Day 63 Vi-Kings n queens!

Today is all about the town Roskilde and it threw plenty of surprises at me! 

Out the hostel having had my usual DIY breakfast in bed.....a money saver in most countries so far. 

Then with my day pack on I'm back to the station for the 9.03 train to Roskilde a short trip but one that the interrail pass includes, I can't wait to disclose the complete milage I've covered using the pass! 

With only a 20 minute trip I'm in Roskilde before my planned first stop is open so I'm off straight to the Viking ship museum! 

A short walk through the town to the harbour on the Roskilde fjord through the now expected immaculate danish town.... I could live in this country quite happily! 

With one comedy restaurant name!

Hopefully not denoting the class of it's customers! 😁.... The sanity would suit me tho! 

For once it's actually an overcast day so when I see the fyord, it casts a feeling I expect for a place which would have fought many a war on these waters and the seas and lands beyond...

banners flying and shields and axes stowed long ships like this fought from and for these waters

this one is of course a modern reconstruction called the sea stallion it was made to test the building skills employed by the Danish going Viking! And in 2007 it sailed across the north sea and around the UK to Dublin from this very port! 

https://youtu.be/ZqbiJh--wAs?si=Wpww55k3oBUkD59o

At its height Roskilde was the capital of Denmark..... Something I learnt this morning! (Schmetterling!!!!)

And has repelled many an attack the boats and ships in this museum are evidence of that all 6 were found in the fyord where they had been deliberately sunk to for invading ships to runaground on!!

this one ^ was a warship it's girth showing that it was designed for speed unlike the more bulky cargo ships...

but all were indeed Viking vessels. 

And the restoration/preservation of these was a slow process but historically significant as it showed the construction methods employed and the tools used 1000 years ago

similar methods now being used at the museum to improve the understanding of the skills woods and materials used, for instance the sails of Viking ships were either made of linen or unbelievably wool!!

Both of course treated to keep them dry, wool was indeed a surprise to me .. but they wouldn't have had many options! 

Surprisingly no mention of figureheads on danish boats! 

Though they did have intricately cut metal weather vanes!

this one shows the lion of Denmark fighting of a serpent and another mythical beast. 

Following the wind that blows my heels I wander towards the town cathedral, I should probably call it city? 

Through a nice little park with an artificial steam leading me in my desired direction I glimpse the sun glinting between the two spires of the cathedral.... Not one to miss an eye of sauron photo opportunity.....

I head towards the main an impressive front doors!

I'm not sure of the age but the leaflet claims it was built in the 1200's replacing an earlier church that had replaced a wooden church built by Harald Bluetooth! 

One thing is certain it's a properly royal building! With at least 40 kings and queens laid to rest here! And the next royal death has already been prepared for with a glass tomb built but hidden away from the eye before it's put into use For queen Margerthe the second...

only a handle is visible in the glass case to the left, tho in the museum above it's beautiful casket is shown 

impressive! 

I'll show a few royal tombs now and hope I add the correct royals names!

Christian 9th and Queen Louise

Fredrik 8th and Queen Louise

A popular queen name!

Not just royalty here with one Chapel set aside for the Trolle family

On the door visible to the right is the image of a troll.... The founder of the Trolle family claimed to have killed a troll! Who are we to argue! 

The general architecture of the cathedral is rather beautiful without being excessive pastel hues adorning the walls and ceilings! 

so much nicer than gilt everything!!!

Back into town I head for my originally first objective pushing through the pretty and as always here clean town square!

My objective had been to get my Danish souvenir which I had intended to be a coin from the Viking age....

Though with better knowledge of where I am and what history has forged here I opt for a silver penny from 1252-59 of king Christopher the first, almost certainly minted within the monastery only a few hundred yards from where I bought it! 

showing Rex on this side...

A perfect representation of my visit!

And an equally pleasing way to leave the city..

Back to Copenhagen I get some groceries and hit the dorm, to relax for the evening.... This turns rapidly into sleep, I have a lot of energy to recoup!

day 62 Humanity comes in many shapes.

I'm rested!!! I hadn't expected my relaxation to be so different!! I'd become accustomed to hostels in all their wonderful and weird ways! Just having room to leave my kit scattered all over has felt good! Not having to consider anyone else while I walk around in my pants has been another weird boost to my relaxation and recuperation from the flu! 

This morning I feel like me again not a worn out shadow of what I expect from myself! 

It's a good job to as today's journey goes particularly weird and pretty quick! 

All starts out well, catching the train no issue not from this model railway tho, a nice center piece in Aalborg station.

with a coffee to boost the start I'm away, a couple in front are speaking English I say hello to make them aware it's my mother tongue, not doing that and listening in would be intrusive, I don't know how long we'll share this space civility is everything as I travel. 

This is where it goes weird, a chap insists on sitting where my pack is... Fair enough, the tattoos and can of beer and beer breath start to raise concerns, he's jolly enough in his inebriated way, I can work with this I think, so begins the longest conversation where sarcastic jibes about the others country are interspersed with his life story his apparent leaning towards Nazism and the purpose of his journey, going to his fifth attempt at rehab! 

At some point a couple appear who have reserved these two seats so we move over the aisle, to share air with another couple a Scottish chap and his wife(?) 

My drunken friend(?) continues the level of conversation......

Oddly he's not a bad bloke in his way you just need to set your audible filters to high..... I'd call it bullshit but everyone reaches their opinion though life's assault..... It doesn't sound like he's had it particularly easy..... I don't know how well I'd have coped with him two days ago but as I say civility in my travel is everything and all expectations should be set aside to enable progress..... In one piece! 

At one stop he got off the train for a ciggy , no sign of him as the train heads off..... Multiple heads look around for him with degrees of relief! 

He did get back on tho and soon returns to the chat. 

Eventually at Fredericia he departs on his route south.... I hope his trip works out for him... I really do. 

It's been weird and challenging but having him around hasn't been bad it's just another aspect of public travel. Another I know I can deal with .. Lessons have been learned.

The route from here crosses the island Fyn before crossing a huge bridge that for the railway becomes a tunnel at the island Sprogo

before landing at Sjaelland the island that Copenhagen is built upon. 

Conversation since my drunk pal left has improved no end Both Jangus and Noni (both British remember! just with preferred nicknames) have been a delight.... Another situation of friends made on the rail! 

For them they head back home today to Scotland for me as ever the tracks stretch ahead!

Copenhagen station gave me the instant feeling that from the inside it had been designed as a huge Viking long house! 

each of those arches supporting the roof are made of wood! 

a beautiful structure! 

Straight into the parking area with blue sky and sunshine a silly sign catches my eye....

it appears to be an Instagram thing labelled homagetoolderwomen!

Say no more!!!!

The station looks very Scandinavian

no idea if the design has a name but I'm content with my description. 

A short walk and I'm sat in the hostel bar catching up the blog and drinking a beer .... Nice way to fill the afternoon!

Nice view from the dorm window!

I'm in the top right bunk.... It's a bit bloody high and no guard rail! 

But it's a comfy nest! 

I wander out round the water visible from the window.... It may have been a big section of canal at some point? Now there's just a row of these large regular lakes....?

Food bought at the local supermarket and back to the dorm.... I found a weird pack of small lemons which you eat whole weird I thought I'll try..... Yep just lemons ... Odd.

i slept well and didn't roll out the nest!

day61 funny to sublime!

Firstly I have to say how is Denmark so clean and orderly??? 

Have we lost our way that badly in the UK?....I can only say we have, my feelings for my own country have plummeted..... There's so much we need to improve!!!!

Obviously starting from the top! 

But I'll not get political here.... This is a place to enjoy life not bitch about it.

And today has so much promise and it really lives up to it!!

But first I have a few funnies to get through..... As We travel through the day ....

Feeling more rested than I have in a while I'm away on today's mission, not remotely early about 10.30am that's plenty of time for my plans today. Walking through Aalborg I pass the book seller..... The English interpretation can be warped ridiculously....

which of course my instant humour latches on to! 

I have a very lazy option this morning being so close to the station and that's to catch a train probably less than two miles to Lindholm.... I take the option, leaving myself about a half mile walk to my destination..... Hilariously interrupted by another warped English translation of another shop......

should I grow up? Yes of course! Will I? Hell no! I live for silly!!

As much as I do for history in all its found and fabled ways! 

Today's is all about found by others and some amazing finds!

My route takes me to a free to enter park Lindholm Hoje..... Previously known as Voerburg a hill of Viking burials!

there are hundreds here! Each ring of stones I assume approximating the shape of a Viking long ship..... The burials themselves were actually cremations tho!

it's quite a feeling to stand amongst these knowing that at least some of those dead would have been involved in the raiding of England! It's known they left from the Lind fjord to raid England.... As much as it was a route across the fyord until the boggy land became impassable.... Eventually the village and graves were buried by shifting sand..... Buried to quite a depth! 

poking the sandy dunes with iron rods was actually the method employed to locate the first graves!

More were discovered during the German occupation where they cut into the hill for defenses.

It's now obviously a protected area.... Free access was a very much appreciated surprise!.

No free access to the museum but this was detectorist heaven!!! An incredible collection of viking brooches, daggers, jewellery, spindle whorls loom weights I can only barrage you with images here!

also beads in multi coloured designs

going back beyond the ages of going Viking there are huge flint daggers! and arrowheads on display

as well as the occasional god pendant! 

which in construction, size and design is very close to my iron age bronze I found before heading out on my travels!

I spent hours exploring this little museum and so so many photos I wish I could add to today's blog! 

I had a nice conversation with the staff where a certain Pommel may have been mentioned! 😁

Over the hill and back through the burial ground

and I'm wandering back to the station, the beginning of my Viking odyssey has been incredible!!!

So much to follow!!!

Over the fjord back into aalborg 

picking up food and I'm back to the apartment pretty early for a much needed chill and early night.... 

day60 chance encounters

Travelling north again today, heading to my bonus location, and I'm in to Denmark! Country number 8!

My train journey takes me initially through two local routes of about 20 minutes each reaching a place called Pinneburg.... Weirdly there was a direct train from Hamburg Bahnhof.... No idea what my travel app was attempting! 

I did start to see more people wearing big rucksacks tho, and I got chatting to one group on the train to Flensburg, at lunch they pulled out a great slab of cheese and were sharing it around.... Very nice cheese! these are the Comte family a famous french cheese producing farm they own in the French Alps!

massively friendly people! A joy to share the train with! 

Passing through very flat lands at Rendsburg the train is raised up on a huge steel bridge to cross the Nord-Ostsee kanal (north east sea canal) that links the North sea and the Baltic!

At Flensburg We've crossed into Denmark!

Here we're joined by a Danish lady Bodil Gimm who taught both the French lass in the picture and me our first Danish! Tak Bodil!!

Another lovely conversation ensued until we got off at Fredericia!

Goodbyes said and I'm sardining my way onto the train to Aalborg! 

I've never seen a train so packed!!!

Sadly there was a reason, an earlier train had been cancelled after hitting someone on the track.... Problems of standing seem somewhat diminished. 

I did get some cheery banter going with those around me and it proved essential! At Aarhus the train splits in two.....I had no idea that this was occurring! As the train emptied a blonde girl I'd managed a few words with asked where I was heading, Aalborg I said..... Not in this carriage she said! Thanking her profusely I jump out and move to carriage 71 which will get me there, it's still being like jammed in a sardine tin! But at least I get a step to sit on by the carriage doors! 

As we near Aalborg the French family reappear! Their route to Norway is via a ferry from the North of Denmark, I hope they made their connection! 

I did manage to grab a nice pic of them in full family mode! 

they had just joked that they weren't taking my photo.... So quick reactions got this! I did share both the photos over WhatsApp 🙂

Finally squeezing out at Aalborg I head to the shop for provisions for the night and tomorrow before heading to my accommodation......

no hostel for me tonight!!

I have an apartment!! With kitchen and double bed!!! And sofa!!!

I feel a bit lost having this much room after two months travelling and using hostels! 

I need this place. 😁