Sunday was a lounging around and beach day for us so that we would be ready for a full day in Copenhagen on Monday. Although we already knew that Monday is not the best day to visit Copenhagen because most of the museums are closed on that day, we were undeterred because this was to … Continue reading →

I was mystified when I first started reading the guidebooks before we left for Denmark. It seemed that half the sights that were recommended were “Slots.” At first, it left me thinking that there were casinos all over Denmark: Kronborg Slot, Fredensborg Slot, Frederiksborg Slot, this list goes on. It turns out that a Slot” … Continue reading →

Inside, the Roskilde Cathedral vaguely reminded me of Canterbury Cathedral in England, probably because both cathedrals were converted from Catholicism to Protestantism at the time of the Reformation in 1536: Canterbury to Anglican; Roskilde to Lutheran. At any rate, in 1536, Danish King Christian III adopted Protestantism as the official religion of the land and … Continue reading →

After visiting the Viking Ship Museum, we headed to Roskilde’s city center, primarily to see the Roskilde Domkirke, the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I previously mentioned that King Harald Bluetooth had constructed the first Christian church in Zeeland here in Roskilde in 980 A.D. That church had been built of wood and was … Continue reading →

The boats I’ve shown you so far were all trading vessels, but when I’ve thought of Vikings, I’ve always had a picture in my mind of the longboat that was used by the warriors for marauding. Before we walked outside, we spent some time indoors, examining Skuldelev #2-4, a Viking Longboat: The Viking Longboat was … Continue reading →

Skuldeleve #1 was an ocean-going cargo ship, measuring 54 feet with a beam of 15 feet. Loaded with 24 tons of cargo, it had a draft of 4.2 feet. With a crew of 5 to 8 men, this ship could range all over the North Sea, the Baltic and the North Atlantic, achieving an average … Continue reading →

A short distance south from Frederikssund, the Roskilde Fjord narrows considerably at a location known as Skuldelev. At this point in the fjord, there are 3 channels capable of north-south navigation, the western channel being the most direct access from the North Sea to the town of Roskilde that sits at the southern end of … Continue reading →

Yesterday, Friday, we got an early start; we had big plans for the day. We started by driving south along the eastern shoreline of Roskilde Fjord, stopping at the town of Frederikssund to visit the recreated Viking village there. In the USA, we think of Vikings as seaborne raiders that raped and pillaged along the … Continue reading →

Today was exercise day. After calisthenics, we went on a 4-hour, 20-mile bike ride along the Nordkyststien, the North Coast National Cycle Route 47, to Tisvildeleje and back to Hald. After passing the village of Liseleje about 2 miles from home, the route turned off the paved roads and carried us through the forest on … Continue reading →

The Danes are known for their efficient and functional designs. We have always loved Danish furniture, with its clean look; especially the teak furniture. In fact, our first bedroom set was Danish (it now belongs to Kyle) and we still have a Danish teak bookcase covering an entire wall in our living room. But this … Continue reading →

After taking care of essentials today, like grocery shopping and reconnoitering the area, we drove to the nearby town of Hundested where we discovered that all the shops were closed due to the fact that today, June 5, is Grundlovsdag, “Constitution Day.” But at Hundested Havn – the harbor – people were out in droves, … Continue reading →

Denmark is a low-lying, flat country. The highest point is around 350 feet above sea level and there is no place in the country that is more than 50 miles from the ocean. Outside of Copenhagen, Denmark is very rural with farmland and small hamlets covering the landscape. The farms extend to the coast, which … Continue reading →

Comfort on long flights is a function of where you’re seated. We were relatively lucky on our Trans-Atlantic flight this time: decent seats and generally considerate seat-mates. Two days ago, on Monday evening, we boarded a British Airways flight that delivered us Tuesday morning to London. After a layover in Heathrow, we departed Heathrow on … Continue reading →