July 11: Delightful Day in Denmark
What a delightful day in Denmark! Today’s ride from the ferry terminal in Hirtshals to the small coastal town of Skagen took me to one natural wonder after another – from Denmark’s largest shifting sand dune to this country’s most northern point, where two different seas meet but do not mix. Read more of the details here.
Disembarking from the Smryil ferry this morning, I headed east towards Rabjerg Mile, a migrating coastal dune between Frederickshavn and Skagen. This large stretch of sand with undulating 40-meter-high hills contains a total of 4 million cubic meters of sand and apparently moves up to 18 meters a year.
After spending some time hiking among the dunes, I also traveled to the nearby “Sand- Covered Church,” a late 14th century church dedicated to Saint Lawrence of Rome that was partially buried by sand from the nearby dunes in the last half of the 18th century. Because the congregation had to dig out the entrance each time a service was to be held, the church was eventually abandoned in 1795.
From the church I headed to Grenen, Denmark’s most northern point and the spot where two seas meet. Just after the little town of Skagen, I was able to park the bike and then walk about a mile to a small spit formation where I could see the North Sea to my left and the Baltic Sea to my right. Because the two seas are of different densities you can see the waves from one crashing into the waves of the other, but they do not merge.
Apparently, Denmark is one of the happies countries in the world, a fact that was readily evident to me as a puttered from one beautiful landmark to another. Children frolicked in the sand, families bicycled everywhere together, and everyone wanted to know how I got my motorcycle to Denmark from Oregon. One little girl asked if she could sit on my bike, and I happily agreed.
One charming aspect of the little side streets was the signage directing motorists how to drive. The narrow road had two dotted white lines, one on each side but none in the middle. When traffic is traveling in one direction only, cars are to place themselves in the middle of the road. However, when two-way traffic occurs, each vehicle straddles a white line. Although it seemed rather haphazard at first glance, I can see how the set up allows bicyclists to use a significant part of the lane when traffic is just present going one direction.
The day couldn’t have ended better as my lunch in Skagen was my second-best meal of the trip. After walking along the beach, I rode over to the little harbor to eat at Fiskerestaurant, a fresh seafood eatery with a colorful red roof. My fish of the day lunch special included a generous portion of a deliciously moist and flaky baked white fish smothered in a creamy sauce and accompanied by a variety of fresh vegetables. The homemade bread roll and butter were perfect for sopping up every last drop of sauce. Wow!
