Great Danes!

No, we didn't got to Norfolk, Scotland, Finland or the Netherlands - all good guesses and I can see the similarities. We drove to Harwich and took the over-night ferry to to Denmark.

We've explored from Gretten on the far tip of North Jutland - where the Skaggerat's waves from the west crash into to Kattergat's waves from the east and a wind buffeted procession of people walk out to stand on the finger of sand pointing out into the maelstrom . . .

Over many bridges from island to island down to Langeland, almost, but not quite the very south of the country.


The mix of ancient history and tradition and the very height of modern design style is perfectly blended here at Koldinghus, where the old castle has been transformed into a stunning exhilbition space - the current exhibition is about sustainable fashion and 'green' textiles.

For the first part of the holiday we stayed in a hotel in Odense on the island of Funen. This is the old part of the town, with its markets and cobbled streets . . .

On Funen we found sunny harbours and pretty villages, Egeskov castle, the Ladby Viking ship burial and in Brandt's Mill on a rainy morning we discovered exhibitions of stunning creative Scandinavian bookbinding and moodily beautiful landscape photography by Kirsten Klein.


For the second week we had a complete contrast - a little sommerhus in the woods on the shores of Lymfjorden which divides north and mid Jutland. This was the view from the verandah . . .

Dark northern nights with skies spangled with stars; sandy dunes and moors; long pebble beaches - yes there was all that. We visited Skagen (pronounced to rhyme with rain) and saw the beautiful paintings at the Skagans Museum and paid a visit to Silkeborg to see the ancient curled body of Tollund man (the verse in the previous post is from Silkeborg Museum, at the start of the wooden walkway to the building which is now the resting place of Tolland man and Elling woman.)

Beneath the reserved, clean and stylish surface lurks a cheeky sense of humour
. . . was that a monkey? street art to raise a smile in Skive . . .

And what to you think will be in the Resting Garden at Egeskov? "Hammocks that we can lie in" said Cliff . . .

. . . wishes come true, sometimes!

Of course we couldn't not have the harbourside lunch platter . . . mmmm yum!


After two weeks of adventures we had to drive back to the port along the wild dunes on the west caost of Jutland to sail back across the stormy silver North Sea. (Just a bit too choppy for me - oh dear!)



Now, I'm going to break the PPP rule of never appearing on my blog - for the rather momentous reason that

this is my 300th post! Ta-dah!!!!

that calls for a PPP-party
I'll see want I can do ... see you again soon
Celia x

me and Cliff on the top of Koldinghus tower