…because beachcombing is so last season ;p
My phone was almost dead (7%) and my powerbanks all empty when I woke up (the second time) this morning.
-> time to find a plug…
The ‘kitchen’ has a microwave and a 2-ring hob, and therefore two plug sockets -> I put my phone and a powerbank on charge and went to sit in the sun. I didn’t want to leave them and go too far away, and an hour isn’t that long…
I watched the grasshoppers and the ants and the dragonflies. I moved between the sun and the shade on the bench, then went to the log pile. I stretched a bit, looked around a bit, went to check on the phone…
“12%”
Joy.
“2 hours until full”
More joy.
I went back to my woodpile.
And then people appeared on the beach.
People with rakes and a wheelbarrow.
(Even in Sweden this isn’t normal beachgoing paraphernalia)
I watched more closely for a few minutes. It was an ‘older’* couple collecting seaweed/seagrass. She’d scoop some out with the rake and pile it up on the sand, while he’d pick it up with a pitchfork and fill the wheelbarrow.
The beach is quite long and there was a lot of seaweed.
I felt ridiculously lazy siting and watching them..
..and it wasn’t like I had anything better to do..
..so I left my woodpile and wandered over to the beach.
“Can I do that?”
She turned to look at me as if I’d just landed from Mars.
“Can I do that?” I asked again and put my hand out, gesturing for the rake.
I assumed she’d give me the rake and split the work on making and gathering piles with her (presumably) husband. Instead, she pointed at the loo block. “There’s another rake on the wall….”
The three of us worked in relative silence, punctuated by the occasional question in my direction; where are you going next, are you cycling the whole way by yourself, what do you do when you’re not cycling, … ?
Then a fourth person joined in. He nodded at me and said something in Swedish that could have meant anything from, ‘I’m joining in too’ to, ‘I’ll show you how it’s done properly’ to, ‘it’s a great day for seaweed fishing’ – I had no idea. When I asked him to say it again in English he shrugged and carried on raking. I think he might be the only Swede I’ve met this trip that hasn’t spoken English.. He was helpful though, we could round up the weed and drag it to shore from both sides without it scattering completely.
A good two hours later she announced that they were going to stop for lunch.
“I’m so grateful for your help! You can stay here tonight for free.* And yesterday.”
“Wow! Thank you! That’s great!”
*thinks*
“Are you going home for lunch? If you’re going to be here for a bit can I change some money for the shower?”
She took 3 coins out of her pocket, “Here. Is that enough?”
“Um. I don’t know.. how long do they last?”
“4 minutes.”
“Then I’d rather have 4, just in case…”
“Here”
“Perfect! Thank you, I’ll just go and get my purse to swap”
“No. That’s ok. Enjoy your shower”
There’s something very soothing about paddling in warm water with a rake, fishing out the seaweed and the algae.
Time for a shower and a change of clothes now tho 🙂
My powerbank had reached the dizzy heights of ~25%, my phone had at least got to 83%.
* I’m really not good at guessing ages, but they were (very) well over 50..
the Jess(e)way around 