Day 15, Tuesday, August 19th: Østerlars – Ronne - ...
Weather: sunny, one huge shower at the end of the day.
Kilometres cycled: 68
Route:
Regional routes nos. 25 and 26, own route
Bike: Østerlars, Almindingen, Nyker plantage, Klemensker plantage, Rø plantage, Rutsker Højlyng, Olsker, Slotslyngen, Hasle, Muleby, Blykobbe palntage, Rønne
Ferry: Rønne to Køge
Today I cycle through Almindingen for the last time. Tonight I want to take the ferry to Køge.
Originally, I wanted to go to Sweden but now I’m dreading it. I haven’t prepared myself at all for Sweden. I have no money for camp-sites and even if I had the courage, camping in the wild doesn’t sound too sensible. And .. I want to get home. However beautiful the routes were the last few days, I still haven’t got rid of the feeling of wanting to go home. The night-train is already booked so the date is fixed. I’m not going any sooner, but the idea of having to go to Sweden – even further from home, doesn’t appeal to me. If I now go straight to Funen (where I get on the train in Odense) I feel I am already ‘on the way home’.
But today, a last day on Bornholm..
In Hasle, I visit an eel smokehouse. Bornholm is famous for its eels. There is a smokehouse in every town. I have been told that you cannot leave Bornholm without having eaten an eel.
I have eaten smoked eel once in my life and remember that I found it delicious. Unfortunately, I’ve just had lunch and am not at all hungry. Next time...
On arrival in Rønne, I first go to the library to send an email. It is just before closing-time, so I must be quick.
Then I cycle to the harbour and enquire when the boat leaves. Like the outward journey, this is a night-ferry. I ask the friendly man there whether there is a public toilet building somewhere where you can have a shower. He doesn’t know but advises me to go to the yacht harbour and look there.
When I get there, I ask a man where the ‘boss’ is. Apparently he is not there at the moment.
‘Do you know whether I can use the shower?’
The man, who turns out to be a retired seaman and, as he says himself, has been just about everywhere, speaks quite a bit of English. He says that the toilet building is only for visitors who are staying here on their boat. But...he still has a token and if I don’t tell anyone, I may use it. Meanwhile, he will look after my bike. I gladly take advantage of this offer. I wouldn’t think of doing that in Holland, letting some unknown man look after my (loaded) bike, but here in Denmark, on Bornholm, it seems to me that even the post of bike-sitter is redundant.
When I come out, clean and refreshed, the old seaman has got the company of a younger one.
He, too, speaks quite a bit of English and tells about life on Bornholm. He was born and grew up here, worked and lived for a few months in Copenhagen, but didn’t like it.
Now he is married, has children and never wants to leave Bornholm. The old seaman originally comes from Sjælland, so he is not a real Bornholmer. The younger one says that you are only a real Bornholmer if seven generations before you were born on Bornholm.
‘I want to go to Amsterdam sometime. To buy drugs’.
‘???’
‘Yes, that’s easy there, isn’t it? Everyone blows and sniffs on the street. I’d like to do that too’.
Well... you just stay here with your wife and kids and don’t do anything you will be sorry for later. My moral sermon falls on deaf ears.
Day 16, Wednesday, August 20th: Køge – Kirke Hvalsø
Weather: sun, rain, strong wind
Kilometres cycled: 69
Route:
Regional route no. 90 ‘Køge Å Stien’, own route
Ferry: arrival Køge
Bike: Køge, Lellinge, Spanager, Ejby, Nørre Dalby, Borup, Lammerup, Stubberup, Ny Tolstrup, Kirke Hvalsø
The journey back is much more comfortable than the outward one. I have brought my sleeping-bag and pillow with me and lie down on three seats. I can’t sleep but at least I’m not cold.
When I get off the ferry, it is just after six. Køge is still asleep, but I go inland. I haven’t got a settled plan, but route 90 looks promising and goes West, towards ‘home’.
Route 90 is very beautiful but has one disadvantage: it is not clearly marked and, according to me, some signs are missing. I have a look at the map and decide I want to go to Tadre Mølle, near Kirke Hvalsø. I was there last year and have good memories of it. I leave route 90 and cycle further ‘on my own compass’. When I get to Tadre Mølle, the camping-site is closed. That means you may still camp there but there is no caretaker. A pity, I remember that last year you could get coffee and I had particularly looked forward to that . Contrary to last year, it is now very nice weather. I walk round the mill and take photos.
Tadre Mølle
Day 17, Thursday, August 21st: Kirke Hvalsø – Haraldsted
Weather: sun, strong wind
Kilometres cycled: 31
Route:
National route no. 6
Kirke Hvalsø, Smidstrup, Kirke Hvalsø, Valborop Skov, Højbjerg Skove, Haraldsted Skove, Haraldsted
Just past Kirke Hvalsø, on the edge of the Valborup Skov / View from the cycle pat
Today I started off late. I had to catch up on some sleep and my washing was not yet dry. Two good reasons for postponing today’s trip a bit.
Once on my bike, I realise that I’m still very tired. You don’t catch up on a sleepless night that quickly.
Today I cycle a short trip and camp on the grounds of a school building in Haraldsted where I have a luxurious shower and toilet at my disposal.
