Crossing Denmark

7th - 12th of June 2012

Day 6 - 12

Day 6 - Schleswig (D) - Immervad (DK) 107,25 km

Day 7 - Immervad - Braekke 77 km

Day 8 - Braekke - Havredal 127,71 km

Day 9 - Havredal - Bislev 99,47 km

Day 10 - Bislev - Slettingen 104 km

Day 11 - Slettingen - Hirtshals 20 km

I am sending this post from the ferry to Kristiansand. After having cycled more than 1,000 km in the last 11 days I experienced a lot of different impressions on the road, having some really wet days, but also nice suprises in Denmark. As my target was to travel fast through the Netherlands and Germany I wanted to go a little slower through the Danish landscape. Unfortunately my left knee urged me to go slower anyways. After changing my saddle height I got a nasty pain during the next day(s), with a lot of rests and stretching, making me even doubt to stop in Hirtshals and decide from thereon. Luckily it got a bit better and keeping the daily routine of about 100km with some rest days in between keeps the goal realistic. 

Day 6 - Schleswig (D) - Immervad (DK) 107,25 km

Promising start...Schleswig (Germany) covered in morning mist.

Sometimes you feel as slow as a slug. These big fellows ( a french delicacy) keep the cyclists busy zig-zagging around them.

Finally the border of Denmark!

Following the Haervejen (the old army road) on which many armies marched and the Vikings buried their warriors under countless grave hills.

Original Rune-Stone along the road.

After cursing on those freshly made gravel roads, on which my backwheel didn't seem to get any grip I discover the first "Cycle-Network" camping at an old farm with wooden guardsmen. For a small price, a nice shower and a kitchen to use!

Here I met Jean-Baptiste & Magali from France studying their route for today. This couple is cycling from France to St. Peterberg via Scandinavia. Good luck guys! ( We had some interesting conversation about the crazy Dutch hype of Alpe'd Huez, where they live)

Day 7 - Immervad - Braekke 77 km

Hallucinating from the knee pain?! Nope this one is for real. The Viking Camel!

Well so few pictures....yes indeed. It was the worst day up to now. My left knee started to hurt and was swollen to an extent that I had to crash at the closest campsite. This day I started to doubt if I could make it any further than Denmark's Northern town of Hirtshals. I was not in the mood to do anything else than sleep and forget...

Day 8 - Braekke - Havredal 127,71 km

2nd camping on the route. At a school for mentally disabled children I was offfered a warm welcome and invitied to watch Denmark - Netherlands soccer game with a typical Danish meal. The picture shows the view from my little hut on the camp that is available to hikers & cyclists. 

Really cosy and quite warm in a decent sleeping bag. 

And...of course a fire place with sufficient wood for some old nights.

Day 9 - Havredal - Bislev 99,47 km

Even birds like it here the Scandinavian way.

As I heard later from a fellow cyclist it pured down for 27 hours without pause...I can believe that. (Notice the rubber gloves ;-))

Pretty roundabout ain't it?

That how I felt this day...willkommen am Arsch....

And another threatening scenery from the sky above.

Cockpit check!

The Danish devil now belongs to a kid in Bislev where I had a great welcome. Thx Tamara for providing it!

How many bird houses one can attach to a tree?! This seems to be a typical Danish hobby.

Arriving in Bislev at Erik's place, who instead of letting me pay offered a good old German "Kellerbier". What a great end of a day.

At Eric's house camping on the kids soccer field. Finally it's staying dry...

Day 10 - Bislev - Slettingen 104 km

Breakfast time. Prridge DeLuxe with a lot of honey.

Viking Graveyard near Aalborg.

One of the thousands of exactly similar looking churches in each village I passed.

Still stopping to embrace the beauty around you.

This lighthouse is nowadays out of order due to the 100m high sand dunes that swallowd it thorugh the years.

And this was a try to get me on the picture with the lighthouse ;-)

 

Dinner time!

Sebas' ingenuity. The back discbrake did not pull back completely any more. A rubber and it the Kona rides   again.

Another bunk for the night even with shifting doors! Another fabulous free campsite in a nature area and me beeing the only guest.

Day 11 - Slettingen - Hirtshals 20 km

Can they stack these any higher?

After some very intense days I finally reached the lighthouse of Hirthals, the place where the ferry will bring me to Norway. What a relief!

And I thought the Dutch term "Bromfiets" was already a funny name for a motorized bike ;-) Knallert!

Just another crazy guy on a bike heading to the North Cape just to head down again to the other one in South Africa!

With a bunch of schoolkids we are allowed to get on the ferry first! Great fun watching the kids trying to make spectacular brakes on the slidy ferry surface.

Thanks to all who enjoyed checking the blog, sending me messages and helping to fundraise for PhilinCon. Please share if you like. I will probably writing again in a weeks' time. All the best! 

Greetings Sebas

P.S.: If you like to give to Charity click on the link on the top of the page!