Chapter 0: Boundin'

Beautiful Saturday morning welcomed us fresh and ready at the bus terminal at 10:30. There was one bus going at 8:45, but we smartly chose not to rush things. As a pay off for yesterday I revealed to Patrick our plan for today and because they wanted also to go somewhere but didn’t know where, he with Divon and Fish joined us too.

One hour ride was quickly over because I wasn’t that fresh and fell asleep. So my second morning was even more beautiful than the first one. A soft fresh sea wind blowing into my face, crystal clear blue sky above and a towering fortress on a horizon. Flawless!! We used a ferry to get to the island and I had to urge my friends to a faster pace, because I really wanted to be already standing on the top of the tower.

Carlstens Fortress in Marstrand was built around 1680 for protecting the city, because it used to be an important commerce center and its harbor never freezes. That was a reason why a big part of Swedish navy was stationed here. The fortress was also used as a prison and prisoners were working on the fortress improvements and repairs.

In the entrance hall I once more got a lesson about how small the world is when the man behind the desk turned out to be Czech from Varnsdorf, who moved here in 1950. He didn’t speak much Czech, but I suspect him that he was playing it!!

The fortress was interesting with a lot of special features like The Secret Tunnel, but there was no chance to reach the very top of the tower. Grrr…but anyway…the view was magnificent.. But after a while I was already thinking how I will go to walk around this small island.

With Marc and Iker we split up from the Chinese. Or better they split up from us. But it was nothing new, because they all are doing it whole two weeks. The have breakfast together, they are sitting together, they go for dinner together, they are almost speaking only to each other. Maybe it’s because they are not that good in English. But it doesn’t matter to me. They are nice people.

After a while of walking a trail I found out, that Marc and Iker are not that excited about rounded, flat and white boulders rising up from wet moss and bushes, which were seducing me to be hopping from one to another. Lunch and a bus to Gothenburg were more important things for them so we split up too.

 At last my outdoor soul could have broken free completely and I was running, jumping and climbing trail-free around. I got blinded by this freedom, not taking care about a lot of other people walking orderly the trail and woke up from my frenzy not sooner than when I had cleared the whole island to the other side. Actually this had one more purpose. Just before I left Czech Republic I had bought new hiking shoes from USA on the internet. And this was a first time I was wearing them. So I had to test them. And test them hard.

 

It was still too early to go home so I hiked along the only access road to the town out of it as planned. I wanted to reach a bridge or something what was connecting the island to the mainland. But because I was sleeping on the way here, I had no idea what is really there. If you know the project The Atlantic Way in Norway, you know what I was looking for :)

After another hour and a half of playing an outdoor equipment testing inspector and an orienteering runner at the same time I got the place where the Swedish Atlantic Way should have been. To my disappointment, but just a tiny one, there was just a big bridge. But it was compensated by a dramatic sunset. After the bridge, there was a bus stop. Completely satisfied and happy I boarded the bus and with the Chinese already sitting inside, and which I lost directly after we got to Gothenburg, I ended the day sleeping in the seat like I had started it…