Hej min venner!
Let me first apologize for not writing anything in 6 weeks (has it been that long really?)! I will endeavour to be more punctual and try to get these out more often. And now that I've said it, I have to do it. Damn.
Denmark is very pro-bicycle. In fact, cycling is encouraged as an alternate means of transportation. There are bike lanes on pretty much every major route and quite a few minor routes as well. Train stations have air pumps, trains have special cars for bikes, cycle stores are choc-a-block and special parking abounds. I can think of at least one major Canadian city that should look to Denmark as an example of how a non-polluting, healthy mode of transport can be integrated into everyday life.
I purchased 'Baby' at the end of April and in May determined that it was a male and not a female as I had at first assumed. Don't ask me how I arrived at this conclusion; get one and ride it for a month. You'll find out.
Baby cost me just over 3700 DKK which works out to about $700 CAD. Cheaper than a car and uses less gas. I've been told that this is an OK price for a new bike (the cheapskate in me was having palpitations when I bought him) and believe me, I've seen much pricier. Once my expenses for the move her have been caught up (very soon) I will start saving for a racing bike for next year's jaunts.
The places I've been ...
What started as an innocent thought (Gosh, what is Charlottenlund like?) has now turned into a weekly obsession. I'm trying to push myself (weather permitting) further each week. Those who know me in Canada can attest to the fact that I was allergic to any form of exercise; cycling has opened new eyes for me. I do this half for exercise and half for tourism. In the photo above, where you see the word Nærum, is a bike path that basically goes through a forest. That's when the itch struck. I did that circle, and then stopped in Lyngby for a latté. A tradition started. Charlottenlund was very pretty by the way.
My favorite place so far ...
Dragør (pronounced Draa-oor) is an adorable town to the south with a marina, museum, fort, shops and quaint homes that come with a high price tag. My Scottish friends and family will know what I mean when I liken it to Luss. I wandered for hours and enjoyed a damn good coffee by the marina.
Another fun bit was riding the bike down there by the airport and a 727 took off over my head. Very trippy.
The hardest ride ever.
When I finally got on the correct road to Roskilde, I spent most of the ride heading against the wind. Don't ever do this. It felt like going up-hill for 45 km. I stopped about 5 km outside of the town and my legs wanted to quit me. "I am not a quitter!" so after 5 minutes I was back on my ride.
Roskilde is the home of the Viking Museum (for kids really, I just wandered about the grounds with a big ice-cream cone <-- no, not a kid), the Roskilde Domkirke (I'm not translating everything) and my friend Christine. The church is the final resting place of many of the Kings and Queens of Denmark and is not shy about mixing art styles, old and new. I skipped coffee here; I deserved a beer and a litre of Tuborg is what I inadvertently ordered. Oh well, I was taking the train back anyway ...
The longest ride ...
This was something I had never attempted. Riding my bike wearing shorts. Hands up, those not related to me, that have seen me in shorts. OK, you three can put your hands down again. But seriously, this was the longest trek and in the blazing sun to boot!
Køge (my closest pronunciation for you would be Kuea with the vowels fading away at the end) saw me sun burnt and exhausted. I again had to stop for 5 just outside of town and watched as my calf muscles involuntarily twitching. I finally parked my bike at the train station and wandered about this town (one building I saw was erected in 1619!) and enjoyed my libation in the town square. The museum there was about Art in Public Places and you could try to find all the outdoor pieces. Very nice! Back at the train station, I went to buy a ticket, saw the price and said "nuh-uh". I rode back to Greve and took the train home from there but only because my skin was burned, the temperature was going down and I was freezing with the sunburn.
A goal achieved ...
I have always wanted to see Helsingør (since I arrived here that is ...) but when I ventured out this morning, this was NOT my destination. I sometimes get easily turned around (ya, find me a strait road in Denmark) and suddenly found myself heading towards the coast again. "Meh, why not?" and up I went. My previous trip up the coast kept me on the roads with the traffic but this time I found a route that followed the train tracks. Riding through forests and fields, this seemed all downhill.
The rain started about 20 minutes outside of town and when I got there I was soaked and freezing. Kaffe time! Most of my destinations seem to have a town square, statue and church bells ringing (I generally travel on Sundays). The people there have always been nice to me (I make my feeble attempts at speaking Danish) and they always say the same thing to me: "Enjoy your stay in Denmark" as if I was on vacation ... teehee ...
The only thing that has been a bit worrying is my knees. Old knees creak when they're tired but I'll discuss this with my doctor on Wednesday.
Næste gang, sprog!
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