On Märket 

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Märket is a lump of rock between Sweden and Finland. It’s only 3.3 hectares in size and there’s really nothing there apart from a lighthouse. Originally, no-one claimed the island as their territory, and so Finland built a lighthouse on there back in 1885. They built it on the highest bit of the island, which was the logical thing to do.

However, when the island was divided between the two countries (because everything has to be owned by someone, right?), the lighthouse ended up on the Swedish side – basically the Western half of the island.

But it was a Finnish lighthouse. Built by Finland and operated by Finland.

So in 1985, the border was moved the reposition the lighthouse back onto Finnish territory.

But you can’t just give up land merely because there’s some other country’s lighthouse on it.

Thus, the adjustment was carried out such that no net transfer of territory occurred, and the ownership of the coastline was unchanged so as not to interfere with each country’s fishing rights.

Which means that the border now looks like this:

The interlocking idea does stop the two countries drifting apart. Which is nice.

And in real life:

Åland (representing Finland here) being the autonomous, demilitarized region of Finland located in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. It lies just to the east of Märket and they speak Swedish there, even though it’s actually Finnish territory.

The border is regularly resurveyed every 25 years by officials representing both countries. In case… it changes?!?
The last such joint inspection took place in August 2006. The border is marked by holes drilled into the rock, because the seasonal drift ice would shear off any protruding markers.

Because of the Nordic Passport Union and the Schengen Agreement, there have been no passport checks or other border formalities at the border since 1958, so intra-Nordic/intra-Schengen visitors may visit the island freely.

I’ve still not managed to find out why there is an additional county border on the Swedish side. This seems unnecessarily bureaucratic.

Despite the name, there are no shops on Märket. In fact, there really only is the lighthouse.

But that, and the crazy border, makes this a great place to learn about for the nerds that read this blog.

And you, obviously.

Public Holiday recap

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It’s Freedom Day today, giving a nod to 32 South African years since the first democratic elections back in 1994. There are many, many things that you can argue could have been done differently in the intervening period, but so as to be able to celebrate the good bits therein, we get the day off.

So how did we spend it?

Well, after gym (which wouldn’t have been quite so high on my agenda had I known what was coming), there was a walk on the mountain, enjoying the waterfalls:

…and overlooking the leafy green suburbs of Newlands and Fernwood.

Before dropping down into Kirstenbosch Gardens (mid right of the photo above) where we found a Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa):

And then an afternoon at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, where we saw a Betway sponsored horse win a race underwritten by LuckyFish Betting.

We’re all good. It’s not a problem. (It really is a problem.)

That said, if you have things under control and you set your limits and stick to them, you can still have fun and come out richer than when you went in. Which I did, and which was nice.

A real pot of gold at the end of that rainbow then, mostly likely guarded by a leper or a unicorn*.

Pretty good way to spend a pretty good South African day.

.

* you had to be there.

Beware of Bottlenose Dolphins

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Spotted on a Facebook post earlier today: this beautiful image of two Bottlenose Dolphins (either Tursiops aduncus or Tursiops truncatus – it’s complicated) in the waters off the South coast of the Western Cape. The ‘tog call it Yin and Yang, and yeah, fair enough, you can see why.

Close enough.

But the photo isn’t the reason I’m sharing this. It’s… it’s that weirdly specific comment by Viola Inches (r/toastnames, btw) that made me want to blog it.

What?

Bottle nose dolphins are very friendly however don’t be fooled because they can turn on you like Roman Emperor Son that turned on His own father.

What?!!?

I’m no expert on Roman history (my knowledge of this period is almost entirely garnered from to watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian in the mid-1980s), and so I don’t know the particular emperor father and son combo to which Viola is referring. I guess that sort of thing was probably amongst the many risks you took as part of the hierarchy back in those turbulent, classical times.

But whoever it might be (or even if it’s just completely made up – but then, why would you?), I’m going to be very, very careful next time I encounter a Bottlenose Dolphin.

How embarrassing would it be if one of them turned on me like Roman Emperor Son that turned on His own father, after I’d read this comment?

No. Safety first.

Quick Skink

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After a visit to UCT this morning for an informative wander around their open day, with United playing at 4, and a dinner out at 7, I’m quickly putting something here.

And the thing is (probably) my favourite local lizard, a Cape Skink (Trachylepis capensis). They’re just such gentle, friendly, inquisitive creatures.

This one was at Kirstenbosch, not one of our back garden family. But equally friendly.

Anyway, footie calls.

More tomorrow.