Persköps Ställplats => Anfasteröd Gårdsvik

Good morning from Persköps Ställplats

After an extremely quiet night, we woke up in this wonderful spot in Sweden. The sun was shining, so we decided to sit in front of our green Hulk. The captain was conjuring up something in the kitchen. The smell of coffee reached my nose, so nothing stood in the way of a perfect start to the day.

Since we had time, we enjoyed all the performances that apparently make up a campsite. Do all Swedish boys actually look like Michel from Lönneberga? Can some people possibly not yawn quietly? Why do people walk around brushing their teeth in the great outdoors? Why is the duration of time spent in a shower so variable? Do the walks with the onboard loo have a meditative character for the owners (usually it's the household heads dragging this trolley behind them as if paralyzed)? We could not answer all these questions, but we agreed that it is good as it is.

We also made use of the clean sanitary facilities and then limited our breakfast to a small snack. Meanwhile, we observed that camping guests were fiddling with the outdoor check-in repeatedly. We already decided here that we would leave the spot easily due to our immediate proximity to the entrance and exit.

The dismantling of the wedges and all other work before departure is getting better every time. Hopefully, tomorrow the captain will have only praise left for me. We waved goodbye to the site operator friendly and resumed our journey in the Swedish high-gloss catalog. It was breathtakingly beautiful to drive without any time pressure along small roads through this landscape. Over Växtorp and Simlångsdalen, we passed lakes, through forested areas and open sections of landscape towards Torup and Horred. Here and there we had to wake up the occasional fox from its midday slumber, otherwise, we would have given it a relatively noticeable pattern on its back.

Then it happened: the road surface changed, and we found ourselves on a gravel road. The off-road Benz rejoiced, and so did the helmsman. Finally, the all-terrain tires could prove themselves. With the biggest grin, Kadir spurred the horse on. Stones and boulders flew behind us into the wilderness. The cars that had just been behind us were now nowhere to be seen. Then, around a curve in front of us, a car with a German license plate actually appeared. Shortly, I could read the seal on it sharply, as Kadir, let’s say, made himself “noticeable.” The driver withstood this pressure for a few hundred meters but then graciously gave way to us and let Hulk pass. We assume he will be visiting a paint doctor soon.

In Horred, I diligently fulfilled my role as “on-tour beverage server” and entered the address of “Charles Gårds BBQ & Smoker” into the navigation device. Fourteen minutes now separated us from the meal, which had also been deemed necessary by all travelers.

What we were offered at the selected place was once again a part of the culinary paradise. A huge smoker, with fire roaring from the side. A Swede, who immediately friendly addressed us about our “number plate” and turned out to be an Austrian (we only noticed after about twelve sentences that he doesn't speak Swedish). Kadir immediately had one of the offerings recommended by our new friend: “Mix platter for two.” A chill ran down my spine. Did he not realize in that moment of maximum stimulation that his stomach is about 90% smaller than its actual size? I was hungry, but not for 1.9 people. Never mind. The captain had decided, and the crew had nothing to criticize about that. We took our seats overlooking the wide wheat fields and were extremely curious about what would be served to us in the next few minutes. To put it clearly, briefly, and concisely: a dream!

Yes, not everyone sees it that way (props go to Danuta at this point). Carnivores can definitely understand us very well. There was meat with meat and meat. Ok, there were also fries and beans as side dishes and a bit of coleslaw. In the following minutes, no conversation took place anymore. Only sounds like “ooohhh” and “aaahhh” were expressed. Kadir's stomach clearly faced the biggest challenge of the past two years. I can reassure all sympathetic readers. It was no test of endurance ;)

After this meal - of which we actually left hardly anything - I was brought back to reality by the captain. He gave the command: “You take the wheel. I need to sleep after this meal.” Boing! Against that, of course, I can say nothing with my rank. And yet I briefly tried in vain.

During the break, I called several campsites per my duty and succeeded on the third attempt. Since we will have a very special destination tomorrow (more than just a hint that young Swedish women play a significant role in it, there’s not much information here yet), we wanted to end up near Gothenburg. I succeeded with the last call.

The drive to Anfasteröd Gårdsvik Campsite primarily on highways and once straight through Gothenburg was uncomplicated. Just a few kilometers after we left the highway, we spotted the water. We continued on small roads towards the coast. When we parked the green monster in front of the reception, smiles already spread across our faces. The terraced site made a wonderful impression on us. It should be impossible to get a pitch without a sea view here.

We paid, received all the info, and the captain set the vehicles in motion. Yes, in those moments the boss has to steer. Upon arriving at our spot, we could hardly believe our luck. The very friendly woman at the reception apparently had a lot of fun with us, as she had assigned us the spot of champions. Sea view and a private wooden terrace, which seemed to be custom-made for our bulky piece. Check. Thank you, Maria or Anna or Ulla or whatever your name is.

After processing our happiness bit by bit, the bartender didn’t take long to serve. Two beautiful gin tonics were placed in the setting sun, so we couldn’t hold back any longer. Joyfully, we toasted each other above the archipelago coast.

As the meat platter was still working its way through us, cook Kadir served only salty finger food today. Combined with the sparkling ice cubes amid the bubbling drinks, it was a grand view and a delight for the palate. In this almost euphoric state of mind, we started feeding the AI with one of my song lyrics and crafted various versions of a new world hit. We consistently lowered the volume of our output device, as you can never know which product pirates might be in the immediate vicinity. The result made us even happier.

There followed an intense discussion with a well-known woman regarding the name of the sea at our current location, at the end of which we agreed to disagree. After my admonition to please not neglect self-care, all crew members dutifully brushed their teeth. Now we could crawl into our respective sleeping areas promptly at midnight. But what was that? Right next to our normally hermetically soundproofed Special-Force device, one of the neighbors had started the chainsaw. I guessed it was the STIHL MS 162 model, as I know its sound very well from my hometown. However, the fatigue and the overwhelmingly good feeling of having had a wonderful day quickly lulled us both to sleep.

Tomorrow, more about Gunnersviken 11 and Sandholmsvägen 9.

Sleep well, captain