SWEDEN: Kullaberg

Protruding into the Kattegatt where Munson swam yesterday is the Kullaberg nature reserve. It’s been inhabited since Stone Age times, but our expedition today was in search of much more modern examples of primitive forms: the Nimis driftwood sculpture and Arx stone fortress built on a rocky shore of this headland. These structures were built by the Swedish artist Lars Vilks, more recently the subject of many assassination attempts over his drawings of Muhammed. In 1996 the area containing the Nimis/Arx works were designated as the micronation Ladonia as the result of a long-running battle with the local authorities. I didn’t know the background to all of this when Gustav suggested we visit here, and as a consequence of all signs to the Nimis trail being obliterated we didn’t actually find them. It’s only sad that Munson didn’t get to add Ladonia to his list of visited nations. It is possible to acquire citizenship without visiting the site simply by completing a form on the internet, or even to join its nobility for the princely sum of $30. Ladonia has an extensive ministerial cabinet, embracing everything from “Deeper Mysteries” to “Animals especially cows”, with some ministers having mixed portfolios Duct Tape/High Voltage, Naval Affairs/Mummification, or Brazilian Romantic Literature/Washing Lines. We belatedly found a map locating Nimis/Ladonia online, but will perhaps have to try another day. After seeing San Marino perform in the Eurovision Song Contest on a Baku stage that is probably bigger than San Marino, I enjoin Ladonia to once again submit an entry for Eurovision, demonstrating its unique musical tradition e.g. its national anthem consists of throwing a stone into the water, surely much more musical than the dirge that passes for Australia’s anthem. I remember accompanying our primary school assembly each Friday on melodica, a spit-filled nightmare in the key of C.

We followed the main path down below the lighthouse to a rocky shore, not unlike Hovs Hallar on the next peninsula to the north. I wish I’d brought swimming gear and chanced the waters in my underwear. I started to lose feeling in my legs after a couple of minutes so maybe just as well I wasn’t more ambitious.