The Forest Tower

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

In a place called Camp Adventure, what would you expect to find?

Hikes in the forest, maybe, and even some zip lining and tree climbing? Camping in a yurt and soaking in a sauna? Yep, Camp Adventure has those. But that’s not why we were there.

We hiked on a very simple, civilized boardwalk through the woods, with adorable signs to tell us who else lives there.

We were told that the hike would be 3.2 kilometers. Totally do-able. So we walked and looked and then we saw it.

The Forest Tower. This wonderful construction is made of metal, with a coating that makes it look rusty, but is actually a protective finish.

It has the shape of a nuclear plant’s cooling tower, is about 135 feet high, and has a gently sloping double helix wooden ramp up to the top, around the top, and back down again.


The tower gives you new perspectives on the land, the forest, the wind, and yourself. It is an amazing experience, perfect for this Adventure Grandma.

When you get to Denmark, whatever else you do, get to Camp Adventure and walk up this tower!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Off to Meet the Vikings

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

After the Forest Tower, we were all happily exhausted, but our day wasn’t over yet. There were reservation snafus and rearranging of expectations, which is a bit jarring, but always good experience.

We found a beautifully renovated hotel called Portgaarden in Skaelskør, had a delicious dinner, slept very well, and had a fabulous breakfast. Part of our morning was spent chucking rocks on the beach under the Storebaeltbor, the Great Belt Bridge that connects the island of Sjelland to Fyn.

This huge construction has a suspension part that is more than four miles long (more than twice as long as the Golden Gate Bridge). Then there is a lower causeway section hat is also just a bit over four miles long. It is an amazing accomplishment. We will cross that this afternoon.

But we were headed to see some old, old friends. The oldest friends in Denmark, in fact. The Vikings.

At Trellborg, we got to see the archeological remains of an actual Viking village, where hundreds of families lived, worked, raised children, and fought off enemies, starting in 980 A.D.


We saw their clothes, their weapons, and their graves.

Then we walked out into the round berm where they placed their houses, arranged for safety and society.


A model shows the overall view… some houses inside the berm, some outside for tending the sheep and the crops.

The outlines of these houses are still visible, covered in concrete to preserve them for future study. This is the best preserved Viking fort in Denmark, and there is still a lot to learn about it.

And it felt very real, very personal. These were mothers and kids, fathers and husbands, working together in a difficult situation, doing the best they knew how. From the archeological evidence, it looks like the fortress was built quickly and only occupied for about 15 years, then abandoned after a massive battle and fire.

The futility of all their work and vulnerability in a violent time leads me to think less about raiding Viking armies and more of the people who stayed home, keeping their society going. I have learned a new viewpoint. Travel does that.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Around the Southern Archipelago

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

After a windy, stormy night’s sleep in our turret room, we walked into Old Town for a huge Breakfast. Our restaurant, Borsen, gives the feeling of having been there a long time.

Its walls are covered with tributes to actors, random local folks, and all manner of beer. The breakfast was healthy and delicious, and outside, we found pretty umbrellas to pose with.

When we said goodbye to Svendborg, we began our romp around the Southern Archipelago. An archipelago is a group of islands…. So we were in for bridges, more bridges, and a ferry!

With conversation and amazing sunny/rainy/sunny weather distracting me, the bridges sort of came and went without being noticed. But the ferry demanded some attention.

We drove onto the Langeland Ferry and climbed the stairs to the deck. It was sunny, and I wondered why more folks weren’t outside.

I stepped out to join Uncle David, and found out why… that wind will give you a beating! It was delightful, though, with enough layers…and better than sitting inside for the whole trip.

When we reached land after a 45 minute trip, we hopped back in the car and drove to a place called Camp Adventure. And there, we found some!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Through Egeskov and Beyond!

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

Besides the historic delights of Egeskov Castle there were more modern day things to see. The owners, over the years, have massed quite a collection of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even planes!

These are housed in a wonderfully trussed barn just across the moat from the castle.

There were de-lousing trucks from World War I and shiny modern Jaguars. It was dazzling!

When we had seen all we had the stamina to see, we drove through some rainy, then sunny, then rainy again countryside. All this summer rain sure makes for green fields! We got to the coast ( I know, most of Denmark is COAST) and found the busy shipping and transport hub of Svendborg. David had booked Grandpa Nelson and I into The Best Room in Town at the Aero Hotel.

See that high turret? That’s us!!

We had a bedroom, and then this delightful breakfast room in the turret, with a chandelier and great view of the ferry landing below. Grandpa could have watched for hours.

After we got moved in, we walked down the way and had dinner at Jette’s, a family favorite, and then walked around the harbor area.

It was a funky combination of working, slightly rusty harbor and newer, painted tourist area.

We had a great time just being silly!

The next day had enough adventure that it should get its own post. So, see you tomorrow!!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Across the Lillebro

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

We have started our three day road trip across Denmark! There is so much to see.

We started our drive in the pouring rain, heading south from Horsens. We crossed over from the peninsula of Jylland to the island of Fyn over the Lillebro, or Little Bridge. As you can see, it is only little compared to the Storbro, or Big Bridge, which we will see later on our journey.

The weather went from rainy to blustery, with amazing clouds and a good stiff breeze.

We found the castle of Egeskov, which Auntie Olga calls “The Castle-iest Castle in Denmark.” She is so right! Surrounded by a lake-like moat, lovely gardens, a maze, and lots of land, it has been named Europe’s best preserved Renaissance water castle. It has stood here since 1554 and is currently owned by the latest in a long line of sons, Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, but operated by the Danish government as a historic landmark.

Inside are generations of historic dresses, furnishings, weapons, and portraits. There are toys and kitchen tools displayed in the attic. It is a huge amount of stuff. Imagine if your house still had your great great grandma’s dishes, and all the rest of her stuff. Plus your stuff. Oy.

There is also a said-to-be- haunted doll in the attic which no one moved for a few hundred years, for fear the castle will fall down if they did. They all seem to be over it now, but the doll is still there.

Out in the grounds, we wandered the rose garden, maze, and water garden.

Everything was a photo opportunity! So I took lots. I love watching Uncle David explain things to Liza. Most of what I learned about the mechanical world came from my dad, so I value this sort of learning.

But there is MORE to Egeskov, and that will need to wait for tomorrow.

zlove,

Grandma Judy

Walking on the Beach, Walking in The Woods

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

Cousin Liza took me for a long walk down the beach by her house the other day. I had been there before, but it’s always fun to hear her take on things.

It was a sunny, chilly morning, and the light was sparkling on the water. The fjord doesn’t have waves, just little laps on the beach it is perfect for boating. Liza has started taking sailing lessons, and she posed by the boat she uses. All the boats are stored upside down in the boat yard. There is no fence around anything. “Stealing isn’t as big a thing here,” she said. I realized how much of our energy is the U.S. is spent keeping our stuff safe from thieves.

Further down the beach, we sat in huge wooden chairs that can be rotated into or out of the wind or sun. A very nice spot to perch!

We found two of Thomas Dambo’s trolls, called Laura and Julian, playing tug of war with a slack-line that you can walk on. We decided against it.

There were hammocks, which we rested in and watched the trees dance over our heads. We took pictures and messed around with color editing as we cuddled in the hammock. It was so nice to have quiet time with my youngest grandchild.

We got tired and hungry and headed to her place, where your Uncle David made everyone quesadillas. Then it was time for a short drive and a delightful walk through the Bollerskovene Klokkedal Skov, which is a national park just across the fjord from Horsens.

Broad, flat paths and burbling creeks made for a pleasant walk. We found a small bridge and I taught Liza how to play Pooh Sticks.

That lead to some engineering under the bridge to release the sticks. Engineers play differently than other folks, for sure. It was wonderful to see David and Liza having fun together!

And, as we walked back to the car, I got all three of my Danish family to pose. Aren’t they adorable? David drove us back to town and we all had naps and then a snack-ish dinner together.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Wild Flowers, Rune Stones, and Deer

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

For our second day in Horsens, we headed out of town to Jelling. Of course, there is always a snag, and David’s Tesla needed charging, so we had a layover.

Liza and I enjoyed the massive wild flower field by the service station, and had a fine time identifying and photographing them. With the rain and long summer days, flowers grow really well here, even when no one takes care of them.

At Jelling, we met Auntie Olga’s friend Dennis. He is from Russia and getting used to life in Denmark, too.

The rune stones are rough, stout stones about seven feet high, carved all over with symbols. They were placed here, between two burial mounds, by the Danish King in the year 965 A.D.

This one, which shows a very stylized Jesus on the cross, was carved to show that King Harold Bluetooth (yes, really) had converted to Christianity. It is called Denmark’s Baptism certificate.

In case you were wondering, Harold’s initials, written in Danish runes (ancient letters) is the symbol we now use for Bluetooth wireless technology. Bluetooth was invented by a Dutch engineer while working in Sweden, so I guess it makes some sort of sense? Cool, anyway.

Scientists have discovered that the stone were originally painted!! Over a thousand years the paint has worn away, but tiny traces remain, and a replica of one of the stones has been created with what they think the original colors were. I was stunned. With the color, they look almost Mayan.

After some delicious ice cream, we said good-bye to Dennis and headed to our last stop of the day, the Deer Park outside of Vejle, south of Horsens. The deer were very gentle, of course, but not always cooperative.

One little girl followed the small group around with a handful of grass and kept offering it. She may have a long term strategy, but while we were there, the deer weren’t having it.

By this time, we were all pooped and drove ‘home’ for a well-deserved lay down.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Family and Cookies in Horsens

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

We have found the rest of the family!! Or rather, they found us, at the Billund Airport. There was lots of hugs, and Liza kept picking me up… like, off the ground! This is something her Dad David did when he got tall enough, so I guess I should have expected it.

Liza is tall, after all.

We went for lunch and talked about everything, then drove to Horsens and got tucked into our Air B and B, which is a delightful traditional Danish house just a few blocks from David and Olga’s place. It is made of brick which has been plastered over, so the white walls have a soft texture that is soft and comfy.

Hygge is the Danish word for cozy and comfortable. This place is hygge. We napped for a bit to catch up in sleep lost from the boat parade in Leiden, then
went to David and Olga’s.

Cheese, wine, fruit and crackers gave us energy to move on with our day.

Liza wanted to learn to make Snickerdoodle cookies, so there was a trip to Meny, a market nearby, and then Bilka, further away, when cream of tartar became problematic. It has a different name, of course! It took Google lens, a translation app and process of elimination, but Liza and I got it figured out.

Since this was a teaching- baking session, I gave an instruction, demonstrated, and walked away. Liza is a thorough creamer and careful measurer. All was well.

While the cookie dough chilled, we headed for the little beach at Alro.

All sorts of adventures were available!

Back home, we baked the cookies, and found just one flaw: the chemical composition of cream of tartar in Denmark is more concentrated, so the cookies had an odd, but not awful, lemony aftertaste. Rest assured, we will make them again while I am in town, adjusting the amount to get it just right.

Dinner was at Bones, a Danish clone of Bob’s Big Boy, an Americana themed steak and burgers place. The portions are enormous and we ate until we popped!

Then back to the apartment for a well deserved, well fed, happy sleep.

Tomorrow would be another day!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Finding the Unexpected in Leiden

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

Walking through Leiden, we kept coming across wonderful quirks that reminded me of Portland. First, there were these little mosaics, each the size of one paving brick, in places around the city.

There were enough that I stopped taking pictures of them, yet never so close together as to be boring.

There was also a lot of public art, mostly in the form of bronze statues; a series of young men selling things, like flowers, fish, and fabric. I suppose this was a celebration of Leiden’s history as a market town.

Some of the statues are also draped with string, and one had a key placed at his feet! I wonder what the hidden message was, and for whom.

Some things, we may never know.

Another bronze statue, near the main entrance to the University, was designed to encourage public voices of dissent. This podium, with a little riser behind it, has “Protest” and other words carved on the front. Student challenges to the status quo is celebrated. Hooray for young ideas!

Finally, we happened to be in town for the annual Parade of Boats. It was described by our waitress as a yearly party where “drunk people in boats make a show for drunk people on land.”

A few dozen groups like dance classes, choirs, clubs, or just groups of friends, rode through the city’s canals in decorated boats, playing music and entertaining the crowd. It was clear that many of the paraders, as well as many of the audience, had had a few drinks. But, as far as I could tell, no harm done.
Our hotel room on the second floor gave us a front row seat.

And it was a magnificent party!

Well, that’s all I’m going to tell you about Leiden for now. Tomorrow is our flight to Billund!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Hortus Botanicus and Other Delights

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

I am writing to you because I will be seeing Liza very soon. So, hello, Portland!


We woke up Friday in Leiden, hungry and ready to explore. The city center wakes up pretty slowly, but we found a shop, called Vooraf en Toe, that sold us coffee, juice, and the best apple pie I’ve ever had. Notice my restraint: I didn’t have the whipped cream!

Once we were fed, we walked through town and across canal bridges to the Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. It is in the grounds of the University and is a teaching facility for students as well as a delight for visitors of all ages.

There were tiny mulched trails through forests for a fern garden.

There were signs all over explaining about the really cool details of botany that my Momma got me interested in…. Spores and seeds and Linneaus, biomes and bees and calcium-rich soils.

And when we had looked and read and smelt everything, it was time for lunch. The cafe had a wonderful zucchini soup with fresh baked bread, which I slurped down like a starving woman (which I was!).

Grandpa Nelson is always good company in gardens, museums, and walking around cities. But like most of us, he’s happiest when he has a place to sit and a cup of coffee. Here he is, looking particularly handsome.

I’ll tell you more about Leiden tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy