Denmark 1

Sunday 21st August,  car park near Aalbaek.

New Day!

We wake to blue sky again, hooray. Near the campsite there is a KM long sand dune so before breakfast we head off to try to see it. The campsite is huge and it's like walking through a maze, we see some amazing cobwebs covered in dew but we loose interest in finding the dune and go back for breakfast.

Spiders around here are enormous.

Skagen and Grenen are on our to do list today but we are also concious that the fridge is looking bare and we are off to Norway tomorrow so we stop at a Netto and a Spar. We get supplies for the next 3 days then we can start eating our way through the freezer.


Back in H. Alastair tots up the budget, we only have £40 left, without the fine it would be a £100, aaagh. And we still have to fill up with petrol, let it go, let it go.


We find a spot in the port for lunch and to sort out our washing, we just have to take advantage of blue skies for dying clothes although if we hang around here there will be a faint aroma of dead fish to our clothes. With our pants draped across H's dashboard (best drying spot, we are past caring about any dignity), we drive towards Grenen.

Grey lighthouse at the end of Denmark.

We pull in at the first car park as it's free and cycle down to Grenen. If this is out of season we wouldn't want to see it busy!

Lots of sand to walk to the furthest point

We lock the bikes and follow the crowds a mile or so along the beach to the point.  Alledgedly this is where the North and the Baltic seas meet so you can have a foot in each one.  We undertake the mandatory photo opportunity and trudge back.

More walking.

A foot in both seas.

And back again

Danger of Death!

Its time to find a spot for the night, we don't need a campsite and it would be good to save the pennies but our confidence has taken a bashing and we are still feeling bruised.



We head away from Skagen and find a picnic spot on a main road but it has a toilet and is very busy. Alastair checks out a map and it looks like there are 2 parking spots off the main road.  The turn we need to take is like a dirt track so we have to go the long way round via Albaek.  There are no signs of either carpark as we drive through the forest then just as we are about to give up we spot a little picnic spot so H snuggles in.    If they find us here they deserve the fine money!

Rabjerg Mile campsite, Skagen. Saturday 20th August.

Another good nights sleep for Lisa, poor Alastair was woken up again by Lisa shouting that she didn't know where she was and by a car arriving at 1am, a German couple with their surfboards who slept in their car.


Around 8am Alastair went outside and the young German woman pointed to our windscreens, we had all been given a parking fine including the 3 motor homes that had appeared behind us in the night. We feel sick. We ty so hard to do the right thing and there was nothing to say you couldn't park overnight, also we have worked so hard to save money. lt feels SO unfair and has also pissed on our beautiful experience so far of Denmark.

Just do not park here.

We send an email with 6 photos attached of every notice board, none of them saying you can't stay overnight, requesting that the fine is revoked, we will see what happens. Meanwhile we decide to add the £60 fine to our budget incase we have to pay it.

Just don't park!  (no indication here)

We had planned to treat ourselves to 2 nights on a campsite, we may not be able to do that now.


And it's raining.


Lisa gets to drive again so I guess this is normal now.


We head first to Hirtshal to book our ferry tickets to Norway, we arrive at the ferry port after two and a half hours but no ticket office so we seek out tourist infomation.


The woman was lovely, yes she could book us a ticket but there would be a cost or we could do it ourselves on the computer, we go it alone.


Alastair typing on the computer , Lisa typing the Danish into our translation app. Team effort and we think we have done it, we think, who knows, we 'll see what happens when we turn up at the ferry port on Monday.


Now for Skagen, it's still a dreich day.

We decide to go to the campsite to get our bedding washed then we 'll think about a second night.


We arrive, check in and sort our washing, it's still raining and we aren't in the best of moods. As we have been on top of our washing we only have to do one wash and tumble dry, every penny saved!

H in his comfortable campsite setting.

We used our ACSI camping card which enables us to access campsites at a cheaper rate when they are out of season, as Danish school holidays have ended its now out of season at this campsite and we get electricity included at a very good deal.


With free wi.fi Alastair uploads photos to the blog while Lisa cooks tea and messages lots of people.


Despite our best efforts it's not a great night and neither of us get a good nights sleep.

Kitmoller Strand 19th August

We head to Struer for breakfast as it has motor home services. They are in a beautiful spot overlooking the harbour but paying is per day not just overnight so Lisa goes into trauma as we are planning to get water for free and head off, sometimes you pay for water separately from parking, she doesn't want it to look like we are stealing anything. Alastair is much braver and after a shower we top up with water with no one complaining about us.

Struer overlooking the harbour.

We overspent on our budget this week but largely because we have 'front loaded' for Norway so with a freezer full of food and alcohol we are partially prepared. Another free night in Denmark will help hugely.


We pop to the supermarket for basic supplies so after 3 days in Denmark we have only spent £10. Changing currency mid week doesn't help Alastair with his spreadsheets.


Alastair invites Lisa to drive so she couldn't have done so badly after all. It's about an hour and a half to our first attempt at an overnight stop.

On the road in Denmark- lovely.

Denmark has surprised us, Mediterranean weather, thatched houses and purple heather isn't what we expected from the land of Vikings. As we are travelling Lisa said 'let's arrive at our overnight stop and have the afternoon off". This sounds ridiculous we know but travelling can be tiring!

One of many bridges crossing all the water keeping Denmark below sea level.

Our chosen spot is at Kiltmoler Strand, a little car park in amongst the sand dunes in the Thy national park. The weather is absolutely beautiful again so after lunch we find a spot in the dunes and sunbathe with our books, a rare treat.

Kitmoller Strand (beach).

After an hour Alastair got bored with that and got the kite out.

Wonder where all the motorhomes have gone?

It's Friday night! Lisa cracks open a little bottle of Prosecco that was a gift from Becky G that she has saved for a special occasion. Eventually most people leave and we move to a flat part of the car park with views of the sand dunes, very beautiful .

Aaaaahhhhhh the setting sun.

Around 9pm we climbed over the dunes to watch our first sun set since we got to Europe. Back in Hamish the moon had risen and it was orange. A magical evening.

Orange moon.

Graemveg near Husby. Thursday 18th August

We are up early and head to the public loos to get water, we are hoping for a second free night.

Our first stop is Vejers Strand another beautiful beach that we can drive Hamish straight onto. We spend an hour there having a coffee and being entertained by people taking a dip.

Vejers Beach

Feeling confident that the roads here are straight and wide, that the speed limit is cautionary and concerned that Alastair has already driven for an hour Lisa offers to drive for the first time since arriving in Europe. Alastair agrees. What could possibly go wrong?


Lisa adjusts the seat and pulls a few levers. Her knees are soon underneath her chin and she is in the 'reclining' position. Alastair gets out of H to go round to help and Lisa is soon sat up and ready to go.


We set off but instead of taking us on those big straight, wide roads Andy the sat nav has other ideas. We are soon heading on a narrow, windy road through a forest. At the roadside are signs with a sniper crouching with a rifle. Lisa ducks down driving with just her eyes peering over the steering wheel. One can't be too careful! Then a military vehicle is coming towards us but spins off the road and onto the verge. A mutters that he didn't think L's driving was THAT bad. Then the same jeep starts to follow us. Nervous! It overtakes us. Whew. Soon a second is following. Guess the first radioed for help. So within 15 minutes of Lisa driving we have a military escort!


Thankfully they went 'off roading' shortly after and Lisa drove for the next hour without incident.

It is a lighthouse.

Around lunchtime we took a left off the main road to find a car park. Parking was below a very tall, white lighthouse. We wandered over. Whilst L made excellent use of the free WC A read (in English) the info board that explained this lighthouse acted as a marker for the RAF on their way to bomb gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen during WWII. Bet the numerous german tourists are excited by that fact. (we are still the only GB plate around).

Another gorgeous beach

Parking for bicycles

Fix your broken bike here.

We then walked across brilliant white sand dunes to the beach: very empty, very long, very white.


Lovely salad lunch.


H. sets off again.


Sonderveg is a brief stop to check out a possible Howff. A kind of Danish Butlins by the sea. Luckily places like this exist to soak up the needs of lots of people for pizza, burgers and buckets & spades. Not our thing.







So to Ringkobing to see where Morden grew up. There is a camper van stop but it costs about £17 overnight so we just park up for a while. It has a little harbour and is busy with tourists. After checking out the statues of homeless people and a huge naked woman on the shoulders of a frail naked male we carried on to find an overnight spot somewhere on the coast road.





There are several car parks but all have signs forbidding overnight parking. Eventually we parked in Graeveg near Husby outside a church. We cycle along the path to check for better options but there are none.


After a long day we are knackered and get to bed by 9pm. Lisa has 2 episodes of night trauma 'where am l?'. We can't work out what's triggered it again.

Ribe, Wednesday 17th August

We woke up stupidly excited about going to Denmark. Hamish is up, dressed and ready to go by 9am but there is a queue for the Services, so we are blocked in. Alastair asks (sort of gestures and waves his hands about expressively which turns out to be perfect German and Italian) someone to move back and we manoeuvre our way out to get final supplies from the nearest super cheap Lidl (6 bottles of wine for 12 Euros!). Then head back for Services. Next petrol at 1.08 Euro per litre then we are off. We needn't have worried about supplies because just before the border there are 3 huge supermarkets, probably for Danish vikings pillaging south of the border.


Within 10 minutes of crossing the border we are flashed. Panic! We forgot that our headlights need to be on constantly.


lt's another beautiful day and we follow helpful hints from Morden and head to Romo Island.

Romo Island Beach- washing sorted!

Hundreds of cars and mobile homes like jewels on the horizen.

Where is that seagull?

We cross a very long causeway and head to the far West, following other camper vans and driving onto a huge, huge beach. There are already literally hundreds of vehicles parked in the far distance, glittering like jewels just below the horizon. We drive across to join them and get a quietish spot. Immediately we deploy a washing line to use this unexpected sun to get our washing dry. We spend a few hours walking along the beach, reading and chilling in this beautiful weather.

Reluctantly we drag ourselves away and head to Ribe to find our Howff. Although we are there by 3pm the campervan carpark is full and they are rammed in like sardines. No room for Hamish at the inn. So we found a carpark which did not have a 'Campervans Prohibited' sign, which are quite frequent, however it is possible to find them, unlike Germany.


Ribe is a beautiful medieval town.

Ribe Cathedral

Cafe culture in Denmark

We pop into tourist info to get a guide in English around the highlights of the town. Unlike Germany there are English translations, thank goodness. 

Skagen Brewery Beers are excellent!

We also get some Danish krone out, just in case. While we are walking round we find a public loo with a third toilet containing a chemical disposal and a tap outside. A top tip for UK councils, though weirdly motorhomes are not allowed to park in the carpark.

Unusual design of Danish yachts- flat bottomed with lee boards.

On the way back we check out a Danish supermarket, which sells everything including bikes. There are men holding hands, how civilised.

Despite parking next to a railway track we have a good night. Well it started off well but for the first time in ages Lisa had one of her funny turns, not quite banging the ceiling but demanding to know where she was before the terror subsided. A. wonders where she thinks she should be?