Odense

I realize I have not written about the city of Odense itself, or at least not directly. I think it is because we live here, and it seems not so new to me. Or perhaps it is not truely distinctive. Or special. But that is giving Odense a bad shake, as it does have some interesting things to offer.

From Odense

The tourist guides go straight to Hans Christian Anderson and his legacy. Indeed this is where he was born. He did not live here long, however. Nonetheless, there is a big push to use his birthplace as a tourist attraction, and many people do come to the HCA museum. Heck the even named the marathon about him:

From HCA Marathon

But what else is there? Well, Odense is a European city so it has a downtown shopping area, a city hall and a church. It also is a city, so it has a mall and industry. Being near the coast it has a harbor. Sounds like it is kinda plain?

Yes and no. Odense has a lot of open space. A river runs through it forming a natural parkland, and sprinkled throughout the rest of the city are large tracks of open space. Some of it is developed, but other parts are merely forest or open field. Odense is also the center of Fyn, which has turned out to be a really great place. For pastoral vistas it cannot be beat.

Finally, for us it is a nice place to live. It is not a super cosmopolitan place with a vibrant culture. So coming from Maine, we are not in double culture shock.

Running to the dump...

...or at the dump. One of the really interesting things about living somewhere is is to see how they deal with space. This is true within a country, and also country to country. Tivoli Gardens, for example, layers its concessions and its rides. I wrote recently about the gravel pits they are reclaiming for recreation areas. Continuing with the recreation theme, we have the dump. As chronicled previously, the current dump is on the Odense Canal. Well, the old one is too.

From Stige

But it now serves as a recreation area/open space. It is about 3 miles north of us, so I headed out there last week for a run. What I found was an area of grassy hills, a view of the Fjord, and the occasional vent/access point to the waste pile beneath my feet. There was no smell, and it is beautiful there, but there is a nagging thing in the back of one's mind...

But does it work, to reclaim land this way? I say yes. There were people out using the area, much in the way they use regular open space. In a land that has been host to civilization for 1500 years there is little open space left, so reclaiming any available land makes sense from that perspective.

Training to Nyborg

Last week I ventured a little further afield for the bike ride by heading to Nyborg (to the east of us in Odense) on the train and then riding home. This allowed me to get farther away from Odense on the bike, see some new country, and ride with a tailwind the whole way! I plotted a route that went a little south so I could catch some of the "hilly" country down there, and also catch some castles.

From Nyborg

I did both, and had a great time. It was an overcast day, but it stayed dry, which was the important part. Just outside of Nyborg I went by a Castle called Hocklenhavn Slot which was actually a surprise. It is quite nice, however. For the next hour or so I wandered south and west through the country until I came to Glorup Slot, a castle I had seen before.

Glorup is one of the prettiest castles around in my opinion, and riding through on a bike did nothing to dispell that notion. It is gorgeous. And it is no wonder that Hans Christian Anderson favored it as a place to write. Still heading inland, I passed through the town of Orbaek, where there is a (deservedly) award winning microbrewery. Their beer is really lovely. I could not stop due to time constraints, so I will have to make a pilgrimage. Next up came Lykkesholm Slot, a big yellow estate situated on a nice lake. It is in a little valley too, with "hills" around making the country nice for cycling.

Alas, all this castle watching ate up the time, so homeward bound I became. I slipped past Ravnholt Slot on the way, and then back on the same roads I had used when I made my original trip there. A very nice outing, and probably worth repeating once the leaves really begin to change.

Tivoli Gardens

Upon hearing the news that we were moving to Denmark for 6 months, most people asked:

"Are you going to Legoland?"

and / or

"Are you going to Tivoli Gardens?"

The answer to both questions was "yes", and after last Wednesday's trip to Copenhagen, we have now been to both places. The experiences could not have been more different, and Tivoli came out on top. Legoland is a typical amusement park, cast towards smaller children, and without truly exciting rides. Tivoli Gardens was a different sort of amusement park. It stands apart from other places I have been because of its ambiance, its size, and its ice cream. And compared to Legoland, Tivoli has really fun rides.

The most visible ride in the park I have now named the giant tower swing of death. I actually did not go on it, although Katie and Bev did. Bev thinks I have named it properly. Katie thought it was fun. Hank and I looked at the thing and said

"hey let's do the roller coaster that goes upside down three times. That sounds like fun."

Shudder... The other rides were more sane, but stil fun. By all Danish accounts, Tivoli has the most exciting rides among all of the Danish amusement parks. Though we have only sampled two of these, I have to agree. Other exciting rides included a freefall ride (ie the Dragon's Descent at Funtown), a non-inverted roller coaster, and some turn in a circle until you are sick rides.

But before all those rides, we noticed first about Tivoli the ambiance of the park. The place is small, and layered. Rides are under other rides. Shops and food kiosks are under the rides. And all of this is to the outside f the park. The central area is devoted to real restaurants and nice gardens. And at night it all lights up to form a dazzling sight. The ambiance turns an otherwise boring boat driving ride (max speed 1/4 knot) into a fantastic night time light display.

And finally, who ca forget the ice cream? We had been warned. Dbean said "the best soft ice cream in the world is in Tivoli Gardens." Umm, ok. Was she right? Yep, it is pretty darn good, although there are many varieties! At first puzzling, this turned out to be quite good as we could sample the different types in order to make a definitive statement. So:

The ice cream is quite good. It is the best soft ice cream I have tasted. When combined with warm crepes and jam (the Danish way), it is really really good. So you have all now been warned. If you go to Tivoli, get the soft ice cream.

If ever in Copenhagen, and you have any interest in amusement parks (or you have kids in tow), go to Tivoli Gardens. It is fun, and also a window in time. It is an old park, built in the 1840's, and has distinct feeling to it that is not dissimilar to the feeling of old-time beach boardwalk amusement parks (like Santa Cruise). Different, yes, but distinct, and worth experiencing.

Copenhagen

This last Wednesday, we packed ourselves up, and instead of going to school, went to Copenhagen. We caught the express train, and in a little over an hour were in Copenhagen. And what a different world that is. Odense is positively provincial in comparison.

We had no plan on what we wanted to see going in. But we had a map, and on that was a walking tour that started at the City Hall plaza and wound through the city to the Little Mermaid. It wound its way back to City Hall and then to Tivoli Gardens, our final destination. The Weather was beautiful - cool, crisp, and clear.

From Copenhagen (Click for more pictures)

The city hall is marked by the tall clock tower holding an old, but very accurate clock. We missed the trip to the top (it only happens at noon), so we moved along through the streets of the city toward Christiansborg. Aside form being the medieval shoreline of the city, the Christiansborg is the old royal palace as well as the house of the modern-day parliament.

Wandering further, we came to the square called Kongens Nytorv. This is a very upscale area, and in addition to the large mansions, houses the most exclusive hotel in Copenhagen. Right nearby is Nyhavn, a very cute harbor area with brightly painted buildings, old ships, and a lot of cafes. Very nice, and also tourist heaven. We followed Nyhavn out to the main harbor and walked along this for a bit, admiring the old and new architecture mixed together. We also ran across the fire rescue units practicing their rescue diving which was interesting to see.

The next stop was the Ameliaborg, the current Copenhagen residence of the Queen. At noon there is a ceremonial changing of the guard which we saw. Think beefeaters dressed in black instead of red and you are there. We took some photos, saw someone chastised for getting to close to a guard (by the guard), and moved on. Wandering north we arrived at an old stronghold of the city, called the Kastellet. Here there are barracks and a big fortified wall surrounded by a moat. The wall is in the classic star shape of medieval fortresses. The army still controls the area, but except for the barracks the public is allowed to use it as a park.

And north of the Kastellet, we reached our destination: The Little Mermaid. And lunch. I think that lunch was more important. The little mermaid statue in itself is not really a sight. It is a small statue in the harbor. But the walk to it, and back, are the real reasons to go. Heading south we looped past the only Anglican church in Denmark. There is a crazy statue outside of a woman in a chariot being pulled by bulls. More wandering brought us by snack time (supermarkets are very helpful here, and into the Kings garden. A very pleasant park, it houses the Roseonborg Castle as well as the crown jewels.

South of the gardens is the round tower. What a crazy tower it is. It is attached to a church, but unlike other watchtowers it has no stairs. One ascends by walking up a ramp that circles the tower. it is said that Peter the Great rode his horse to the top as he was not fond of walking. Upon our descent we continued through the University district and returned to City Hall square. Wow, what a great city, and what a great day. Ah, but we were only halfway done, because our next destination was Tivoli Gardens. But that is another post.

Viby

The weather for much of August was horrible, but come September, it has turned nicer, if not a little bit colder. Recently, I took advantage of one such cool, clear day to ride north or Odense. I had previously gone to Kerteminde, but on this day I wanted to head north of that town, out into the area know as Hindsholm.

From viby (click for more pictures)

What beautiful country this is. We had been straight to the top of Hindsholm (to Fyns Hoved) and that is still our favorite place on the Island. But the area I went on this ride was very beautiful as well. Splendid views, a nice Castle, a windmill, and a funky, old church with a half-timbered bell tower. And to top it off, there was a nice tailwind to bring me home. A splendid outing to a nice place.

Football, part II

So we are now a few weeks into the football season, and some more information has come available.

1. Hank is on a U10 team that is broken into three groups. One that plays U11 B level, on that plays U11 C level (Hank's team), and one that plays U10 level. The top level team (U11 B) is incredibly good. They have more field knowledge and soccer knowledge (with skills to match) than some high school teams I have seen.
2. Hank's coach in intense and trying to drive home a point. After railing on for 5 minutes About what needs to be done in Danish, he turns to Hank and says "Hank you have to listen to me!" Hank turned to Bev, laughed, and shrugged.
3. Katie is right there. She is playing a strong defense, and is having a good time playing. Too bad the other girls do not quite know how to deal with her...

We are spending a lot of time at the football club, but it is an evening activity for us, which really helps. It is scheduled, good for the kids, and helps us all feel more a part of the community.

Navigating Bureaucracy

We can Stay! we now have our work and residence permits in order and we can stay past Early October. That is great news for us as we will be here until mid-December. But getting our visas and CPR numbers (essentially a Danish SSN) has been a trial and also a learning experience. I thought it would be helpful to outline three important techniques I have learned for navigating the Danish Governmental Bureaucracy. Who knows, it might also transfer to other countries.

1)Patience is a virtue. Sure, pushing that paper should be fast, But remember these people do this all day, every day. Why should they rush? That Bank account you need so you can pay rent? Two weeks is fast enough. You want a CPR number so you can open a bank account? Six weeks from now, no problem.

2)Always call back. The person answering the phones may or may not know the correct answer to your question. If you do not like the answer to your question, call back. For example, the letter for our work and residence permit stating that it had been approved was sent to the Danish Consulate in New York. Unfortunately, we are now in Denmark. At immigration, the first person I spoke with said:

"you had better call New York and have them send you the letter. I cannot help you, this is the only thing you can do."

Now this sounded a little suspicious to me. Don't they have a printer? Can't they send another letter? Can they email or fax it? The answer all the time was "No!" So I called the next day:

"Oh, you need your letter sent to you in Denmark. What is your address?"

The letter came the next day in the mail.

3) No copies; it must be an original and the corollary It is vital to see your Marriage Certificate. We were held up in our residence and work permit by the fact that they did not have the original of Bev's contract with Bates College at immigration. It took 3 weeks for them to tell us that what they had received was not an original and they really needed an original (and no, faxes do not count). It took 2 weeks (1 day plus 13 days of vacation for the case officer) for the original to be considered by the immigration office. It took an additional week for the immigration office to find the letter, and 30 seconds to look at it and approve our permit.

The marriage certificate (do you have yours?) nearly stumped us again. A copy of our tax return (accepted by Danish Immigration; not accepted by the local authorities) was inadequate proof of marriage. Apparently, and I do not know why, it is vital that a couple be able to prove that they are married. In the end they made a special exception for us (signed off on by the supervisor) because we were citizens of the USA.

So those are the three most helpful rules I have for bureaucratic navigation, Danish Style. May they help save pain for the next sould attempting such a journey.

Bicycles as Transportation

In Denmark they view bicycles in a very different way than we do in the United States. Because owning a car is so expensive (taxes are 200 percent of the cost of the vehicle, and petrol runs about $9 per gallon), many people in cities go without a car, and many households have only one car. So people use their bikes. They commute to work on them, they go to the grocery store on them, etc. It is quite an experience. This video will give you a taste of what it is like:



People on bikes, going somewhere. You will notice the three postal workers going out to deliver the mail, along with people of every walk of life going about their business on a bike. And no one is in a hurry on their bike, either. People are simply on their way somewhere, so off they go. Here are some pictures (click on the picture to see the entire album):

From Cycling for Transportation

It works because of: 1) the bike paths. Throughout cities and towns the road infrastructure has concessions to cyclists. Mostly this is bike paths, but often automobiles will be restricted to 1 lane on a road (say a narrow bridge), and the rest of the road given to bicycles. 2) Bicycle type. People have town bikes, that have racks and baskets. They are internally geared, and have chain guards, etc, so they are clean and hassle free. You simply put your groceries in your basket and ride along home. They also have trikes specifically designed to carry large loads. They carry anything from children to that chair you bought at Ikea. 3) Number of cyclists. They sheer volume of cyclists ensures caution from motorists. Car drivers always look for cyclists in the bike path. The courtesy shown to cyclists is incredible.

It is a real experience to live without a car, and in a society where this is normal. It is not hard, although there are some definite behavioral changes needed. The store is visited daily, because you cannot carry large loads of groceries. It takes a little more time to get places, although parking is much easier. You get fit, but if you are tired, well, tough.

Map of our travels

Below is a map of places we have been on Fyn. The orange lines are bike routes we have taken, and the icons are points of interest. Clicking on an icon will bring more information. I will continue to update the map as I we go to new places. A link to it will be in the margin to the right.

Ravnholt

I decided Tuesday was castle day, so I saddled up and headed south towards a place called Ravnholt.

From Ravnholt

To get there I had to re-ride the dreaded Svendborg route (55) thru suburban hell, but as it was a sunny day, this was acceptable. I even noticed some things along the way that I had not noticed before. So the ride down to Ringe (a big town west of the castle) was pleasant enough. When I turned toward Ravnholt, I soon knew I was headed toward someplace with history and money on its side.

All around the estate, the roads leading to it are lined with old trees on both side creating a sort of tunnel to the estate. On either side one can see forests and fields without houses, which is a unique sight in Denmark. The estate is still a functioning farm, really. They have huge support buildings where they process the grain from the fields.

After lunching at the gates of the castle, I headed north toward home, through an area known for its man-made lakes. This strange landscape consists of lakes created during gravel and sand mining operations. The Danish twist is that they reclaim the area after mining and turn them into wildlife habitat and recreation area. Stranger still these areas are heavily advertised in the tourist literature.

Lubeck

On the evening of Monday September first, we arrived in Lubeck, and found our hotel (Hotel Excelsior; located just outside the Main gate to old-town Lubeck). Lubeck is an old Hanseatic town, and has been referred to as the Queen City of the Hanseatic League. It is now a World Heritage site (the downtown area) and is a really lovely place to visit.

From Lubeck

On our trip to the Netherlands in May we learned a fair amount about the Hansa as many of our port calls were Hansa cities. We also received a lecture from a Dutch professor about the Hansa. We immediately recognized the imprint this league had on this town when we saw the Holstentor (the main gate). Gates such as this one dating back to the 13th century can be found in numerous cities in the Nethderlands, and also, I would guess, in other Hansa ports around northern Europe.

Also immediately apparent was the Hansa-esque architecture seen all over the city. These buildings, especially along the water are old warehouses that have been long since converted into housing and retail space.

Other great things about Lubeck: The churches, which include a couple of cathedrals. One such cathedral, St. Mariens, has preserved the old bells damaged during WWII as a peace memorial. Another, the Dom Kirke, had a huge Gothic addition made to the Romanesque maine hall during the 16th century at the behest of a bishop. It is an amazing contrast between the two styles. Light and airy (gothic) vs heavy and strong (romanesque).

There is an old hospital dating to 1260 that was run by nuns. There are numerous old alleys where additional housing was made inside the courtyards of other houses during housing shortages. There are many museums, and walking streets too. Lubeck is known for its Marzipan (blech, but to each her\his own). There is an old city hall and market square, but it is less impressive than some of the other parts of town. And finally there is the old wharf area sitting on the river Trave, which is lovely.

The kids walked around this place for an entire day. They never get tired of the big cathedrals (well, not yet), and they always lead us to interesting bits we would otherwise overlook. An example is the playground we found at the end of one of the Lubeck alleys.

Frankfurt/Schellbach/Celle

So, exactly one week ago we met Bev as se came off her plane in Frankfurt after a week at a conference in Hawaii. That went well, and she even got to see Ann and Bill on the way through San Francisco. We did survive the Autobahn, but I will always remember the 100 km south of Hamburg that forever changed my view of highway driving. Shudder...

I more or less at random chose a hotel (I recommend hotel.de for German Hotels) north of Frankfurt near the city of Kassel in an area called Knullwald. We exited the autobahn at the knullwald exit, and then asked in stilted German for the location of this hotel. Soon enough we figured out it was in another village up the hillside from our current location. Nice. The village of Schellbach is an old, small village with a very pleasant hotel. Not the super luxury type, but a nice place with a good restaurant boasting a very German menu. After the hectic weekend of travel, it was the quiet, nice, and peaceful location and evening that we all needed.

From Knullwald / Celle

The next day we still had a fair distance to travel, so we chose to visit a city called Celle southeast of Hamburg. Its past historical significance (it was the regional capitol for a while) and the exceptional preservation of its downtown made it intriguing. And so it was. In a twisted way it was almost too well preserved, as it was vaguely reminiscent of Leavenworth, WA. The major differences are that the locals are German, it is bigger and older, and the currency is the Euro. It was a great lunclunch stop (Real Bratwurst!) and proved to us that Germany is almost cheap. And compared to Denmark (42% more expensive than the European average), food is nearly free.

From Knullwald / Celle

Noteworthy site were some old houses, a palace (sorry no pictures) and a plaza where they used to hold jousting tournaments. Also of interest was the fragment of the medieval wall that remains in the city. Another fun time, and a good mid-day stop before reaching the World Heritage site of Lubeck in the evening.

Maps of interest - Europe

Below is a map of places we have been In Europe. The orange lines are the roads we have taken, and the icons are points of interest. Clicking on an icon will bring more information. I will continue to update the map as I we go to new places. A link to it will be in the margin to the right.

Autobahn...

Last Saturday I packed the kids in the car on headed south to Germany to get Bev at the Frankfurt Airport. It was a fun trip, and we combined it with some good vacation time. We'll blog that later this week. But a driving trip into Germany must include information about the famed Autobahn. How to describe that experience? This is a good introduction...



I would be in the right lane here. Our little rental car cruised nicely at 130 kph (80 mph), and we even hit 150 kph at one point. Fast enough for me, but nothing compared to the autobahn yahoos. The results:

From autobahn

It was absolutely crazy. At one point the car shook when a Mercedes blasted by on the left. Time and again, some supercar came whipping by at 200+ kph (and likely much faster). Confirmed car types: Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Bentley, Porchse, and others (including some low-slung thing that I have no idea what it was. Perhaps a Bugatti Veyron?

In summation, one should drive the autobahn if given the chance. It certainly leaves a lasting impression...

Skibhus Festival

The local school and the local activities clubs. have, for about a decade now put on a festival in our neighborhood. It is your basic school festival, with a few Danish twists.



The first difference is that the festival is an official school day. The teachers take attendance. As a result, everyone is there, and an easy way for the entire school community to interact. The second major difference is that only three of the nine grades are allowed to make money on their activities, but each class must either peform or provide some activity for the festival attendees. So all of the students are there providing for their community, and those that need to are generating funds for their school trips. Pretty cool.

Our kids had a great time running around, playing the games, and enjoying the beautiful day.