Great start to the day, in need of extra cycling I took off for an extra 4 k uphill (well only considered uphill on a loaded touring bike) before realizing I was going in the wrong direction.

Shall see what else the day has in store….

The wind was hellish, according to the weather charts it was gusting to 60k and that’s a headwind. Anyone who says this is not normal for Denmark. I point out that for the last three days I have never been out of sight of these wind turbines…

Try that as a headwind when the road is straight and without a break. 10k is a good speed.

Just as well my Powermonkey works well (see it sitting on the back of my bike) as it’s an extra charge (10kr) if you want to charge your phone at most campsites.

The weather for tomorrow? More stronger wind and rain…… I could have stayed in New Zealand and done this for a lot less $$.

There’s an old saying, discretion is the better part of valor (or something like that). I think I won the first few rounds with the wind but then wind called up her friend, rain.
So I headed for Thisted, some 20 km away and found a hotel. Wind, being generous, kept rain at bay until I reached Thisted, past old burial mounds.

I even was able to see some of the town

Until rain came

So now I watch the Tour de France, on TV, going over the Tourmelet and am glad I decided not to do the tour again

Today’s means of transport is quite difficult, comes with comfortable seats, free Wi-Fi and power outlets. All this housed in this

It does feel strangle to be doing this all on a train. How technology changes things.

I wish the rain would change to sun….

In the parlance of cruise ship packages, Thursday was a transfer day using four trains to basically do a giant U journey. I think the direct, as the crows fly, distance was about 200k. But I wouldn’t have met a student teacher off to teach in Greenland, or the person who’s sister to going to New Zealand following a Kiwi….

This is one of the rail stations – they are all very utilitarian – I think this was Lange.

In the evening I reached Frederickshaven where I set a new (for me) record. $41 to pitch my tent on my own little patch of wet grass – yeah.

On a more personal note, I wish to acknowledge Daniel and his fellow Gappies for introducing me to Tesco’s Mixed Herbs. They do wonders to baked beans and some strange Danish meat that I think was ham-like.

Now the cycle path from Frederickshavn to Skagen is a model New Zealand could look at. Sometimes adjoining the main route, sometimes thru the dunes but always enjoyable.

One of the benefits of cycle touring is the ability to eat without guilt. This wonderful sugary danish is ready for eating

10 minutes later.

I was last in Skagen 45 years ago as a kid. It has radically changed. Then there where 500 fishing boats

And that’s me (3rd from left) 45 years ago….

Now they are less boats and the ones here are more like this.

While fishing is still very important, I think tourism has overtaken it. With fishing boats replaced by pleasure craft, yachts and gift stores.

Skagen has become a tourist destination. Next week there will be 5,000-6,000 motorcycle enthusiasts here for a long weekend.

I am staying with Grethe, my mother’s cousin, I don’t speak Danish and she no English so sign language helps – google translate doesn’t!

Saturday

Sunday

And the forecast for Kristiansand on Tuesday is…..thunder,lightning and wind – ughhh! So I will stay an extra day in Skagen and go to Norway on Wednesday.

In the meantime here’s a tour of Skagen and surrounds in the rain. This is the original, ancient, lighthouse, the bucket would be filled with burning wood or coals. Not surprisingly, it has burnt down a few times.

Up from there is the start of Germany’s WWII bunker defenses that stretched down to Spain.

But where solid concrete meet fluid sand and sea, it loses. You can also see the tip of Denmark that shifts 10 metres every year

One bunker is now a museum.

One stark fact sheet inside the bunker lists military deaths, civilian deaths and holocaust deaths by country. 16,2 million civilian Chinese were killed. 16.07% of Poland’s population were killed, mostly in the holocaust. New Zealand lost 11,900 – all military.

On a brighter note, this is a danish landmark – the buried church, which isn’t actually buried. Instead the nave was demolished but the tower left standing as it is a was a good landmark for ships.

I’ve finally reached the Tiptop (oops i meant) top tip of Denmark. It is marked by the crowd of tourists dipping their toes into the two seas.

Here’s a closer look. Funny how postcards always show it without people

Skagen’s population goes from 8,900 to 50,000 in the summer. But just go down the west coast a few kilometers and this is the view

Oh and this is the newer lighthouse ( hasn’t burnt)

It was quite emotional leaving Skagen. It was like having looked thru a window where the golden summers of my younger self were played out.

It is easy to why so many Norwegians, Swedes and Germans come here to holiday, yet you can get so easily away from the crowds. At least here one other person was enjoying the beach

Denmark also has these wonderful hiking/biking shelters hidden in the forests. Just bring a sleeping bag and food…

Most of today was like this. But photography is wonderful as you don’t see the father and two sons behind me drinking beers. They were death metal fans with the father and sons vying with each other to have the most rings in their ears, noses and lips!

Sometimes one can be lucky, after a pleasant ride to Hirtshals, the sky once again opened up with rain and thunder. But there is an upside to rain, I found this wonderful little cafe/bar where I could wine away the time watching the Tour de France.

The next morning was all sun and calm, probably because I wasn’t cycling, instead just wandering around the harbor.

Dried fish the old fashioned way

Next stop is the ferry to Norway. Ferries here are on a huge scale with 4 transport decks for dozens and dozens of camper vans, trucks, cars and 2 cycle tourists. One German and one Kiwi – both clearly do not know something everyone else knows…

This is the lighthouse at Hirstals. What the photo doesn’t show are the dozens of WWII German bunkers that surround it.

For much of the day I was cycling thru woods on tracks, which is so much nicer than roads.

However there was a wonderful section of the North Sea Cycle Way that truly lived up to its name.

Yes, for 15k the “Cycleway” was on the beach – a truly fantastic experience. And at both ends were the Danish equivalent of the England bathhouse.

According to the sign at Lokken, there are about 485 of these that are allowed on the beach during the summer, then stored elsewhere for winter.
By the way, the sky turned blue during the day!

Breakfast is an important part of the day- or so all the Cereal Companies keep telling you. So, dutifully, I had breakfast – of a cyclist’s kind.

Yes, tea and, no pun intended – well maybe, Danish. And so it was onward, the route followed old German defense roads.

Until I had climbed a Danish mountain ( in Norske a bump).

Along the coast are the Remains of many German defense bunkers and gun emplacements It is stupid really how nations do not Learn. Only a couple of years after avoiding the French Magenot line, the Germans built their own one. At least today this bunker has been put to good use.

Okay – it is now a gents and ladies! This next photo is simply a gratuitous photo of grain ripening. It is here purely because I’ve gone thru so many fields.

They’re back!!! Invading the landscape.

And finally, to finish the day as it started. Food I’m talking about. Here is dinner accompanied by pure spring water – plus natural brewed homeopathic ingredients.

By now I was retracing the route I had taken north, the long road from Agger to the ferry wasn’t quite so far as the wind was at least from the side, although the ferry itself decided to entertain with a little rock n roll.

I now headed to Lemvig stopping at some ancient remains or burial mounds. One of which turned out to be a water tank.

It was here my helmet gave it’s life to save my bike. While I was admiring the view, my bike and panniers ( all 46 kilos) fell upon and attacked my helmet, ending its long life.

In Lemvig I had a welcome respite from camping, staying with Nancy for the night.

Thank you Nancy!

In Lemvig there is an unusual planetarium, all outdoors and at a scale of 1:1 billion. This is the sun

And this is the earth

To reach Pluto ( I know not a planet anymore) you need a car as it is a long distance.

And now onto Esbjerg to complete the full length of Denmark.