itsmylife: Denmark fire.

Wednesday22nd May. Fjaltring hostel - Ferring camp site.

Trans Kirke

Track to Bovbjeg Fyr

A very short day in distance but hard graft!! Wind howled through the night and was still giving it some in the morning! Got geared up and managed to pedal off. Got about two and a half Km's when a particularly strong gust took me across the road, I figured it could only be a matter before the school bus or a truck got me! I abandoned the road and managed to pedal, without being blown into the ditch, down a farm lane and onto the cliff top track (on shore wind)!! This was the start of a 6km walk. Even though walking, or trying to, it was a struggle! Eventually I got to the place I wanted to visit, Bovbjerg Fyr, the lighthouse was apparently painted red so seafarers wouldn't mistake it for one of the many church towers in the area.

A stormy North Sea

Kaffe I could understand but the bit underneath, nope, not even an opening time, so I went in. Several ladies were sat around a table looking very business like, I switched into 'charm' mode "I'm sorry, I appear to be interrupting a committee meeting , I was wondering if I could buy a coffee but if you're closed?" "We're just finishing, I'll make a fresh pot". The inevitable comments about the weather and where are you from, What, Scotland, on a bike! 1st coffee down "Would you like another?" While the coffee was on its way another lady offered a box with some seed and nut mixture made into a biscuit "It's Stone Age Bread, I made it myself". Not being one to shirk these things I took a medium sized piece, smiled politely and said "Tak" (my Danish was improving); whereupon she delved into the box and put two more big pieces on my plate! I thought it would be a bit like a flapjack and bound together with honey but it was unsweetened, she told me it was egg that bound the mix together. It was different to the usual run of biscuits and I thought would go nicely with a bit of Camembert.

It appears that when the lighthouse became defunct it was to be put on the market but a body of locals got together, did some lobbying and the Fyr became a community project, there is one paid person who manages the day to day running, along with a kaffe committee, events committee and maintenance committee, all these staffed by volunteers; I was told that people came from other parts of the continent and spent their holidays as volunteer workers! The Fyr programme encompassed events such as Theatre in the round, an art gallery with exhibitions showing local, national and international work and live music from orchestral to jazz. A few photos and moving on the last kilometer or so into Ferring I decided to call it a day, there was no let up with the wind and I wasn't prepared to try riding as conditions were. Ferring Camp Site looked a good option, a sheltered corner, not far from the shower and toilet block and next door to the members kitchen. Danish sites do provide some great facilities! All of 8.6k today and 6k of that walked!!

Bovbjeg Fyr

The Cafe Committee, the lighthouse is run as a
community venture holding art exhibitions and live shows.

Sculptures

Bovbjerg Fyr

The walk against the gale into Farring

Farring camp site, most sheltered pitch I could find

Thursday 23rd May. Ferring camp site - Krik camp site.

The Cement Man

Initially I was thinking of an extra day at Ferring as the wind was due to drop, however, the wind was a lot more in the west which made it favourable to my direction of travel. Packed and away with the wind!! Quiet roads some sections with cycle tracks alongside. From Langerhuse the run to Thyboron was 8k of almost dead straight road. Into Thyboron, find a bank; 1140 into bank, 1143 out again with cash and directions to the ferry (2km down the road). Ferry departs on the hour! The last car drives on asI race (after a fashion) across the queuing area, the guy operating the ferry loading ramp does the decent thing and I'm on! It takes 15 minutes to cross

The end of the first 8km track

the Thyboron Kanal, not your regular canal type of kanal, it's where the sea broke through in a tidal surge in 11862. Back on shore and a ruler straight 8.5k road takes me to Agger and the Krik Camp Site. Another well appointed site with a large foyer to the ablutions and kitchen, the foyer providing a great packing area for the following morning! 41.8k

Thyboron Art

Ferry departing Thyboron

Ferry arriving Langholm and start of next 8.5km run to Agger

Could this be Rip Van Whatsit!?!

Friday 24th May. Krik Camp Site - Klitmoller B&B.
Camping Krik, actually nearer to Agger, is sat right on the NSCR 1, so an 0530 breakfast,pack bags and tent inner, move the fly sheet into the sun to dry off the dew. 0705 and I was on the road SE to Krik,a left turn in the village took me onto a minor road generally north to Svankaer where route 1 signs lead you on to a forest trail through part of Denmark's first national park. At Stenbjerg it's back on to a mix of asphalt and gravel and finally on a narrow back road into Klitmoller, the Danish paradise for the surfer dude!! I checked out the local tourist info and asked to be pointed at the cheapest B&B (not a good forecast for the next few days), Gaarden Klitmoller was a nice place, Gunnar, the owner was more than helpful, within minutes he was googling ferry times for my onward journey, prices, and an up date on weather conditions. I was left in charge of the house for the evening as he and his wife were going to visit their daughter, a joint birthday, daughter and grandson. A big mug of coffee brewed and Wi-Fi doing its thing, I was getting Facebook messages from the sister of John (The Yank) Wrighton. I had met Heidi hundreds of years ago when she worked with brother John in ski hire at Nevis Range, she now lives and works in Denmark about a half an
hour drive from where I was! Bike journey was on hold for a day as we arranged to meet the following morning. 50.4k

Lodbjerg Kirke

Stenbjerg

To strand

Lifeboat Station

Bleak landscape

On dunes track

B&B at Klitmoller

Bedroom

Living area

For emergencies only

B&B, my room top left

Saturday 25th May. Reunion!!
Our arrangement was to meet at the beach car park at 1030 which gave me ample time to breakfast, pack and have a second coffee in the morning sun, a bit like home, nice as long as you're out of the breeze! At the car park a couple of surfer dudes were practicing on super sized skate boards and lizards, oblivious to the boarders antics were sunning themselves. Yep, that's her, "What's it been, 20, no, nearer 24 years"; life histories were swapped, my stuff loaded into her car and bike on the rack, then off to the fish market, I was to be introduced to a traditional West Coast lunch, an assortment of delicious fresh fish along with pickled herring, eaten on rye bread with a slice of onion and topped off with a smooth curry dressing, all that and a beer what more could you ask for!! Assorted friends and neighbours called by closely followed by Morten, another of Heidi's friends who would be staying for dinner. I had been
awarded the spare room and it looked like a race as to who would get the bed, me or Koala, Heidi's golden retriever!

Klitmoller surfers beach

Lizard sunning itself

Heidi at the fish market

Lunch

A visit to another tourist info office came up with a detailed set of maps showing a number of cycle routes and the locations of many free camping sites! Armed with more maps we headed off to a trail through the woods eventually leading to the beach (this mainly for Koala's benefit). Earlier in the day we'd raided the local supermarket, the evening meal was to be a three way event! Heidi had bought the fish that morning, so I said I'd do a veg dish, Morten, the culinary whizz had the makings for a very tasty pesto and a delicious mango chutney. The veg (Moroccan), red peppers, carrots, courgette, red onion and garlic, roasted, the spices, cumin, paprika, cinamon and mild chilli. The last bits, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a hand full of
dried apricots. The fish, a beautiful meaty texture, oven baked to perfection!! Morten also brought a very palatable white wine!! Thinking back to this evenings Thai chilli cup a soup stirred in to some instant noodles! Ah well dream on!!

A walk through the dunes

On to the strand

Morten & dinner

Heidi & dinner

Sunday 26th May. Norre Vorupor - Thisted - Fjerritslev.
Up and sorted, Heidi getting texts from her boyfriend Axel who happened to be in Edinburgh that weekend with two friends to do the marathon! A quick breakfast, load the car and off to Thisted for coffee at Morten's (he'd cycled home the previous evening). Coffeed out and loaded up, Heidi took a few pics as Morten and I set off, he was joining me for an hour or so on the route, which was to be a slight variant but would get me back on route 1 at the end of the day. A good part of today's route follows a disused railway track so much of the scenery is undergrowth, saplings, fields and hedges. Along the route I spotted one of the free shelter signs, diverted and took a few pics; don't know how long these would last in the UK!?! Called in on some more friends of Heidi's along the route, more coffee! bread and home made strawberry jam. Fjerritslev hostel, no one there but my bedding, towel and room key had been left out for me.
53.6k mostly against the wind, a shower and bed methinks!

Morten and Me

Memorial to RAF crew

Morten

Wild camp, bivvi site

The barbie!

Sleeping platform

Sleeping bit, inside

The sign to look for

Bird hide

Monday 27th May. Fjerritslev - Blokhus.
Some creative navigation required to get out of Fjerritslev and back on route but eventually I spotted the elusive sign and was back on track. In my notes I'd rambled on about signs, where they were placed etc but that was just me having a wee rant!
Riding through the dunes I found the Hobbit windmill at Gronnestrand, small because it only produced flour for the nearby house. It turned out to be a day of woods, dunes, gravel tracks and a wee bit of road. On through Tranum Strand, more dunes and forest right up to Blokhus, now seemingly combined to become Blokhus-Hune where I'd located another Danhostel.

Hobbit windmill!

Beached fishing boats

And I only asked for a crab sandwich!

Hune Kirke, next to Danhostel

Tuesday 28th May. Blokhus - Hirtshals.
The weather was not good, it was to be a long push into the wind, 4-7 mtrs per second from the north and I'm heading north with a touch of east! Packed and waterproofed I went to the office to settle the bill, the manageress kindly offered to phone ahead to make sure there was a bed available at Hirtshals as occasionally school groups totally filled hostels, but no worries a bed was available.
Down the road (a nice freewheel!) into Blokhus proper, a pic or two, old building, the strand, all looking as forlorn as me in the murky drizzle. 15km of strand (beach) to ride!! It must be brilliant on a fine sunny day! Ah well, stop moaning and get on with it! The beach was mostly firm and easy riding, vehicals often taking this route as well. The first wee stream across the beach!! This is either going to work or be a disaster, get into a 'granny' gear and pedal like the clappers! Success! Abandoned the beach at Gronhoi, fed up with the murk and sand. The mist cleared a bit further inland so at least there was a view. On to Lokken, another 18k to Lonstrup and a further 24 to Hirtshals. A change in wind direction would be good!! 66.7k