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It was a bit cold, but the kids had a blast taking in the view. |
Once on land we explored the charming little town, Ærøskøbing. It's hard to do it justice with photos - it's a place with classic old-Danish architecture, cobble streets and a lazy, small town air that is infectious.
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A little girl and her giraffe could not be bothered to stay with the rest of us.
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Our next stop: "Ærø Accordian Festival" |
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People were piling in to come hear the music in their cars, by motor cycle, bike or on foot.
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This accordion orchestra included about 10 members... none of them under the age of 75 I think. They played some old Danish tunes and a few familiar American ones too.
The accordion scene is strong in Denmark, and is a sub-culture of its own. Young and old turn out to play, listen and hang out for this 3-day festival on the island. As is typical at most any Danish social event, you will see people eating hotdogs and pancakes, and drinking beer. |
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Choose your dog.... would you like remoulade or hot ketchup with that? |
We took a break from the music for playtime! This is the coolest... I have no clue what it's called. You crawl up about 30 feet, and then slide down. Perhaps it could be called a "Spiderman Junglegym"??
We drove around exploring the rest of the island which is beautiful in a very simple way.
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The most rugged coastline I've seen in Denmark. Lovely. |
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The local Hotel. |
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Skjoldnæs fyr |
Last stop: Skjoldnæs lighthouse. It was built in 1881 by Swedish stone-masons... some of whose descendants still live on the island. Climbing the tower is a great way to get a view of the countryside and the sea.
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The Danes and their ships! It's just amazing some of these old viking-style ones are still in everyday use. |
Time to go home. This was a fabulous trip, and an essential go-to place if you're ever in Denmark!