Egense, Northern Denmark - Tuesday, 26 July

Geoff
We moved on towards Aalborg, although decided that there wasn't enough there to interest us to warrant a drive into the city. Instead, we made our way to Lindholm  Høje, an indoor and outdoor museum dedicated to the history of the Viking people who lived on the site. The outdoor part comprises a newly ploughed field from the Viking era and a burial ground with cremation graves bordered by stones. It had all been covered with sand four metres deep until the 1950s. The burial site was in use from about 400AD to 1000AD. There are over 700 graves. Two villages with farms were also unearthed.

Inside are exhibitions of everyday items excavated with models and pictures showing how life would have been there. We enjoyed our visit very much.

We are overnighting at Egense, on the east coast, east of Aalborg, looking out over the Kattegat to Varberg and Falkenberg on the west coast of Sweden. It is a haven for sailing and we are parked by the clubhouse at the Egense Lystbådhavn. People from the boats use the clubhouse but I've used the kitchen for washing up. Once again, excellent facilities. Quite a few cargo boats have gone by on their way upstream via the Langerak to Aalborg. We are the only ones here, although there is room for six. It will be a very quiet night.

Amanda

One good reason for keeping a blog is to keep track of the days, which is already getting difficult. We have managed to download The Times most days so far, (and also to find showers on all but one day, sometimes unexpectedly, as at tonight's stop, of which more later.)

We decided not to brave Aalborg, Denmark's fourth largest city, but made for the Viking Burial site Lindholm Hoje, just north of it. As well as the extensive area of burial mounds ranged over the hillside, there were two exhibitions, one of life in the village to which the burial site had been attached, and the other about early Viking history around the local fjord area generally. Although there are Viking museums everywhere, I suspect that this is THE one to visit - but I expect we shall visit others in the weeks ahead.

We arrived at today's Camperstop destination just after 4 pm, ready to settle down with a cup of tea or two, and are still the only camper here, at 6pm. This may be because it costs less if you are just here between 8pm and 10 am, so perhaps we shall have company later. There is room for six.

We are at a quiet little harbour at Egense, where we have paid the Harbourmaster in the Harbourmaster's house, the downstairs of which is a clubhouse for those moored up here - and us! The area around us is very open and green.There are loos and showers, which, like those at Logstor last night, are obviously provided for the moored boats as well as for those parking here to walk and cycle. Apart from bikes for hire, and ice creams for sale, and a small children's playground, there is nothing else here. There are plenty of picnic tables and chairs though, and some barbecues. The Danes are very generous with their picnic tables, and loos, in laybys all very nicely laid out, too.