So it finally has happened. Today the 1st of june 2018 I found my journal from my vacation to Denmark. Let’s see what came on my path!
Day 1 – From Groningen to Apen
On monday I set off on this journey by bike. The first day went to camping Nordloh in Apen. There was one thing that bothered me. I had planned this route all around Denmark, made a gpx file out of it, which was now loaded on my Garmin.
The only thing I was lacking was a physical map. What I noticed was that the Garmin doesn’t give you that big overview. So that was what I got before setting off around noon.
I cycled through the landscape in Groningen, even running into some of my cycling friends.
For this journey I had a 5meter long cycling lock. You don’t want to lose your bike during your cycling holidays. The first day was one of trial and error is what I noticed with the lock. Before finding the correct way to tie it to the back it went rubbing onto my tire about 4 times.
105 km’s led me to the first campsite. The camping has it’s own little lake, a welcome luxury after this hot first day. So I went for a swim and for the evening settled in their little cafe with some Krombacher beer and a Stephen King novel.
Day 2 – From Apen to Bad Bederkesa
The start of the day was at the Lidl for food and then biking another 110 kilometers. These kilometers were sadly all with the wind in my face.
Always when I’m cycling I stop once in a while to inspect the screen of the Garmin. Zooming out and in, checking the environment. Today everybody was helpful and nice, always checking to see if I was not lost.
After Bremerhaven with the ferry I got some good quality directions from a German lady and at about 17.30 I arrived at my destination. The Regenbogen camping in Bad Bederseka.
The reception was closed, the phone line was disconnected, wel lovely. Deflated I went to the restaurant next to the campsite. There were some locals that told me to just put up the tent and it all would be fine in the morning.
Day 3: rest in Bad Bederkesa
During my first 2 cyclingholidays I learned to plan an adequate amount of rest days. This day was all about reading the rest of my book.
Day 4: Bad Bederkesa to Tellingstedt
One last day of Germany. The most notable was one of my planned roads. Cars were flying by, it all seemed very dangerous.
I decided to take an alternative route. I think a part of it was private property. It had a big barrier which I was stood in front, thinking: over or under?
‘Bleiben sie stehen!’ Uh oh. But there wasn’t anything wrong, they just opened up the barrier for me :).
In Tellingstedt there was a communcal camping, with a stay for just 5 euros. I could pitch my tent next to the open air pool. These are the most interesting campsites, the communal ones. (And sometimes very boring).
The weather was nice. After starting in the next book, the Bone Collector, it was time to go out for pizza. I deserved it!
Day 5: From Tellingstedt to Abenraa
Denmark! I’ve made it!
The first part of the day took terribly long. Lot’s of grinding and gravel. My own fault, trusting GoogleMaps it’s definition of cycling roads. There wasn’t really an option to turn another way. Evetually I ended up in the middle of fields with really high grass, up to my knees. According to my Garmin there was a path. According to the signs on the ‘road’ there was a horsypath.
Ok.
Let’s get connected with nature. This path ended at a bridge, which was more like half of a bridge. You can see that on the first picture below.
Eventually I ended up in the real world, at the Lidl. Where a kind elderly man told me that if he still were any younger he would have accompagnied me for part of the road, as a guide.
In Denmark I rode a part along a big road to Flensburg, getting some speed in the legs. In the evening I arrived at the in Abenraa.
This was a really nice camping with great facilities. In the evening I went for my standard lidl shopping spree and a nice stroll along the coast.
Day 6: Rest day in Abenraa
It’s a bit boring, but the rest day consisted of a whole lot of nothing.
I was sitting in the public space of the campsite, reading, when I got interviewed by a Danish touristguide. She really liked to know my experience up untill know.
Very nice, but I miss my internet. I had been without it for 5 days. That’s when she brought me the biggest excitement of the day: the wificode.s
Day 7: Abenraa to Jelling
Climbingwise this was the last hilly day. Not a punishment really with the pretty scenery all around me.
The only bad thing to happen was my flat tire.
Now I have really arrived in Denmark, because everything is getting more expensive. The prices of the campsites are no joke compared to Dutch standards.
Day 8: Jelling to Silkeborg
This was really a short day, just 75km to the next camping. The Skyttehusets camping. On the way I bought some groceries at a little cute store (Dagli Brugsen). Groceries in the middle of nowhere.
It’s really a family fun experience camping. You could canoe and everything. I ended up… reading with some Carlsberg beer in my hand.
Day 9: Silkeborg
I read about a ferry which could bring you to the other side of the river. Supposedly a service of the campsite. (I don’t consider it a service, because I had to pay for it, at the end of my stay at the campsite).
They brought me and my bicycle to the other site, from where it was 5kms to the city centre.
At the touristoffice I bought a cycling guide of Denmark and some knickknacks for the people at home. From there I went to a bikeshope, for a new tire. From there on a trip to the museum and back to the campsite.
The campsite is where the adventure began. Next to the campsite was the Himmelbjerget. The highest point of Denmark. Sure you can go there by bike, even by racing bike.
No.. you can not. It was really a mtbtroute, which I am not sure I would have been able to ride on my mtb. It was a great adventure. Most of the time I carried my bike like during a cyclocross race.
Day 10: From Sillkeborg to Arhus
Just 50kms before settling down again at camping Blommehaven in Arhus. I really was feeling rested and strong. A whole different story then in france and the NL’s when I almost didn’t have any rest days.
The campsite was at sea. Lovely to swim in.
Day 11:From Arhus to Ebeltoft
This was the day I realised an error in my planning. In Ebeltoft the director of the campsite asked me about my plans. That was the moment I realised that to take the boat, you need a reservation… Sometimes the boat doesn’t even go, based on the season.
He helped me book a ticket for the boat at 15:00!
At the start of the day I had skipped an originally planned part of the route, I was really glad for it, because my schedule was getting messed up.
Day 12: Ebeltoft to Kirkesaby
This morning I had some time to kill. The boat was leaving at 3. I went to the Fakta in Ebeltoft and later a picknick with a view.
At the picknicktable I had a memorable moment. An elderly couple, with almost no english skills were asking me about my trip. She told me to go to Norway. She is from Norway and says it’s worth the trip.
The best part was that she told me about how they have been coming to this picknickplace for 12 years, because it is their spot.
After the picknick I went to the boat. There I met 2 dutch men on a trip by motorcycle. They were going to Copenhagen via Roskilde, because of the Vikingmuseum. This was the moment I’ve thrown out the originally planned route.
I want to go to the viking museum!
I had to make up time, the boat arrived at 1645, which meant I barely arrived before 2000 on a campsite in Kirke Saby. Exhausted.
Day 13: Kirkesaby to Copenhagen
I woke up exhausted, I took my time packing, pff I just wanna sleep.
After 15k I was at the vikingmuseum. The receptionist was nice enough to let me stow the bags under her desk. It was really nice, to do some official sightseeing.
It did start to rain. Just warm rain. I decided to take the ‘boring’ cyclepath next to the motorway. And then its always really cool to cycle into such a big city.
The campsite was a temporary one, just for the summer. It gave me Lowlandsvibes, with the temporary toilets and everything.
After pitching up the tent I walked to the central station, making sure to get a trainticket, for the journey back home.They were closed.
My new neighbour on the campsite had left with me no personal space. He was from North Korea, by motorcycle and had been travelling for 2 months.
Day 14: Copenhagen
Day 14, Copenhagenday.
I wasn’t really feeling it. Cities jugh, I want nature, I am tired! But I was sure to regret it, if I didnt go explore the city.
First things first, train ticket. The woman at the desk was getting really nervous. Denmark to the Netherlands is way to difficult. I can get you a ticket to Hamburg, from there youll have to see for yourself.
After getting the ticket I made my own tour around the city. Starting at the tourist office. From there to the Carlsbeck Glyptotek, a really nice museum with sculptures. After going through almost half of it a security guard came to me about my backpack.
Next stop was Nyhaven, the little harbour with all the colourfull houses. You had people painting with water colours, a violinist playing Pachelbels Canon in D.
From the harbour to a fountain and then the Little Mermaid. Encircled by tourists.
After buying a painting of the little mermaid I really had to run towards the National Gallery, which was going to close at 17;00. And I was exhausted, running to the city, trying to make it in time.
The museum was worth it, lots of modern art, which I like.
The day ended with just about 105 Kronen in my pocket and a really nice Tivoli Gardens to see. There I bought a souvenir for my mom, from special NASA glass.
Day 15, the journey home
At about 00:00 the weather turned really bad. It made me nervous, how am I going to pack my tent? When the aire cleared up at 1 in the night I decided to just pack everything up. You never know.
I arrived at the central station at about half past 2. Just when the CS was closing for cleaning between 2:30 and 4:30. This left me in the quite scary open air, meaning with some bums/junkies who I didn’t want to get close to.
At the taxipoint some students were waiting, it was fine if I was going to sit with them.
It was a strange night, with strange people. Someone getting mad at me, getting defended by someone from Polen, who was creepy in his own way.
I promised to call him when I got home. Yep, sure.
The train to Hamburg was easy. In Hamburg I hurried to get a ticket. The printer broke, which made it all very very tight. Running with my bike from one side of the station to another. Up and down, over the stairs.
At 1345 I arrived in Hamburg and at 1415 I sprinted intoa train, that was just about to leave.
