blurb book – final draft
December 8th, 2009
day 70 – scandinavia
September 9th, 2009
The last day of my adventure. I feel a little lost and wish to continue. There is a lot more traveling to experience and much more to see. I am tremendously grateful to the Cavin Family and Fellowship committee for a lifetime experience.
My last memory will be crossing into Germany. Green pastures and cows sprinkled with a handful of wind turbines lightly carving the wind. Each turbine rotated with a slightly different rhythm that continually shifted as we putted past them. Somewhere in between a fence line we crossed into Germany and left Scandinavia behind.
day 69 – ribe
September 8th, 2009
You cannot be sure what you are going to get landing in one of the small Scandinavian towns for a night. Ribe, the old capital of Denmark, was a nice night cap to a long journey. We had a perfect blue sky day in the quiet town.
The highlight was definitely the cloister at St. Catherine’s. Things that are on your mind that day evaporate and a calm introspection requires you to settle down. Some enter the offset entrance of the court and rest for a moment on a bench. Some continue on and casually walk around the perimeter arcade. Each side of the arcade is a different experience. Some sides are illuminated from the soft warm glow from the courtyard. Other sides are distinguished by pools of light piercing through the brick arcade lighting a path.
day 68 – aarhus
September 7th, 2009
The massive factories along the waterfront were impressive. The abandoned warehouses and factories were slowly being rediscovered and converted into premium office space. One building converted into a recreation facility was populated with basketball players and yoga fanatics stretching up towards wood trusses spanning sixty feet above their heads.
day 67 – aero
September 6th, 2009
Trains, planes, ferries, buses, cars, and lots of walking, but today two wheels on the pavement. Fifty-five Danish krones and a bike for the entire day.
The gusting rain made it look as if it was going to be a long and painful bike ride, but the clouds drifted across the island and opened up patches of blue sky. Up and down the coastline, the bike path was a single lane road that connected the farmsteads. Each farm attempted to minimize the exposure to the wind. Most farms were in the shape of a ‘u’ to protect a cobble barnyard. Other farms planted rows of trees to complete windbreak. A handful of fortunate farms borrowed from the rolling pastures and burrowed a hole in the terrain.
day 66 – aero
September 5th, 2009
If you plan on visiting Denmark don’t forget to pack a wind-breaker.
Ninety miles per hour on my motorcycle wasn’t even a fraction of the force from some of the wind gusts here. We were almost completely stopped in our tracks. Fortunately it was not raining, so I welcomed the wind by extending my arms out to my sides. The wind stretched my clothes tight around my entire body and every pore on my face was jetted clean.
day 65 – copenhagen
September 4th, 2009
Louisiana art museum has an impressive collection of modern art, but we were also fortunate to be around to catch an exhibition of sustainable architecture for the future. After walking he exhibit and visiting the design museums yesterday, it is clear that the dialogue of the built environment here in Copenhagen sets the standard. There is a strong desire to educate the public and promote a responsible architecture looking towards the future.
We ended our stay in Copenhagen with an evening walk and treated ourselves to a warm waffle topped with a whipped vanilla ice cream.
day 64 – copenhagen
September 3rd, 2009
The 10 mile day.
Today there was an 80% chance of rain. We were hoping that the 20% might trump the cloud cover, but we were soon disappointed. My seven and a half euro umbrella spanned just enough to cover both our heads with the rest of our torso exposed. Every other kilometer we would rotate and allow a shoulder to dry out while sacrificing the other. When the wind picked up we oriented the umbrella almost horizontal at times to block the rain like a shield. But a handful of times our protection from the elements was not enough and we were forced to find shelter where we waited.
After circling the Latin quarter a few times we found an all you can eat vegetarian buffet. Sizzler and Soup Plantation step aside. There were at least 15 different types of salads, humus, and vegetarian chili. We had walked so far today that in between each trip to the buffet own legs planted themselves to the ground. Getting up was a struggle, but the pain was no match for our appetite. Like a rusty machine in need of some DW40 we limped towards the buffet with our joints popping each step of the way.
day 63 – copenhagen
September 2nd, 2009
We found Christiania today.
The entry gate and perimeter of Christiania had remnants it’s 1960’s hippie roots. Unfortunately the majority of the area was overrun with stray pit-bulls and people who abuse an alternative lifestyle. But there is a glimmer of positive change and hippie resourcefulness. Christiania manufacturers a very practical and function tricycle.
The evening was planned around a tour of Copenhagen’s design museums which are by far the best in Scandinavia. There is a real conscience effort here in Denmark to realize the social and sustainable benefits of good design.
day 62 – copenhagen
September 1st, 2009
We touched down in Copenhagen and were greeted with clear blue skies.