A Glorious Walk at Frederiksborg Castle

I’ve spent magical times on my walks at Frederiksborg Castle north of Copenhagen. Winter evenings were beautiful. The Stable Street and portals, gate towers and turrets, the courtyards and of course the view of Frederiksborg Castle, covered with snow all together added the impression of a fairy tale.
These delights are surrounded by wonderful castle gardens.

My plan was to revisit the renaissance castle, the baroque garden and not least the ordinary and spectacular garden with ponds and old trees. Bathhouse, hunting castle and the grazing Dexter cows. Well you might not call it ordinary after all.

Ducks Waiting
Oh! What were the ducks waiting for?

They are waiting for their feathers to grow out properly so they can fly over the castle and enjoy the beautiful sight of all the glory. They will also take the opportunity to forage.

Please remember your lunch!

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The history of the castle

What are they waiting for?

What are the ducks waiting for?

To be continued…

Ducks Waiting

Beowulf, The Danish King Roar and the Heorot

There are moments in my life that has established themselves as Oscar-winning films. Oscars for best scenario and best plots.
There is the story of Beowulf who hears about friends who are in need in Denmark. He comes to help and defeats monsters, goblins and dragons.
There are stories of bog holes so creepy that deer choose the death by biting dogs, rather than the flight into the bog.
There is a story about a mighty meat hall in Lejre where King Roar generously shares his possessions between the men who honour him while quoting verses and letting themselves entertain by women.
Some of the best scenarios are from the fjord country; Landscapes with undulating wheat fields, where narrow picturesque roads winding between mounds and small village churches. Flashing fjords and lakes, promontories and inlets, hills and beautiful forests.
Does that sound like a fairy tale? It’s true because when I walk in the fjord country on a beautiful summer day, the adventure feels for real.

I have walk and cycled on countless trails in the fjord country.
Now I have found some new information’s, which many of you probably are familiar with.
The new data adds a new dimension to the landscape I know so well.
It was during a cross-search of Danish Vikings and Iceland, that I came across the Beowulf Poem.
The story of Beowulf is a unique plot written by English monks in the 8th century. A heroic poem. The poem begins with a celebration of Danish kings and King Skjold and his family.

It is the hero Beowulf who tells of King Skjold that he as a little child came to the royal solve Denmark, sailing alone on a ship.
The Danes saw a ship steer towards the shore; it had no oars outside, and there were no men to see at deck. As the ship slid in and lay down on the shore, people found a small boy lying alone on the deck. His head rested on a sheaf, and around him weapons were stacked.
The Danes carried the boy ashore, brought him to town; and proclaimed him as a king on a sacred stone, King Skjold.

Beowulf belonged to the Goths in Sweden, but he also had close ties to the Danish court, where he had stayed for a while when he was a child. When he learned that the ageing King Roar was in deep distress, he gathered a dozen of the best fighters and came to Roar’s rescue.

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A few year back archaeologists uncovered post holes after a mighty meat hall uncovered from 500 years A.D. in Lejre. The hall is from the same period as the legend of the royal family Skoldungerne with Roar, Helge and Rolf Krake and the famous ‘Hjorthal’ or known in England as Heorot. There are plans for a reconstruction of Heorot in Lejre.

You can read much more about these important finds in the notes.

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Secrets of Beowulf revealed Relics discovered Danish feasting hall featured Britains oldest epic poem.
Visit Lejre

Experience Nature

I had one of my known walks when suddenly I heard a cry, it was the lapwing. The bird is a seldom guest so close to built-up areas. I succeeded to photograph the lapwing despite it’s a fast flying acrobat.

Vibe over Frederiksdal

Fæstningskanalen

The Ferry

There is something magical about this ferry, Hundested-Rørvig Færgefart. Geographically we are close to the outskirts of Denmark.
Outskirts, a word used negatively in the public debate in Denmark.
I consider the outskirts of Denmark as a gilt-edged stock.
Nowadays tranquillity and untouched nature is hard to find but it’s something we all need to find in some point of our lives.
The ferry is like a magic door to an area of adventures; to beautiful coastlines and landscapes.

The Ferry returns to Rørvig

The Ferry returns to Rørvig

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God tur i sommerlandet,  husk regntøj og madpakke!

Skansehage og Korshage

Hundested-Rørvig Færgefart A/S

Love Magic and Midsummer

We have been here before in winter when snow and rain vied for the right to drench the presumptuous creatures who step out on the bare and magnificent rocky beaches.
Where the wind did its best to complete the last part of the work by pushing the haughty people to the ground.
Us who thought to master the elements rampage.
Now it’s the fabled Midsummer, where anything can happen. Days, where herbs are enchanted. It’s about Freya and Frey, Vikings, rituals, and worshipping fertility and a rich harvest.
Love and magic are associated with Midsummer. If you pick seven types of flowers on the way home, and hide them under your pillow, the dream of your loved might come true.

Midsommer

The most scary animal in Denmark

The most scary animal is now seen in a Danish forest near Eghjorten
by me.
It can fly which make it even more dangerous.
Luckily it only flies for a short distance of 300 meter but the sound of it is terrifying.
When it flies the animal sounds like a lawnmower.
If you imaging a monster flying around saying like a lawnmower with giant jaws.
But the most uplifting thing is that it’s only a beetle.

Jægersborg Dyrehave

The beetle was an extinct insect in Denmark after 1970. Now 40 of the largest beetles are imported from Sweden and Poland.
The name is Lucanus Cervus or the Stag Beetle.

The Blueberry Season

I shot the blueberry season underway yesterday. An early start for a delicious morsel. The characteristic for the blueberries are an upright, deciduous dwarf shrub with dark blue berries. Shrub is from 15 to 45 cm and is easily recognised because the branches are square, green and smooth. The leaves are 8-25 mm long, finely serrated, short-stemmed and green underside. Later in the year the leaves are often brown spotted. The flowers are first light, since red-green to completely red and sitting solitary in axils. The bloated jar shaped flowers are four to seven millimetres long; the stamens are smooth. The berries are six to eight mm, dark blue, or black glistening with a purple juice that reveals the blueberry eat socket when the lips are coloured blue – Very revealing, I might add.

Wish you all a good hunt!!!

Connected to the Sea

Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.
by Sylvia Earle

Kystvandring ved Kattegat

Happy Celebration of St John’s Eve