This way to the "passage grave"...

The tomb comes into view in the middle of a corn field...

"Nordic megalith architecture is an ancient architectural style found in Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia and North Germany, that involves large slabs of stone arranged to form a structure. It emerged in northern Europe, predominantly between 3500 and 2800 BC.  It was primarily a product of the Funnelbeaker culture.

A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or stone (or both) and having a narrow access passage made of large stones." 

A butterfly is examining the passage grave with us...

Just before leaving Ærø through the village of Søby and a ferry, we pull off to briefly explore Søby Volde.

​"Søby Volde is a well-preserved rampart from the 12th century, north of Søbygaard and 5 km south of Søby on Ærø, which was presumably established by King Niels, who ruled from 1104-1134, as protection against German expansion in the Baltic Sea. Several Wendish attacks on the Danish population made this type of castle necessary."

A ferry arrives, but not ours, this one is diesel powered...and takes travelers back towards Odense.

Young backpackers arrive on Æro, to experience the island in their own way.

Our ferry, Ellen, ​arrives.....it's electric!

"E-ferry Ellen is a pioneering electric car ferry.  She operates the 22-nautical-mile (41 km) route between the islands of Ærø and Als in Southern Denmark.  Ellen was developed from E-Ferry, an EU-backed project costing EUR 21.3 million.  Although this is around 40% more expensive than a conventional vessel, operating costs are 75% lower.  It is expected that she will save the release of 2,000 tons of carbon per year.  The ferry was built by Søby Værft A/S, with sections fabricated in Szczecin, Poland.  In September 2016, 22 sections were welded together and the hull was towed to Søby on Ærø for outfitting."

A vintage VW bus disembarks, hailing from Germany...

The ferry plugs into that green box, so we have about a 30 minute wait till we go aboard.  Now aboard, a crew person motions another car in behind us.

We round the northern tip of Æro on the 80 minute ferry ride.

We motor by a German sailboat flying its sails "wing on wing"...

A tall ship is see far off the starboard bow...

The ferry's batteries stayed strong and we arrive on the island of Als, cross it via our hybrid Toyota, stopping briefly in Sønderborg for a visit, before crossing a bridge into Jutland (a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark).

We then crossed over the short bridge to enter Jutland and see Dybbøl Banke immediately on the other side.

"During the Second Schleswig War in 1864, the Danish Army withdrew from the traditional fortified defense line, the Dannevirke (after waters and marshes which supported its flanks froze solid in a hard winter), and marched for Dybbøl to find a more defensible position.  Although much artillery was abandoned and the evacuation was executed through a snow-laden north gale in winter, the army arrived almost intact. It entrenched itself at the Dybbøl trenches, which became the scene of the siege and subsequent Battle of Dybbøl (7 April – 18 April 1864).  This battle resulted in a Prussian-Austrian (German) victory over Denmark.
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In the following peace settlement, Denmark surrendered Schleswig.  Following World War I, Denmark recovered the northern part of Schleswig as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.  The Dybbøl Mill is considered a Danish national symbol."

An interesting side note to the battle landscape was a memorial stone adjacent to where we parked:

We continue onto our lodging near the German border in south central Jutland (Denmark)..

We plan a bicycle ride in the countryside of Ærø today.  There are some mild hills and 25 miles to cover, so Gerri is looking to rent us a couple electric-assist bikes.  We'll go from "5" to "6" to "7" and back to "5" in Ærøskøbing.

The lady that runs the shop with electric bikes had a funeral "pop" up (she left a note in the window), so we found a nearby  shop that could only rent us standard all-manual bikes.  So instead of reaching "6", we'll have to cross over at "1", and do about 17 miles.

...we need some bicycle fuel, so we score some honey cake - it was good fuel, pretty rich.

...checking out some sliding sea cliffs.

We succeeded without any flat tires or any other such issues, and got a lot of fresh country air.

Homemade pizza was on the menu for dinner...

...then we took a stroll from our cottage to see more of the neighborhood by foot.

"Originally built as a dairy – the buildings are from the 1880s – Rise Brewery (now Ærø Brewery) opened for the first time in 1926 and functioned as a brewery up until 1961.  During these years, it brewed small ale and Easter beer. In 1934, production was expanded with ice cream and in the 1950s, also mineral water and soft drinks. During the war, in the 1940’s, production could not be maintained at the brewery because you could not get enough coal.  Instead, the growing of tobacco plants in the fields behind the brewery began. 

Rise Brewery reopened in 2004.  In 2012, we restarted the cultivation of tobacco. This gives a good synergy between the brewery and Ærø cigar by offering both beer tasting and guided tours from “Seed to Cigar” for buses and groups, etc.  In 2020 Rise Brewery changed the name to Ærø Brewery."

Tim catches up on some blogging, while Gerri documents the beer...

"Ærøskøbing is a town on the island of Ærø.  The suffix -købing means a trade town in the languages that derive from Old Norse.  Ærøskøbing's houses and streets are delicately restored to retain the character of the olden days.  Most of them are two stories tall, and the oldest ones date back to 1645."

We found parking at the port/marina, and started with a few sights there...

...then we hit the olden streets.

Pairs of dog figurines in the windows are also a popular feature here...

...the view from a trail along the back yard of a row of town houses...

...third-story topiary bush.

We finished the day with charcuterie for dinner...

Going to the island of Ærø today - about 2 hours south of Odense, including a sailing on a ferry.

From Ærø's tourism website:

"Welcome to Ærø island in the South Funen Archipelago.
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Ærø is located in the lower part of the South Funen Archipelago, so you can only reach us by sea. Hop on board one of our five ferries and enjoy losing touch with reality for a moment. You can also sail yourself and take in marina life in one of our four marinas.

Ærø has a vibrant island community with a thriving local population. Here you will find peace, pulse and space. All year round you can attend concerts, lectures, etc., and nature is your playground."

Our ferry approaches...

​When the green light illuminates we can proceed to roll our rental car onto the deck of the ferry...

We check into our humble abode for the next three nights...

Nearby another cottage sits resplendent under its thatched roofing...

After dinner we stroll down to one of the two nearby marinas - not for us, but this one features a wood-fired hot tub, and the temperature is almost getting there.

After getting the rental car, we headed west a couple of hours to Odense.

On the route we crossed the Great Belt Bridge, setting us back about $40 US.

Our lodging was at the edge of Odense - so in the morning we drove into town and found parking below this Celtic looking tree mural (our car is the black Toyota C-HR).

Rick Steves' Guidebook:  "Founded in AD 988 and named after Odin (the Nordic Zeus), Odense is the main city of the big island of Funen and the birthplace of storyteller Hans Christian Andersen.  Although the author was born here in poverty and left at the tender age of 14 to pursue a career in the theater scene of Copenhagen, H.C. is Odense's favorite son - you'll find his name and image all over town.  He said, 'Perhaps Odense will one day become famous because of me.'  Today, Odense is one of Denmark's most popular tourist destinations."

Gerri takes a seat next to Hans, on his gigantic overcoat.

Moving along, apparently on a path opposite to what the town's tourism office suggests.

Someone locked up their mighty "Urban Arrow" bicycle to this post...

At the H.C. Andersen Haven -  a museum providing the "Hans experience" through his stories - we passed on entering, but the grounds were amazing.

"Odense's City Hall, with its medieval Italian look was actually built in 1883 - it combines red masonry brick with sandstone decorations, stepped gables and a saw-tooth roofline.  The building stands on the site of a smaller building from 1480."

The original St. Canute's Cathedral was completed in the 11th century, but in 1247 was burned severely along with much of Odense during civil war.  A new church gradually replaced the old stone one between 1300 and 1499.

"For centuries buildings throughout the Nordic region have been painted to protect them from the weather. By tradition these colors have been dark, often deep reds or ochre yellow, although by the 18th century more ostentatious or more fashionable buildings were usually painted softer grey or buff colours to imitate expensive stone. Color was increasingly used as a signal of wealth and social status.

Many of these dark colors come from minerals including Swedish red or Falu rödfarg that is made with an iron oxide from copper with zinc and silica from the mines at Falun in Dalarna. This pigment was held in a starch binder (often rye flour) mixed with linseed oil that gives a matt but durable finish.

The paint protected timber cladding and framing and its infill and in some places it was popular because with white painted or inscribed lines it imitated high-quality brick - a much more expensive building material. 

Blue paints in particular, using ultramarine or Prussian Blue and later cobalt, were not only expensive but faded or reacted with the lime in mortar and plaster so the color was used less often on the exterior. Chrome oxide and zinc were available for deep green colours from the early 19th century onwards but again these were expensive pigments and were not as common as red or ochre yellow.
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It is deep dark red that is seen most on the outside of buildings throughout the Nordic region for farm houses, barns and summer houses and there is a Finnish expression - punainen tupa ja perunamaa - a red house and a potato field - said to suggest that that is all you really need in life to be happy."

Taking a break today, mostly, save for a couple of breweries, and some planning and blogging.

Just a bit of touring today, after more planning and blogging.

Swimming and diving stuff, right on the city's water-ways - some days they are closed due to pollution.

Now on an urban and wooded trail along one of the city's old defensive ramparts.

We head down to the port area to continue a walking tour of Copenhagen...

"The Little Mermaid is a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen, depicting a mermaid becoming human. The sculpture is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade.  It is 1.25 metres (4.1 ft) tall and weighs 175 kilograms (385 lb).
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Based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and has been a major tourist attraction since its unveiling in 1913."

"Kastellet is a citadel and one of the best preserved fortresses in Northern Europe.  It is constructed in the form of a pentagon with bastions at its corners.  Kastellet was continuous with the ring of bastioned ramparts which previously encircled Copenhagen, but of which only the ramparts of Christianshavn remain today.
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A number of buildings are located within the grounds of Kastellet, including the Citadel Church as well as a windmill.  The area houses various military activities, but it also serves as a public park and a historic site."

"Nyhavn (Danish: New Harbour) is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the Inner Harbour just south of the Royal Playhouse.  It is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and pubs, cafes and restaurants. The canal harbors many historical wooden ships, privately owned, that are welcomed to moor here for free."

Hans Christian Andersen lived in the red building from age 30.

​The Church of Our Saviour is a baroque church most famous for the external spiral winding staircase that can be climbed to the top.

"Freetown Christiania, also known as Christiania or simply Staden, is an intentional community and commune in the Christianshavn.  It began in 1971 as a squatted military base.  Its Pusher Street had been famous for its open trade of cannabis, illegal in Denmark.  The open trade of cannabis was shut down in April 2024 as a collaborative effort with police and the majority of the inhabitants of Christania.  Christiania is considered to be the fourth largest tourist attraction in Copenhagen, with half a million visitors annually."

There's even a brewery here - we passed on the brews incorporating hemp.

Heading out the front gate, leaving Freetown Christiania.

Just before dinner, we come upon a culinary festival - this cake has kale in it - mmmm  mm.

August 21

There's our ferry that will take us to Denmark overnight...

So long Norway (from Oslo harbor)...

We splurged for the luxury deck for this overnight ferry - a separated space away from the "steerage" folk (Leonardo was no where to be seen).

We get a view of how it used to be done...

Arriving in Copenhagen (overnight ferry) - here's our public transportation route to the lodging (top to bottom)...

We check our bags into the hotel, and then head out on the town to see what we can see on a walking tour...

...a live sampling of entertainment.

...a chocolate building?

We arrive at the city's main square, where the walking tour begins.

This is city hall...

There are indeed weddings going on at City Hall.

Inside City Hall - the sky light was added at some point after it was built.

In the lobby is an interesting exhibit...

We leave City Hall, and turn left...

See past the trio of flying rhino elephant sea serpents - that top hatted dude?

Why it's the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) !  He rose from poverty to become the most famous person associated with Copenhagen and the author of  "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", "The Nightingale", "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Red Shoes", "The Princess and the Pea", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Match Girl", and "Thumbelina." 

The girls are on a rotating disc and had provided a weather forecast for Copenhageners. If fair weather was expected, the girl on the bike would rotate out to the edge. Rain? The other girl with umbrella would rotate out.
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St. Peter's Church is the parish church of the German-speaking community.  Built as a single-nave church in the mid-15th century, it is the oldest building in central Copenhagen. 

The 1829 Church of Our Lady is the Lutheran cathedral of Copenhagen.

On to the Royal Palace, known as Christiansborg Slot.

The Palace Chapel...

We'll pick up the rest of the walking tour tomorrow...

Party boat...

August 19

Barbra and Gerri head out for a hike today - Tim says "I'm good".

Getting there from our lodging involved a long tunnel ($16 each way), and a very crowded $20 parking lot.

Instructions and orientation are provided, i.e.  "Do not poop in nature".

Here's the easy, "walk-in-the-park", part of the trail.

The emergency shelter comes into view - happily we won't be needing it today.

And then we're at the end of the trail...

We're looking forward to the pleasant stroll off the mountain and laughing hysterically over this daydream of sorts.

Ouch...Ouch...Ouch, .........Ouch ouch ouch and ouch.

We round the southern tip of Norway to pass through Risør and then move a bit closer to Oslo for overnight lodging.

Soon we encounter another lovely round-about, featuring a lighthouse ornamentation.

We meet Samim in Risør.  I worked with him in Kabul, Afghanistan 12 years ago.  Three years ago, when we pulled out of Afghanistan, and their government collapsed, Samim managed to get his family out and Norway took them in.  He's been trying to get legal entry to the U.S.A. since then.  Since we were able to route ourselves through Risør, we were able to meet up with him.

Samim treated us to Afghan-style cuisine, including spices sent from family that have remained in Afghanistan.  Norwegian cuisine isn't all that exciting, but this was something special.

Packing up and heading out, to some sunshine and some grey skies...

The longest road segment we need to take in Norway is in store today - 350 miles of some fairly nice and then some tough roadway.

Two-thirds done, now we're heading up there, over the mountains and through some woods...

Now in the middle of the high mountain pass - snow will hang on here from last season till the next.

This drive uses one of the highest elevation roads in Norway - it's breezy and chill up here for sure.

Very old rock cairns are dotted through the pass, put here well before the advent of automobiles - navigation waypoints way before GPS or at least a ribbon of road leading the way.

Side-line poles mark the roadway, tall for when the snow piles up...

Trainers are working the sled dog prospects in the warm season...

​We drop into Øvre Årdal winding our way down and out of the mountains...

...found a brewery down there...

Back on the road, and going back through the World's longest car tunnel again...

Just over 5 hours to drive today...

Another tunnel surprise - a roadway junction with of all things, a round-about in a tunnel!

Then we emerge from the tunnel onto a suspension bridge, and then immediately back into a tunnel!

And then we encounter another round-about - Tim even took an extra lap around it for some extra excitement.

...looking a bit murky out there over the fjord.

This tunnel has a different look about it than many others, and nice and bright.

Now in our overnight (2 nights actually) town of Stavanger.

"In the center of town, Stavanger Cathedral dates back to the city’s 12th-century founding. Stavanger Museum chronicles the city’s history and displays preserved wildlife. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum illuminates the oil industry with submersibles, a large drill bit and an escape chute. The shopping street Øvre Holmegate is known for its colorful houses.

In 1969, a boom started as oil was first discovered in the North Sea.  After much analysis, Stavanger was chosen to be the on-shore center for the oil industry for the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, and a period of hectic growth followed."

​We visit a museum at the end of the day - perfect as the crowds are thin and it's open late.

"The Norwegian Petroleum Museum (Norsk Oljemuseum) is a museum documenting Norwegian oil and gas activities and was opened on 20 May 1999.  Seen from the waterways the museum looks like a small oil platform.  The unusual architecture has made the museum a landmark in the Port of Stavanger.
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The museum was built in stone, glass and concrete and covers approx. 5,000 square meters.  The museum focuses on offshore petroleum activity especially in the North Sea and shows the technological development from the beginning of the Norwegian oil history in the mid-1960s, from the first North Sea drilling platforms, through steel and concrete platforms developed and built in Norway, to modern, flexible production ships and subsea systems."