LAND 51 I crouched behind the church bell tower, sheltering from the gale that screamed in from the Northwest. I tried to make a quick sketch of the church but struggled mightily with the gusting wind. Inside the church, protected by thick stone walls, I could make out activity and a warm orange light.
I left the shelter of the churchyard and headed northwest into the teeth of the windstorm. I stopped briefly at a ‘crazy golf’ course, built in the shape of Bornholm, and including scale models of many of Bornholm’s landmarks and tourist attractions. It seemed quite fitting, after having walked around the island for the last 51 weeks, to be gifted with the opportunity to have the whole of Bornholm laid out in front of me.
I continued for a while, then stopped again at another of the island’s better-known tourist attractions – Bornholm’s medieval centre. I used to visit many years ago in the summer when the kids were small when there would be shows, workshops, and activities – and throngs of tourists. Now, of course, the site was closed and as I wandered around the replica fort and wattle and daub houses, past the rare-breed sheep and tiny rocky fields, muddy and forlorn in the biting wind, it seemed almost as if I had stepped back into the Middle Ages. Fitting as well, after 51 weeks of passing through so many historic sites and pondering the passing of time, that I was now gifted with such an immersive historical experience.
I carried on, taking a narrow road that followed the shoulder of a granite ridge ‘Lens Bjerge’, with good views to the south and east.
I passed through a small wood, somewhat protected while the wind roared in the treetops swaying above me. At the foot of the ridge I crouched down tried to paint.
It was a struggle managing all my gear in the wind, so I decided to see if I could work with the elements instead. I soaked some grass ends in watercolour paint and let them make marks on the paper. An invigorating detour, but the results were unsatisfactory.
I continued, walking northeast towards Salene Bugt, then doubling back into the relative shelter of Gudhjem plantation. Here I paused by the picturesque small lake of Gråmyr, as the sun battled to break through the clouds and the wind began to reduce in intensity.
I continued through Holkadalen and then up into the maze of small roads and jumbled houses with views down to the village of Gudhjem below. At one point the sun came out and the rooves of Gudhjem were lit red against the stormy sea and dramatic sky.
At Gudhjem museum, where I hope to exhibit some of the paintings from the LAND exhibition in six months’ time, I paused by two of my favourite Bornholmian sculptures: ‘Klo’ by Inge Lise Westman, and ‘Aaboen’ by Julie Høm.
The shortest day of the year, and I was exhausted and completely wind-addled. I finished the day by Melsted Stubmølle, a tiny post mill that was originally located at Aarsdale, before being moved to Tejn and then in 2006 moved to Melsted. The dramatic sky reflected my mood, and the day was done.
LAND 51
WEATHER REPORT – Overcast and very windy. Temperature 3 – 4 degrees. Wind 13 – 17 m/s, from the west. Hours of precipitation: 0.5 hours. Hours of sunshine: 0.5 hour.
STOPS with the BIVVY – 0
KILOMETRES WALKED – 12.49 km
DAY LASTED – 7 h and 16 m
PEOPLE TALKED TO – 1
BIRDS SEEN and HEARD – 25 species (0 new = 135 species in total)
LESSONS LEARNED – Forgot my gloves again. I learned that I learn nothing.
IN MY HEAD – When I wasn’t cursing the wind I was thinking of departed artist friends, Greg and Barbara.
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