I'm a Bit Emotional

I'm coming to you from just outside Stege, on the island of Møn.   I'm lying here in Sally, with the breeze coming through, it's just past 6pm, the Baltic Sea is about 20 metres from Sally and I, and I'm a little emotional.  I've wanted to tell you all about the last few days, and I've been trying to find the right angle, to lean into a theme, but as I uploaded the photos and drone footage to remember it all, all I can think of is just how beautiful these days have been.

I don't really have the words, I'm not creative or poetic enough, to share both the external and internal experience of these last cycling days.  They have been tough, exhilarating, challenging, beautiful to the point to moving me to tears, surprising, fun, and just so magically textured.  Denmark continues to shine, today was weather challenged with 40km head winds and a spot of rain, but the two previous days were why cycling was invented - for fun - perfect.  And we have found our rhythm, my body is getting stronger on the bike, the hills are easier, and the scenery has been almost spiritual.

I took this an hour ago, that's the Baltic Sea we're fronting onto, and now I'm cosily esconced in Sally to get these words down while Mike is having a nap next to me

Mike on the final 1km here to our campground today - the daisies growing up through the wheat were incredible - the headwind was so bad today we took off our jackets to make it easier, then we finally walked the last 1km (it was slightly undulating)

As I've previously done, I'm going to go back to go forward.

Wednesday 25th June - Nykøbing Flaster to Stubbekøging

We finally left our little red cabin, rested and rejuvenated where we got topped with our tick vaccine, made our own dinner every night, Mike discovered Gold Korn (a cereal like Honey Wheats) and ate ALOT of them, we washed all our clothes, did some EOFY admin stuff, went for walks, visited the Danish version of Bunnings (where they have a hot dog and hamburger stand - Yum Yum), and rested our bodies.  We were good to go. So off we went.  

We were taking Route 8 and were heading to Stubbekøging - around 50km away.  IT WAS INCREDIBLE.  The photos can never tell the full story, and these fail to give the full beauty of following the coastline, through forrests and open paths, mostly gravel, but some road, not many cars, a fair few fellow cyclists, and a lot of what must have been school camp participants, the teenage boys riding in gangs with their shirts off, and the girls in their groups with load music playing Tay Tay.  It was a glorious day, the sun was out, as you can see, there was some wind, but for us mostly tail winds, there were a fair few long climbs, but not steep ones, and my body is getting better at those, and there was the magnificent coastline with the wheat fields or forests going right up to the edge.  When we finally got to stubbekøging, it was later than expected because of rain that morning we didn't leave till lunchtime, and by the time we got to the campground, I was so tired, and my joints weary, that Mike had to help me off the bike - and glory be, there was a hut available!  Oh happy days!  The campsite was beautiful on the water, and we saw the sunset (around 10.30pm) after some pizza (a bit bland) for dinner at the local pizzeria.

And Phil the Drone came for the ride...

The town of Stubbekøging in all its glories

This is where you get the ferry to the next island, Bøgo, so they had flowers hanging from the special ferry themed light posts.  No words.

Our campground

Our cabin - (second on the left)

Thursday 26th June - Stubbekøging to Svensemarke 

Yes, that's Mike, starting his day with his new best friend, Gold Korn.  HE'S SO HAPPY TO HAVE THIS IN HIS LIFE.  We walked up to our reception of our campsite this afternoon because they had milk to sell (which is unusual) so he could have Guld Korn for brekkie tomorrow (yes, we're carrying it in our panniers).  So, we were both full of Guld Korn (yep, I like them too), and we packed up our little cabin and rode the 750m to the ferry.  This is no ordinary ferry, apparently it's the oldest wooden ferry still in service in Denmark! Cool.  So it was just us, two other cyclists from our campsite, and an old citroen.  Cool again.

So, the ferry took us to the horrifying island of Bogø.  Now we only had to do about 5km max on the horrifying island of Bogø before we were crossing a bridge onto the island of Møn, and we thank the deities for that.  Bogø looked beautiful, so serene, all coast, a tiny little village, lots of cute holiday homes, but beneath all that lurked something horrifying that we weren't ready for...the dreaded bug tornados.  OMG, thousands of midges in swarms, one after the other after the other after the other.  Mike and I just kept our mouths shut as much as we could, trying to do the whole 5km breathing through our noses - they just kept coming - so of course some got in - my ears, my nose and of course my mouth - there was a lot of spitting and swearing.  I took the lead for the last 2km, and when we finally stopped I looked like a human windshield on a two week drive to Uluru.  My tshirt and arms were covered in dead midges.  We breathed a huge open mouthed sigh of relief as we got off the bridge into Møn - and we have since renamed Bogø to Buggø.

The ferry pulling into Buggø

So, now we were on Møn following Route 8 again - and another magical cycling day.  We discovered a great cafe, by the sea, with virtually no-one around, with AMAZING FOOD - pastries and a sambo, and some coffee, to top up the Guld Korn and send us on our way of a 40km undulating ride to our cabin in Svensmarke.  Another incredible cycling day of beauty, sun, a bit of wind, climbs, beach, swans, and waving to other cyclists knowing we are living the dream.

And hello Phil the Drone...

Today - Friday 27th June - Svensemarke to Hårbølle Strand

So, here we are sport fans, back at the beginning.  We woke to rain and wind, so our big plans were modified, so we left our cabin this morning when it stopped raining and headed to the biggest town on the island, Stege.  We had 40km headwinds on the 10km into town, grabbed some great brekkie (no milk for Guld Korn this morning - but Mike had some dry), had a walk around, hit the supermarket for supplies, then did the final 10km here to the campground with gritted teeth, but still a smile.  The wheat fields and ocean were there to see as we rode at 9km/hour!  And as I said right at the beginning, we decided to walk the last km, which was really special, we chatted, watched the eagle swooping, and the waves of the wheat.  Gorgeous.  So, here we are, Mike's awake, Sally is happy, and we are about to have our dinner of cheese and salad rolls, rest our little bodies, and get going on the run to Copenhagen over the next few days.  Sending you a special Danish hug with sunshine and waving wheat, and a good helping of Guld Korn.

Coming into Stege

Leaving you with this hoot of a pic - these guys rocked up at the camp reception this afternoon while we were getting our milk - that's a labradoodle popping up out of the trailer, and he had a blue ribbon clip on the top of his head!  Go figure.