Svendborg,
a city of 43,000, was founded in the 11th century by a Danish king.
Much of the décor reflects its maritime history as one-half of all Danish ships
were built here. Once a major seaport,
shipping today plays only a minor role, however over 300 ships are registered
in Denmark. In the late 1800s, 593 people had shares in ships that sailed the
world producing much wealth.
A local guide told us, “There is
almost zero tide in the southern part of Denmark, and strangely enough, wind affects the tide most
in Svendborg. We do not have the normal six hour tide; there are long spells
when the wind does not create any tide for days.” An interesting phenomenon!
Good clay in the area produced a brick-making
industry in 1160. Nearly all of the buildings in the country are brick or half
brick and wood, with the wood making diagonal designs which are known
everywhere as uniquely Danish.
Svendborg, like most ancient cities,
was walled until 1535. A 1749 fire
convinced people that tile roofs were a better choice than the
picturesque thatched ones. Thatched roofs are expensive to build and to insure,
but it is a tradition many wish to maintain especially in the countryside’s
small villages.
Brothels were common when Svendborg
was a major shipping harbor. They were done away with in 1902 and prostitution
was declared illegal in 1907. In 1996 prostitution was again declared legal in Svendborg.
St. Michael’s church, of Roman
architecture, is one of the oldest in the country. Now below street level, the
large church was beautiful in its simplicity. The pulpit dated to 1585 and the
Lutheran bell to 1504. The bell tower was added in the 15th century.
St. Michael is the patron saint of sailors so ship models hang from the church ceilings
---- a common practice in Denmark churches.
The well in the city center has been
restored, but no longer used as the water is brackish. The water was once used
to make local beer. The tide, when there is one, is reflected in the well. The
water now is polluted with lead, cadmium, and mercury.
We found neither A/C nor window
screens. We left our windows open in the hotel at night but never had a bug
problem. When eating outside sometimes we had to fight the bees for our food.
They were plentiful and everywhere. They were elongated kind of skinny little
devils. No one ever got stung though.
Although the number of farms has
decreased, the farms have become bigger and ¾ of the country is farmland. Wheat
is a major crop. Kellogg’s is everywhere, we peddled by many many of their
fields. Sugar beets and corn follow wheat as major crops. Farms, including the
main house and barns are built U shaped
with a central court. Quite different from our farms.
It is said there are twice as many
pigs in Denmark as people. Danish ham is a big export item. Fishing, especially
for herring, is also big. The national drink is beer. Tuborg and Carlsborg are
well known. There are many local beers.
I’ve visited Denmark several times
and biked a good part of it over several islands. It is a delightful country
with friendly people, and I have many fond memories.
