwards, when I remembered that I had meant to detour from the trail at that point to take a short cut through the village and continued somewhere between km 10 and 11 of the trail. I am glad I did not, even though it resulted in several additional miles to my walk. This part of the walk was one of those I enjoyed more. It was a nice and easy, flat walk, right by the water and I was completely alone for all of it. I also enjoyed seeing the Öresund Bridge and the Turning Torso from a completely new angle. It seemed as though I was closer to the Denmark end of the bridge, although I am not sure I actually was.

KM 10 - 13

Them little colourful beach huts

Washed up seaweed and dead things - ugh!

This stretch is what I call the culture shock stretch. People began to appear. One at a time or in pairs at the first, then in larger and larger groups the closer I got to the beach. That stretch was lined with the little colourful beach huts which are nice to look at and photograph, but I have decided, not the best place to be. It may have only been the time of the year, but that part of the beach stank! Most of the beach was covered in washed up seaweed, and with it whatever life form that attached itself to the seaweed and got dragged up to the shore and death. There were flies everywhere. I ventured to the water's edge for a short stretch but headed back in behind the houses soon enough where I could breath again.

Past the harbour, there was a stretch of beach. This was by far the busiest part of the walk, and understandably so, being the most accessible part of the beach with accessible parking and bus stops close by. Ice cream, hot dogs and drinks everywhere! Until then, I had been obediently following the marked path, or at least keeping it in sight at all time. The path here led behind the sand dunes. I decided I wanted to be out on the beach, on the sand. So I strayed off the path and walked along the water. I first took a short break, had a quick drink, took off my boots, rolled up my trousers and took off my top (I was prepared enough to have a sports bra underneath. I considered a bikini but decided against it because I did not want the "to-swim-or-not-to-swim-and-what-do-I-do-with-my-stuff" dilemma.) For the most part, I walked along the water's very edge where the sand was compact and the waves lapped at my feet. The water was cool and soothing to my feet after the many hours and kilometres of walking in the boots, comfortable, relatively light and breathable though they may be.

Kitesurfers setting up

The smell and flies was less here, but undeniably still present. I wondered as to how kids could swim and play in the sea. They had to wade pass a barrier of floating seaweed just before they get to shore. Does that not mean that they are covered in seaweed every time they come out of the water? Well, to each his own, I supposed. I supposed also, that if you lived close by, seaweed covered beach is better than no beach. I resolved however, that if I were ever to have children, I would take them home to show them the sort of beaches I was used to when I was growing up.

My straying off the path led to one potentially awkward moment. The beach ended at an inlet which I could not cross without getting in much deeper than I wanted to. I looked inwards and spotted a bridge. I tried to make my way towards the bridge while staying as much on the sand as possible to avoid having to brave the dune, which would mean that I had to put my boots back on. It would have been possible, but for the fact that a semi naked couple lay in my path. And when I say semi-naked, I do not mean that they were sunbathing in swimwear. And when I say couple, I assume it was a couple because there were too many limbs for one person although I could not say that I actually saw two bodies. I did not look too closely. I put my boots back on and cut across the dunes.

KM 13 - 17
Once over the bridge, I stuck to the path which led behind the dunes and beach huts along the Falstebo Golf Course. The path was really right on the edge of the golf course, with nothing to separate one from the other. Some of the out-of-bounds markers for the course doubled as the trail markers which I was following. I almost had a break on the bench next to one of the tees but I am not sure the many golfers out that day would have been impressed.

The path eventually took me in front of the beach huts, which seemed to be mostly empty, along the beach. The water here was much clearer and almost devoid of seaweed, the beach clean and stink-free. I perched on a washed up tree truck for another break and stared out into the sea and pondered my existence. I spotted a thin dark line on the horizon and resisted yelling out "ahoy, land ahead!". I wondered if it was Germany, but of course, it must have been Denmark. Germany is way too far away and in completely the wrong direction from where I was sitting.

KM 17- 21
Km 17 to 19 was another stretch that was not part of the plan. Indeed my plan was to cut across the golf course when I started to feel that, for the sake of my knees, I should pack it in and head home though I never made at decision because I was so caught up in enjoying the sun and the sea and the breeze. At about km 17, I had to decide.

Falstebro lighthouse

My original plan was to turn in there, but farther ahead stood (and still stands) the oldest lighthouse in Scandinavia. I have a thing for lighthouses and for superlatives. Not a big thing; I like them and will go (a bit) out of my way to gaze upon a lighthouse. Similarly, my thing for superlatives leads me (not to far) out of my way to see, do, be in, experience whatever it may be. Also, I decided that since I rounded the northern corner of the peninsular, for sake of balance and completion and all that, I had to round the southern corner as well. So I did. Passed the lighthouse, took the obligatory photo of it, and carried on.

Just me and marshland

This part, too, I enjoyed a great deal. I was again utterly alone. There was no real path here, and I was free to wander wherever I wanted, picking my way through the grass and bushes as I would. It was thankfully dry so I did not really have to watch my step other than to try not to kill the plants. I would not have wanted to be out there after it had rained for a while. It looked like it would be more marsh than land out there in the wet.

KM 21

Standing between me and the Öresund

The last stretch along the sea, before I headed away in search of the bus stop, was the nicest stretch of beach of all. It was a beach which I knew and liked. There would have been where I would have liked to swim and fall asleep on the soft white sand. But by that time, I was just looking forward to be able to stop walking. It was getting late, I was starting to get hungry and my joints were aching. My knee was definitely hurting; that was only to be expected. Actually, both my knees were hurting by that point although I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much (or little) they, even the dodgy one, hurt.

And that was that. I got to the bus stop, parked myself on a rock in the sun and waited the twenty minutes it took for the next bus to arrive, set an alarm when I got on the bus so I wouldn't miss my stop, had a little snooze, and got home at about 7pm. All in all, the entire outing had taken me 6 hours. And for almost the entire walk, whether I was in it or no, the Öresund was to my right, always there, never far.

My one disappointment on this walk is that the stinky seaweed stopped me from taking my shoes off on the sand more. Oh, and I hate bloody March flies or horse flies or whatever they are bloody called!

Date: 18 July 2015
The trail: http://www.skaneleden.se/leden/sl-5-oresundsleden/20-foteviken-ljungens-camping/

Regional Bus No.: 100 to Falsterbo; started at the Ljungens husen stop, ended at Falsterbo strandbad stop.
* Delled - Etape 20; SL5: Öresundsleden, Fotoviken - Ljungens camping