Why Have We Never Been Here Before?

Livia and Roger phoned us in the week and suggested a trip to Åstön, on the tip of a peninsular sticking out into the Baltic Sea.  It was a great idea; we could meet up safely and visit a place I knew was lovely.
So this morning we packed some lunch, gathered clothes for everything from 'warm and sunny' to 'cold and rainy' and set off. It was only when we arrived I realised I'd never been here before. It was however a lovely place. Lots of small headlands and bays and a few islands. A mixture of smooth rocks, like the one Livia is standing on, and bouldery beaches and small rock faces. The place was also full of birds and many mosses, lichens, small trees, flowers, and butterflies. What a great time of year to visit!
There is some slight irony in the fact that all this wonderful nature is here because for many years this was a military shooting range. When the Swedish military downsized this area was no longer needed but the military hung on to it for a few years more. Even now, there are notices everywhere warning you not to prod or kick any old bits of metal you find in the undergrowth!
Now the sound of small-arms fire and the boom of big guns has been replaced by bird-song and rippling water.  There must be a moral there somewhere!