DANISH MEMORIES

                                    Memorable Bits and Pieces

As usual I took the Texas heat with me to Denmark. One fellow packed up and went home after the first day and a half. Sitting on a curb during a rest about day 3 I began to wonder about my sanity. I was soaking wet, my head was wet making my helmet a bit uncomfortable, sweat was running down my back, I was huffing and puffing from the steep hills and to add to my misery we picked up a headwind.

     By mid afternoon looking out over the ocean I approached our guide saying, “Be honest with me, is the whole trip going to be like this? Don’t give me any rhetoric! Just tell me the truth because I’ve about had enough.” He told me there was little left of the day and the next day forward would be much smoother. He assured me I was a better biker than I gave myself credit for---we were all having problems.

    I did stick it out; it did get better; I saw and learned much; and I’m glad I didn’t quit---not really part of my personality anyway!

We ferried among many islands and biked on the islands of Sealand, Fuen, Areo, Lang-land, Lolland, and Falster over paved paths, streets, gravel, through forest, through many wheat fields, along the sea, and up and down lots of hills. We biked the entire length of one island. Once again my bike saw me safely through it all with no mishaps.

We utilized many ferries, including a postal ferry and one huge ferry that carried big trucks and trains, to get from one island to another. We met some interesting people on ferry rides.

The little cobbled town of Aeroskobing is memorable because it was like a fairy tale town. The resort season was coming to an end so there were very few cars or people. The small houses and shops were painted in pastel colors. Many of the doors were decorated with brass and plaster motifs. The houses were close together, almost joining, on the narrow streets giving the appearance of a make-believe village. It was a delightful lunch stop.

One day we stopped at Hesnaes to view all the thatch roof houses. Some of these homes also had thatched sides. The very thick thatching needs to be replaced fairly often. The picturesque homes are quite a fire hazard. The village was quaint, charming and uniquely Danish.    

The Admiral Hotel in Copenhagen is a converted 1787 warehouse with exposed beams and thick brick walls. The original granary had a rustic charm. The graceful brick archways were accented with 12 X 15-inch beams 200 years old. It was unique and we enjoyed a lovely stay.

Radhus (City Hall) is a landmark between the train station, Tivoli, and the Stroget. The 345-foot high tower has 300 steps leading to the top. The building is full of Danish symbolism inside and out. The golden statue is of Bishop Absalon, who founded Copenhagen more than 800 years ago. The Round Tower was built in 1642. Polar bears climbing on the roof represent Danish protection from Greenland. An iron gate in the center of the floor is an elevator for the transport of 1200 chairs.  The building itself was inspired by its equivalent in Siena, Italy.   

Opposite the Stroget a unique clock sits in the tower. Hourly weather girls appear on bikes in fair weather and under umbrellas if rain is predicted.

It’s only a short walk from Nyhavn to the infamous Little Mermaid statue. She is much smaller than most people expect. Sitting just a few feet from shore in shallow water she has been beheaded twice by vandals. Hans Christian Anderson’s story made her famous. She was given to the city in 1913 by a brewery icon.

The Stroget, running through the heart of the city, is a mile-long pedestrian thoroughfare. Road traffic was banned in 1962. King’s Square (Kongens Nytorv), site of the Royal Theater and Magasin Department Store, is on the east end of the Stroget.  The largest square in the city is home to the French Embassy and the five-star Hotel D’Angle Terre. The statue in the center of the square is of King Christian who enlarged the city in the 1670s by adding the square. The western end of the Stroget ends at Town Hall Square.

While biking through the forest along the Baltic Sea we stopped at the General’s teahouse. The owner. a munitions manufacturer, built, a manor house a couple kilometers inland, but his teahouse was his favorite. Each afternoon he would go to the teahouse to have tea while gazing out over the Baltic Sea. During a stay there Hans Christian Anderson wrote the Elephant Story which was not very successful.

Church towers are always built on the west side of the church. The tower usually was added after the church was built. Churches also are always built on a hill. Many churches have frescos, hundreds of years, old painted on the ceilings.

Copenhagen has 50 museums and 2000 restaurants, many of them spilling out onto the streets as open air cafés.

In Copenhagen the Latin Quarter, an area near the university is where priests and professors once lived. It is so named for the Latin scholars not the Latin people. Many of the 1600s buildings are used as college dorms today. Most are built as a square with a small driveway on one side leading into a center courtyard.   King Christian IV built a large round tower in the Latin Quarter. One can walk to the observatory at the top for a magnificent view of the city. Gold letters on the side in Latin, Hebrew, and Danish translate to: ‘lead the crown into wisdom and justice’.

OFF THE DANISH TOURIST PATH

                                             SORO ACADAMY

        At the time of my visit to Denmark’s Soro Academy the head master was a shoe in for a stand in of Prince Charles. I had a hard time taking my eyes off him as he showed us the oldest brick church in Denmark that monks built between two lakes in 1160-1170. There is only a meter difference in lake levels, but that was enough to build a water mill. The church was walled all around containing a couple of gate houses that were built for the teachers and are now the oldest continuously inhabited houses in the country.  Entering the church we found beautifully carved pews as well as gorgeous railings and other carved wooden works. The organ with its many angels was restored in 1944.There were several tombs inside with one dating to 1170.

     In 1586 King Fredrick established an academy in the old monastery. It was meant for 30 noble boys and 20 middle class boys, and the King’s son was one of the first students. An 1812 fire destroyed the school but it was rebuilt and today there are 470 students, several of them exchange students from all around the world. The Academy is the only state high school in the country. The other high schools are run by the county or municipality. It is one of five boarding schools in Denmark. Girls were admitted as boarding students in 1993.   

    The large main foyer overlooked Lake Soro, and  in each corner was a large marble statue—Plato, Homer, Hesodet, and Euclides.

    In the ballroom owls decorated the high walls just below the ceiling. It seemed appropriate for a place of learning –the wise old owl.

    In the teachers’ all purpose room the chairs were 117 years old. Of course they had been reupholstered many times over the years and the wood had recently been stained to match the modern tables. Of the original 49 chairs 48 remain! Amazing for such continual use.

     As we were leaving, the headmaster told us, “All schools including five universities are free. High school is a bit different than yours. If one’s grades are high enough he enters high school at 16 and four years later graduates with a baccalaureate. About 50% of students go this route. Others attend vocational school and a few drop out. Children learn English at age 10. Nearly everyone is bi or multilingual.  To graduate from the Academy one must be fluent in three languages other than Danish!”

MARIBO CATHEDRAL

     In another part of Denmark we visited Maribo Cathedral built in 1390 between the North and South Lakes. Originally it was a monastery for 60 nuns and 65 Augustine monks.  Destroyed by fire in 1600, it was opened to the public when rebuilt.

    The large church had many gothic arches, but there were no frescos or ships hanging from the ceiling. The altar, pulpit, and chandelier were all quite ornate. Maribo means the place where Mary lives.

     As the guide walked us into a room behind the altar she showed us the original altar and a 1420 canvas painting of Mary in its original wooden frame. Today it is preserved under glass. We also saw a large carved statue of St. Augustine and the original crucifix which is hollow. During a difficult time in Danish history a priest hid treasures in the crucifix and it was 300 years before they were rediscovered! A 1550 bible was open on the table.

     In the church the beautiful carved marble baptismal font was dated 1777. Originally the church was Catholic but after reformation it became Lutheran. Denmark has ten cathedrals and ten bishops.

      Remains of the nunnery have been preserved. Many large beech and chestnut trees covered the grounds providing welcome shade. The area was quiet, scenic and peaceful.     One advantage of getting into the countryside and away from ‘tourist spots’ is that one often sees and learns interesting things.