Day 29, Monday, August 13th: Søby – Kirkeby (Funen)
Weather: sun till 3 o’clock then cloudy
Kilometres cycled: 55
Route:
Regional route nr. 91 / regional route nr. 55
Bike: Søby, Leby, Bregninge, Tranderup, Stokkeby, Ærøskøbing
Ferry: Ærøskøbing – Svendborg (Funen)
Bike: Svendborg, Skovsbo, Nielstrup, Kirkeby
In contrast to yesterday, the route is now less hilly. I think that this side of the island is less beautiful.
By ferry from Ærø to Funen
Arrival in Svendborg
Day 30, Tuesday, August 14th: Kirkeby – Odense – Millinge
Weather: sunny, a little cloudy at times
Kilometres cycled: 90
Route:
Regionals routes 55 and 65
Kirkeby, Stenstrup, Hundtofte, Ringe, Pedestrup, Årslev, Høkby, Odense, Dalum, Sankt Clemens, Fangel, Vejle Brobyværk, Håstrup, Millinge
Funen (Fyn in Danish) “The Garden of Denmark” is Denmark’s biggest island after Sjælland. It is separated from Sjælland by the Big Belt and from Jutland by the Little Belt. Nowadays, Funen is connected to Jutland and Sjælland by bridges and tunnels. The most important town of Funen is Odense.
Its coast is 1100 km. Long. Wild in the north, one sandy beach after another in the east, ports in the south, and the west lonely and almost desolate.
Famous people born on Funen are the fairy-tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen (1805) and the composer, Carl Nielsen (1865).
Little islands with magical villages and harbours, remote beaches, a mild climate: the so-called Danish South Sea, the sea, full of islands, round South-Funen, between Als in the east and Langeland in the west, a small paradise. Many of the small islands are uninhabited and only accessible with one’s own boat.
Odense (185.000 inhabitants) is a fairy-tale town, mostly due to Hans Christian Andersen , who was born and grew up here and later became famous for his fables and fairy-tales. The valuable heritage of the town is managed with respect and an eye to commerce. The centre is still small and labyrinthine, as it was two to three hundred years ago, when Odense was still an important trading centre.
The name, Odense, comes from Odin, one of the Scandinavian gods. It is thought that there used to be a sanctuary here, dedicated to Odin. Odense is mainly connected to the history of the Holy Knut, the king who was murdered during a farmers’ uprising in the 11th century. The town then became an important place of pilgrimage and had six monasteries. Nowadays, Odense is a large, lively university and provincial town.
I can no longer manage to follow the route that Jørgen and Hanne recommended, from east to west through the south of Funen. I only have another week and the weather forescast for the coming week is bad. So I decide to leave Funen the next day.
A pity .. I would like to go right round Funen again, but I know I shall certainly come back!
Tonight I camp in the garden of the Kiilerich family, looking out to a field with horses. During supper, I have a guest with whom I share my tin of tuna. He likes this so much that he stays with me for the rest of the evening, behaving as though we have known each other for a long time.
Day 31, Wednesday, August 15th: Millinge – Rinkenæs (Jutland)
Weather: rainy, sun
Kilometres cycled: 58
Route:
Own route/ National Route nr. 8
Bike: Millinge, Horne, Bøjden
Ferry: Bøjden – Fynshav (Als)
Bike: Fynshav, Hindslev, Høruphav, Sønderborg, Gråsten, Rinkenæs
Got the ferry to the island of Als (pronounced Els) only just in time. This morning, Magda Kiilerich said it would take about 20 min. to cycle to the ferry. It takes a bit longer: after three quarters of an hour climbing, in the rain and with a head wind, I arrive at the harbour. Luckily, the last bit is downhill but even then I have to race.
I want to buy a ticket, but the booking clerk tells me to ride onto the boot quickly because they are waiting for me. Waiting for me??? Yes, they saw me coming and thought it would be a shame if I had to wait for two hours in this weather. Well I never! An enormous ferry, full of lorries and cars, staff with walkie-talkies. And they saw me coming and waited for me…
When I have crossed the bridge, there is suddenly a tremendous shower. Without thinking, I dive under a carport and wait till it stops. I stay there for quarter of an hour and have plenty of time to look round It looks very “Dutch”. It looks like an 80s district with a three-story flat opposite me, where a man runs to the porch for shelter.
He waves and I wave back. In Holland, I would have thought, “What are you after?” but now I feel we are united. With a blanket of rain between us, we wait till it stops. He is the braver of us two: when the rain lessens, he runs out again. He seems to be in a hurry but that does not prevent him from waving again.
Although it is still early in the afternoon, around four o’clock, I decide to stop. I can see a lovely site, near the fjord which separates Denmark from Germany.
It is now beautiful weather and my tent, packed wet this morning, needs to dry both inside and out before I can sleep in it.
Camp site near Rinkenæs. Another lovely private spot with the means for drying the tent. The tent stands some 30 metres from the (luxurious) sanitary block.
The manager does not speak English, but his German is fine. He tells me that many Dutch people come here, park their cars and then travel on into Denmark, walking, cycling or horse-riding. That is why cars are allowed here, while they are forbidden at other nature-sites.
A couple from North-Denmark, staying in one of the apartments, ask me to go for a walk with them. “At least, if you are not too tired after cycling all day”. Not at all, I am very fit by now and nothing tires me. They think it is very interesting to go off with a foreign girl. The woman grew up in a children’s home in the area, on the Flensburger Fjord. We walk to it, while she tells all sorts of interesting things about the surroundings. I have left my camera in the tent, which is a pity, as there is a beautiful view across the fjord from the children’s home, with Flensburg in Germany on the other side.
Day 32, Thursday, August 16th: Rinkenæs – Beuningen (NL)
Weather: Bike: sunny. Train: rain (as it should be…)
Kilometres cycled: 40
Route:
Bike: Rinkenæs, Sønderhav, Kruså, Padborg, Flensburg
Train: Flensburg – Hamburg – Osnabruck – Bad Bentheim
Bike: Bad Bentheim, Beuningen
I don’t really have time to cycle all the way home, which would take at least another week. Neither does the North-German landscape attract me. I have only heard negative stories: boring landscape, few campsites, not safe for a woman alone.
All good reasons for taking the train from Flensburg (Germany) to Bad Bentheim. I will cross the border by bike and carry on from there.
Looking back, this was a good decision. This morning, while I was cycling, it was dry, except for a short shower while I was in the supermarket. Odd really: I get to the supermarket (it has been dry all the time, though cloudy), do my shopping for the day, come out and see that there has been a terrific shower. Evrything is still dripping: my bike, the trees and the people on the parking lot. But it is dry again …
Once I am in the train, it starts raining again and goes on until I am nearly in Bad Bentheim.
I cycle across the border and put my tent up in Beuningen, on a nature-site. It is beautiful weather and I can sit outside for the rest of the evening. I ring Uncle Adri and Auntie Jannie and also reserve a room for tomorrow night at 'Hotel' Satter in Zwolle.
Day 33, Friday, August 17th: Beuningen – Zwolle
Weather: sunny, 2 showers
Kilometres cycled: 105
Cycling through Holland, what a difference with Denmark. Although I am going through a relatively quiet part of Holland, you notice a definite difference in mentality in the traffic. I also miss the climbing and descending.Twente is beautiful, but after a whole morning of flat country roads, you long for something else. And I discover that the signposting is much worse here. But, of course, I am not entirely objective; at the moment everything Danish is better and more beautiful.
Today I make the shocking discovery that I have muddled the dates: I thought it was already August 20th. So I could have stayed a few days longer in Denmark…
Days 34 and 35: Saturday, 18th and Sunday, 19th August: Zwolle
Weather: sunny
Kilometres cycled: 15
Staying with Uncle Adri and Auntie Jannie for two days and also visiting other members of the family. A little trip to Hasselt.
I have never, really never, come back from a holiday so rested. I can recommend it to everyone, it opens up new horizons in many ways; I am stronger than ever and feel less vulnerable. I have lost 10 kilos but have gained beautiful memories.
Days 36 and 37, Monday, 20th and Tuesday, 21st August: Zwolle – Zeist
Weather: sunny, two showers
Kilometres cycled: 95
On Monday, I cycle to Zeist without using a map. A pity really, because it was not a tourist route.
I arrive at the end of the afternoon and stay with Maarten and Els for another two nights, celebrating Maarten’s birthday before going home at last.
Day 38, Wednesday, August 22nd: Zeist – Utrecht
Kilometres cycled: 15
It had to come some time. Today it’s really: -> home!
This sturdy pedal-knight on her steel horse braved wind and weather, hills and valleys, lions and bears!
Veni Vidi Fietsie! (I came, I saw, I cycled!)Continue with Denmark 2008
