A tale of tax, utopia, and human faeces:

The fragrant sentiments above, mouthed by Danish couple Flemming Hansen and Mette Helbæk, concern their creation, in Sweden, of a “forest resort” named Stedsans, one met with much acclaim:

Dish magazine hailed the project as “Seasonal, sustainable, organic, artisanal, waste-free, foraged.” While readers of EasyJet Traveller magazine were told that the resort is “A new way of living that’s as sustainable as it is delicious.”

For Ms Helbæk and Mr Hansen, the name of the resort, which is Danish for “sense of place,” reflects “which direction we need to go as a society.” The couple, who refer to themselves as “soul-driven entrepreneurs,” shared their vision:

All terribly inspiring. Scenes of this idyll can be savoured here.

However,

The output of those sixteen charming cottages, one assumes. I’ll let any passing enthusiasts of arithmetic have fun with that one.

Ah yes. “A way of living that respects all forms of life.” Conjured into being by “soul-driven entrepreneurs.”

Readers will doubtless be intrigued by the “foraged” food – i.e., carrots and leaves, served repeatedly – plus the unheated rooms, the lack of running water, and the whole shitting-in-a-barrel thing. For a mere £900 a night, one can’t expect luxuries like plumbing, protein, or the prospect of heat.

And for those inclined to squint, there may be a rustic charm to things being a loose approximation of what is claimed. And so, just as unheated fishing huts with no plumbing or sanitation are framed as “luxury,” seemingly random objects on a plate are hailed as meals, as “artisanal” and “delicious.”

According to an investigation by Dagens Nyheter and Politiken, Ms Helbæk and Mr Hansen had left Denmark owing “millions of kroner in debt to Danish tax authorities,” before moving to Sweden, where they accumulated further tax debt of six million SEK.

Sustainability, baby.

You may now resume your humdrum, unenlightened, non-artisanal lives.

Via Samizdata.