Out in a boat

A person should go out on the water on a fine day to a small distance from a beautiful coast, if he would see Nature really smile. Never does she look so delightful, as when the sun is brightly reflected by the water, while the waves are gently rippling, and the prospect receives life and animation from the glancing transit of an occasional row-boat, and the quieter motion of a few small vessels. But the land must be well in sight; not only for its own sake, but because the immensity and awfulness of a mere sea-view would ill accord with the other parts of the glittering and joyous scene.

~ Augustus William Hare

A Walk and a Sailing Myth

The small ferry sailing around Frederiksborg Castle resembles undeniably a little boat from Legoland.

However, many people are having a joyous day on the lake with a different view to the castle

Recently I heard on the radio that the little boat is a rebuilt lifeboat from one of the most famous vessels in Danish history:

The ship Jutlandia, a floating hospital, that went on three expeditions from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War.

That changed completely my perspective on the small ferry, until yesterday, when I did some research.

The shipping company tells the story on their website. The ferry has sailed the lake since 1952, and the story about the lifeboat is so popular that it has almost turned into a truth. Some myths are worth saving 🙂

Note

You can take a wonderful walk around the lake and through the Baroque garden or you can continue towards Gribskov and wilderness.

Click the link to see my beautiful walk towards the mountain in the forest:

Walking from a castle to a mountain on an icy day.

A Secret Gate

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate
And though I oft have passed them by
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
~ J.R.R. Tolkien

A Deep Hoarse Call

The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in. ~ W.H. Auden

There are special days in life that stands out as bright memories. There might be joyous days with the ones you love. And then there are days when you are out on your own. Days which are perfect for exploring all kind of winding paths in the woods.

It was on such a day, a spring day when I heard a deep hoarse call above the path. The tree tops formed a perfect acoustic space for bird song. A green airy room. Light-hearted I walked under the beautiful arch.

Suddenly, the deep hoarse call came back. I looked up into the foliage vault, as a large black bird flew into the woods and back over the source.

Now I saw them. Two young ravens sat perched on a branch waiting for food and the latest news from the outside world.

On this wonderful autumn day I can not help but look for the ravens from that glorious day in spring.

A Cautious Visit

Mighty roars that echo beneath the treetops.
Stags are defending their territory and they are fast runners.
You better keep a good distance 😉

Celebrating Nature Day

Today on the eighth of September, nature is celebrated in Denmark at a numerous of events.
Nature’s Day is The Danish Society for Nature Conservation and the Outdoor Council’s anniversary for nature experiences.

Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. ~ John Muir

Naturens dag

Treebeard in the Fairy Forest

I went to see Treebeard the other day and he still has a majestic appearance. If you wonder who is Treebeard I always have one foot in the world of Tolkien.

Tolkien Gateway: Treebeard, also known as Fangorn, was the oldest of the Ents, a tree-like being who was a sort of “shepherd of trees”. Very tall and stiff-limbed, with bark-like skin and leafy hair, like most Ents, Treebeard took a long time to make up his mind. He repeatedly spoke of not “being hasty”.

O! What are you doing,
And where are you going?
Your ponies need shoeing!
The River is flowing!
O! Tra-la-la-lally
Here down in the valley!

On My Way Home

On my way home from the grocery store, I was a swing down by the river. It’s very important to check the water level after the last rainfall 😊

“Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute,
day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways.”
~ Stephen Vincent Benet

A Bike Ride On Route N9

I’ve been bike riding on Route N9 in the summer heat.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
John Lubbock

The route lies between Copenhagen and Elsinore. In fact the route actually ends in Gedser. Read more about N9
Always look out for traffic no matter if you cross the coastal road or choose to stay on route N9

A few things to explore about many on your way to Elsinore: Cycling Route N9

Remember a worthy packed lunch 👩‍🍳🥐🥑🥕🥙🥝
And leave nothing behind you than exquisite ruts from your bike 😎

The Magical Fantasy

You don’t have to travel far to experience magic.
We are carrying the magic inside ourselves, though it needs to be rediscovered occasionally.
Small children don’t look for magic. The magic lives within them and they are surrounded by it.
Their world is full of trolls and dragons, castles and mountains. Tigers, lions and brave knights. Not necessarily in that order.
I met a young Spanish couple in Jægersborg Dyrehave. They looked so bewildered, that I asked if I could help.
Did I know the way to The Eremitage Castle? I pointed out the direction. They asked me if there was anything else I could recommend?
I told them about the very special Hawthorn that grows on the plain.
And about a place nearby where many people from Copenhagen were buried back in the 1800 due to a cholera epidemic.
And about the deer, I met the day before and while I told them about the nature I noticed the difference in their facial expression.
As if they woke up.
The woman spoke softly in Spanish to her boyfriend, and pointed up into the treetops. It was the ravens.
Their scream and busy life, tells about the fall.
The mood is suddenly magical.
The silence, interrupted by screams of the ravens, the roar of the stags and then silence.
And while we look in between the trees, shadows come alive.
Sometimes it’s a deer and sometimes it’s just fantasy.
Fantasy is magic.
The way they thank me when we part tells me they’ve just regained their magic ❤