8th, 9th, 10th June. I haven’t typed a word for 3 days. We’ve had a mini holiday from our holiday and it’s been great. No driving, no navigating, no planning, no clock watching.
We’ve spent 3 nights with Keagan & Kristy, doing normal things, like watching Keagan play football & messing around with their cats. Plus they showed us around; the mini town of Varde, being a complete mini version of the town of Varde in 1866. Then the island of Fano, driving on the beach, looking for Amber, eating the indulgent danish ice cream cone with a flodebolle, exploring a bunker, thatch roofed villages and a windmill. Talking to a fascinating old character wearing a bow tie and cycling around with a water pistol squirting the kids. He knew we were from New Zealand and from the North island from our speech. He goes to NZ every second year and loves/ is involved with old planes, Mosquitoes in particular.
Next day we trained and biked to a Viking Village in Ribe. It is populated by volunteers who live in the traditional manner while there. You can talk and ask questions, gain an understanding on how the Vikings lived. Sometimes it just takes the right question. There was an old guy making a fishing net so we asked him about fishing. He replied he didn’t know. As we were turning away, I asked how they got the blue in the woollen thread hanging on the other side of the door. Then his eyes lit up and he took us around the side to where he was just starting a colour garden, planted in different plots were the plants used for each colour. He was encouraging us to feel the leaves as he talked through the processes. He sneakily pulled out a smart phone and showed us a you tube of him weaving. Amazing rhythmic coordination. The feet in a beat on 3 pedals, the hand moving back and forward in a different time. Like a drum player, it’s very skilled.
While we learning about how Vikings lived day to day, we’re also learning how Danes live now with Kristy answering all my questions about their lives. God I’m nosy! It’s interesting, as they know how we live in NZ and so appreciate the differences. We discuss government styles, house buying processes, work hours and expectations.
On the train going back we end up having another interesting conversation with a Brit who’s sailed over for a holiday. His brother lives in Auckland (Albany) and sailed the Soren Larsen. We talked trains and NZ’s infrastructure.
This morning they’ve gone off to work and we will hit the road again, feeling refreshed. One last stop before we leave town will be the White Men as we ran out of time to visit them yesterday, then it will be farewell to Denmark and back into Germany.
BAGGAB 