We left our lodgings nice and early, and literally rolled down the hill to the ferry terminal a km or so away.
Check in started maybe 15 minutes later, and we then went to the bicycle/motorbike lane and waited.
Once the gates were opened to the ferry, we were the very first on, riding to the very end of the cargo hold, lower level.
We are very impressed with Colour Line (same ferry company we used from Sweden to Norway). The cargo vehicle area is as whistle clean as I think any such area could be.
We make our way up to wait for breakfast to,commence, as I had prepaid for the buffet.
Once open, we enjoyed a selection from an incredible array and quality of food available.
When we finished, we hurriedly cleared out as the mass of people in the area around the food was overwhelming,
We went to the bar, of all places, as it was quieter. There were people drinking beer and wine already. Always amazes me as to why they think beer at 8.30 am and I think coffee!
We had some nice views as we departed from Kristiansand.
I like this one. I’m calling it my farewell Norway picture as it was the last island. Norway was very good to us, and I did feel a bit sad.
More adventures are ahead, and I try not to look back.
We did a ‘where are we’ check and it also shows our route.
After 3 hours 15 minutes, we arrive in Denmark.
We go down to our familiar position, by our bikes, amongst the big vehicles. You do feel quite vulnerable there. All the drivers are in their vehicles, but we stand there hearing the very loud noises directly.
We are off first, ahead of the vehicles. It is good when they hold the vehicles so we can exit safely.
It is a fine day in northern Denmark, as we exit the port of Hirtshalls.
This is the route we then followed for what was a half day of riding, 59 km.
We followed a series of wonderfully marked cycle trails and paths today. We also noted series of walks that were also seemingly well marked.
There was a mixture of sealed and dirt.
I probably should add bumpy raised boardwalks too (second photo, right hand side).
Lovely small river we followed, that drained out to the coast, not far away.
There were lovely green forests, reminding us of Poland and all the trails we followed there.
There were interesting thatched buildings and a windmill.
The lands were open and flat, with sand dunes on the coastal side.
We stopped at a clearing off the track where we found this shelter. You can sleep in these shelters. They are a great idea and I imagine not a significant construction cost either.
Tables, fire pit, and we spied another structure a little further away that we think was a long drop toilet.
The sealed paths were like this, weaving around forest.
We made good progress and arrived in Skagen, our destination, but rode through and out, as we were heading to the northern tip of Denmark.
This is Denmark’s second tallest lighthouse, Det Gra Fyr. 210 steps, or 46 metres in height. From a distance I thought it was concrete, but in fact, it is brick. It was built in 1858.
We rode as far as is possible to the north of Denmark, Grenen.
It is a tourism hotspot, busy carpark and souvenir shops, restaurant and walks.
It is apparently one of Denmark’s biggest tourist attractions with over a million people a year visiting.
There is a 3 km return walk along the sand spit to the very true north.
Tony climbed to the viewing vantage point, whilst I babysat our bikes.
As well as the sand tip, there are also relics from WWII. We had ridden past many concealed bunkers earlier, with only the door showing. These were all constructed by the Germans.
Many ships are anchored off shore waiting for their loads and berth slot.
Looking back towards the lighthouse.
It was only a 3.5 km ride back into Skagen and our accomodation. We are staying in a guesthouse that was a former farm. Our room is a former stable.
Skagen is a really nice town. We wandered through and down to the marina area where we found dinner at a fish restaurant in one of the old buildings.
We noted three very large fishing boats, same size and build. They must pillage the seas dreadfully.
Tony told me that he talked to Magnus (the guy from Klåverön Island accomodation who did a boat transfer for us) that fishing in that area used to be excellent. However, large fishing boats had totally scoured the area, and now it was poor. 😢
Many people do not like fish farms, but I am not sure that ransacking our seas is the answer either.
We liked this large statue, with knitted fish dangling!
I laughed at this sign, only as I liked the words, and reminded me of our dog Khaleesi that we miss.
This is another statue we found. I think he won his bout.
We have gone from white buildings in Norway to yellow with red rooves here. It is quite striking.
Skagen Kirke was built here after the severe problems Skagen experienced in the 18th century with sand drift. In 1795 the former church was covered in sand and was abandoned.
This newer church was built in 1841. You can visit the sand covered church some 2 km away.
The church has extensive lawns, and features a large robotic lawnmower. I’ve not mentioned these previously, but particularly in Sweden, these were in many gardens working away diligently.
They were as ubiquitous as the Volvo car in the driveway.
It is hard to miss this ‘feature’ near our accomodation. We wondered about it riding in earlier, we wondered about it again as we walked back.
Nothing on the maps, and we thought it looked like a hand grenade on a lighthouse base.
As we returned, one of the owners was wandering around, greeting guests sitting outside. I asked him what it was. He sighed and said, ‘artwork apparently’ but locals also think it looks like an oversized hand grenade. It is located within the property of a power plant.
He told us about the history of the farm and the conversion, pointing out the buggy they had restored.
It’s been a lovely day back here in Denmark. We look forward to more cycling adventures tomorrow.
Thankyou for reading 😊❣️🚴💪
yakkablog 