31.07.09
Copenhagen – Århus easily done by bike (Travelling in Denmark)
My friend asked me what I was doing for my holiday and at that point I hadn’t decided yet. “Travel around Denmark on bike with me” he gladly suggested. You can properly understand the scepticism I immediately felt about spending my precious holiday on hurting my bum on a saddle while getting soaked by rain.
But just arriving from a year abroad in Holland where nature is even more rare than here and then spending a week at a totally overcrowded Roskilde Festival I figured fresh air and open spaces in the Danish hilled landscape was the thing for me.
So with very little time to prepare I manage to borrow two bicycle bags to put on my mountain bike and I attached my tent and my air mattress and I was set to go. My dear father, who is an experienced biker, told me some very wise words: “take everything you need to bring on a bicycle trip and place them in front of you. Then take half away! Then place the bicycle repair gear next to your luggage and remove the luggage to make room for the repair gear.”
Our first day began very early because that is what true bikers do apparently, and in my very very tight pants with padding in the crotch and an elastic sponsorship shirt we began our adventure. Our first goal was North-West Zealand somewhere.
We actually managed to bike across northern Zealand in no time and after taking a couple of small ferries to cross the Roskilde Bay we where swimming in the ocean in the summerhouse paradise of Rørvig.
Despite worries of hurting legs, we continue all the way to Odden and from there we just needed to take the ferry to Ebeltoft, Jutland.
You can actually take the ferry straight to Århus, but we where not in it for the speed but for the pleasure, and after yet another ferry sailing, we arrived a lot futher than we first anticipated.
We had biked 110 km, sailed with 3 ferries and swam twice in the ocean. All in one day and we still had the energy to find the natural camping site at a farm and put up the tent. There we met a couple, who was bicycling around Jutland and staying at natural camping sites and farms and living there for free. The shared some hot chocolate with us at a very nice camp fire and that day ended after 14 tiring hours.
I’ll admit to the sore legs and hurting ass, but actually I couldn’t wait to get on the bike again. We biked through the beautiful landscape of Djursland with its high hills and had lunch at Kalø castle, which is a very impressive citadel on a slim peninsula. We biked about 70 km all the way to Århus, and where just in time to see the very exiting stage of Tour de France with Frank Sleck as winner. And I knew exactly how the riders felt because these guys and I where bikers, oh yeah!
A dear friend opened up the doors to her apartment for me in Århus so my accommodation was free and the only money I had spend on travelling so far was the ferry tickets from the day before. Even food and drinks where plundered from my fridge the day before so a very cheap trip in that regard.
After some nice days in Århus I decided to bike home to Copenhagen and my friend would continue further into the dark Jutland. He is still in there somewhere and I hope he is doing ok…
This small trip had been surprisingly pleasingly relaxing and definitely something I would do again. What bugged me the most on this trip though, was that the one way ferry ticket was 315,- dkkr. A car is only 600,- dkkr, so two bikers are even more expensive than one car!
I was quite angry about this so I decided to hitch hike. But after three hours in the rain and even some storm at one point without one person stopping, I decided against my inner will to buy the ticket. Arrrgh! Stupid ferry people with their irritating smelly cafeterias and over priced hot dogs.
Arriving at Odden I jumped on my bike and gave it all I got. I only biked about 40 km and stopped at my sisters place near Holbæk. I am pretty sure I could have made it all the way to Copenhagen that day but decided to stay the night and enjoy a free meal and loving family.
The last day was about 80 km and took me less than four hours even with a stop to swim in the Roskilde Bay. I was very proud with my little holiday and I had only spent money on a stupid boat and a couple of drinks.
If you are willing you can actually travel between Århus and Copenhagen in one day by bike. But watch out for those ferry pirates, that plunders your budget just because you are a little environmentally friendly and doesn’t own a car.
Mols Linien
