Cleaned up and went downstairs with Lotte and Carol for breakfast at 8:30 AM (soft boiled egg, bread, cheese, pear juice, coffee). 
The two other ladies who were staying at the B&B were already at breakfast. So, we all introduced ourselves and sat around a big table in the dining room. The ladies said they had stayed at the B&B before and told us a little bit about Eva. According to them, Eva used to be a Gynecologist and moved to Ribe to be with her husband who bought and restored the building around 1976. He died around two years ago, and Eva now manages it as an AirB&B. 
They said there was going to be a flea market today. So, after breakfast, Lotte, Carol, and I walked to the flea market where Lotte found some nice bone handled utensils for her summer house and I found a few interesting rocks. 
The weather was nice, and we sat by the small bay inlet that had boats docked along the sides. We then walked towards downtown and found a small café (Terpager & Co.) with a beautiful garden in back where we had coffee. 
While sitting in the garden, I identified several birds including Eurasian Collared Dove and Eurasian Wren. The Eurasian Collared Dove are considered an invasive species in the U.S. and just recently have become common in Vancouver, Washington. 
So, it seemed a bit strange seeing them here in their native habitat. We walked down the street to the Ribe Cathedral which is the largest cathedral in Denmark. I am not religious, but cathedrals like this are amazing.
Lotte and Carol didn’t want to climb the stairs to the top of the bell tower. 
So, after paying 25 DKK, I climbed to the top where the view was amazing. It turned out, my timing was good, and I was able to watch and hear the 2 PM bell. After hearing the bells up close, I was thankful it was only 2 PM 😲
We left for Tonder and took a small detour to Romo island. The island is connected to the mainland by a long causeway that crosses over the Wadden Sea. 
We stopped at a small convenience store for snacks and drinks. We then drove to a picnic area that turned out to be a dog park (Kirkeby Hundeskov) where we had bread, cheese, snacks, and drinks. The gas gauge was warning that we were getting low on gas. Lotte said “don’t worry” but I tend to be a worrier. So, we stopped for gas. 
While crossing back over the causeway, Lotte explained how the dike and lock system keeps coastal areas from flooding. So, we stopped at the Ballum Sluse to get a closer look at one of the dike and lock systems. There was a long dike that stops bay water from flooding the low areas during high tides and a lock that could be opened to let water out during lower tides. 
Parallel to the dike was the Danish portion of the North Sea Cycle Route that runs from Denmark’s southern border to the northern tip in Skagen. One of the many things that impressed me about Denmark, was their commitment to bike trails. It seemed like everywhere we went (city and rural), there were bike trails. Cities even had their own bike signals at intersections. 
We continued our road trip to Tonder and checked into the B&B at Ostergade 15, Tonder around 6 PM. The owner showed us our rooms and gave us a quick tour. According to the B&B owner, the building used to be the home of a former mayor of Tonder. 
We had the whole downstairs to ourselves which included two bedrooms, living/dining room, kitchen, laundry and two bathrooms. After getting settled, Lotte, Carol and I walked down the street and found a nice restaurant called Café Victoria where we had dinner. 
I had a Gyro sandwich, Carol had the “snack bowl” (sweet potato fries, onion rings, and veggies) and Lotte had a Caesar salad. For dessert, Lotte treated us to Irish coffees 😋
Things I Learned On This Day (#TILOTD) –
- Loppemarked is Danish for Flea Market or Garage Sale
- A causeway is a raised road across low or wet ground
No comments:
Post a Comment