LAND 40 Drizzle and wind. A heavy pewter grey sky. I left the main road and walked along a narrow track connecting a series of farms and homesteads. I thought about how many of Bornholm’s smaller tracks and roads connecting farms have been erased, as fields have become larger and people inhabit the landscape in a different way.
Some of the farms and homesteads were large, hidden behind gigantic sheds and silos, others were derelict, others still were summer houses. By the side of one empty house, a Goldilocks moment: two chairs and a table under an awning, promising welcome protection from the rain.
On narrow roads, I continued slowly meandering westwards towards the sea through an attractive landscape of small fields and oak, beech, and birch woods. I was soon soaked and struggled to keep paper and paints dry. I followed flocks of small birds drifting excitedly between field and forest. All colours were saturated and intensified. Flowers and berries stopped me in my tracks.
After the fine Indian summer, it felt invigorating to have a bit of weather, something to bite into.
I perched on the edge of Ringe Valley, a deep, heavily wooded rift valley cut into the fieldscape. At the base of the valley a narrow lake fringed with bright green duckweed, where a flock of wigeon sheltered from the storm.
I walked down into the valley and up the other side through a dense oak, pine, and cherry wood typical of North Bornholm. Ivy, twisted roots, slippery granite underfoot, fallen tree trunks, moss covered stone fences long forgotten and the continual tinkling of goldcrest overhead.
I emerged from the forest into huge caldera of the Almeløkke quarry. Terraces of savagely scarred purple and ochre granite battered by the wind and rain. In drier pauses I tried paint as best I could. When the rain got too much I walked around and explored, all the way to the neighbouring Vang Quarry.
These quarries were retired as recently as 20 years ago. In the final decades of their operation, they became a site of contention between the nature conservancy groups trying to protect the unique nature of the region, and the business and political lobbyists advocating the economic and labour benefits of the operation. Rather ironic then, that in the short time since their closure, the site has been rebranded as a nature recreation park, with climbing, mountain biking and trail walking.
Peregrine falcon, Stock Dove and Jackdaw nest in the exposed granite cliffs, while Little Ringed Plovers nest in the margins of the many lakes and ponds. Birch trees are already springing up everywhere, and it will be fascinating to witness the area’s evolution over the coming decades.
I tried to paint the incredible view over the quarry, with the boiling sea and Hammershus Castle in the distance, but a new wave of rain arrived, just as Peregrine jetted past overhead, and I had to pack up again.
I wandered around a bit more, then headed back south to the pickup point and the end of the day.
LAND 40
WEATHER REPORT – Spitting or raining most of the day. Temperature 13 – 15 degrees. Wind 7 – 17 m/s, from the west. Hours of precipitation: 8 hour. Hours of sunshine: 0 hours.
STOPS with the BIVVY – 0
KILOMETRES WALKED – 15.54 km
DAY LASTED – 11h and 8 m
PEOPLE TALKED TO – 0
BIRDS SEEN and HEARD – 33 species (0 new) = 130 species in total.
LESSONS LEARNED – Good to have my map in plastic folder.
IN MY HEAD – I enjoyed struggling in the wind and rain. The Apprentice Series 16, Superbandet song 4. Happy Valley. Wii. Daughters.
www.benwoodhams.com 