Margot's Journal: Germany-Denmark Bicycle Tour of June/July 1998
Vernon Neis, Margot Neis, Matthew Hartney, Nathaniel Hartney
Tuesday - June 9 - Warm and sunny as we leave Vancouver for Frankfurt, Germany.
After breakfast Valerie collected Vernon and me from the Blue Cross Pet Hospital where we had the use of the upstairs suite
compliments of Loretta and Dan Hartney. Nathan went to school in the morning to write an English exam and Matthew had an essay to finish.
We finished our final packing at 11:30 a.m. in Val's kitchen and loaded both Val's and Gerard's vans as we needed two vehicles
to get us, our luggage and bikes to the airport. We checked in with
Lufthansa at 1:30 p.m. and we were pleased that our boxed bikes were accepted as luggage at no extra charge.
Vern exchanged C$ for Deutsche Mark DEM ($0.85CAN = 1.00DEM) and gave the boys each 100DEM as “mad” money. The Boeing 747
was operated by Lufthansa and during the first part of the 9:35 hour flight they served lots of beverages and a hot meal (chicken). We sat
in the center section in the second row from the movie screen. The boys watched the silly movie. There seemed to be lots of youngsters on
the flight but they were all well behaved–no crying. The night went well.
Wednesday - June 10 - Arrive Frankfurt Airport - overcast - bicycle to Wiesbaden.
Lufthansa served scrambled eggs, fruit cup, yogurt, two buns, jam and cheese and choice of beverages for breakfast. We arrived at
the Frankfurt Airport at 10 a.m. After clearing customs we waited a long time
for our bike boxes. We assembled our bikes outside the main airport terminal building under an awning in a waiting area–took two hours.
Vern sent Nate and me to buy a map showing the bike path to Wiesbaden and also to find a bike box storage place. The charge at
the first storage place was 10.5 DEM/box/day but we found a second place that would take the boxes as one item. We flattened the boxes and taped
them together with duct tape but the clerk would not let us include our duffel bag so we put it on the back of Nathan's bike and used it for odds
and ends. Five days storage will cost us 50DEM but we need those boxes when we fly to København (Copenhagen).
From the airport we bypassed the city of Frankfurt and took the bike path 5 km north to the Mainz River and
then east alongside the Mainz River and canal. It was a very enjoyable ride passing old buildings, houses, "Kanu
(Canoe) Club" on the river, garden plots with little shacks (for day use only) and lots of vineyards. We stopped many times to ask
directions. I thought I stripped my bike gears!! I kept forgetting that I must keep peddling to change gears. We rode up one hill instead of staying
near the river on the path we should have taken. Vern got us lost (about 2 km detour) because he couldn’t decipher his poor computer print-out
map and he couldn’t read the German street signs. Matt figured out where we were.
All three “boys” were happy to have supper at McDonald’s in Wiesbaden but I wasn’t hungry after
the big breakfast on the plane. We arrived at the WiesbadenDeutsches Jugend Herbergswerk (Youth Hostel) at
7:30 p.m. (106DEM for the four of us) and put our bikes in their storage room. We all had a shower. Vernon worked on the bikes a long time trying
to fix them. We hurried putting them together at the airport and everything was not as good as he would like.
Our room had five bunks, three closets, a table and four chairs and a sink that drained s-l-o-w-l-y. The men’s bathroom and a family
bathroom were in our wing, but the women's bathroom was in the next wing. No soap, no sink plug or drinking glasses in the room. One duvet and
one pillow provided per bed and we have our own sheets. We must clean our room before we leave or pay extra to have it cleaned by the staff.
That was the rule at all hostels.
Thursday - June 11 - Wiesbaden to Bacharach by River cruise - Cool overcast day, alternating clouds, sun, rain showers.
Vern got us up early and to breakfast at 7:00 a.m. in the big dining hall. The procedure was to serve yourself and clean up after yourself.
The meal was cornflakes, granola, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange/apple juice and milk, crusty buns, dark and light rye bread plus six or more
jam pots, honey, chocolate spread, cheeses and cold cuts. We had all hoped for a hot breakfast rather than a lunch.
We left the hostel at 8:30 a.m. headed for the Wiesbaden train station to get a map and information. A man overheard Vern asking about
Bingen and wanted to know if he could help us. He said he had cycled to Bacharach along
the Rhine River and he showed us the route on the map and said there were some challenging hilly sections and maybe we
should consider taking the Rhine River Cruise. My bike chain came off on the way downhill to the Rhine River and
Vernon fixed it. We wanted to go to a bike store for our various bike problems but it is a religious holiday today and the stores and shops are closed.
When we reached the river we just missed a cruise ship but they leave every hour so we bought tickets for the next cruise (30DEM–cheaper on some days).
We put in time riding around the narrow streets, wrote in our journals and wrote postcards that we bought at the kiosk and had ice-cream cones. We were
impressed with the beautiful trees (we don’t know their name) along the Rhine –they were numbered like inventory.
We were all pleased to be on the boat as we were all tired after the plane trip and our long bike ride yesterday. Also my knees were very sore so I was
especially keen to take the cruise to rest my muscles. Vernon raised the seat on my bike and from then on I had no problems with my knees.
On the tourist boat we sat on the open deck along with all the other passengers enjoying the vineyards, wineries, towns and castles that we floated by.
A couple of interesting sights were a 300 year old wooden ship crane situated on the river bank and also the Bishop’s Tower at Bingen.
The Rhine River Valley is flanked with vineyards and the steeper hills are cribbed with rows of high masonry walls up the hillside. Restored
castles or castle remains appear every few miles. These castles were obviously used for defense in days gone by. Over the centuries the French and Germans
alternately occupied the Rhine Valley and the castles were probably built and then destroyed many times as the various armies moved back and forth.
The weather was cool and I ordered a pot of coffee on the cruise ship (two cups) 6.70DEM + 0.30 tip for total of 7DEM which is over $6.00 Canadian. Vern
and I shared–it was good and warmed us up. We sat with a retired clergyman and his wife from England who had done the trip before and they told us
some Rhine history as we floated along.
We disembarked at Bacharach and rode around the town and went looking for the hostel. I stayed with the bikes while the fellas put some
of the panniers on their backs and took a path that led up a long, steep hill to the hostel. We all assumed the hostel was about three minutes from the bottom
of the path but it was more like a half mile as the hostel is in a castle at the top of a high hill overlooking the Rhine. Matt made a second
trip carrying the remaining panniers.
We rode back into town and had lunch outside on a Bistro deck. Vern had soup and sliced rye bread and all three fellas had bratwurst sausage and potato salad.
I had two slices of bread (1 dark/light rye) with tomato wedge, thin slices onion, two pats butter and round of cambret cheese. Very filling. We had tap water
to drink. The town is very touristy and we enjoyed biking around the narrow cobbled streets and old buildings; everything neat and clean with lots of flowers.
Vernon and I rode up the back valley traffic road to the castle (a tough hill ride) while the boys stayed in town awhile longer on their own.
We were ecstatic with our accommodation in the castle. We were on the top floor in a large dormitory with bunk beds for nine people and the room had two
dormer windows overlooking the courtyard and the Rhine River Valley looking upstream. Also, we had our own large private bath connected to
our room by a short, narrow, spiral hallway in a turret.
We hung Vernon's bike pants in the window to dry and they fell onto the roof below the dormer. I spied them from the courtyard and called up to Vernon
and he retrieved them using Matthew's bungee chord as a “fish” hook.
Matt, Nate and I rented table tennis bats 5DEM (deposit) each and bought balls 50p each. We lost one ball. Three little boys watched us and they played
after us. We laughed when they rolled their balls into the drain holes in the wall to see where the balls would go and the balls went zipping down the mountain
beyond reach and the boys had to buy more balls.
The dining hall was in the basement and supper was served at 6:30 p.m. Soup, salad (no buns or crackers), thick slice roast pork with gravy and some kind
of potato balls that we didn't like. The other choice was a vegetable ragout that was good. Dessert was plain or cherry custard and a hot drink called Spanish
Orange–like tea but little taste to it. Matt and I played a game of cribbage before bedtime. Vernon was really tired and has bum sores and a rash from
wearing a wet pad yesterday (he is still recovering from his prostate cancer surgery 6 weeks ago). I did some hand wash and hung it in the window to dry overnight.
Friday - June 12 - Bacharach to Bingen - Overcast, off and on light rain.
We got up for breakfast at 7:00 a.m.; three cold cereals, canned pineapple, yogurt, two rye breads, hard buns, sandwich meats, jams, cheese, liver pate,
milk, chocolate milk, coffee. Vern fixed my bike chain. I skinned my thumb knuckle packing my pannier and it bled a lot. Made use of our first aid supplies.
We left the castle about 8:35 a.m. and followed the beautiful Rhine River upstream to Bingen. Enjoyed the countryside,
vineyards, trees and beautiful garden plots with their small, well kept, summer houses along the bike path. We stopped to see the Rheinstein
Castle built 900 AD as a custom post on the Rhine. It was pouring rain so Vernon stayed with the bikes in a pedestrian tunnel
under the train tracks while the boys and I walked up the steep hill to the castle. It cost 20DEM for three of us and 1.0DEM for pamphlet plus 3DEM for a
small coke for Vernon. The castle chapel was being restored. We saw a 500 year old grape vine still producing delicious fruit. The boys were very impressed
with the castle museum. There was a nice castle restaurant and a room that could be rented for private receptions.
We arrived at Bingen about 11:40 a.m. Bought milk, sandwiches, fruit, pastries, chips in town. Long uphill ride to get to the hostel.
The registration desk was not open but they let us into waiting area to eat our lunch and after lunch Vern was able to register and we put our panniers
in our room. Only a sink in our room–no sink plug or glass for water. Secure, basement storage room for our bikes. After lunch we left
for Dromersheim (about 7 km) to find information about Vern's ancestors. Cool and cloudy but at least it didn’t rain.
There was a funeral in progress at the Dromersheim church when we arrived so we wandered around the church yard looking for Neis headstones
but didn’t find any so we left the church yard to make inquiries. The town seemed deserted except for one lady we saw leaving a building for her car.
I intercepted her and asked for directions to the town office and Vern showed her his German correspondence from the town clerk. She took us to the home of
the Berthold Dobroschke family across the street from the church.
Mr. and Mrs. Dobroschke could not speak English but they invited us in and introduced us to their son (19?) and his girlfriend Nadine who acted as
interpreter. We were served cold drinks and made to feel very welcome. Berthold produced his family history and showed us a wooden tile with the name Simon
Neis carved on it–Simon Neis built the house they are living in and the tile was originally on the outside of the building.
Berthold Dobroschke: Rheinhessenstrasse 50A, 5541 Bingen, Germany and the girlfriend was Nadine Grotjahn: Berlinstrasse 6, 5541 Bingen, Germany
They took us to the church when the funeral was over and we met the minister. Then we were taken up a hill to the manse where the minister's sister
invited us down to the basement where the church records are kept. They brought out the Baptismal record books from the 1800s and Vernon found the name
of Simon Neis who was recorded as having left for the U.S. in the birth records. The early church records are in Latin so the people helping us fetched a very old
lady who read Latin and was familiar with the records, but we were very tired and did not have too much time to pursue the search of the Latin records.
We did not find any living NEIS relatives in Dromersheim.
We bicycled back to Bingen in the wind and rain. It was a very cool day. As we were riding along the streets in Bingen,
I tried to ride up the curb onto the sidewalk and fell into a display of potted bedding plants “on sale” outside a store. Fortunately,
I didn't hurt myself or damage the potted plants.
We had supper in the hostel dining room–no buffet here. We were given a tray with our food in serving dishes and we helped ourselves to as much
as we wanted. The meal was chicken noodle soup with whole long wieners, spiral noodles and meat sauce, cabbage/lettuce salad, with a jug of fruit juice.
The group in next dining room were eating pizza so the boys asked for some pizza too. Vernon and I were not very hungry but the boys had a big appetite.
Saturday - June 13 - Bingen to Mainz - sun/clouds/rain/ but fairly warm.
Again no buffet in the morning, just a breakfast tray with crusty rolls, cold cuts, cheese, jam, coffee or milk–no cereal. We had paid for two nights
but we had already accomplished our mission of going to Dromersheim so Vernon asked if we could cancel our second night and get a refund.
The lady wasn’t pleased but she did give us a refund. We stopped at a bike shop on way out of town so Vernon could get new ball bearings and grease
for his bike and Nathan needed a battery for his speedometer. However, the bike shop didn’t have any ball bearings for Vernon’s bike.
We stopped at the Tourist Office and they tried to telephone Mainz hostel for us but there was no answer. We took a five minute ferry ride
to other side of the Rhine River to Rudesheim. At this town we paid for a cable car ride up the hill (40DEM plus 20DEM for a photo) to see
the Niederwald Monument. Vern got permission to leave our bikes in a restaurant courtyard while we took the cable car up to the monument
that commemorates the unification of Germany in the 1871.
The cable cars went uphill over the vineyards. At the top of the hill we laughed at the music from a mechanical organ grinder operated by an old man in a
tuxedo with a live monkey. On the return cable ride we saw two deer in the vineyard below. For lunch Vern and Matt had hamburgers and Nate a hot dog and I
ate buns from our pack. Apple juice to drink. Collected our bikes, went to the restaurant washroom and cycled a few km to Hattenheim where
we stopped for a drink. The waiter served us three small glasses of coke for 9DEM and told us about the local attractions: strawberry festival and the oldest
Cloister in Germany (Kloster Eberach in Rheingau) about 4 km away.
I was anxious to see the monastery so we asked directions and a lady said it was 3 km up a steep hill but then it flattened out. We stopped for a train.
It was a tough ride up the 13% grade hill and I had continuous trouble with my bike chain and Matthew came back to help me. He left his sun glasses by the road
side and had to go back a second time to find them. Getting to the Cloister was an ordeal–many tourist buses and private cars were in the parking lot
when we arrived.
Vernon bought me a tour ticket and went back to work on the bikes. The boys went on their own and followed a tour group until they were told to leave but
I never did link up with them which was very disappointing because there were so many things of interest to see.
The tour was great. We wandered through many large rooms with pillars and art exhibits, paintings, drawings and large statues. Cellar room full of
wine kegs and barrels for wine storage. Encountered a wedding reception in progress on the way to the wine press area. Bride in traditional white wedding
gown and groom in a black tux–a formal gathering.
The wine press workshop was the most spectacular part of the tour. The enormous room with arches and vaulted ceilings was built of concrete and stone.
The wine presses were massive and I didn’t want the boys to miss seeing them so I hurried back to the bikes but I couldn’t convince Vernon to
take the tour with the boys because he was concerned about not having a reservation for the hostel accommodation at Mainz and insisted that
we leave immediately.
Going back downhill was effortless and fast. We followed along the river and got lost and kept asking directions. We had to carry our bikes up a long
flight of stairs to cross the traffic bridge from Wiesbaden to Mainz. There was some kind of fair on in
Mainz along the river. We found a bridge over the railway tracks–stairs up one side and ramp that spiraled down to the other side.
Coming down the ramp Matthew's front tire went flat. He inflated it rather than fixing it because we were only 10-15 minutes from the hostel.
We arrived at the hostel and were able to register. The dining room was closed but they let us in because we had paid for a meal. We were very disappointed
when they served us a breakfast menu of rye bread and cold cuts, cheese and tomato pieces and big pot of tea. We are so tired of this kind of meal. We
haven’t had one good meal today. The clerk never asked us what we’d like to eat; just disappeared before we could ask about the menu. Had we
known what they were going to serve us we would have biked into town for a hot meal.
Our room was on the first floor–three bunks–no sink but washrooms just across the hall. I did hand laundry. We rode 50 km today and both
Vern and I agreed that the boys are really great to travel with. We are spending between 200-300DEM a day for all four of us.
Matt took the tires off his bike to repair them. We didn’t realize it at the time but later we figured out that Matthew probably got some thorns
embedded in his tires and these thorns were gradually working their way through the tires into the inside and eventually causing holes in the tubes. That
was our explanation as to why Matt had so many flat tires. In Denmark the same thing happened to Vern’s rear tire.
Sunday - June 14 - Mainz - more rain.
More crusty rolls for breakfast. Had two bowls of cereal, tea, crusty bun and jam. Started off on our bikes searching for a church service. The Police were
stopping cars from entering the street to our hostel and we asked where we could find a Sunday church service. Police directed us to Catholic church service
being held in the park next to the hostel so we went back and stayed for part of the service.
It was a special outdoor service to celebrate 150 years of Catholic faith. TV coverage and thousands of people were in attendance from near and far:
two choirs and two rock band provided the music. The celebration started with a procession of church and political dignitaries to the big stage carrying flags,
standards and a big cross. It started to rain during the service and someone offered us an umbrella but Nathan was feeling faint from standing still for so long
so we left for downtown to visit the cathedral.
A couple of skin head/winos were flanking the entrance to the cathedral so we took turns guarding the bikes and touring the cathedral. A beautiful 14th
century structure with massive gothic pillars, burial tombs, side room crypts, beautiful altar and huge font made of dark wood. Beautiful court yard.
We got to Pizza Hut early at 11:30 a.m. and window shopped till they opened at noon. FINALLY we got a meal we enjoyed. I had a salad, the fellas had pizza
and we all had garlic toast. We shared our table with a lady from Munich who was in a hurry to eat before catching a train home; she had come
for the Catholic celebration service. Fellas had ice-cream waffle cone for dessert. We stopped at a grocery store on our way back to the hostel for apple juice,
chips and more ice-cream.
Vern and I had a sleep and the boys played table tennis. The hostel insists we must buy the bats. We bought one and found one. Two young men from Ohio
asked to play table tennis with us–they were good. We were expecting a hot supper meal but no supper served on Sunday. We had paid for a meal so
they made us another cold tray and this time we complained. If we had known we were coming back to another cold meal we would have eaten our evening meal
downtown. Nathan asked for some juice and they gave us a bottle of orange juice, an apple each and yogurt cup each.
Two gals from Australia just checked in and wandered into the “CLOSED” dining room and we invited them to join us and share our crusty
buns, etc. as they were hungry. Barbara (40s) was from Tasmania and Debbie (20s) was from Melbourne. We had a long chat and they gave us the sports section
of their English newspaper. Vern is having difficulty getting sports information in English. This was our first layover day. We decided to make it an early
night because we have a busy day tomorrow.
Monday - June 15 - Mainz to Frankfurt by bike - Pack bikes - Fly to Copenhagen - sunny.
We had breakfast with the Aussie girls. We left the hostel about 8:15 a.m. and followed the Mainz River to the Frankfurt
airport. Matthew brushed against some weeds along the bike path and an instant painful rash resulted on his leg. We keep our First Aid Kit handy and
he treated his leg to control the itch and we kept going. We stopped on the foot bridge over the canal to see the ships/yachts/etc. go through the locks. We
arrived Frankfurt airport about 11:15 a.m. and dismantled our bikes for transport. (This took us about two hrs. We had no idea how long it
would take so we were MUCH too early arriving at the airport, but better early than late!). We used all our duct tape to tape the boxes
shut only to have the security guards at the check-in cut them open for inspection. We had no more tape so the guards were nice and retaped them.
We had lunch at McDonald’s; 50DEM for junk food but the boys like it. We went to the Duty Free Shop in a Supermarket where Matthew bought some
Harley Davidson deodorant and a bag of jellies that looked like they were covered with sand. Nathan almost got sick from eating the candies. After close
inspection we realized the candy was dirty! Nate returned the remainder for a new, clean, bag.
Vern bought a New York Times to read and I slept on a bench while we waited till 5:00 p.m. for our 1:35 hour Airbus A310 jet flight to
Copenhagen. The stewardesses served lots of drinks and sandwiches on the flight. We landed in Copenhagen and re-assembled
our bikes. We stored our bike boxes at the airport until July 22nd for 100 Danish kroner each ($1.00CDN = 4.54DKK). Fortunately, we were able to leave our
packing and duffel bags inside the boxes.
It was getting dark as we cycled towards the city so we asked a few people for directions and Vern (using his computer print-out maps) got us to
the Amager Danhostel by 9:30 p.m. (680DKK for all four of us). Great–but we are all tired. A message was waiting for us to
'phone Tina Ølholm. She invited us to visit her at Poul and Mamsell's home on Wednesday afternoon. We also ‘phoned Esben Byskov and
he invited us to 7:00 p.m. dinner tomorrow. Boys liked the Danhostel and immediately went to play basketball where they met some Grade eight Danish
boys (their school class was visiting Tivoli Gardens). We all had showers before bed.
Our room is in a new wing and has five beds (two bunks-beds and a single) and table and chairs. Modern washrooms with showers, hand basins, and small
rooms with a toilet and a small basin. Lights and water taps are all on automatic sensors. Air dryers for hands. The Amager Danhostel is new and
very nice. The young people at the registration desk speak several languages so we have no trouble communicating. There is a big TV lounge on second floor. City
buses are nearby.
Tuesday - June 16 - Copenhagen - rain – we got completely soaked.
Vern got us up at 7:00 a.m. We were still tired but we had a good sleep. Breakfast was in the huge dining room with lots of glass and high ceilings.
Excellent breakfast buffet and even an electric grill for warming buns; fresh oranges and two fruit juices, coffee, tea, etc. Lots of breads, crusty buns,
cheese, cold cuts, cereals, yogurt, jams, etc. We ate breakfast with a chap from Limerick, County Cork, Ireland. We were joined by Cindy and Ric from U.S.A.
and they introduced us to a Danish journalist who is writing a magazine article about tourists in Denmark. He wants us to keep in touch with him by 'phone as
we tour Denmark and if we think something is picturesque he will come by train and take photos of us at any location.
We rode our bikes downtown on the bike path. We can't ride our bikes on Fredericksberggade as it is a pedestrian only street, no cars or
bikes are allowed. It was raining quite a bit. Even though we just had breakfast at the hostel, the boys were already hungry again and enjoyed Belgian Waffles.
I bought fruit at a fruit stand for my lunch but the fellas had hamburgers at McDonald’s. The boy's appetites amaze me. It was pouring rain and we got
very wet.
We went to Rosenborg Palace to see the Danish national treasures and crown jewels. Spacious grounds and scenic moat around the castle
with the Danish Army on guard and on parade. The castle is three floors of treasures with the crown jewels in the basement under heavy security. Vernon
was surprised that the guards were allowing people to photograph the jewels. One beautifully inlaid table about 30" x 60" took 30 years to make.
The rain was even heavier when we left Rosenborg than it was before we entered.
There are many church steeples, attractions and parliament buildings downtown but the heavy rain made sightseeing too difficult. We got completely soaked
(including our shoes) riding back to the hostel. We telephoned Esben to cancel our dinner date because we didn’t want to take the bus in the rain and
risk soaking another pair of shoes and also we were all tired. However, Esben ‘phoned back and said his wife would pick us up at 6:30 p.m. but we would
have to take the bus-train home as they would be drinking red wine and there are very strict laws in Denmark re drinking/driving. I could hardly refuse so
reluctantly agreed to come. The boys would rather have stayed at the hostel. I did laundry till 6:30 p.m. and it took me two hours to do two loads of wash
because I was not familiar with how to operate the machines and had to get help from the desk clerk twice.
Anne Byskov picked us up in their Toyota. We enjoyed the long drive to their house on the other side of the city in the north part of
Copenhagen. Other supper guests were: daughter Lena and boyfriend Thomas and Cynthia and Bill from Albuquerque. Cynthia
looked familiar and we finally realized that we had met at a CANCAM conference years ago and we have mutual friends in Albuquerque: Marian and Buck Schreyer.
Amazing–who would think we would ever meet again and in Denmark!
We had a very enjoyable evening. Wine and pop served before dinner. First course was pickled herring on rye. We all ate it and I thought it was very good
but I was worried about Matthew and Nathan but they did us proud and ate it all up (they later told us they swallowed the herring with pop like taking a pill).
Second course was hamburger patties, new potatoes, a very nice tasting bernaise sauce, and a green salad.
Conversation was lively and Cynthia told us about her accidental 50 km marathon bike ride on Sunday. She had gone to the store on her bike and before
she knew it she was riding with the marathoners out into the country and back to Copenhagen. It was a lovely day and she had a great time. Cynthia and Bill
are here for three months. Bill is working with Esben at the University.
Vern wanted to leave immediately after the main course because he was worried about the bus trip home but Cynthia and Bill said they were going home by
bus too and would give us an escort so we stayed another hour until the next bus and enjoyed coffee and fresh fruit salad. We left with Cynthia, Bill, Lena
and Thomas to catch the 10:00 p.m. bus or was it 11:00 p.m.? From the bus we transferred to the train and said goodbye to Bill and Cynthia and carried on
with Lena and Thomas until they got off and we carried on alone to Valby Station where we had to connect to another bus
100S to Bella Center. A lady passenger escorted us to the bus stop. We had to wait in the damp cold evening but a bus finally
came and we got back to the hostel just before they locked the doors at midnight. (Bella Center is a large exhibition building for all kinds
of exhibits).
The evening was a huge success and the boys said they really enjoyed themselves and so did we. We spent most of the evening around the dining room
table eating and chatting. Esben and Anne have a very lovely bungalow and secluded backyard in a residential area in Lyngby.
Wednesday - June 17 - Still in Copenhagen - cool/cloudy/windy.
The morning sky was completely cloudy and overcast. Vern was up before 7:00 a.m. and I got up shortly after but we let boys sleep till 10:30 a.m. Vern
and I spent the morning drying all the wet shoes under the hand dry blowers in the washrooms. Took a long time but we got them dry. We worried all day about
the weather. Rode our bikes downtown. Vern and boys enjoyed all-you-can-eat pizza and salad bar for 39 kroner each and I had a vegetable quiche for 20 kroner
from Croissant Cafe.
We rode a long way out to the western suburbs of Copenhagen to visit Poul and Mamsell Ølholm and their daughter Tina at their
apartment. It seemed to be a very long way uphill and very windy but no rain. We arrived just after 1:00 p.m. and they were watching for us from their kitchen
window. Poul is a big stout man in his 70s and is retired. They greeted us warmly and Mamsell served a big meal starting with seafood quiche tarts, pickled
herring on rye and white bread, milk, pop, chicken, meatballs, potato salad, tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. Vern recorded more of my Danish family names. Poul does
not speak English so his daughter Tina was the interpreter and translator. Mamsell could understand English and speak a little.
After lunch we sat around their large coffee table and enjoyed many cups of coffee and many pieces of a delicious coffee cake that Tina had made. Poul
and Mamsell also have a married son and grandchildren. They have a summer house. Tina thinks she might come to Canada next summer to visit us and go canoeing.
Tina is a geriatric nurse. We had a long visit and left about 4:30 p.m.
It was still windy but much easier riding back. We bought a bag of oranges. We wanted to go to the Carlsberg Museum but
it was closed. We stopped at a bike store to get nuts and bolts for a repair. Returned to hostel at 7:00 p.m. and we were happy to get through the day without
rain–really amazing in view of the overcast skies. Matt was having a lot of flat tires so he took his bike to our room and he and Vernon repaired tires.
Matthew put his bike back together. He wanted to leave it till morning but Vernon wouldn't let him.
The boys bought their supper at the hostel concession as the dining room was closed when we got back. I just had an orange–not very hungry.
Thursday - June 18 - Copenhagen to Helsingør - sunny day - terrific weather.
Vernon was up 6:15 a.m. We were all eating breakfast shortly after 7:00 a.m. We filled three water bottles with juice at breakfast, ate lots of toast,
cereal, watermelon, orange wedges and coffee. Made a sandwich to go.
Copenhagen was completely overcast but the wind was reasonable. We packed our panniers and rode downtown to the waterfront. We saw the
famous Gefion Fountain. According to the legend the Nordic goddess of fertility, Gefion, was promised as much land by the Swedish King Gylfe
as she was able to plough in 24 hours. Gefion then turned her four sons into oxen and ploughed Zealand out of Sweden. A footbridge crossed over a pond of water
with lilies before we came to the Langelinje dock at the entrance to Copenhagen and the very beautiful Little Mermaid. Water
everywhere, beautiful flowers and greenery.
We stopped at a bike store in Hellerup and Vernon got his gears fixed. We bought a strawberry custard tart for 50 kroner to share and Matthew
got an apple strudel as well for 9 kroner. We sat on a street bench to eat. There were a few rain sprinkles but we kept riding.
We took No. 9 Bike Path which followed the ocean shore and then turned off through a beautiful copse of trees (mostly downhill). Lots of thatched-roof
cottages along the way. We stopped at a Seven-Eleven type store and bought Nate some film. Took snaps of the sign outside of Tuborg Brewery.
We saw the huge stone statue of the Danish explorer Rasmussen, looking out to sea. We hoisted Nathan atop the statue for a picture.
This is a very scenic route with many impressive homes including the U.S. and other embassies. There are beautiful houses and buildings flanking the road
and cycle path for 60-70 km all the way from Copenhagen to Helsingør. We stopped at a church graveyard with rows of
small square grave plots each beautifully landscaped. We saw the police pull a car over for speeding? and further on there were a half dozen motorcycle police
escorting a car procession. Police made traffic pull over and stop. We never did discover what was happening.
At Nivågård we visited the very beautiful house and property where Karen Blixin lived that is now a museum
dedicated to her memory. Unfortunately we didn't have time to explore the grounds nor walk through the woods to her grave site.
Our next stop was at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Sculpture in Humlebæk. Only Matthew and I were
interested in the tour so Vernon and Nate elected to work on Nate's and my bike gears. We saw an interesting short film projected onto a corner
screen–erotic pictures of people in underwater and coral reef environment. Music and song, "Didn't Want to Fall in Love With You." A very
novel production.
The museum was in a most interesting building with a new modern section that leads to the ocean front. Lots of sculptures indoors and out. Some very
large canvasses, and exhibits included perpetual motion machine, huge table 20' x 15' covered with pale green plastic things that looked like fake hand
grenades and an igloo made of white bleached cotton bags tied in the middle with a string–a bathroom wall and man sitting in front of a bell that
hit his head. Man had steel head and bell activated by someone pressing a button. Ancient stone carvings (small) like garden size. Matthew doesn't like
modern art. String quartet playing for some kind of reception in beautiful restaurant overlooking waterfront. Fabulous old trees on the property and sculptures
on the lawns outside.
On our ride through Helsingør and about 2 km from the Helsingør Vandrerhjem (hostel) Nathan rode smack
into the stone wall of a building and fell off his bike. I thought for sure he was seriously injured. He quickly jumped up from the ground screaming with pain
and jumping like Stompin’ Tom Connors until he got himself under control. A big gob of skin hung down from his ear lobe and his ear was bleeding, but he
hadn’t broken any bones. What a relief! We got out the first aid kit and cleaned the wound with an alcohol wipe.
We continued on to the hostel. They couldn't find our reservation form and said we could only stay one night. Vern showed them our booking for two nights
and so they gave us a nice A-frame cottage for two nights. It had a high ceiling, three bunks plus three trundle beds, lots of closet space, table and five
chairs and our own large bath room. The shower is just a curtained corner of the bathroom with a floor drain (just like India–no shower stall or lip
around the drain to contain water).
When we inquired about supper the hostel staff suggested we eat on the ferry that goes across to Sweden so that's what we did. We rode our bikes into town
and enjoyed a terrific supper on the Scandlines Swedish ferry called Aurora of Helsingborg (meals with tip = 400DKK). The warm evening
sun streamed into the dining room making us feel warm and content. Vern and I had a beef fillet and boys had fish and chips. Matthew was still hungry so he ordered
a second meal of meatballs. Only Nate had dessert: ice-cream with chocolate sauce.
After the meal we went shopping in the Duty Free Store. They had very limited merchandise; mostly drinks, candies and souvenirs. We bought some candy and
12 tins of coke. Back home about 9:45 p.m. and the boys played table tennis. Vern had a shower and I did some laundry. The boys had cokes and Nate ate three
oranges.
We rode 66 km today. It was a wonderful day–great bike path all the way with great views and warm sun for last hour of the trip–I even
took my jacket off. It is very breezy when we ride and to keep warm I have been wearing bike pants plus slacks, long sleeve fleecy top and bike jacket,
gloves with fingers inside my bike gloves, a bandana around my neck plus a rain cap and kerchief under my helmet. The fellas don't dress as warm as I do.
Friday - June 19 - Helsingør - Kronborg Castle.
Vern and I had breakfast at 7:30 but the boys slept another hour. At breakfast we met 69 yr. old Peter from Vancouver (born in Denmark) on his third biking tour
of Denmark–he’s visiting his brother. He showed us his bike trips on the map and pictures of himself in his sea kayak in Vancouver. Peter goes
to the beach in Vancouver where Gerard lifeguards and he says he has talked with Gerard.
I ate a large breakfast. Vern tried to fix my bike and discovered about ten broken spokes. They were probably broken on the ride up the hill in Germany!
The bike chain was not properly positioned during that ride. We rode to Kronborg Castle (built 1735) and just
before we got there Vernon and Matthew took my bike between them to the cycle shop for repairs and I walked the rest of the way on foot. We spent the
day touring Kronborg Castle, the Marine Museum in the castle, the castle chapel (very large like a regular church), the dungeons and the royal
apartments. We had a very enjoyable lunch in the castle restaurant at 1:00 p.m. Fellas had a big meal and I had coffee and cake. Heavy rain for about two hours
while we were touring Kronborg but warm and sunny after we left the castle.
After Kronborg we went downtown to a Quickly Supermarket and Nathan and I struggled to agree on what groceries to buy
for supper. Nathan wanted tortillas to make a Mexican supper. Matthew and I went to the bakery for pastries. Checked out the rain gear and a good jacket
costs 300-400 kroner so we will gamble we can get by with what we have. Bike repairs to my bike cost 463DKK–63 for parts and 400 labour. Rode back
to the hostel. I put our washing on the machine and Nathan helped me make supper.
Four families of Swedes (17 in all) were here to celebrate summer solstice–longest day of the year. They were also cooking in the kitchen and they
gave me a drink of Gamel Dansk, “WOW!" I was glad I insisted on a small glass. Vern declined their offer of a cocktail–they had lots of
booze. They ate at picnic tables on the front lawn overlooking the ocean. It was cold but they had their booze to keep them warm. We ate in the kitchen to
keep warm.
Nathan did a terrific job of cooking the hamburger and spicing it with a chili mix and he also helped me make nacho potatoes. I was sorry I gave him a
hard time because it turned out to be a very good meal and he knew how to cook it and I didn't. We also had milk, lettuce and cheese and Danish baking for dessert.
Vern did dishes. We all helped clean the kitchen and the boys helped fold the laundry.
Saturday - June 20 - Helsingør to Tisvildeleje - sunny/warm/not much wind.
Again we had breakfast with Peter. We filled two water bottles with juice and took apples, chocolate wafers, bread, crackers and cheese for lunch. The bicycle
path followed along the ocean shore and we could see ships out in the ocean. We were amazed to see a long way out to sea a four-masted, squared-rigged, sailing
ship in full sail. We got a good view of it through the telephoto camera lens–a truly beautiful sight that reminded me of pirates and buccaneers.
Matthew wanted to go to an art museum in Rusland (Russia) that was not on our itinerary. Our maps indicated a back country path to the museum
so we took a detour through the Danish countryside and pastures where cows were lazily grazing. We came to a long narrow flight of concrete steps and carried our
bikes down and after a straight dirt stretch through thick trees and shrubs we went around a sharp turn and immediately there was a narrow wooden bridge over a
stream–Vernon was behind the rest of us trying to catch up and he nearly went into the stream.
As we approached the Tegner Gallery across the open fields we saw an amazing sight on the distant hilltop. There were life-size and larger
sculptures and one that I will always remember was one of a naked man with one outstretched arm and hand holding over his head an arched second nude male body.
At the museum we were told that the statute represents the struggle between two men over a woman and the victor is holding up his conquered rival. Tegner is
probably better known internationally than he is in Denmark. (Rudolph Tegner 1873-1950.)
The Rudolph Tegner Art Museum was built in the late 1930s and today was exactly the 60th birthdate of its opening. Tegner financed and
built the gallery with his own money for his personal creations. A new addition was being dedicated today at 3:00 p.m. and the curator let us into the roped
off area so that we could view the art works on display there. He also gave us a typed biography of Tegner.
Tegner was from a wealthy family and bought 2000 hectares of land for the gallery. He created an outdoor field of sculptures on a piece of high ground
and you can see the sculptures from a long way off. They look so graceful and airy from a distance. The building is like a huge square bunker built of concrete
and glass–the glass skylights let in natural daylight.
Tegner's figures are bigger than life and overwhelming. He made statues of many mythological figures, gods, goddesses, Shakespeare, animals, groups of
figures. Some marble busts of family and actresses, etc.; some graceful, some ghost like and such a variety. Many models of cast statues and competition entries
and commissioned pieces. Very impressive works in a building that is in a quiet country setting in rolling hills, pasture and bush.
We had lunch about 1:15 p.m. in the fishing village of Gilleleje. We bought milk, bananas and strawberries and went to the seaside to eat.
We sat in the shelter of a sand dune covered with wild rose bushes in full bloom. Roses of all kinds flanked our journey today. Everywhere we go there are
beautiful roses in bloom just growing wild. The boys stopped for ice-cream close to Smidstrup.
We arrived at our TisvildelejeSankt Helene Holiday Centre hostel 3:30 p.m. Big place with dining hall tables set for
banquet and other functions. We had a large room with four bunks, table, chairs, etc. We shared a bathroom with one other unit. The hostel provided a beautiful
guest kitchen for our wing. The entire hostel is like a motel complex. Lots of recreation activities available including chess, miniature golf, table tennis,
riding horses. Lots of families vacationing here.
We rode a couple of km into town to get groceries for supper: two tins beans, two pizzas, frozen rice-veggies, milk, orange juice, bread, pastries.
Newspaper–The Europena cost $5.00 Canadian. The kitchen looked great but no microwave and hardly any equipment; just one fry pan and one big pot.
Our hamburger left over from last night was still frozen so we reheated it in a fry pan and cooked rice/veggies in pot and put it together in fry pan. Everyone
really liked it. Baked two pizzas and had rest of iceberg lettuce from last night and salad dressing package from McDonald’s plus litre of milk and
orange juice and loaf of bread. Didn’t need beans. We were all tired. Boys fell asleep before supper but back playing table tennis afterwards. We watched
World Cup Soccer on TV in the common room.
Sunday - June 21 - Tisvildelejeto Annebjerg Hostel in Nykøbing - perfect weather today. Not a cloud in the sky and not
windy. Sun tan lotion needed today.
Big breakfast and each of us made a lunch and filled two juice bottles. Heard church bells ringing as we rode along about 4 km from hostel out into the
countryside; mostly downhill and really making good time–terrific day for riding. We started out on the inland road going around the large hill
(Tisvilde Hegn) in order that we could stop at a geological museum. It was a private collection and free. They sold expensive handcrafted
quality jewelry, geo art and universal rock samples including petrified tree stumps from Petrified Forest, Arizona. Lots of amber and a fluorescent room.
After we left the museum we realized that, with some effort, we might arrive at the Hundested ferry one hour sooner than we expected. The
boys led the way and they got on the ferry first followed by Vernon and me in the rear still blasting my way down the hill. I could see the man lifting the gate to
launch the ferry and I was yelling, “Wait! Wait!” and Vernon was on the ferry yelling, “Let my wife on!” The crew were nice and
dropped the steel cable so that I could get on. There was a motorcycle party of four bikes on the small ferry from Hundested
to Rørvig. It was a 15-20 minute crossing.
From the ferry we could see an ice-cream store and a nice beach in Rørvig so we spent some time there. First we went to the beach
and ate the lunch we brought from breakfast. There was a young family on the beach next to us: a little boy and girl both naked, their father and topless mother.
All but Nathan waded in the water to cool our feet. We stopped at the concession to have an ice-cream and sat at a picnic table under the roofed patio. It is
hot for a change and we appreciated the patio shade. There was a kind of checker game on the tables for customers to play which the boys enjoyed.
We had only about 10 km to our hostel in Nykøbing. We got lost in Nykøbing looking for the hostel because
it was about 5 km south of the town at a place called Annebjerg. I was trying to navigate between uneven sidewalk paving stones and dodge a
hedge and lost my balance and as I started to fall I failed to get my foot out of the stirrup and went for a tumble over the curb. I got a nasty gash on my
shin bone which bled a lot. A lady asked if I needed help, but I said, “No” and kept going as the fellas were ahead and out of sight. I finally
caught up to Vernon and he checked my bike and it was O.K.
We arrived at the hostel about 3:00 p.m. but there was absolutely no one around and it didn’t open until 4:00 p.m. Vern doctored my injury and then
he went exploring. In the meantime a girl came and opened the hostel about 3:30 p.m. but said we couldn’t have a room key until we paid but she let me
register. Then she changed her mind and gave me the room key.
Vernon returned, breathless, saying we had to come right away to a nearby fabulous restaurant because the afternoon smorgasbord was ending at 4:00 p.m.
and the prices for evening meals were much higher. We had passed the huge red brick restaurant on our way to the hostel but we thought it was a church. It
also houses the best Glass Museum in Europe. We got to the restaurant just in time for their smorgasbord special which we ate at an outdoor table on the
patio overlooking the lawn that rolled downwards towards the sea. The setting was so beautiful and the weather just perfect for a change. The wide lawn was
dotted with statues as well as a large flag pole built like the mast of a sailing ship with a huge Danish flag that the wind had snarled in the rigging.
A waiter tried unsuccessfully to free the flag but he had difficulty and didn’t know what to do. Vernon went down and unsnaged the flag for which
he received a round of applause from the other diners. They commented that it took a Canadian to fix the Danish flag.
The smorgasbord had actually been cleared when we arrived but because it was not yet 4:00 p.m. they served us a great meal on platters: hot slices of
roast beef, ham, pork and delicious smoked salmon and hard boiled eggs. There was a huge tray of Danish Blue Cheese and another hard cheese and fresh dark
blue long skinny radishes, grapes and chicken salad. Also there were three bowls of pickled herring each with a different dressing (we only ate 1/2 of 1 bowl)
and a basket of dark rye and light rye bread with butter and a pitcher of water. It was a very good meal but more than we could eat; especially the herring!
There was a message to telephone Carsten (my cousin) in Malling when we got back to the hostel. First we had a bath (first time we have
had a tub and it was a very big tub), dressed my leg injury again, did the laundry by hand in the tub, and hung clothes on hangers out the windows. The boys
tried to phone both their parents but Valerie wasn’t home. The boys went to town after supper to get groceries for breakfast and spent the change on candy.
There are no meals served at this hostel but there is a nice guest kitchen for our use.
We telephoned Malling and Carsten wants to meet us tomorrow and go to Kolind to see grandmother Seiersen’s grave.
We heard thunder after we went to bed so Vernon and I had to rush outside in the dark to move all our bikes under shelter. We had to unlock them in the dark and we
were lucky to choose the correct keys. It started raining quite hard before we finished.
Monday - June 22 - Nykøbing to Rønde to Kolind to Malling - rainy.
Vern got us up at 6:30 a.m. It was overcast and rainy. Breakfast was cornflakes, toast and butter, milk and coffee and orange juice. While eating breakfast
in the kitchen we heard the hall telephone ring twice: Val and Gerard both telephoned and they had a talk with the boys.
We had a long bike ride to the ferry terminal going to Jutland. The road was on an arm of land with very beautiful countryside known
as the garden of Denmark–fields of peas and other crops and views of the ocean on both sides.
We stopped in a town (Højby?) to buy apples and Danish pastry which we ate sitting on a bench overlooking a pond for ducks and
geese. There was a ittle house on a pole in the pond for the ducks. Encountered some steep hills enroute to the ferry. Vernon and I became exhausted and
couldn’t make it to the top of some hills and ended up pushing our bikes to the top. Heavy rain the last few km and my glasses got very wet and Vernon got
a bad headache.
There were two ferries in dock when we arrived at Odden Færgehavn: the more expensive hydrofoil crossed
to Jutland in only 45 minutes while the second was a bigger-slower ferry. It was cheaper and had the advantage of a good restaurant so
we took it. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the crossing. The ferry was crammed with noisy school kids who fortunately didn’t come into the
restaurant except a few naughty ones who thought it was great fun to run in one door and out the other. In one case the running kids sent the waiter and his
tray flying but he kept his cool.
We had a great view from our corner window table and the meal was fantastic–we ate and ate all the way over. We had two pots of coffee, bacon,
sausages, eggs, Danish pancakes, breads, pastries, fresh fruit, juices, milk, yogurt, cheeses, cold meats, etc. Best buffet meal we have had. The ferry
cost 375 kroner and the meal was 250 kroner. The waiter only charged us for three adults because Matthew and Nathan were 13 and 15 and got children’s
rates so Vernon gave the waiter a 50 kroner tip.
There was a light rain falling when the ferry docked at Ebeltoft Færgehavn. The bike path was along the ocean and then into
hilly country. We biked through Ebeltoft and eventually stopped just outside Rønde to rest and snack and Vernon
went to the bathroom. (Remember that Vern had radical prostate surgery just some 9 weeks ago!) We waited under cover for a rain shower to pass. The bike
path went inland with one more big hill to climb before we got
to Rønde. Vernon was having gear problems. Nate fell early in the day when his tire hit the curb but no damage was done.
We arrived at the Service Station in Rønde where Carsten had told us to meet him and waited 5-10 minutes for
the Ølholm’s to arrive. Carsten was driving his company van and Aasa was driving a nice four-door, new car. Carsten and Aasa gave us a
warm welcome and we felt at ease with them right away. Vernon and the bikes went in the van with Carsten and the rest of us went with Aasa. They took us
north toward Kolind and about half way to Kolind we came to “Oldmosëgard”,
Grandmother Ølholm’s first farm. It is now owned by a very rich man who owns much of Kolind. The original Oldmosëguard
house burned down and was rebuilt on the same site in 1913 and the farm manager and his family live there now. The land owner, a widower at 52 (wife died of
cancer), has built himself a large white “castle” type of home about 200 m away.
We walked to the field where some men were working at cutting big trees into small logs. The owner was absent so we didn’t get to see inside any
of the buildings. Grandmother sold the property after she was widowed as it was too much for her to keep up and she moved to another farm.
Next we drove to Ebdrup church (built 1786) to see the grave of my Ølholm grandparents and three of their nine children. The
grave plot is very well kept and has three headstones:
1. Chresten Ølholm 1858-1907 (died of cancer) and Karoline Jensen Ølholm 1864-1948 and Søren Ølholm 1893-1972
2. Frederik Ølholm – b: August 18, 1897 d: June 24, 1924
3. Marie Ølholm – b: August 9, 1895 d: July 1, 1979
Marie never married but had a son Poul. Poul has two children, Tina and Søren, and Søren also has two children. We met Poul and his
wife Mamsell and Tina when we were in Copenhagen.
The church was open and we went inside. Aasa told us the cost of the light fixture in the church vestibule–it was very expensive as it was by a
famous Danish lamp designer. Aasa played the organ in the balcony at the back of the church. There was a music concert scheduled for the evening in this
small beautiful church that my ancestors belonged to but unfortunately we will not be able to attend as it is a long drive back to Malling.
My mother was christened in Ebdrup Church. Nathan wanted to pull the church bell rope and ring the church bell, but we wouldn’t
let him. A few minutes later the church warden came and rang the bell.
Aasa had brought hot and cold drinks and Danish pastries which we ate in the church yard. The hot coffee was welcome on this cold day. We went to the
warden’s house to talk about the upkeep of the grave. The annual payment is one year overdue. The warden’s wife remembered my mother when she
visited in the 1960s because she gave a 100 kroner donation to the church.
We left Ebdrup and drove to my grandmother Ølholm’s second farm which is now a business property. They manufacture
something and the manager lives in the old farm house which has been modernized. There is a sunroom addition on the front and a large front deck overlooking
the front lawn where my mother played as a child. We talked to one of the employees. Again the manager was away so we were not able to go into the house.
On the drive back to Malling (south of Århus) Aasa pointed out the large coal-fired electric generating plant that
supplies heat to all the houses of Århus. She also pointed out the Queen’s summer residence in Århus and
a field where they are holding an international conference this week.
Carsten and Aasa have an electrical business with an attached store where they sell lighting fixtures, electric razors, appliances, etc. They have three
sons: Peter is married and has a family, Jon (Jorgen) is 27 and works for them in the electrical business, and the youngest Søren is 16 and has just
returned from a canoe trip in Sweden with his school mates.
We have Søren’s room in the basement. Vernon and I had a double bed and the boys slept on floor mats. We were very warm and comfortable
and enjoyed a shower after unpacking. We had a terrific supper: roast pork, gravy, new potatoes, sugared potatoes, red cabbage, Danish pickles and two wines
and pop to drink. Dessert was strawberry cake made like Danish apple cake. Terrific meal. Jon’s beautiful girlfriend Jesse helped prepare the meal.
We sat around the table talking about the family and Vernon got more information for my family tree. Carsten explained grandfather’s invention to
drain the swamp land on the first farm. Aasa took the boys and me and the dog, Charlie, for a drive to the beach and around Malling. Charlie
is a Terrier and the happiest dog in Denmark. He makes us all feel good. Aasa held his back legs and walked him on his front paws at the beach and it was really
funny. Charlie likes to stick his head out the car window when driving up to 80 km an hour, I think Aasa said. He looks so funny with the wind blowing his ears
and hair back.
When we returned, Jesse had the kitchen cleaned up and Vernon and Søren were setting-up our canoe video in Søren’s room because
it would only work on his TV. We showed movies of our canoe trips, etc. until midnight and had to stop as we were all tired and needed sleep. Aasa made Vernon
a hot lemon and honey for his sore throat. Aasa did a load of wash for us. The washing machine is conveniently located in the downstairs bathroom and drains
into the toilet.
Tuesday - June 23 - Malling to Århus - mixed cloud, sunny and warm.
Aasa and Carsten were up early. We had a very good sleep and didn’t get up till 10 a.m. Aasa prepared a scrumptious breakfast and a new eating
experience–rye bread crumbled in yogurt and topped with Danish black currant jam–delicious. Søren and Jon were at breakfast too. The
kitchen ‘phone kept ringing with business matters. Aasa and Carsten have a very busy day with the business, which they say is normal for them. Aasa
had to leave for awhile. She went on a buying spree for the business and bought inventory from another firm going out of business. I think she said she spent
21,000 kroner. The van was full of light fixtures, etc. Vernon bought a new electric razor from Aasa for 400DKK.
Just before we left for Århus at noon Aasa gave each of the boys 100DKK (very nice of her but Vernon didn’t think she should
have done that!) We had to ask directions to the bike path. Bikes are banned from the main highways. More hills as we got close to
Århus.
We visited the grounds of the Queen’s Palace before we went to Århus. The gate was closed (but not locked) so we opened
the gate and went in. Vernon was reticent about touring the grounds so he stayed near the gate. The rest of us had a nice tour of the gardens but during
our walk-around Vern got kicked out of the grounds and had to wait for us outside the gate.
We couldn’t get into a regular Youth Hostel in Århus so we were booked into the Århus Sleep-In
Place right downtown. Vern and I were in Room 103 and the boys were on the third floor in their own room. Our room faced the street and we were bothered
by the constant heavy traffic noise.
We went riding to find a bike repair shop and found a great place where a young good looking, competent, guy adjusted the gear changers on all our bikes
and didn’t want payment but Vernon insisted on paying him 50DKK. We bought a strawberry cake and milk and ate it in the bakery and Matthew also ordered
toasted cheese pastry.
We located the Botanical Gardens where there is a free public concert this evening to celebrate the summer solstice, also the church and railroad station
and the Tourist Information where we got a map of Århus. We had supper at Pizza Hut again. Back to hostel for a rest and the boys
played basketball. Matthew’s eyes are burning and itching from riding in the wind.
Later in the evening we went back to the Botanical Gardens for the concert and sat in an outdoor grass amphitheatre. Great crowd and great entertainment
acts featuring performing seals but all the songs and speeches were in Danish. We are too tired to stay for the bonfire. Lots of young people and families
and kids running everywhere. People still coming to the concert as we left. Stopped at McDonald’s in downtown Århus for
ice-cream on the way back to the hostel. I watched the bikes while fellows got the ice-cream. Mostly young people in the streets–one young couple
slipped into a doorway and braced themselves against the wall. I was glad Matthew and Nathan were in McDonald’s getting ice cream.
Wednesday - June 24 - Århus to Silkeborg by train. Great weather today.
Two weeks gone and four more to go. I slept well in spite of the traffic noise but Vernon didn’t and he still has a sore throat. No shower curtain
and the water comes out in a solid stream like a hose and wets the entire bathroom floor. This hostel is really old and grungy. The rugs are dirty and the walls
are painted orange–not exactly a relaxing decor. No wonder Vernon didn’t sleep well. This is the worst place we have stayed in, although
it’s not that bad.
Vern got us up early for breakfast. Vernon not feeling well so we took the 9:47 a.m. train to Silkeborg and enjoyed the scenery from
the comfort of the train. The country side is hilly with many lakes so it would have been a tiring bicycle ride.
The Silkeborg hostel has a beautiful location on a small canal, or river, joining the lakes and you can canoe, row and take a paddle
wheeler on the canal. Very nice reception area and homey atmosphere. The dining room is beautiful and everything is spotless. We were able to check right
in. We are in room 18 on the second floor overlooking the river. Private bath. Terrific. We all regret not booking for another day as we would like to stay
longer.
There are two Labrador dogs at the hostel: mother and young pup. The pup always has a tennis ball in his mouth and drops it for the guests to throw so
he can fetch it. Great fun to watch the dog chase the ball and I played with him until I got tired and faked throwing the ball to discourage him. The dog
especially liked it when the ball was thrown into the canal.
The boys went for groceries and I did the laundry. Only one machine but price is reasonable: 60 kroner to wash and 10 kroner to dry and there is also
an outside clothes line. Since it is such a hot day I dried the clothes on the line. Lunch was two tins of beans, fresh fruit and milk. Boys cleaned their
bike chains and it took a long time. Vernon worked on our bikes and cleaned the chains–worked on picnic tables outside guest kitchen. He got in
trouble for doing that!
Went to Silkeborg Museum to see the 2400 year old mummified body of the Tollund ice man and iron age life style.
Matthew and Nathan tried on a mail shirt made from 35,000 iron rings and weighing 10 kilos. Museum sold hand made clogs, cutlery, etc. made from cow horns,
pottery, glass wear, jewelry, etc. Very tempting to buy something here but we don’t want to add to our luggage.
Bought groceries for supper. Nate wants to make tacos again. Good. Also ice-cream and iced tea crystals. Vernon got some medicine at a drug store but it
makes him sleepy. Boys watched the World Cup during and after supper cheering loudly for Denmark. Cooked supper while boys played table tennis. Vernon not
very hungry so tacos left over.
I went for a walk through the downtown area after supper. There was a big tent and music in the town square and young adults with Danish flags painted on
their faces. They were sitting on a park bench drinking canned beer. Church at one end of the square: street closed to cars–pedestrian traffic
only–this is the norm in Danish towns/cities. Very nice antique shops, clothes, shoes, furniture, etc. Vernon really tired and getting sniffles.
Made him a hot drink. Ice-cream and strawberries before going to bed.
Thursday - June 25 - Silkeborg to Viborg - warm/sunny/overcast in morning and light rain during last hour of ride but cleared when
we arrived in Viborg.
We slept in till 8:00 a.m. Excellent breakfast in Silkeborg–just as good as a five star hotel. Girl “Annie” in
charge of buffet–terrific variety and presentation; delicious nuts roasted in honey for the cereal, fresh fruit salad, many selections; very small
pancakes, lots of soft and hard cheeses, meats, fresh vegetables, breads, buns, sugars and on and on. Small lit candles on each table. Dining room overlooks
the river and glass doors leading out to the patio with option of eating on patio. Nathan and I made lunch snack to go. Thanked Annie and the desk clerk.
Desk clerk told us the best scenic bike route to Viborg.
On the way out of town we stopped to visit the aquarium because we wanted to see the sea otters, seals, fish and beaver. The seals were presently with
young and we saw them on a TV screen as well as in the tank. There was a display of beavers from days gone by–wild beavers are extinct in Europe now.
They don’t want to reintroduce them because they are a menace in that they cut down trees and dam waterways. Some distance from the aquarium I
discovered I had left my biking gloves behind when I went to the washroom.
Stopped in a small town and bought milk and Danish pastries and ate lunch on street bench. Stopped once earlier for refreshments. Store had lots of
liquor and Gamel Dansk: 35 kroner for two small sample bottles and 76 kroner for a one litre bottle.
After lunch we took pictures of a hog operation on fringe of a small town (Thorning we think). New brick pig barns, and another under
construction. We were attracted by the huge round tank covered with a tent like top that we had spotted from the road. We discovered the tank was used for
converting pig manure into gas. There was absolutely no odor from this hog operation. Just as we were leaving, Matthew discovered he had a flat tire and from
then on had to stop every few km and pump the tire up. We biked extra distance because we lost our way several times. We didn’t ride into
Viborg but instead we rode around the south end of the lake where our maps indicated a short cut route to the hostel. We arrived at the
hostel about 2:45 p.m.
Viborg Danhostel is another good hostel. An e-mail from Rosalind was waiting for us. It was really nice to hear from home. Room was very
nice with carpeted floor and private bathroom. It seems that every bath in Denmark has fixtures different from the last one. Every morning we make the beds
and clean the room. There is an extra charge if you don’t do your own housekeeping. They provide a cart with cleaning supplies and equipment.
Matthew fixed his tire while the rest of us had a nap. Vern insisted we go to the Viborg bike shop and buy a new pair of bike gloves to
replace the ones I lost. I got a pair of black Adidas with yellow wrist band for 149DKK. They are very well padded and I love them. Rode to
Viborg Cathedral that stands on high ground in the centre of the city but the cathedral was closed. We will go back tomorrow.
Viborg is very appealing and the road into the town center is flanked with Danish flags. We rode past a small lake and golf course.
The Cathedral is in a square with other old buildings and statues and one new building.
Before going back to the hostel we bought groceries for our supper. The hostel has a modern bright kitchen with lots of dishes but few cooking pots.
There is a separate dining area and also a patio dining area. The stoves in the guest kitchens of the various hostels are all different but I am able to
operate the appliances by trial and error. We managed to make a supper meal of pizza, diced potatoes and ham, salad, raw carrots, cucumber and two litres
of milk and strawberries and ice-cream for dessert. Fresh strawberries are in season and we buy some every day.
Vernon paid 10 kroner to send some e-mail. Vernon is very tired and has a mild cold. His knees ache badly. My right knee aches a little. The boys are
doing great. However, come night time, they are just as tired as we are. They always play table tennis and or basketball and sometimes soccer until bedtime,
depending on what is available.
Friday - June 26 - Viborg to Hobro - morning overcast but then sunny and warm.
There was morning e-mail for us at the desk from Bill and Bess Parsons. Beautiful large dining room upstairs with windows on two walls. Table clothes
and blue Danish dishes but without the seagull pattern or gold trim. Good breakfast and we made a snack to go. They had an electric grill and Vernon had
four pieces of toast and honey for his sore throat–not very often there is a toaster.
Vernon still not feeling well and he is taking pills he got from the apotek in Silkeborg. There was a light rain during the night and
the skies were cloudy when we woke. We got lost a few times in the residential area of Viborg as we were trying to find the bike
route out of town.
We stopped in the small town of Vammen and had our lunch on picnic tables next to the Kirke which was built in 1100-1200 AD of beautiful
red block. The graveyard was very neat and attractive and each plot was enclosed in a low hedge with the ground covered with white gravel. The walks were
made of raked white gravel. We filled our water bottles from the church hose. Only the Kirke vestibule open.
Traveled through some beautiful countryside today mostly on paved bike paths with short stretches of sand and gravel which made riding more difficult.
Vernon has a stomach ache–hope his stitches are holding. His health worries me.
Arrived at Hobro about 2:15 p.m. Large waiting area with blue metal loveseats with blue cushions. Very modern–chairs and tables
blue metal frames. Yellow curtains with abstract pattern in other colors. Nice game room and we played table tennis for 45 minutes while we waited for the
registration desk to open. Big recreation center and pool next door but there was no water in the pool as it is closed for the summer months. We were
disappointed as we were looking forward to a swim. It is too cold to swim in the nearby lake. Spacious grounds with picnic tables and swings.
We settled in and then rode a few km to see the Fyrkat Viking Fort built 980 AD. Today it is just a large oval field
enclosed with an earth rampart. The Vikings lived inside the rampart for protection. There are presently goats grazing in the field. Matthew got another flat
tire just as we were leaving. I think this is his flat tire number five.
We stopped at a small Viking settlement on the way back to town. At the entrance house we were given a small tumbler of mead made from honey–a kind
of wine that tastes wonderful. Boys really liked it. Vernon bought me a necklace made of polished amber stones that cost 90 kroner. It is to be my
birthday present. One of their main buildings burnt to the ground recently. A girl dressed in period costume was baking small round flat bread over an
open fire and gave us a taste–and it was good. Matthew had to keep pumping his tire up all the way home.
We had a good meal at a downtown Chinese fast food diner with gambling slot machines. The Chinese waiter had a difficult time understanding
Nathan’s order and my request for a glass of water. We bought drinks, pastries and fresh cherries to take back to the hostel for dessert
which we ate in the sunroom.
Our room is very nice with our own bath. The top bunks are hinged and bolted so that they can be folded down against the wall. This hostel reminds
me of an old folks home as it is very quiet, has very wide corridors and nice social areas for sitting. Tried to telephone Valerie but no answer. We
sent more e-mails to people back home. We ‘phoned Kirsten in Melholt, east of Aalborg, to tell her when we
expected to arrive at her home on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday - June 27 - Viborg to Aalborg by train - Bicycle to Dronninglund - sun/rain.
We were up at 7:30 and to breakfast at 8:00 and then we packed up and hurried off to the train station to go to Aalborg. Light rain.
Oh dear, what kind of a day will it be? When the train pulled into the station, the train baggage/bike car was full so the porter directed us to a second
car for baggage and bikes. We have to load our bikes onto the train very quickly as the train doesn’t stop long.
Light rain at Aalborg as we get off the train. We got lost several times getting out of the city. We wanted to avoid the main roads
in the rain and stick to the Danish National bike path whenever possible even though it is further. Stopped in Vester Hassing for
lunch–bought pastries, two litres of milk and strawberries and ate in the bus shelter. Vernon ‘phoned Kirsten. We stopped to take pictures
of one of the many three-bladed, power generation, electric windmills that are all over Denmark.
We arrived at the Qvist home about 2:00 p.m. and three people greeted us: my cousin Kirsten, her husband Poul and their son Henrik. They were standing
in the doorway snapping a picture of our arrival. We were soon enjoying Danish hospitality, coffee, tea and pastries. How wonderful to meet more of my
Danish family. Kirsten and Poul have a beautiful brick house intentionally built to look old from the outside. Kirsten and Poul built their house in 1981.
There were two houses on the property and in order to build they were required to tear one of them down–they would have liked to keep both houses
but it wasn’t allowed. They found a message from 1897 in a bottle in the wall of the old house.
The second long stone house was renovated by Henrik and his brother for their own quarters so they could come and go without disturbing their parents.
We have been settled in the old house which is very comfortable with two bedrooms, a large living room with a wood heater and kitchen nook, an entrance and
a warm bathroom with a heated brick floor. What luxury! The building is built of stone and the walls are over a foot thick. It is very quiet and we will sleep
well.
Henrik is 35 and a civil engineer working in Copenhagen and he came home for the weekend to welcome us. Vernon showed Henrik our travel
maps of Denmark and immediately these two engineers were in map heaven. Our maps of Denmark are very detailed and show almost every farm house as well as
the roads and cycle paths. I think Henrik was impressed.
While Vernon was showing movies of our Danish travels, cousin Ingvald and his wife Karen arrived and then Hanna (Ingvald’s daughter and her
husband Niels). Hanna reminds us of Carolyn Seiersen. Kirsten served us all a delicious supper of roast pork, meat loaf slices, Danish pickles, red
cabbage, potatoes, gravy and two wines. Dessert was thick ice-cream slices arranged on a platter with fresh strawberries–so attractive and so
good. We moved into the living room and gathered around the two coffee tables in two groups and talked and talked. Kirsten showed us her family history
book with photos. Kirsten made a clear sweet beverage from elderberry that was delicious. It was a wonderful evening. To bed at 11:00 p.m. We were all
very tired and I was getting a sore throat and ear ache–probably from the wind today.
Sunday - June 28 - Dronninglund
We all wanted to walk to the little church three blocks away but we drove because it was raining. Enjoyed the service as it included organ music
and lots of singing (followed along in the hymn book) and the minister extended a welcome to us in his address. Only about eleven people attended the
church service and no offering was taken because the Kirke is supported by the national government.
Kirsten and Poul prepared a big breakfast after church: liverpostej and rollepostej, breads, jams, cereal, milk, tea and coffee and Poul’s
homemade cold remedy made from cedar berries (ingredient for making gin). Vernon worked on our family tree and Kirsten offered to give us her family
book, but we think she should keep it for her family but in the end Henrik took it back to Copenhagen to have for us when we leave for home. That was
very generous of her and more than we expected. We only accepted with the understanding that the book still belongs to the Qvist family and they may
ask for its return at any time.
Kirsten and Poul took us in two cars to visit Hanna and Niels at their farm. Poul and Henrik carried on to the airport as Henrik had to catch the
2:00 p.m. plane back to Copenhagen. We took a tour of the farm buildings and saw the swallow nests in the garage. Hannah doesn’t
like them because they poop on the car. They also have a cat. The large “U” shaped barn is used for storing grain and equipment. One section
of the roof was damaged in a recent storm and will be fixed as soon as a repair crew is available. The construction trades are very busy just now and they
have to wait for a carpenter.
Niels and Hanna have a large beautiful old home with many family heirlooms and massive antique pieces of furniture. The wood burning fireplace was so
welcoming, and the dining room table was beautifully set. The house overlooked a field of tall grain to a hedge in the distance and through an opening
in the hedge the fjord and sailing ships could be viewed. Hannah served a delicious lunch in the dining room–peach pie, cinnamon roll pastries and
fruit buns and coffee. Ingvald joined us and we had a very enjoyable visit. Returned home about 4:30 p.m. and we all had a sleep. Kirsten woke us up at 5:45
as she thought Vernon wanted to use the ‘phone and Vernon thought we were going to Ingvald’s but we didn’t go until 6:45 p.m. so we
read and watched the world cup.
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Ingvald and Karen live in Agersted about a 15 minute drive north of Melholt. We met their son Eric, his beautiful wife
Lena and their three year old daughter Nada. Eric is a marine engineer and travels between Greenland and Denmark on five or ten day trips depending on the
port. Ingvald showed us the front patio and yard. The yard is secluded by trees and has a large lawn which Ingvald mows himself.
Karen served a wonderful supper: baked ham, new potatoes, milk gravy and carrots, peas and broccoli and red wine and Spumoni champagne and a strawberry
torte for dessert. We moved into the living room for coffee, tea and cookies. They have a beautiful home which Karen built when Ingvald was at sea. Ingvald
showed me pictures of my father when he was nine years old and his sister Bertha and their parents. Grandmother Seiersen was beautiful. She was only 47
years old when she died.
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The boys watched the World Cup after supper and saw the end of the game at Kirsten’s. We got e-mails from Valerie and Loretta in response to
Matthew’s e-mails. My throat feels better but we are all tired.
Monday - June 29 - Dronninglund
Sunny morning and we had breakfast on the front deck–cool but pleasant until some clouds rolled in and rain chased us indoors. Carsten ‘phoned
and said we had to come to Greta’s 80th birthday at the old folks home in Egtved on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. so we need to leave
Melholt Tuesday night but we were planning on going to Skågen all day Tuesday and to Malling on
Wednesday. We were trying to figure out what to do and when to leave when Aasa ‘phoned to say we didn’t need to come until Wednesday
5:00 p.m. so now we can have all day Tuesday at Skågen as planned.
I did two loads of wash this a.m. Hung one load on the line in back deck under roof and second load on line in the yard. Kirsten,
Poul, Vernon, Matt and Nate went golfing and Karen and Ingvald and I left together for our own tour. Just before we left it started to rain so Karen and
I took a few things off the line and then it poured so everything left on the line got drenched.
We left for the seaside tourist town of Saeby. Ingvald took us to lunch in an upstairs fish’n chip place overlooking the harbor.
The sun came out and it was very nice. Karen and I had a junior hamburger that was big and very good. Walked around the old town and went into a new glass
blowing shop that the Queen had visited recently. The museum is closed on Monday so we walked to see the old mill and the lake above. Stopped at the apotek
where Karen used to work and she got drops for Matthew’s eyes and six sample pads for Vernon and wouldn’t let me pay for anything. Ingvald
says, “It’s On The House.”
Next we went to Voergård Slot which is regarded as Denmark’s most beautiful Renaissance building. The castle was built
in three stages starting at the end of the 14th century. The last owner was Count E. Oberbech-Clausen who was born in Nyborg, Denmark.
As a young man he lived in France where he worked as the manager of a large vineyard. After converting to the Catholic faith, he married the widow of
Count Chenu-Lafitte and was himself appointed a Roman Count. His wife was the daughter of the famous French surgeon, Péan and the main part of
the art collection at Voergård comes from the Péan and Chenu-Lafitte families. After the death of his wife, Count
Oberbech-Clausen established a family trust to maintain Voergård castle and the art collection for the future. Before his death
in 1963 he decided that Voergård should be opened to the public.
The drawing room was furnished with beautiful French furniture, paintings, porcelain and art objects. There was a clothing design exhibition by
Danish designers in the Ballroom–women’s clothes past and present. We walked around the castle grounds to see the trees, the lake moat
and three peacocks. The moat is second in size to Kronborg Castle (Elsinore).
Karen drove by another castle where Kirsten and Poul had their wedding reception. Even though it is cloudy, the sky is bright and I could hardly keep
my eyes open when we were driving. Karen and Ingvald have given me a wonderful day seeing local attractions and enjoying their company.
The golfers had a good time in spite of getting rain soaked during their golf game. Vernon beat Matthew and teased him that he couldn’t golf well
in the rain. The five golfers were back before us and Poul and Kirsten had already brought the wet washing in and were drying it inside after spin drying it.
Ingvald and Karen left as soon as they dropped me off–we were all tired. We had a cup of coffee and watched TV, and read the newspaper USA Today
from last week.
Wonderful supper at 7:00 p.m.–beef pie and ham and vegetable pie, green salad, beets and strawberry short cake for my birthday cake and no
leftovers as boys ate everything. Kirsten is always concerned about the boys getting enough to eat because they are growing. Vernon and I went to bed
early. The boys stayed up to watch soccer and use the internet. We received an e-mail from Valerie. Kirsten told me how to make elderberry cordial and
Poul told me how to make cedar berry liqueur.
Tuesday - June 30 - Dronninglund
Very pleased to get an e-mail from Mark at breakfast. He is busy at his job and it pays $90,000.00 per year. Matthew got an e-mail from David. Kirsten
called us at 7:45 a.m. for breakfast in their dining room. I have a stiff neck and took one of my NOVA pills re Saskatoon prescription and Kirsten gave me
a glass of Poul’s home-made POLS which warmed my throat when I swallowed it in one gulp to the count of three by Poul.
Hanna and Ingvald arrived to take us all to the northern tip of Denmark. Vernon and I went with Hanna and Ingvald in her Toyota Corolla Station wagon.
We drove up the coast past Saeby and stopped at Frederikshavn to check the train schedule for tomorrow. Kirsten bought
pastries and a strawberry tart for coffee which we had at the tip of Denmark where the two oceans come together. We didn’t go in swimming or wading
as it was too cold and we didn’t want to risk getting a chill. Lots of people were coming and going. We walked through the sand to the spit of land
but some people took a tractor-pulled bus which costs 15 kroner each and there were at least three such buses.
We went into Skågen to the old inn which is now an art gallery with wonderful paintings done by artists in the 1890s-1930s:
portraits of elegantly dressed ladies, fishing scenes and beach scenes. Skågen is noted for its good lighting and the shade of
yellow that is called Skågen yellow.
The harbour restaurants were all together in a strip with picnic tables out front. You could sit anywhere and order from one or more restaurants. We
had soft drinks, beer, fresh fish on a bun, shrimp, smoked salmon, etc. Nate had fish and chips and Matthew only had a drink.
After lunch we went to the sand dunes and when the other car didn’t show up in 30 minutes Hanna checked her map and decided we had come to the
wrong place and so we went back and found the others. Matthew was impressed with the sand dunes. Nathan lost his sun glasses in the sand and Matthew found
them.
Hanna pointed out Bertha’s restaurant as we drove through Frederikshavn and said people who bought the restaurant say Bertha
haunts the house. They can hear her locking up every night at 11:00-11:30 p.m. Hanna said Bertha had the personality of a ghost.
Kirsten and Poul made another wonderful supper with frikadelle and meat loaf slices, new potatoes, gravy, salad and red cabbage. Ice-cream/whip-cream
pie for dessert. Matthew ate a huge supper. Coffee at the end of the meal. Vernon and I to bed about 9:00 p.m. Our little cottage is cold and damp in all
this rain so I wore socks to bed to keep warm and put my fleece shirt over my head for my ears and neck.
Wednesday - July 1 - Dronninglund to Egtved to Malling - rain in the night.
Vernon and I got up about 8:00 a.m. and went into the house for breakfast. Boys slept till 10:30. Kirsten tried my convertible slacks on to check the
fit so that I can send her a pair from Canada. E-mail for Matthew from David.
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Niels arrived with an open trailer to transport our bikes and packs to the train in Aalborg. Hanna arrived in her car and we had
coffee and open sandwiches out on the deck. Kirsten and Poul worked so hard to make meals, do our laundry and show us the local attractions that we
fear we have worn them out. Kirsten made wonderful meals for us every day. Poul poured me another medicinal drink for breakfast which I swallowed to
the count of three again.
Niels and Vernon went in one car while Hanna took me and the boys in her car. We stopped just north of Aalborg to see the largest
Viking grave site in Denmark and visited the Lindholm Museum at the same site. Hanna showed us the shipping company office where she
works. We loaded our bikes onto the train only a few minutes before the train pulled out of Aalborg.
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Jon Ølholm met us at the train station in Århus just long enough to transfer our bikes to the company van so that he
could take them and our luggage to Malling while we carried on to Vejle to meet Aasa and Carsten and Søren.
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They drove us further southwest to Egtved to meet Aunt Greta who has just had her 80th birthday. She has a lovely apartment in a
senior’s community. Greta is very small and thin, just like in her photo. She speaks good English and is very young at heart and a joy to visit.
She served us coffee and sweets. Aasa was there cooking a liverpostej in Greta’s oven. We all went to Egtved to meet Greta’s
other son Torben and his family. There was a hail storm and heavy rain just after we arrived.
They have a lovely house with a new sunroom like addition at the corner of the living room with floor to ceiling glass overlooking a large beautiful
back yard with lawn, trees, shrubs and flowers. They have a big roll top desk that belonged to grandfather Chresten Ølholm as well as an old sea
chest. I was so happy to see these pieces in their home.
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Matthew and Nathan enjoyed their cousins and the teenagers immediately went off by themselves to explore their own interests.
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Supper was served in the dining room and there were a dozen of us gathered around the large dining room table. Danes have big dining rooms because they
like to eat and socialize at meals. There were many courses; herring, cold cuts, warm fried fish, liverpostej, egg salad mix to put on the herring, hard
boiled eggs, smoke salmon, thin pounded pork loin slices fried and smothered in onions. For dessert we had a variety of cheeses and breads, coffee, pop,
beer, akavik, etc.
The teenagers left the table after eating and went to the computer to e-mail David Hartney and returned to the living room to visit while we remained
seated around the dining room table eating and drinking and visiting. So little time to enjoy our new relatives and every moment is precious.
After supper Torben took Vernon and me on a tour of his printing shop. The red brick building is a new modern design and very attractive and efficient.
Vern liked all the Mac computers. We got back about 9:30 and had to leave immediately to return to Malling and got back to
Carsten’s home about 11:00 p.m. We are in Søren’s room again but the boys are now in the room next door on two cots.
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Thursday - July 2 - My 66th birthday - around Malling - sunny.
Aasa served us breakfast about 9:00 a.m. Ølholm’s casual employee joined us for breakfast and Aasa served him his usual Snaps and
pickled herring. He cycled 850 km last week at age 71. Boys are really tired but got up without a fuss.
After breakfast we rode 10 km on back roads to the iron age Moesgård Museum which is housed in barrack-like buildings linked
together. The big white house nearby was originally a private castle and is now one of the University of Århus administrative
buildings. Fellas had hot dogs for lunch at the museum concession. I am seldom hungry at lunch because I eat a big breakfast. I enjoyed watching Matt
eat two “French” hot dogs. The hot dogs are about one foot long and they placed in a special bun that looks like a regular bun but is made
with a tube instead of being sliced as a typical North American hot dog bun. The relish, mustard, ketsup, whatever, is squirted into the tube and
the “dog” pushed in afterward. Nice and clean! Matt wants to start his own business selling these hot dogs in Vancouver!
Vernon and I each withdrew 2500DKK from the bank in Malling. I stayed downtown at the church and walked through most of the graveyard
looking for Sejersen graves and found a grave dated 1994 but the church was locked and I couldn’t check the records. The church is under repair on
the outside.
Jon and Jessie came for supper. We had roast chicken, beef slices, new potatoes and gravy and white wine. Aasa made me a birthday cake–white layer
cake with strawberries and whipped cream, and they sang “Happy Birthday” in Danish. How blessed I felt to have my birthday with
my Ølholm family. I was very happy. Aasa gave me a lovely book on Denmark for my birthday.
After supper Jessie did the cleaning up while Carsten and Aasa took us for a drive in the country to visit their eldest son Peter and his family.
Søren also came with us. Carsten drove his 1929 antique red Morris Minor car with left hand drive. We took turns riding in the Morris Minor.
Two adults could sit in the front and one adult in the back. The car attracts attention.
We went for a drive in the country to meet their eldest son Peter, his wife Dora (eight months pregnant) and their two children: a boy 2 and a girl 6.
The family live on an acreage and they have a horse, pony and two dogs (the pup was being sold). The old house is being renovated by Peter. The attic was
being developed into three bedrooms and a bath for the children. Peter laid one foot square ceramic tiles in the entrance foyer and the floor is heated
with plastic pipe. It’s going to be a beautiful home when they get it finished. Peter showed me his kitchen design which will be done after the
upstairs is finished.
We were served coffee and then we all drove a few miles to the beach for ice-cream. It was a cold, overcast evening but no rain. Carsten said it would
have been a good night to take the Tiger Moth out (the WW1 plane they recently sold because of Carsten’s heart condition).
When we got home Aasa brought out an old photo album and we talked about our ancestors. Aasa took Jessie home and Vernon went to bed. The rest of us
stayed up until midnight. Aasa read some old letters from my mom and gave them to me. She also gave a turquoise necklace that had been Helena’s
and some doilies Helena had embroidered. It was a terrific day. Aasa did more laundry for us.
Friday - July 3 - Malling to Hørsens - overcast and windy.
We had breakfast and packed. Carsten ‘phoned Greta to see if she had a photo of our grandfather Chresten Ølholm. We are going to miss
the dog Charlie. He has a run from the kitchen deck that goes up onto the flat shop roof and from there he can look down into the yard and survey
his kingdom.
We stopped at a small town for lunch. We biked 37 km from Malling to Hørsens where my father was born.
We arrived at the Vandrerhjem hostel on the north side of Hørsens about 1 p.m. The hostel is another beautiful place but
the registration desk was closed so we sat in the lounge and read newspapers and dozed till 3:00 p.m. We had a very good room with four bunks, shelves,
table and four chairs, small desk, patio, hallway with coat hooks.
We went swimming at the sports center 1/2 km away. Terrific facility with large outdoor pool with high diving board, outdoor trampolines and two
indoor pools. No hot tub. The girl lifeguard could not understand English and she couldn’t figure out Vernon’s question. He was asking
about a hot-tub and the girl just could not understand his English or his strange gestures! There was a small warm water pool for children that we all
used. They also had a large sauna that I enjoyed after swimming. The swim only cost 40 kroner for the four of us plus 10 kroner for each towel. They
supplied magnetic cards for lockers, etc. Very modern and clean.
We rode downtown and had supper at a hamburger grill. Lots of shopping pedestrian streets. We went to the bakery before going back to the hostel.
Fellas watched football while I did the laundry and other chores. Fellas had a short sleep between games and watched a second game starting at 9:00 p.m.;
only Matthew stayed till the end. Brazil beat Denmark 3-2. Denmark hit the goal post in the dying minutes of the game and almost tied the score.
Saturday - July 4 - Hørsens to Givskud - overcast and rain after we got to Givskud.
We sat by the window at breakfast and enjoyed both the breakfast and the view overlooking a wide lawn with lakes in the distance–made lunch
buns and sandwiches. Hørsens is a very scenic town and historically interesting. There are many museums. We stopped to take a
movie of the impressive Recreation Center where we were swimming yesterday and in doing so Vernon dropped the red bungee chord we bought
in Copenhagen to hold his camera on the back of his bike. Too bad.
On a hill near the town of Lund we saw a 1000 year old church, actually a new church built in 1779 on the site of the original
church. It has a special gold altar but the church was locked and we could not get in to see it. The church will be open tomorrow (Sunday 1:00-7:00)
but we will be gone. Another couple also came to see the altar and tried to get a key from the office but no one was there.
We had our lunch in Rask Mølle–bought juice and strawberry dessert on a long tray. When we got to the village
of Uldum there were two trailers used as stages from which musicians were giving a program for the towns folk. Rows of chairs were
set out on the town streets. Musicians have a week workshop each year in Uldum and at the end of the week they play for the townsfolk.
Fiddlers, banjos, guitars, accordions, ukuleles and a broom stick with a boot at one end, head at the other and stuff in between.
Got slightly lost getting out of the town. Passed an old windmill that had been moved to the town in 1895 to grind grain and in 1956 it was converted
from wind to an engine but shut down in 1979. In 1981 it was bought by private concerns and is being restored as a tourist attraction.
A horse-drawn auto chassis with four persons in two seats passed us on a country road. I felt like we had gone back in time to the beginning of the
century when cars were first introduced. What a quaint country this is. Earlier in the day we saw some highland cattle (long red hair and long horns) near
the town of Flemming. We went through the village of Ølholm and took a picture of the sign. We had a brutal
ride to Givskud because of the wind and the hills. It was raining the last little way but we didn’t get soaked.
The Givskud hostel registration desk opened up and they let us in one hour early at 3:00 p.m. We put our packs in the room and walked
to the near by Løveparken Zoo (Lion Park). We took a one hour park bus tour of the park to see the animals. It was raining all
the time we were on the bus.
We wanted to have supper at an inn 3 km away but because of the rain we had supper in the cafeteria just outside the park. I didn’t enjoy my
order of ham as it was breaded like a cutlet but Matthew liked it so he ate it. The potatoes were good. The fellas watched the early and late football
games on TV. Vern went all day without needing a pad change–he is slowing gaining bladder control after his surgery. Boys starting to tease each
other about everything and anything and their banter is getting on our nerves. Nathan washed three pair of black socks. I keep wearing his black Nike
socks by mistake.
Sunday - July 5 - Givskud to Billund - more clouds/sun/rain.
Not much variety for breakfast and we each made a sandwich for lunch. Overcast and spitting rain. Stopped at Jelling to see the Runic
stones but the rain almost ruined our planned visit to the historically important site. Nice tourist office with large display of stuffed birds. The church
was closed and the Desk girl was no help. She didn’t know when the church would open to the public and wouldn’t make any inquiries. The Church
normally opens for a 10:00 a.m. service but is closed today.
Went to the Bluetooth Cafe/Bar for a drink and to wait for the rain to stop. I had a cappuccino, Nate a coke and Vernon and Matthew hot chocolate. Very
nice restaurant but staff not helpful with tourist information. We never did get into the church and were very disappointed. We rode on and Matthew and Nathan
stopped to pick strawberries. Nate ate his but Matt put his in bike jacket pockets for lunch. We all three picked field peas. We kept stopping and taking
shelter in the trees to avoid the rain showers. We didn’t get too wet and we were not too upset about the rain.
We stopped at a family run country inn called Tosby Kro. The Inn lady invited us inside to eat our lunch but we stayed outside and ate
our strawberries, peas and sandwiches in the shelter of the big chestnut tree in the courtyard. Eventually we did go inside to enjoy a big pot of hot
chocolate Vernon ordered. It came with real whipped cream and was served in a tea pot–it was hot and so good. The home cooked meals being served
looked terrific and we were wishing we had known about this place in advance so that we could have eaten a meal here. Only 55 kroner for the
hearty noon meal.
We started off in the wind and rain but after awhile we stopped under a tree by a place that had dog pens full of racing dogs. They all started to bark.
We rode through some terrific forests where trees arched overhead to enclose the lane. It the forest there was a big memorial stone to Fred somebody? Later
we found out that “Fred” is the Danish word for “Peace” and is on the bottom of most Danish tombstones.
Stopped to pick peas one more time and Matthew waited for me then we had to wait in the trees for another downpour to pass. We ate the very good field
peas while we were waiting. Vern and Nate went ahead but we finally caught up to them. There is an airport in Billund and Vern and Nate
were waiting out of the rain under the shelter of the airport entrance. Vernon tries to plan our route so that we come into town on a route nearest the
hostel. Both Matt and Nate are helpful when planning the bike routes. We are counting the days until we go home. Weather is terrible and more rain
is forecast.
At the Billund Legoland Hostel we were assigned Room 205 on the ground floor. New, modern and very nice. Table with five chairs and
four bunks and one trundle bed that Matthew is sleeping on. Windows are floor-to-ceiling with a 4 inch screened band that opens and closes for ventilation.
We continue to marvel at the unique toilet fixtures, door locks and window openings one finds in Denmark.
Vernon and I had a shower while the boys went to play soccer. They came back wet and we did two loads of laundry–had to wait for machines.
Supper was an all-you-could-eat buffet but they didn’t tell us that the drinks and dessert were not included but Matt helped himself to a
dish of ice-cream anyway and Nate had two dishes. The boys ‘phoned their dad and then went to check out the professional soccer field. Vernon
used the office e-mail.
Monday - July 6 - Billund - mostly sunny, some overcast with intermittent showers.
Breakfast at 8:30 and we made lunch buns. We walked to Legoland and spent most of the day there. It was excellent; especially all
the Bonsai garden landscaping to fit the scale of the lego displays. We rode up the observation tower and then on the monorail and the boys also rode the
bumper cars and each got their International Driver’s License. The bumper cars were for children 8-13 but Matthew went anyway–he and Nathan
were too big for the cars and their legs would not fit so they sat above the seat.
Visited the hands-on Lego workshop where kids could make their own creations. We bought T-shirts for Cole/Chase. Vernon and boys left
Legoland to go downtown but I stayed until 3:00 p.m. to have another look around. Vernon and Matthew wanted a hair cut but they
found out it would cost something like $40 Canadian for one hair cut! No way!
Vern and I had a nap before supper and boys spent their time playing on the soccer field. We ate in the hostel restaurant again. Nate got
“all-you-can-eat ice-cream” and shared with Matthew. Lots of e-mail this a.m. We ‘phoned Valerie at suppertime. Off to bed early.
Tuesday - July 7 - Billund to Ribe - mostly sunny.
Breakfast at 7:40 a.m. and we made a lunch to go. Nate couldn’t find his journal and assumed it was packed (it was under his mattress!).
A day of mixed sun, clouds and rain. We kept running for cover in the trees during heavy downpours; they never lasted long.
We bought lunch at a bakery in Holsted and went behind the bakery to eat and when the rain poured we took shelter under the bakery
carport. A family lived over the bakery and had all their tools, bikes, equipment and clothesline under the carport. The bakery man was nice and offered
us chairs to sit on. Just as we were getting ready to leave Holsted, Vernon discovered he had a flat tire so he went back under the
shelter to put in a new tube.
Nice town of Gørding with a residential street named, “Sejersgate,”. We saw fire wood stacked in large round
stacks like a hut. Stopped in the country and talked to a Danish lady working in her garden because she had a Dachshund dog with her. She spoke no English
but we managed to converse a little–she was very pleasant. We picked more peas to eat on the way–they are so good. Fellas had ice-cream
cone 7 km from Ribe. We stopped at a bike store in Ribe to look at a bike seat for Matthew as he has a sore bum. New
seats are very expensive and Matt says he will manage with what he has as we have only two weeks left in our trip.
In Ribe we got Hostel Room 28–a small room overlooking a pasture field with the ocean in the distance. Enjoyed the evening
sun streaming into our room. The hostel is right in town within walking distance of the church and all the downtown shops. We rode our bikes downtown
but they were a nuisance as most streets were reserved for pedestrian traffic only.
We parked our bikes while we went into the church and our bike seats got rained on. We walked up the church tower and just as we got to the top it
poured rain so visibility was poor. We spent time in the church while it rained outside–quite a big and beautiful pipe organ and carved wooden
pews; old stone grave slabs on church wall. We window shopped on way back to the restaurant for supper. Many old houses and buildings in Ribe.
We wanted to eat at the Hotel Dagmar dining room but it was very formal and their basement pub was too smoky and besides we
didn’t want to take the boys into a bar so we ate at the corner cafe. I ordered lasagna and could only eat half of it so the boys finished it.
Matt ordered American ribs which he liked but he gave me his boiled potatoes. Vernon and Nate had a bacon-burger and chips. After supper I waited at
the cafe while the fellas walked down the street for waffles and ice-cream dessert–it was still raining. Vern took some pictures of the town
and we rode back to the hostel.
The boys went off to the gym while Vernon repaired his bike tube and I had a hot shower and made the beds. We got a ‘phone call from
the Billund hostel that they found Nate’s journal and we e-mailed them to please send it to
the Amager Danhostel, Copenhagen.
Vernon and Nate and I went to walk the old town with the Town Crier at 8:00 p.m. Most impressive thing we saw was the storks sitting on their nests.
Matt had a shower and came later. When Vern, Nate and I got back to the hostel Tina Bollerslev was waiting for us. Vern sent an e-mail and Matt showed up.
He had caught up with Town Crier but by then we had left to come back to the hostel.
Tina took us to her brother’s apartment for coffee. Lars (education student) and his girlfriend Mehta (psychology student) live in an old brick/wood
house built in the 1500s. The wood floors were very uneven, but the building was clean and well maintained. Mehta had baked a cake and served two cakes,
chocolates, coffee and pop. We enjoyed their company and the lunch.
Boys sent e-mail messages from Lars computer. He has only had it two days and can send but not receive as he hasn’t figured it all out yet.
As we walked home we saw that storks were active on one of the nests–looked like five or six storks in the huge nest. Vernon and boys watched
soccer after we returned to the hostel. Matthew and Nathan stayed in TV room until very late and finally I went and got them to come to bed at 1:00 a.m.
Wednesday - July 8 - Ribe to Skaerbaek - not a cloud in the sky.
Vernon and I got up about 8:30 a.m. and went to breakfast followed by the boys. No lunch making today. We cleaned our room and checked out by 10:00 a.m.
but we didn’t leave until later. We stored our panniers in a small room. Nate and Matt stayed at the hostel while Vernon and I went downtown.
I went to the Imerco store to price a coffee thermos like Aasa has. It’s a wonderful store with all kinds of kitchen stuff and
china and glassware. We went to St. Catherine’s Cloister which is a beautiful old church with plain white walls and ceiling and no
frescoes. Not ornate but big stone font on altar with gold water basin. Beautiful modern baby grand spinet-like instrument with about 6-8 foot pedals.
Church was getting ready for a funeral, the coffin was brought in as we entered the courtyard.
We met the boys and Nate went back to the hostel while Matthew and I went to the small Ribe Art Gallery. Paintings were
excellent–mostly by Danish artists in the 1800s.
We met Tina at the hostel at noon and prepared to leave but first we bought a basket of strawberries and Vernon and the boys had hamburgers and
drinks. Tina and I didn’t want lunch. Just as we were leaving the sidewalk restaurant Vern discovered a flat back tire–thorn still in his
tire from his last flat. He put the patched tube in.
On our biking trip with Tina going from Ribe to her family home in Skaerbaek we stopped at a farm to see a sow and
her pigs from last litter and a tethered calf. We went past the Marsh Museum but no one wanted to go in. We continued on to the ocean and along the dyke
made to protect the lowlands from high tides. The ocean wind was very cold. We stopped to see a German WWII bunker and a stone monument to 19 dyke workers
drowned in a flood. We climbed the dyke to view the ocean and grazing sheep. Near Skaerbaek we stopped to see a go-cart race track.
We arrived at Skaerbaek 4:00 p.m. and before we went to Tina’s home we rode to the shopping center to buy two bottles of wine
for Tina’s parents; Pepsi and shampoo for us. The weather was best we’ve had in over a week; warm and sunny but the ocean wind was cold.
Tina’s parent’s home is a beautiful old thatched roof cottage surrounded with park like grounds and a luxurious garden out back. Everything
is immaculate. The Danish flag was flying to welcome us. Vern and I have Lar’s room and the boys took over Tina’s room with Tina sleeping on a
mat in the living room. Wonderful supper on the patio off the living room. BBQ sausages, chicken, pork, potato salad and vegetable/lettuce salad and lots
of crusty bread, wine and other drinks.
After supper we drove 50-60 minutes in two cars to the village of Jels see the Jels Viking Play 1998
“Amleth ‘98” (modern Hamlet) performed outdoors in an amphitheatre with rows of grass tiers for seating. Estrud
brought chair seats with a back on them for us to sit on, and blankets to keep warm. Tina’s dad is one of the sponsors and arranged for us to go
back stage at half-time to meet the cast who live on the site for two weeks each summer. The actor’s village is in a treed area near the lake,
just backstage of the amphitheatre. There was a Viking ship in the lake.
Estrud brought a coffee thermos and a tin of cookies for Act II intermission. Wonderful stage setting and real horses, flock of sheep, sheep dogs and
other dogs and dead fawn shot through the neck with an arrow. Lots of action, lit torches, ring for outdoor candles around circular performance area. Great
performance and even though it was in Danish we enjoyed it because of all the stage effects, live animals and animated acting.
After the performance we went to “Val Hal” at the same site. Val Hal is a long shed with tables and benches for
socializing and drinking. There was a great young band and two female singers. They sang many songs in English. Very young crowd and we only stayed
about 20 minutes. Tina’s dad has a bad cold. It was dark when we left to go home to bed.
Thursday - July 9 - Skaerbaek to Rømo Island to Skaerbaek - sun/some heavy rain.
Slept until after 9:00 a.m. Tina served a beautiful breakfast in the dining room including fresh baked Danish pastries. We showed Tina our Canadian
video and did one load of white wash and looked at Tina’s travel album. Vernon has a bad headache from setting up the video and went back to bed.
At 3:00 p.m. Hans loaded all our bikes onto an open trailer and drove us to Rømo Island. We spent 3 1/2 hours
exploring the island. Rode around the dykes, visited a Sea Captain’s House Museum and a one room school with a thatched roof on the same property.
The house had a carriage room and stable attached. The kitchen was in the basement and had a dumb waiter to the dining room. On the main floor there was a
door that was only used when the sea captain died to remove his body. We were interested in the alcove beds with shutters to keep heat in. The walls of one
room were all done in Dutch tiles.
We explored a sand dune treed area containing German bunkers built during WWII. Lots of bunkers. Tina said they played in them as children but now they
are sealed. Tina said her grandmother leaned over a bunker one time and her false teeth feel out and down the hole into the bunker. During the war the 700
German soldiers out numbered the 500 local Rømo islanders. German soldiers at the end of war were boys 15-17 years old.
Went to Rømo town for a snack in the restaurant where Tina used to work. Most of us had wieners and ice-cream and I had a mango
sorbet. We rode out to the ocean but the wide sand beach was covered with rain water as we got near the ocean and that made for hard riding. Vern and I turned
back but Tina and boys went right to the ocean and said it was awesome. The sand beach was at least 1/4 mile wide and packed hard enough for cars to drive on.
There were cars driving all over the place. Vernon and I waited near a shelter. It didn’t rain on the way back to Skaerbaek. We had
an easy ride with the wind at our backs–15 km across causeway–biked 33 km altogether.
Another wonderful supper with new potatoes, beets, frikadelle with onions and salad and wine. We showed the Canadian video to Hans and Hans gave us all
a gift.
Friday - July 10 - Skaerbaekto Aabenraa - woke up to glorious sunshine.
Tina went to the store for fresh buns and made another great breakfast for us. We were up at 8:30 and took our time eating breakfast and to pack. We
took pictures and finally left about 10:30 and arrived at Aabenraa at 3:00 p.m. It was an easy biking day as the land in this region of
Denmark is fairly flat and the wind was with us.
We stopped to see the church in Arrild– The church was open and nice size, The ceiling all painted, electric organ keyboard in balcony
with modern squeeze pipes like small stacks. We had lunch in Hellevad at a small grill as it was the only place–ordered Jumbo
Hamburger. Another customer was trying to help me order and his interference mucked up my order and I got another awful ham steak which Vernon ended up
eating. The next town we came to had a McDonald’s but by that time it was too late.
When we got to Aabenraa we wanted to go on to Sønderborg but we couldn’t get through to the hostel
on the ‘phone so we stayed in Aabenraa where we had a reservation. We wanted to stay in Sønderborg for
two days if possible because of their horse show. We went swimming in the town pool/hot tub or bubble tub which wasn’t all that hot but it had a
great steam room and sauna.
We rode around the grounds of Queen Margrethe I castle across the street from the pool. Government officials lived in the castle the last 500 years
until 1 1/2 years ago when government official wanted a smaller residence. The castle is now owned by the town and used as an art gallery and museum.
They were just closing as we arrived. The ladies recommended the Royal Hotel Cafe downtown as a good place to eat so we
went there for supper. We requested “NO SMOKING” which they don’t have but they put us in a back room and at first we were the only
ones but it soon filled up and of course there were a few smokers.
We had the steak special except Nathan had a hamburger. The steak special included a large shrimp cocktail, slice of bread, steak, baked potato, peas
and salad and dessert. Vernon and Matthew had an ice-cream parfait. I had an Irish coffee with whipped cream on top of hot coffee and rum. I shared with
Nate. Very good meal. Nate had a waffle and strawberries after at a different place. The older couple next to us talked to us just before we left. They
thought that we were from U.S. He was a retired business man and he talked to us quite a long time.
Finally we went home to the hostel. Our room is satisfactory but small. Matt/Nate fighting over bottom bunk when we arrived–in the end they
both slept in top bunks as the bottom bunks folded flat against the wall and had to drop both of them so we left them on the wall. I made matters
worse by accusing Nathan of only wanting the bottom bunk because Matthew also wanted it. I hurt his feelings. Sometimes it is very difficult to
please them both but we try to be fair.
Saturday - July 11 - Aabenraa to Sønderborg - overcast morning, some showers.
Breakfast was served on trays. I made us a lunch. This hostel was a very efficient place with the staff cleaning and vacuuming before
we were out the door.
We encountered some hills today and we took a detour through a forest that was nice. I was too far ahead and missed a cycle path turn. Instead of
going back we searched for a detour through the forest. Back on the regular cycle path trail we went through some nice hilly country past an old castle
that looked abandoned and often the ocean water was in view in the distance. Lots of slugs on the street and lots of bugs. We stopped for lunch
at Nybøl. The town church was open and we saw two large monuments in the graveyard to Regiments
in Holstein-Schleswig War of 1864 which Denmark lost.
We visited the War Museum at Dybbøl and saw two films, mock trenches with combat soldiers, and outdoor fortifications. There
was a light rain when we left. Nearby we stopped to see Dybbøl Windmill and had some ice-cream while we waited for the rain to stop.
We rode into the city of Sønderborg in a rainy mist, crossed over the bridge and found the fair ground which was about
to close down. The ring-riding horse show doesn’t get underway until tomorrow noon. We arrived at the hostel about 2:30 p.m. and waited for
registration to open at 3:00 p.m. Again a really nice place: a red brick building in a square with an inner sunken court yard and lots of units.
The boys rushed off to play football and the rain started again. I had a shower. There was no charge for doing laundry and I did four loads in the
huge laundry room that had drying lines, folding tables and an iron.
We rode downtown to see the street sights and have supper at Burger Queen. Vernon had pizza and I had frikadelle/red cabbage and the boys ordered
hamburgers and chips and ice-cream for dessert. A big downpour almost hit us just before we got to the restaurant. We marvel at the good luck we have
in avoiding the heavy rain showers. We took shelter under a covered waiting area with an Icelandic family (three kids) now working
in Sønderborg for seven years.
Vern sent some e-mail after we got back. We watched a rabbit grazing on the lawn below our window.
Sunday - July 12 - Sønderborg to Marstal on Aerø Island - warm sunny day.
I was first one up and to breakfast. We sat with English grandparents from Surrey chaperoning their 11 year old grandson Daniel Licey for a one week
karate school being held at the hostel. Daniel called on the boys several times to play soccer.
We had a terrific relaxed breakfast in the beautiful dining room. Matthew came to the table in his undershorts and I sent him back to get dressed
because I was embarrassed. The English grandfather said, “Somebody lost a bet.” Sure enough, it turned out he was absolutely right as
Nathan had bet Matthew he wouldn’t go to breakfast wearing his undershorts. The boys played football with Daniel after breakfast.
The fellas are annoyed with me because I want to stay and see the parade and the Ring Riders. Vern was worried about getting the early ferry to
Aero Island but he finally relented and we stayed to see the horse parade and the fair grounds where the Ring Riders were going to perform. We left
our panniers at the hostel and rode into town to the castle to see the parade. Matthew went back to the hostel to get Nate’s camera and returned
with the camera and ice-cream just as the parade started. It was a short parade but very colorful with over 400 mounted riders all dressed in black
jackets and white breeches and white hats with little bows on them. The marching bands were interspersed with riding groups and some bands were on
wagons. One horse bolted and threw his rider. The parade procession ended at the Ringet grounds.
Vernon and boys went back to the hostel to get the panniers and I tried to reserve a front row bench in their absence but eventually people took
the space. As soon as the guys returned with the panniers they watched one or two Ringet riders and then we left for the ferry. Vernon thought it was
a 12 km ride and that we had just the right amount of time but it was 25 km and in the end we were riding at top speed with Matthew and Nathan in the
vanguard and me in the rear but we made it with barely a minute to spare–total time 46 minutes for 25 km. It was a great ride and we only got
the ferry because it was a little late in departing.
We spent part of the one hour crossing from Mommark to Søby in the canteen on the top deck. The ferry
to Søby cost 300 kroner. In Søby we ate a very good lunch at the picnic tables outside the bakery.
The boys got hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks from a place down the hill. Left Søby 4:10 p.m. and arrived at the other end
of Aerø Island at Marstal 6:30 p.m. We rode along the ocean on the south bike path. The weather was warm
and breezy but the skies were overcast after 5:00 p.m. We saw a dead pig, fed a pony sugar lumps, saw duck houses on ponds, and round high wood piles
here too. Aerø Island is like the rest of Denmark only the farms are smaller.
Marstal is only the second hostel where we have not had a private bath but showers and toilets just across the hall. Our attic room
has a skylight window that opens and overlooks the harbor. We have a very small room with one bunk unit and two single beds; small table and two chairs
and a closet big enough for one person. Mirror on door. Ceiling wood and walls were white painted paper over drywall–very common in Denmark.
Vernon and the boys went out for supper. I wasn’t hungry and stayed home and had a shower and played bridge. The men watched the World Cup,
eating chips and drinking pop. They also phoned Vancouver again since it was Sunday evening.
We rode over 50 km today. Matthew thanked me for staying for the parade, etc. as we all enjoyed it and still made the ferry. Clouds came and it
started to spit rain in the evening.
Monday - July 13 - Marstal to Island of Fyn and city of Ringe - sunny in the a.m.
At breakfast we made four buns plus a biscuit and Nathan made his own sandwich. We biked to catch the ferry at Aerøskobing.
The boys like to stop and feed the horses but we are out of sugar lumps. Nate and I got ahead and we missed the turn so Vern navigated us across a field
to get back on course. Cattle grazing in the pasture we passed through. We spent 1 1/2 hours walking around the quaint town
of Aerøskobing and looking at the old small houses with doors 5 ft. high or less. We enjoyed soft ice-cream in a parlour and
bought English hard candies at a local shop.
The ferry ride to Svendborg on the island of Fyn lasted about 1 hour. We ate our lunch in a booth by the window
and drank our own pop, orange juice. There were lots of sail boats in the ocean. We disembarked in Svendborg (town named after King Svend)
and had some difficulty finding our way out of town. The downtown tourist map helped us. Rode up big hills on our way out of the city.
After a number of kms we stopped at a windmill (the Egeskov Mølle) and went inside to the top. The windmill is now a studio
for artists and they sell handicrafts such as jewelry trinkets like Thor’s hammer, etc. They have a sculpture workshop at the windmill and a man
was sculpting outdoors on a big project.
A few miles further on we came to a parking lot full of cars and discovered we were in the little town of Egeskov noted
for Egeskov Castle. This castle is surrounded by a beautiful moat and there is also a stream. There is a Plexi-glass greenhouse
near the ticket place where you enter the grounds. The grounds, gardens, and ponds are fantastic and there is a sundial in a low hedge maze. There was
also a large maze of wire (originally bamboo but replaced by wire because of fire hazard), topiary on the lawns and a large museum housing motorcycles,
mopeds, bikes, cars, and airplanes. We could spend an entire day here. I was the only one to go into the castle (50DKK). It is privately owned and the
family live there. The castle walls and curtains are in light modern colors and fabrics. The castle rooms are more contemporary than others we have seen.
Some curtains were white cotton sheers with embroidery–very pretty. I kept the brochure describing the castle.
It was only about 6 km more to our hostel in Ringe. We had difficulty finding the hostel as it is in the industrial end of town. This
hostel was a great place with lots of activities; mini golf, gym, pool, volley ball, indoor golf, TV, etc. All the activities were together in one building
complex. We liked that because it was raining again. This was one of the few hostels with a restaurant that served evening meals. The restaurant was open
till 8:00 p.m. We had a very good supper and were charged 106 kroner and Vern told the waitress we were undercharged so she re-totaled the bill to 145 kroner
but it should have been 188 kroner–well we tried.
The hostel fee included one free swim for each of us in the pool facility that had two pools. The small pool had warmer water than the large pool.
The pool area was rectangular and had high horizontal windows which were very nice and bright. The boys played mini golf after supper. Vern and I went to
bed early as we were tired from the wind and hills along the very scenic route.
Matthew and Nathan had teenage talkitis again. They don’t say anything of substance, just babble on in a sarcastic, contradictory vein and
each try to get in the last word. Tiresome to listen to.
Tuesday - July 14 - Ringe to Odense - sunny at first but heavy rain in afternoon.
We want to change our itinerary and skip going to Naestved where my dad lived in his early years. We would like an extra day
in Copenhagen so we phoned Copenhagen and luckily Amager Hostel in Copenhagen had a last minute cancellation on
the 19th and we were able to get an extra day. Now we have three days reserved in Copenhagen, 19-20-21, and we leave there at 10:30
a.m. on the 22nd.
We had a leisurely breakfast; made a lunch and took sugar cubes in case we come across more horses. We left Ringe hostel in
pouring rain but it eased as we neared Odense. Today was an easy ride and we arrived at Odense Hostel about 11:00
a.m. and, thank goodness, our room was ready and they let us register and go to our room. We didn’t expect that. Our bike seats got wet this
a.m. and my bum got wet too so I changed into my jumpsuit bike shorts when we got to Odense. After getting into our room we ate our
lunch and then went downtown to see the Hans Christian Andersen home and Museum.
On the way around the streets in downtown Odense the rain started and we got fairly wet. I dried a lot of our clothes in the wash
room under the wall hand dryer. There were crowds of people at the museum no doubt all going to get out of the rain. We toured the many rooms with wall
to wall pictures and letters about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Matthew didn’t think too highly of this guy who seemed
to sponge on all of his friends throughout his life time.
Located the McDonald’s where we got a hamburger then on to the Apotek where Vernon bought some pads–not exactly
what he wanted but the pharmacist insisted they were what he needed (Vern didn’t use them until we were home and much to our surprise the
pads are terrific. They are quite a small pouch, not bulky and perfect for a light drip). Nathan got some cream for the sores on the corners of his mouth.
We stopped at the train station to investigate the cost and times for tomorrow’s crossing to Zealand. We will cross over the
second longest suspension bridge in the world by bus and we need to be at the bus depot early to get four places on the bus with our bikes.
Went to St. Knud’s Cathedral–was Roman Catholic. Very beautiful inside with golden collage of carving over the altar
with hinged panels and paintings on the back. Skeleton of St. Knud and his brother killed at the church altar. We saw several crypts in the basement of
the church and along the side aisles. Some people were having a church meeting in a side room and we could see wine bottles on the table. Pipe organ very
impressive.
We raced to get back to our hostel without getting soaked. Vernon went searching for a store for groceries as there was no restaurant near the hostel.
We cooked pizzas and soup for supper. No glasses or cutlery in kitchen; only cooking pots and utensils. We borrowed cutlery from the hostel dining room.
Got our milk mixed up with someone else’s milk in the refrigerator. In spite of the equipment deficiencies we managed to make a meal but we
didn’t enjoy this kitchen at all.
One of our magnetic room keys went missing and we hunted and hunted for it without success. Later Vernon lifted the mattress of my top bunk to block
the light coming in under the door and the magnetic card fell to the floor when he lifted the mattress. We had a large room with four double bunks so we
all got a bottom bunk. It was a cold day and no heat in the room so I was afraid to wash my hair in case I might catch cold.
Wednesday - July 15 - Odense to Slagelse - sunny, beautiful day.
At breakfast I made a rye crisp for my lunch. Vernon got the bikes out while we finished breakfast. We couldn’t find the bike path and went
part way on the highway (illegal to bike on the side of this traffic road) before we met a fellow cyclist who gave us an escort to the bike path but
then we lost it again for a short distance. We saw a tree on top of a hill like a tiered mound but we couldn’t stop to take a picture as we need
to get to the bus depot to go to Zealand. The tree could be seen a long way off and was on a private farm.
Crossed from Fyn to Zealand on the bus with all our bikes and panniers stored in the covered trailer pulled by the
bus. Talked to a couple from England who were also cycling.
Vernon wanted to get some pictures of the bridge from the Zealand side so we rode out into the country towards the bridge and got
to a horse farm. Matthew and Nathan stayed back but Vernon and I got permission from the worker in the barn to ride up the hill and in so doing we
scattered a large flock of brown ducks. I fed sugar lumps to two horses while Vernon filmed the bridge across a field of wheat that sloped towards
the sea. A beautiful spot.
We stopped for lunch in the small town of Forlev. Vernon ordered two fish orders instead of one as he thought Matthew wanted one
but Matthew had already ordered potatoes and wieners. Nate had a hamburger and I had my rye bread.
At Slagelse we ended up with a two hour wait for the hostel to open. Beside the main hostel building there were some nice
cabins but we were booked into the main building. The man and woman running the place finally arrived and they don’t speak much English
and didn’t make us feel welcome. The woman screamed at Matthew to take his shoes off.
Nate and Vernon had a sleep while Matthew and I rode downtown. I checked out the Imerco store and Matt the sports stores.
We rode home checking out the churches (all locked) and restaurants for supper. Matt, Vernon and I had a shower and then we went to a nearby
Bowling Alley restaurant. They had a nice dining room and we enjoyed a very good supper that was inexpensive. Nate had a burger and fries but
we three had frikadelle. We passed a McDonald’s on our way into town so we decided to go back there for ice-cream as ice-cream at
McDonald’s is much cheaper but we got a little lost and had trouble finding our way but finally found it. It was a chilly evening and
I was wearing shorts and no jacket.
We have decided to change our itinerary and bypass Naestved as it is out of the way. That means we will have to change our
reservations going forward. The Hostel caretakers keep everything locked up and the TV in the vestibule is mounted high on the wall with uncomfortable
chairs to sit on for viewing. The Hostel operators are efficient but unfriendly.
Thursday - July 16 - Slagelse to Ringsted - blue sky in a.m. clouds/sun, no rain.
We ate in a nice sunny breakfast room with table cloths, candles and one paper napkin. The table is very attractive and lots of food. Vern and
I ate and I smuggled out a snack for lunch. Boys arrived late and we left them to eat alone. The woman gave them hell for making sandwiches and
confiscated them and threw the sandwiches in the garbage. The woman wouldn’t let Nathan have another orange juice because she said she was
closing up but the dining room was supposed to be open from 8:00-9:00 p.m. but she opened at 8:05 and closed at 8:45. She watched the boys like a hawk
and blamed them for a spill that someone else had done because they were the only ones in the dining room when she discovered it.
Matt and Nate were very upset when they got back to the room but we told them just to pack up and we’d leave. However, we all had to use the
bathroom one more time. The cleaning staff let me use the ladies but the man and woman yelled at Matthew and Nathan when they tried to use the
men’s bathroom in our corridor. The boys headed for the bathroom at the end of the corridor and were screamed at again and by now they were
really frightened but they finally they figured out that could use the public bathroom near the reception desk on the first floor. They came back to
the room really terrified as they thought the man was going to go berserk.
I decided to have a word with the man when I returned the room key. I told him this was the worst place we had stayed and that we would write a letter
of complaint. He became angry and brought out his rule book and said we had to be out by 9:00 a.m. He got very mad when Vernon asked him if there was
any problem. The man said “No problem!”, gave Vernon the finger, complained about the terrible boys, and said something
about telephoning ahead to Roskilde.
We became alarmed that he might be intending to phone Roskilde Hostel and ask them to cancel our reservation. We talked to another
guest, Anne Paulsen and she said that she and her husband were unhappy too as everything was locked up and there was no place to sit except in the
reception area which was not comfortable or private. Anne suggested we meet in town at the Tourist Bureau and she would ask them
to ‘phone Ringsted and Roskilde to confirm our reservations at those places. Address: Anne and Rasmus
Paulsen, Nødagervej 11, Kolind, Denmark 8560.
We had a very bad feeling when we left the hostel. We stopped at the Tourist Bureau to meet Anne and she said they telephoned
Ringsted and confirmed our reservation. Before we started on our way out of town we stopped to see St. Peder’s Kirke.
It was locked but a man painting the vestibule let us in to look around. The church addition was added in 1100 AD and the church is now in the
shape of a cross. It is plain with a simple altar but still very beautiful. The smaller Danish churches are not ornate but have a beautiful starkness
about them.
We had lunch in Sørø at the food kiosk. After lunch, Vernon made us detour to Bjernede where we
came upon a round church built in 1150-1175 and restored in 1892. It is one of the oldest and most extraordinary of the Danish round churches. It was
partly built of greystone, but was continued in brick as can be seen from both the inside and the great pillars. The huge round pillars obstruct the
view of the altar from the pews. We climbed right to the top of the tower starting on a narrow stone circular staircase and then two more wooden staircases
that went to higher levels to get to the top where we had a good view of the countryside. Vernon stayed outside to film us.
After we left the church we continued along a country road when I spotted a glider and a parachute and alerted Matthew and Vernon. At first we
thought it was an airplane dropping a parachutists. We found our way to the farm field where the gliders were taking off. The gliders were air lifted
by a cable drawn onto a round drum by a stationary motor. Once the glider became airborne, the line was dropped and reeled in by the motorized drum.
A parachute at the end of the line kept the line taut. Several ponies were tethered in the same field at the opposite end of the gliders and we fed them
sugar lumps. A family in a car was also watching but they were very unfriendly and didn’t want to talk to us.
We asked directions at Sigersted to get to the Prince Hagbard’s Hoj burial mound. Sometime in the Bronze
Age (1800 BC) a Danish princess fell in love with a Norwegian prince. Their fathers were at war with each other and the Danes captured the prince and
hanged him. Upon learning this the princess chose to die rather than live without her beloved and they were buried together in the Hoj.
We arrived at Ringsted 3:45 p.m. and the hostel opened at 4:00 p.m. The fellow at the desk said they had not received any ‘phone
calls in the morning which puzzled us because Anne said the Tourist Office ‘phoned them. No activities for the boys here but the lounge room was
open and the guest kitchen has lots of dishes and a big dining room eating area.
The boys watched TV and Vernon and I rode down the street to the Tourist Information where the lady clerk was very helpful
and ‘phoned Roskilde at no charge to get us bed and breakfast accommodation for tomorrow. Vernon went back to the hostel but
I went to the church but it just closed. Hope Vernon will stay until they open tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Walked the town and couldn’t find a
suitable restaurant but there was good kiosk in the town square. Vern met me coming home. We bought drinks and dessert for Vernon and boys at the
take-out food kiosk and we ate in the hostel dining room. To our room after supper to read and write until bedtime.
Friday - July 17 - Ringsted to Roskilde - sunny, no rain.
Breakfast was served from 7:30-8:30. We read some German and Danish newspapers. I ate a big breakfast. Nate and Vernon went to a bike shop to have
broken spoke repaired on Vernon’s bike. Matt and I waited for the town Cathedral to open and while waiting talked to a couple from Norway. Vernon
and Nate back just as the cathedral opened. The Church of St. Bendt was a Benedictine monastery and is the oldest brick church in
Scandinavia. Queen Dagmar and others were buried in the Cathedral from 1182 to 1341. Beautiful wood carvings from New and Old Testaments. Vern took
movies and he was in a hurry to leave as usual. Bike repair cost over 100 kroner.
After we left Ringsted we cycled a long way and the first thing we stopped to see was an excavated funeral barrow in the countryside just outside of
the village of Øm. This passage grave is from the Neolithic age (about 3000 BC) and the burial chamber is about 7 m long built
of fifteen uprights and four capstones. There were candles littered all over the floor and we salvaged a few and got them lit for light. We also burned
paper napkins and toilet paper we had with us for light. A family with four young boys arrived with a torch so that helped. Inside was all big stones
and big stones overhead sized 7’ x 12’ or more. We could stand up on the inside but the door was only three ft. high.
We carried on to the Stone Age and Iron Age Research Village at Lejre. Very good. Lots of mud dwellings with
thatched roofs, low entrances and fire pits inside and benches around walls for sleeping; structures are 1/2 living quarters and 1/2 barn. Wood for
fire is stacked inside, dirt or stone floor and different size huts, some for workers and some for weavers, blacksmith, etc. Stone age demonstration
of scraping hides with flint, there was a pile of flint and some dug out canoes. Axe wood chopping area–hands on stuff for kids. We tasted hot
soup made outdoors in a huge kettle over open fire–pork/bones, carrots, herbs–didn’t kill us. Served in old vessels with old
spoons–soup supposed to have fertility value.
On our way back to our Roskilde route Matthew and I stopped to tour Ledreborg Slot (Palace). It is an impressive
example of 18th Century architecture. Vernon and Nate weren’t interested and agreed to wait down the road. They wouldn’t let us take pictures
inside the palace–only in the basement kitchen and dungeon and outside so Matthew took movies outside back and front. The front had terraced lawns
separated by hedges down one side and up the hill on the other side. There was a canal at the bottom with a water feature and statues up the other side
surrounded by lots of woodlands. Matthew was pleased we and gone to the castle. It is still owner occupied and Matthew tried to imagine what it would be
like to live there. The grandparents had one wing–they had seven beautiful daughters and one daughter lives in the palace with her family. The
private catholic chapel in the palace was two stories high and built of magnificent woods.
Matthew and I got lost trying to find our way back to the gate because we had walked down the path along the terraced lawns and up the hill on the
other side to a big statue and instead of going back the same way we thought we would take a short cut through the woods. This was interesting because
we kept running into more statues but we were a long way from the entrance gate. We finally got to the road by cutting across a field of high grass that
made us hot and made our legs itchy.
We rode on the last 10 km to Roskilde. We met a young girl on a bike and she asked if we needed help and she told us there were
two roads we could take and we took the quiet road. We passed the hostel and Matthew was very upset because Vernon wouldn’t go in to see if
there was a cancellation. We went to the Tourist Office to find out where they had booked us for our bed and breakfast. Once we got to the private
home and the boys saw our rooms they were pleased. They showered and we went back to the center of town to McDonald’s for supper. When we got
back to our home Vernon and I had a tub bath and I did some personal laundry in the tub. Matthew had hiccups and both boys got the giggles. They
made a mess in their room with the sugar when making hot chocolate. We bought a litre of milk at the store for our hot drinks. Vern was very tired.
Very comfortable bed but we did not sleep well.
Bed and Breakfast Aase and Peter Jeppesen, Ph. 4636 7410 , Laerkeveg 12 4000 Roskilde
Saturday - July 18 - Layover day at Roskilde - sun and some heavy rain.
Mrs. Jeppesen served breakfast in the sun room which was attached to one end of the living room. The sun room had two levels: the ground level with
earth beds and planters and a raised level for dining. Grape vines grew from a planter and were loaded with fruit. Åsa set a beautiful table with
circular pink place mats and napkins and lovely china and silver–very posh. Choice of cereals and lots of food and jams. Really enjoyed the ambience
and the food.
Vernon discovered another broken spoke on his bike. We went to two shops before we found a shop that would do the repair–they don’t
normally do repairs on Saturday but the second shop fixed it for 88 kroner and told Vernon he needs a whole new wheel as the spokes will keep breaking
because the wheel is warped from the weight of the packs. We hope the wheel will last till we get back to Canada.
We left all our bikes and panniers at the bike shop while we went on a tour of Roskilde Cathedral. We took the paid tour and it was
worthwhile as the guide explained about the kings and queens buried there. The church was preparing for a wedding so we had to be out by 12 noon.
We didn’t go to the museum.
We enjoyed fast food for lunch and I bought some green grapes in the market but they had no flavor. There was a Saturday market in the town square.
Some stalls had seagull pattern china dinner plates and bon-bon dish but no gold trim like my dishes in Saskatoon. The dishes were probably overpriced
for used items. Don’t know if we are supposed to pay price asked or barter so we didn’t buy anything.
We were hit by a heavy rain as we left town and took shelter to wait it out. While standing under the shelter a man stopped and said if we followed
him he knew where we could get a cheap cup of coffee. We didn’t know what to think about this guy so we told him “no thanks” we had
just had lunch.
We are spending our second night in Roskilde in the Danhostel and it is out of town in the country about 5 km from the center of the
city. When we arrived at the hostel the reception was closed but the hostel waiting room area was open so we hid our panniers behind the sofas in the
lounge. A number of golfers came into the waiting room to dry off and have a drink.
When the rain let up a bit we went back to town to the Viking Ship Museum. We wanted to go on the Viking sailing ship but the
tickets were all sold out so we bought tickets and booked for Sunday. We walked around and looked at the ships, people rowing and sand sculptures.
Got back to the hostel at 2:30 p.m. and waited for registration to open at 4:00 p.m. This is a small place but a new hostel is being built in the town. We
shared a bathroom with the room next to us and the people in that room were sick and throwing up and the bathroom smelled terrible. I used the public
bathroom off the registration desk. Fortunately, the shower was a separate room and we were able to take a shower.
Went to town for supper at “Jensen’s”–first we had to wait for another rain shower to stop. The air is cold.
The restaurant was quite busy and served good food. Nate ordered steak and all the trimmings and gave me his shrimp cocktail. He had a banana
split for dessert. Matthew didn’t like the steak he got as it was tough. Nate had a great steak. Matt and Nate watched TV before bedtime.
Sunday - July 19 - Roskilde to Copenhagen - woke up to rain but some sun later.
When we got up in the morning there was a terrible mess on the rug outside the bathroom and the bathroom stunk (looks like someone puked on the rug)
so we used the public bathroom.
Breakfast was from 7:30 to 8:30 in a room overlooking the golf course. We watched the birds and the rabbits eating grass. Good breakfast–nothing
fancy and there was a sign saying only one bun each. I used Vernon’s to make a sandwich for lunch. We left the hostel with all our packs and went to
the Viking Ship Museum.
Before we went sailing we saw a movie about the discovery of the remains of five ships. The ships are all incomplete but there were models and pictures
of what the full ships would be like. There were stories of the Vikings on the walls. At 11:00 a.m. we went on a Viking sailing and rowing ship in the
harbour with a group of 10-12 people including two guides who operated the ship. We all rowed away from the dock into open water. Those long oars are
a challenge. Then the captain used the sail on the open water. The weather was overcast and cloudy and spitting rain. After our sailing expedition we
looked at the workshops: rope making, blacksmith shop, and archeology.
After we left the museum we stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch on way to Copenhagen. About half way between
Roskilde and Copenhagen Nathan had a flat tire. He had stopped to take off his jacket and when we realized
he wasn’t catching up to us Matthew went back. Nathan was pushing his bike as fast as he could trying to catch up. A cloud burst was
coming so we all took shelter under a highway overpass and Nathan changed his tire tube under the overpass.
The route we were on took us past the Copenhagen zoo and to the Tourist Information and Hard Rock Cafe where the
boys bought T-shirts. Vernon bought a 24 hour Copenhagen Tour Card for each of us. We got cereal and milk at a Seven-Eleven type store
on way to the hostel. The Amager Danhostel registration desk seems to be almost always open as it is such a busy place.
The boys ‘phoned home. Gerard is back working for B.C. Hydro so that is good news. I started doing laundry as soon as we got checked
in–did three loads–passed the time chatting with a Spanish speaking girl from Mexico. We ate supper in the hostel dining room: hamburger
patties with onions, potatoes and gravy for 50 kroner. Drinks were extra.
Monday - July 20 - Copenhagen - not a cloud in the sky.
We made our own breakfast with cereal and milk and then rode our bikes downtown to Magazin store to shop. On the way we took a
different route–right turn at the Radisson Hotel and over a different bridge. We went to Our Savior’s
church with the outside gold spiral staircase–church was started in 1696 but the King ran out of money so it took many years before the church
was finished. The church contains some of the best life size statues of Gabriel, etc., fronting the altar. The organ is supported by white marble elephants
(important animals in Denmark’s history). We will start using the Copenhagen Cards tomorrow and tour the spiral staircase then.
Then we biked to see the Royal Guards marching at Amielborg Palace. The fellas ate at Burger-king and I bought foccacia bread and
pastry at a bakery. We went back to the hostel 2:30 p.m. to shower and rest and then we took a city bus downtown about 5:00 p.m.
First we followed Nathan to the Wax Museum which was very good. Second, he took us to Ripley’s Believe It or Not -
YUCK! Third, he took us to Tivoli Gardens where we were going to spend the afternoon and evening. The boys were hungry so they ate at the
Hard Rock Café that seems to be part of Tivoli. It was very hot and noisy inside and since I wasn’t hungry I waited outside and listened to
a good Jazz Band. We walked around and watched the main stage where performers danced and did an exercise routine. Tivoli gardens is mostly restaurants,
games, rides and other outdoor entertainment. Several bands playing at different locations and free shows were scheduled on the Main Stage. We waited for
the evening show: two acrobatic acts, great mime artist.
Took bus back to Amager Danhostel about 11:30 p.m. It was a cold night and my neck/ear was aching.
Tuesday - July 21 - Copenhagen - sunny and cloudy but no rain.
We rode our bikes downtown to Our Savior’s church spiral tower and walked to the top for a view of the city. Then we went to
the Architect's Museum in an old building along the canal and saw models and residential house plans. Other government buildings in the
area deal with worldwide foreign trade.
Went downtown to the square to find out about touring the porcelain factory. Vern and boys left me there and went to sight see on their own. I took
a bus out to the Danish porcelain factory–it was a long way on the bus and past the planetarium and not far from Fredericksburg
Castle which I wanted to visit but there wasn’t time.
At the factory I bought eight large dinner plates and eight soup bowls in the seagull pattern. They stock many more pieces than I have ever seen
before. The factory only had seconds. I was very careful to select pieces where the flaws were not noticeable. The price of plates was reduced from
335 kroner to 270 kroner each.
I was just in time to take the factory tour and enjoyed seeing the painting room where the ladies were hand painting the china. I was very tired when
the tour ended so I picked up my dishes and got the No. 1 bus downtown and transferred to No. 37 bus to the hostel–it was a very long route and
I was worried that I was on the wrong bus. Arrived at the hostel at 4:15 p.m. Vernon and the boys were there waiting for me.
I had left my bike downtown in the square and was going to go back for it after dropping my dishes off at the hostel. Vernon was tired too but he
offered to go and get my bike–I appreciated that very much. It took him an hour to go to the city by bus and 15 minutes to bike ride back. I made
myself supper using our leftover groceries and the fellas ate in the dining room. It was hot today and Matthew is not feeling well and complains of
allergies. Packed all our packages and panniers to leave in the morning.
Henrik arrived with the beautiful book of the Sejersen family tree and we had a very enjoyable visit. We mentioned we had not been able to find
duct tape for closing our bike boxes. Henrik left and about 10 minutes later returned with two rolls of tape for us. We were so surprised but relieved
to have the tape.
Wednesday - July 22 - Copenhagen to Frankfurt to Vancouver CANADA - cloudy in Denmark.
We loaded up our bikes with all our gear and my heavy dishes. We were worried about rain and Vern’s bike making it to the airport with all the
weight we had but we got there without getting rained on and without Vernon’s bike losing any spokes.
We collected our bike boxes from storage (paid 400 kroner to store the boxes from June 15 to July 22), packed the bikes and I put my helmet in the
bike box rather than wear it on the airplane as I had the dishes to carry. We went to the duty free shops and bought Gamel Dansk, Herring Cherry and
Kirsberry Cherry. Bought more than our limit but customs never checked.
We were served a meal on the airplane on the way to Frankfurt. We had a short stopover in Frankfurt and then we were homeward bound. We have had a
wonderful time but now we are ready to go home. The skies were blue and clear and we had great views of the glaciers and icebergs over Greenland, etc.
Really enjoyed the flight home across the Northwest Territories, Northern Alberta, and down through central B.C.
Nice to meet our family at the airport!!! A very special bike touring trip!
Four hours after returning to Canada, Matthew was roller blading to a rendezvous with Jamie when he fell and broke his arm.
Venron and I were able to stay at the Blue Cross Clinic apartment again.
Thursday - July 23 - Vancouver
After a days rest, Vernon took our bikes over to the Cove Bike shop for a maintenance check under warranty and they replaced his back wheel with
a stronger wheel.
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