Intermezzo II

The ferry taking us to Fredrickshaven was enormous, with 8 decks and over 500 cars and buses loaded in the hull. The 3 hour crossing was smooth, although a few of our land-locked offspring had a little trouble finding their sea legs. There was no shortage of activities available. The boat was equipped with casinos, cinema, cafes, restaurants, and observation decks. We arrived late at night, the girls going separately to their new school in Hjorring, while the parents arrived at the Fyrklit resort on the coast of Denmark.

The next day, Sunday, was a wonderful day spent in Skagen, despite the dampening and blustery weather. Skagen is at the northernmost tip of the western peninsula of Denmark, and is one of the northernmost points of continental Europe. It is noted for its handcrafts, especially glass-making and pottery, and it used to house one of the most famous artist colonies in Europe, drawn to this area by the unique atmospheric and lighting effects that are created by the North and Baltic Seas coming together at this point.

To reach this very tip of Europe, you have to be driven by a “Sandormen”(see photo 4 as I still haven't mastered the visual functions of blogger), or sand worm, which, as you can see above, is basically a tractor pulling a bus through 1-2 miles of sand. I’m unable to capture Dave’s disappointment in finding that the tractors used were not made by Caterpillar, but we were eventually able to force him onto the vehicle.

This is the most popular activity at Skagen’s point (see photo 3): trying to simultaneously dip one foot into the North Sea, while having the other in the Baltic Sea, all while ignoring the ice in the water and the 50 degree temperatures. It was with great difficulty that we were able to entice our band of 16 bathing beauties into the water, Anna Lenart being the only one willing to expose the diaphanous white skin of her right shoulder in these harsh conditions behind Amanda, in what is sure to become a rare collector’s item as her celebrity grows.


No one, it seems, is immune from the shopping frenzy that has infected our team. Here Stefan shows what he was ‘forced’ to buy by the girls during his night along the avenue in Sweden (see photo 2). No doubt Centennial High School will now become the U.S. hub of the ‘urban guerrilla’ look that has already swept Europe.

After literally getting our toes wet, we next went into Skagen. This scene is typical (see photo 1): tidy yellow homes, topped with roofs made from curved slate tiles from which the snow can easily slide in the winter. Some of the girls remarked that this looked a lot like Illinois: except for the absence of corn, the presence of debris-free streets and crowded bicycle paths paralleling every street, and wind-swept dunes lined with gorse and heather, I guess I can see their point. While here, some went shopping, some visited museums, others ate. Stefan and I were of the latter inclination, choosing a fresh lobster soup prepared at the Hotel Clausen. If you are ever in Skagen, we can recommend that dish without any reservation.