Tourist Roskilde

Posted on September 8, 2018 by debbie

We leave our bikes in the shed today and walk Roskilde. We see the Museum of Contemporary Art – weird. We see Ragnarock, a rock and roll museum – not really worth the walk to get there. We see the Roskilde Museum – well done museum but we cruise it as we only have 15 minutes before it closes.

The highlight and best part of the day happens first. The Viking Ship Museum. We arrive down by the water in time for the 11am sailing on a  replica of a Viking fishing boat.

The Viking boat we sailed.

The Viking boat we sailed.

There are 14 guests and 2 instructors. We each have to row and some of the rowers also help set the sail and then jibe. We are all very cooperative and help each other get our long oars into position. Rowing is interesting as some people understand to time strokes with the front rower and some (the lady behind me) just do not grasp it. We keep hitting oars as her rowing is totally out of sync with the rest of us.

Managing the sail in the wind is hard for us inexperienced folk, but the instructor is very calm and we do not overturn the boat. I think his helper guy does a lot that we don’t see in order to keep us on track.

On a Viking ship

On a Viking ship

We sail the inner harbour out into Roskilde Fjord and then row back in. It isn’t too hard although another lady thought it was. Maybe I’m not working hard enough! You know enjoying the experience too much!

On a Viking ship

After we moor, we wander the museum watching some fellows construct another replica boat. It is a long project but they seem content shaping the wood by hand (mostly, we did see a band saw) to form the structure.

Next we see five Viking ships that were found and excavated out of the Roskilde Fjord in 1962. The ships date back to about the 11th century, the end of the Viking Age. They are huge ships, some were war ships and some merchant type ships. It is amazing to see the actual timbers that were used to build the boats.

Viking Ship

Viking boat we sailed.

A great day seeing weird art, the history of rock music and especially Viking Ships. Tomorrow Copenhagen!

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Over the Bridge

Posted on September 7, 2018 by murray

We can’t ride across the bridge that joins Fyn to Sjaelland. It’s not just us, bikes are not allowed on the bridge at all. So in order to avoid a several hundred kilometer detour we hop on a train in Odense and take a bit of a leisurely morning ride to Ringsted. We get off the train and it is raining. So we don our rain gear before setting out. A few kilometers into the ride we doff the gear. Then we have to put it on again. This happens too much in the 45km ride to Roskilde. I seem to be  finding routes that are almost all along country lanes. So, despite the wet, the ride is absolutely pleasant.

Church on the way from Ringsted to Roskilde

Church on the way from Ringsted to Roskilde

Denmark has over 7000km of dedicated bike roads, lanes and paths. There are 11 long distance cycling routes each highlighting different areas of the country. Over the past couple of weeks we have followed bits and pieces of several of the routes. We have done it accidentally but as we progress along our daily path we find we are following the red 6 or the red 1 and it appears over and over. Ya think maybe we had done it on purpose, but we have not.

The first few days of riding we follow Route 7 and Route 8. Route 7 starts at the north tip of Sjaelland Island, the island of Copenhagen, and heads more of less due south ending in Rodbyhavn. Route 8 starts in Rudbol, close to the west coast on the German border traveling more or less on the south edge of Denmark and ends in Mon, the eastern most of the main group of islands. These routes take us through the laid back, touristy world of the country.

Roskilde

The next few days we spend on the ‘wild’ west coast. This is one of the most travelled routes and always gets good reviews. We weave our way on and off Route 1. It starts on the north tip of Jutland in Skagen and ends in Rudbol on the German border. We start very close to the German boarder, joining the route in Hojer and followed more or less 1/2 the route cutting out at Sandervig.

As we travel east across central Jutland. The red numbers disappear for a while.

We then head south and we start to see Route 5. It begins in Skagen and finishes in Sonderborg, traveling more or less along the east coast of Jutland. Our experience with it starts in Aarhus and we leave it behind as we cross the bridge to Middelfart. We did travel a very small section of 5 when we left Sonderborg many days earlier.

Roskilde

Roskilde

Once the red 5 signs disappears from out vision we start to see Route 6 signs. Esbjerg is the gateway of the route that cuts across the middle of the country ending in Copenhagen. We pick it up in Middelfart crisscross it to Odense. As mentioned above we take a train ride to Ringsted but we then pick up the trail and follow it on and off to Roskilde. On Sunday we will travel along parts of the last section of the trail into Copenhagen.

Sometimes the terrain on these National Bike Routes is gruesome. I don’t think road bike friendly. Especially with a loaded bike. Sometimes the riding is off road and OK for touring but not for racing bikes. And I could not figure out how to know this before arriving there past the point of no return. There maybe indications on the detailed maps as to what kind of  terrain each section is but if you are just crossing paths with these route on an ad hoc basis the maps are not really something one would purchase. That said most of the time these routes follow hard surfaced, low traffic roads and the riding is spectacular. They are a good guide line for setting up personalized routes to see the entire country.

Roskilde Domkirke

Roskilde Domkirke

 

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Middelfart to Odense

Posted on September 6, 2018 by debbie

Our ride from Middelfart to Odense takes us through the countryside again. Murray spies small purple flowers on the side of the road and we stop a few times to get that perfect photo. The flowers have “ripped” ends on the petals which makes them Seem so fragile.

Odense, Denmark

We stop at an intersection and we find a huge mushroom. It’s big enough for a meal! Although I don’t know if it is edible.

Odense, Denmark

We arrive in Odense with tired legs but can’t rest as we have stuff to do and see. Train tickets for tomorrow are purchased. There is a long bridge to cross to get back towards Copenhagen and bikes are not allowed on the bridge, so we have to take the train across, thus the tickets.

We find a couple of art galleries we might go in, but one is permanently closed and the other doesn’t interest us, so we pass. Then we go in search of a battery for my bike computer, find it after some hunting. Next, groceries for our breakfast and lunch.

Our next stop is Hans Christian Anderson’s house. A small yellow corner house is where all those tales were written.

Hans Christian Anderson's House

Hans Christian Anderson’s House

We have a date tonight with M, T, C and S, my cousin’s daughter and her husband and children and G, T’s nephew. We spend a few hours catching up on the family news, sharing stories and comparing Denmark to Canada. T has made a delicious pasta with Danish blue cheese sauce. Yum! We reluctantly say goodnight and head for our hotel and beds as we do have a train to catch in the morning.

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A Gruesome Day on the Bike

Posted on September 5, 2018 by debbie

We start today’s ride in the fog. A fog so thick we cannot see more than a block away. Once out of Horsens, it almost feels like we are in a horror movie.

Fog outside Horsens

Fog outside Horsens

The fog eventually burns off and we have bright blue skies and sun. Murray laid our route to Middelfart and tried to keep us off the highways. We ride through the countryside and the terrain becomes quite rolling. It seems we hardly ever ride on flat terrain, we go either up slow as snails or down zooming.

Bjerre Molle (Bjerre Mill)

Bjerre Molle (Bjerre Mill)

A highlight of the day is the Bjerre Mill. It was built in 1860 and is the only preserved tiled windmill in Denmark. We have seen other windmills but they have had wooden sides, not tiled ones.

As we approach Vejle, we miss a turn and ride down a steep hill next to a combined school, boarding school and college. At the bottom, we chat with a fellow who teaches there who helps us to get unlost. Unfortunately, we have to ride back up the hill. It is long and Murray figures it is over 10% grade. Little did we know that will not be the first steep hill we will encounter on the rest of our ride.

Near Vejle, Denmark

Near Vejle

We are once again on our way and soon find ourselves on a gravel trail riding through a forested park. At one point we have to push our bikes up a hill and down the other side as it is too steep to ride. Then we come across a short, steep and loose gravelly pitch. Murray manages to ride up it. I get half way up, spin out my back tire, ride all over the place emitting this primal scream, get up the pitch and end up in the green stuff. Somehow I stay upright and get my foot out of the pedal clip, ditch my bike and have a good cry.

We eventually find the pavement and once again are subjected to a long steep climb. We ride through Vejle and marvel at the architecture. The photo below is a new residential complex. I would live there!

Bolgen (The Wave), Vejle

Bolgen (The Wave), Vejle

Getting out of Vejle, we are again climbing a long steep grade. This one is +10% and is about a km long. At the top, we stop for a much deserved treat and to share a Coke.

We ride the highway to Middelfart (mostly in a bike lane) and the terrain is still rolling and the ups are long and the downs are fast. We reach Middelfart and fate has one more long steep climb waiting for us, which we spin slowly up. Well, to be truthfull, I spin slowly up it going about 7 kph, whereas Murray does a much better job and has to wait for me at the top.

Middelfart, Denmark

Middelfart

We are now ensconced in our lovely B&B after eating large amounts of yummy pasta. I do not plan to get off my bed till morning when my legs have to get me to Odense.

Middelfart, Denmark

Middelfart

 

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Aarhus to Horsens

Posted on September 4, 2018 by murray

We leave Aarhus in bicycle rush hour. For the most part we are going against the flow so things are not too bad but there are still a few folks rushing to work or school headed in our direction. It is a bit unnerving as the folks pass without any warning whatsoever. No bell, no ‘passing on the left’, no youhoo, no nothin’, just whoosh very close by.

Considering this is a society of bike riders there are few that I would call good riders. Their bikes are not set up properly, they don’t ride a particularly straight line and they do not spin. They push a very big gear, whiz by on the down hills turning over the pedals at about 30 rpm, the do OK on the flats but when they climb they slow to a crawl. I can catch and pass them on a hill and I have 4 loaded panniers. Still they are out there and I’m quite sure most of them do not own a car.

On the road from Aarhus to Horsens

On the road from Aarhus to Horsens

We have, over the last couple of weeks, stopped at variety of different lunch spots. A church/grave yard, a gravel entrance way to a farm, a highway rest stop complete with a picnic table and a flush WC, a random bench in a town adjacent to the highway, today we manage to find a particularly pleasant setting in a park that actually had a picnic bench. We mostly stop because we are hungry and it makes little difference where, we do try to find nice places but even the side of a gravel road is interesting.

There are more smokers and vapers here than in Canada. I have decided it is all about the image. Watching people at some sheesha pipes yesterday and puffing on vaporizers or cigarettes as we travel about I notice most of them don’t inhale, maybe it is by choice but I think it is the perception it is cool to puff that drives their indulgence. In Canada I think it is made clear to the young, it is not cool to smoke and it seems to be working.

I think we have found the hilly part of Denmark. Today is up and down and up and down. The elevations are not high and the inclines are not steep but they are up, and we crawl up and then fly down. After we get out of Aarhus we ride the backcountry roads, nice asphalt, and little traffic. We mosey through little village and past farmland. The farms are still big but the villages are small again. Sometimes 20 or so houses. Great ride today.

Horsens

Horsens

We finish in Horsens. Debbie notes right away this is a very ‘ordinary’ town. Real life in Denmark. There are few tourists here. The place is so ordinary it is not even mentioned in the Lonely Planet. Yet it is not a half bad stop, the downtown is vibrant, crowded pedestrian streets, loads of shops, restaurants, and cafes.

Horsens' Bike Racks

Horsens’ Bike Racks

We did score a great room for the night. It is a B&B, with no breakfast of course, but it is an entire suite. Nice bedroom, living/seating area, our own bathroom and a complete kitchen, oddly without a sink????. We have stayed in a variety of places along the way. A couple of Danhostels. They are pretty spartan places that charge for the use of bedding, but they are private rooms with ensuites. We opted for a couple of different hotels, regular type hotels, they are more expensive than the hostels and the B&B’s and frankly are much like hotels at home, nothing special. The smaller hotels we have been in are much more to my liking and hit a mid range between the regular hotels and the B&B’s. The B&B’s we have utilized are by far the best deal. Most of the time they are with shared bathroom but we have been the only guests so we have private facilities and the cost is good, somewhere between 400 and 550 DKK (about $100 CAD) per night.

Horsens

Horsens

Tomorrow we will probably leave around bike rush hour again but the city is not nearly as big as Aarhus so it should be a little less harried. Our destination the famous town of Middelfart. No joke.

Horsens

Horsens

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Walking Aarhus

Posted on September 3, 2018 by murray

Today is city time. Haven’t been in a big city since we left Copenhagen 2 1/2 weeks ago. Aarhus is not really that big in population, 315,000 but it is real busy. There are crowds on the streets. The downtown is packed. Not a lot of car traffic really but tons of pedestrians and loads of bikes.

Aarhus

We just wander the streets and look at the sights. We do have a couple of objectives. First is the new bibliotek. A huge new building on the water front, called Dokk1. I’m guessing it is land reclaimed from the port and put to use as a public space. Thus Dock. It is more than a library. There is the Tourist Info Centre there and the city registry occupies part of the main floor. The library is very spacious with at least 1/2 the space set up for electronics. Carrels are all wired, there is electrical access in all the seating areas and there are public use computers everywhere. The entire second floor is a kids’ world. Beyond the book and CD/DVD sections there are play rooms, kitchenette, change rooms and quiet spaces. Very impressive.

Next stop is a place called, Aarhus Street Food. It was in the Lonely Planet book with a star beside it so we go there for lunch. An old warehouse type building that has been turned into a food fair. Shipping containers have be converted into food kiosks and we wander about deciding what we should eat. It is not fancy but the food is cheap and the selection is diverse.

Aarhus

We are on the street again just after 12 and the masses are wandering in search of something to eat. Live music echos from this street corner or that and we are serenaded all the way back to the hotel.

Aarhus

It is not warm here, in fact it is chilly even for us from the northern climes but the folks here seem to be hardy. They are out and about, they are sitting in the outdoor cafes and every corner has an establishment serving beer with outdoor seating. There are make shift venues under tents all serving beer, of course, and live music as entertainment.

Aarhus

It may be because the living quarters here are small and people use the outdoors as an extension to their homes but this place is a lot busier than home with only 1/3 the people. Density may also be a factor. When the travel distance is not far it is easy to utilize the public spaces. Although Edmonton has it moments, it would be amazing to see the citizens utilize the outdoors and create a vibrant living place such as the Europeans do.

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Aarhus and Art

Posted on September 2, 2018 by debbie

We must be getting better at this riding and navigating thing because we ride 50 km in just under 4 hours and are in Aarhus in time for lunch.

The beginning and middle of the ride is pleasant, through a nature reserve on a bike path and down non busy side roads. We have to ride beside the main highway on a bike path coming into Aarhus, so it is noisy with the vehicles rushing by. We find the hotel with only one wrong turn. Pretty good!

Our purpose for coming to Aarhus is the ARoS Museum, an art gallery.  It is a tallish building with a rainbow walkway on top. We can see it blocks away. Our first stop in the gallery is, of course, the Rainbow Panorama.

ARoS Museum's Rainbow Panorama

ARoS Museum’s Rainbow Panorama

ARoS Museum's Rainbow Panorama

ARoS Museum’s Rainbow Panorama

ARoSMuseum's Rainbow Panorama

Inside looking out

There are six floors of art, ranging from expressionism to modern to just plain weird. We cruise through the galleries expanding our minds and looking for that one piece that grabs us and makes us stop and stand still in awe.

Being Sunday in Aarhus, there is a lot going on outside. There is a festival happening just outside the ARoS so we go sit for abit to rest my feet. Families and friends are all out enjoying the warm weather, food, beer and company.

Clock Tower in Aarhus

Clock Tower in Aarhus

We explore the streets and get slightly lost but a few turns heads us back to the large church that is near our hotel. We have another day in Aarhus to explore the city, so we return to our hotel for a break before supper. I wonder what we will find tomorrow.

 

 

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Silkeborg

Posted on September 1, 2018 by debbie

We tour the Silkeborg Lake Region this morning. It is a gentle boat ride through canals and across lakes for an hour to reach Himmelbjerget. There are swans and ducks paddling the waters. Houses, both old and modern, border the lakes, each with its own motor boat moored in front, just like cars on a street.

Silkeborg

There are boaters, canoers, kayakers and rowers plying the lakes, out for exercise or a tour. The reeds and trees along the shore are lush and healthy.

Silkeborg

We pass many moorages with many boats, motor boats and sail boats. Summer’s hot weather must bring the crowds to this region to enjoy the water.

Silkeborg

Once at our destination, we climb to the Himmelbjerget, the fourth highest MOUNTAIN in Denmark. It rises a grand total of 147 m above sea level. We eat our meager lunch on a bench enjoying the vista, watching the boats travel the lake and the wind turbines spin in the far distance.

View from Himmelbjerget

View from Himmelbjerget

On our return journey to Silkeborg we ride in the Hjejlen, the “world’s oldest coal fired paddle steamer” which has been operating in this area since 1861.

Hjejlen

Hjejlen

She is a grand lady even if she belches a bit of black smoke. We sit up front chatting with a couple of ladies and snapping photos.

Hjejlen

Hjejlen

We have the captain of the boat drop us off at the stop near the Museum Jorn, a museum dedicated to showing the works of Asger  Jorn, a famous Danish artist. We wander the museum looking at his works and influences and the other exhibits. I do find his works very dark, both in the colours he uses and his themes. Not something for our living room.

By this time, I am tired and we go back to the hostel for a short rest. Gotta be ready to ride into Aarhus tomorrow.

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Ride into a Crowd

Posted on August 31, 2018 by murray

Silkeborg is a popular destination at the best of times but this weekend, the weekend we are passing through, there happens to be a big golf tournament in town. ‘Made in Denmark’ is a professional golf tournament put on by some rich Danish dude. This year it is in Silkeborg.

A rest stop on the way to Silkeborg

A rest stop on the way to Silkeborg

The ride from Herning to here was rather uneventful. Some how I mapped the first 16km on a bike path adjacent to a highway. It was efficient but that is all I can say about it. At km 16 we turn a bit north and into the hinterland along much less traveled roads and again the ride is pleasant. Around Funder Kirkeby the roads become country lanes and we proceed at a pedestrian pace trying to take in countryside.

Church Bells at Funder Kirkby

Church Bells at Funder Kirkby

As we ride east across Jutland father north than the line we road in a westerly direction, there are a couple of differences. The terrain is far more rollie. The elevation changes are not great but we are almost constantly going up or down. The farms are way bigger. I mentioned before how close together the farm houses were. Here the distance between each homestead is closer to the Canadian prairies. The villages, towns and cities are larger. Still not big, but bigger than the communities in the south.

Denmark in general is a tidy place. There is very little garbage blowing about, the yards and farms are devoid of junk, and there are very few derelict buildings anywhere. The upkeep of property is taken very seriously. Also the upkeep of cemeteries is a tradition and they are immaculate.

Silkeborg

Train bridge in Silkeborg

A few other random thoughts. The dogs here are very well trained. We have have ridden passed many people walking their dogs and not one of the animals has jumped at us or even pulled on the leash. To date we have not seen one dog roving out on the road chasing cars or bikes, not one.

B&B in Denmark is short for bed and breakfast, only thing is, even though it is implied, breakfast is not included. Robo lawn mowers are THE thing here. I have seen a few rid’em mowers but for the most part people cut the lawn with no human intervention. I am buying one as soon as I get back home. The wind is constant here and as best I can make it can be as strong as the winds around Lethbridge. Wind power seems to be the eco power of choice. Although there are very few of the old variety of windmills left, and I have yet to see an operating one, while traversing the country side one is never out of site of the 21st century variety of wind turbines.

Silkeborg

Fountain in Silkeborg

Last but by far not least I found the craziest machine today. It is for returning recyclable cans and bottles. It works like this. There is a small hole in the front of this machine. You place your can in the hole onto a conveyor. Then as the can progress along the conveyor a scanner figures out what kind of container has been presented for return. Once the type of container has been determined a paddle swings out at the appropriate exit point and the can is deflected into the correct bin. After waiting to see if any more cans or bottles are to be presented the machine spits out a chit worth the value of how many containers you have returned. You can go into the store and trade the chit for cash or use it against merchandise you care to purchase. This gizmo was so amazing I had to drink another Coke and get Debbie to come and witness the process.

Tomorrow is a day off the bike. We will play tourist in a tourist destination. We have already booked our voyage aboard the oldest working paddle-wheel steamboat in the world. It is a coal fired paddle steamer built in 1861. There is also a good art gallery here we should take in. Ta ta.

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Carl-Henning Pedersen

Posted on August 30, 2018 by debbie
Ribe Cathedral

Ribe Cathedral

A few days ago, we were in Ribe, the oldest city in Denmark, and visited the very old cathedral in the main square. The mosaics, stained glass windows and frescoes inside the church were modern and quite different than the usual religious themes. They were colourful, bright, slightly fantasy like.

Ribe Cathedral

Ribe Cathedral

In Ribe we stayed at a B&B belonging to Kamma Franch, a very nice, but reserved lady. The room, kitchen and bathroom were in an old house on a small street right off the main pedestrian walk.

Kamma Franch B&B

Kamma Franch B&B

Today, after arriving in Herning, Murray and I go to the CHP Musuem, a permanent showing of art by Carl-Henning Pederson. He was one of Denmark’s leading artists. Birds played an integral part in his paintings he created.

CHP Museum

CHP Museum

We walk into one of the galleries and there is a large photo of an altar with mosaics and frescoes and I realized they are of the cathedral in Ribe.   Then we see the mockups of the stained glass windows and those are also from Ribe. Cool! It looks like he did the artwork in the Cathedral.

We sit down to watch a short movie that talks about the work on the Cathedral and there is a lady on the screen talking about Pedersen, who stayed at her farm while working on the project. The lady is Kamma Franch, whose B&B we stayed in. WOW! She spoke very highly of the artist, who was about 70 at that time. She has one of his paintings, dedicated to her and her husband, in her living room.

We get a very funny feeling watching a video of one of Denmark’s famous artists and look up to see one of the integral characters in the video is someone we met on our journey a few days ago. It’s strange how the paths of life intertwine.

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