When Don Quixote met Hamlet, the King of Denmark (part one)
A morning of April, Don Quixote and his untiring squire decided that the hour had arrived to exceed the borders of seas, the oceans and mountains and to leave the Iberian Peninsula to know new worlds and to live new adventures. The decision was taken. They would go to visit Hamlet, the king of Denmark.
With this encounter of memorable characters, we inaugurate chronicles of international trips, since although our primary target is to share charming places within Spain, we also want in this blog to talk about those places in which, like travellers that enjoy traveling, we felt like home.
From Madrid, we arrived at Billund. Its quite centric situation in the peninsula of Jutlandia makes specially attractive to be the base from which to make different trips in any direction. In this first chapter of the visit of our cavalier to the king of Denmark, our objective will be a first contact with the coast of the Baltic Sea, with special emphasis in two places: Aarhus and Juelsminde. Do you want to see our itinerary in Google Maps?
But it would not be fair to forget Billund. A brief stroll by its streets will allow us to enjoy the stillness and the silence, and the sounds of the nature that will be a constant in our trip (if we except the boisterous night of the weekend, of course) the pretty forests of the environs specially are indicated to take a walk or to cycle and thus to begin our cure of the excess of decibels we suffer in the great south Europe cities.
Aarhus, charming city
What plus we could say of a university city, with forest, beach, pretty centric streets, animated terraces where to take brunch (with a Tuborg beer, by all means!) and boisterous night of the weekend? Much more. But lets go step by step.
A stroll by its centric streets, on foot or in bicycle, allows us to enjoy monuments like the Cathedral, the tallest cathedral in Denmark, the small town Den Gamle By, from the Viking Age to the present day or the pretty park adjacent, where we can take a rest. The atmosphere breathed is that of many young people by the street, college student, who give an urban rebel fashion to the city. The clothes stores are elegant, showing their merchandise close to us in the middle of the street.
It is essential to capture a few sun rays in the terraces of the “Spanish Stairs” which are in the border of the River Boulevard, (“Åboulevarden” in Danish) while we take brunch or a sandwich to replenish forces. And at night, in weekend, the light of the day replaces by light bulbs and lampposts, and is equally recommendable to take a beer before going to some celebration of many that take place in the city the nights of the week ends.
Risskov, the beach and the forest
Without leaving our bicycle, we exit the downtown towards forest of Risskov, where we can feel at in the heart of nature, surrounded by vegetation and birds singing. A little beyond is Risskov, where it can be appreciated the care that the Danish profess to their houses and gardens. It is a detail question, a question of the taste by the things well-done that each corner of this country distills. It is a pleasure for the guests to enjoy the lodging and the hospitality of the Danish. And its sense of humor (nothing like traveling to wipe out the topics form our heads …)
We left our bicycle parked next to the beach. The Baltic Sea extends in the horizon, with his gulfs and ends, and islands. In sunny days it is a magnificent place to sail. We can see the port too, the most important of the Baltic Sea.
But until now, we have not spoken about food, and the stroll by the beach has opened the appetite to us. Well, not only we will speak about food, but we also will try a recipe that is at the same time easy to do (like all those that we usually recommend to you) and really delicious: Frikadeller
Juelsminde, small seaside village
In the last stage of our first trip to Denmark, Don Quixote arrives at this pretty coastal village. It is recommendable to seat and eat fish in some restaurant of the small port. The green of the grass is based with the sand of its beaches in a pretty landscape, and its people take advantage of the sunny days to sail. The small houses next to the sea, like in Aarhus, are envies of whom like Don Quixote live in the inner territories of Castile.
Returning to Billund, we contemplate the mixture of green landscape with the yellow of the mustard’s flower, the farms surrounded by culture fields, some of them with the possibility of bed & breakfast. And here ends the first trip of our famous cavalier and his untiring squire, being thankful to Hamlet for his hospitality, and swearing they will return. Hasta la vista, amigos!
Technorati Tags: Denmark, Billund, Aarhus, Risskov, Juelsminde, Travels, Quixote, Hamlet,
