Denmark didn’t blow me off of my feet with its cities. They certainly weren’t terrible, but a collection of bricks can only ‘wow’ me to a certain degree. Those are man-made structures with the side note that ‘men’ in this country avoid any form of craziness or funny surprises.

Nature does what it wants.
 

I love that.

So I travelled all the way up to Aarhus and with a little curve down again to the southern peak of the Djursland peninsula: Mols Bjerge National Park, a treasure of green and wilderness shaped by the rain and cold winds that characterize Scandinavia.

As the last thing I want around me when surrendering to nature is the presence of people, I booked an AirBnB for 3 days in the little town of Ebeltoft, right at the tip of the park and surrounded by forestation.

It’s ok if you never heard of this place, probably the only people who did are the ones that left the uterus here.

It was love at first sight. The empty cobblestone streets, so uneven it requires some serious skill to walk on… the deserted (but existing!) shops in which traditional tradesmen wait for a customer… people peeking out of their windows to stare at this odd stranger, or secretly spying on me via the rear-view mirrors screwed next to the window to specifically enable to do so… Yeah, I love places like this. Hidden from mass tourism, the only nightlife being the party night in the local youth centre at the first Saturday of the month with the one and only DJ Alligator.

I browsed through the pages of the several tourist folders they nevertheless made for any lost visitor that somehow ended up here, and discovered that the province of Djursland is home to a wide variety of zoos AND a hunting museum. How ironical and logical at the same time... as people who support the leisurely killing of animals probably are the same ones that think locking them up somewhere entirely out of their natural habitat is a normal thing to do. Well, instead of spending my money to see ‘exotic’ creatures held in captivity, why not go into nature and check out the animals native to Denmark in their innate territory? If I’d want to see elephants and giraffes I could have gone to Africa, I’m now in Denmark and here they have among others deer, foxes, lizards and vipers for the eye to explore...

No vipers for me unfortunately, I had to settle with a jellyfish

On my first long hike I moved northwards, along the lingering stretch of beach embracing the Ebeltoft Vig. I caressed my eyes watching the boats balance on soft sand banks during low tie, the shimmering pastel colours of the sky providing a frame of dreamy reflections around it. Seagulls formed a long white dotted blanket peaking into the water, their loud screams breaking through the overwhelming silence.

After about 1,5 hours I suddenly decided to take a sharp right land-inwards to see where it takes me. I walked over an hour until I was in the green heart of the forest, a delighting scene where mushrooms grow on moss and no people can destroy them because hardly anyone ever comes here.

Without any idea where I was going I kept on zigzagging left-right-left-right, exploring every path or entrance in between the leaves and branches that looked appealing. I passed fields full of Christmas trees and rabbits passed by me without fear, like I was some forest nymph that belonged there.

I walked and walked and walked until at some point I was so deep in the woods that I was completely lost. That’s the point where you find out your shitty iPhone ran out of battery too, and of course I didn’t bring a map or my compass. I figured I should just walk one way in a straight line until at some point I must exit the forest at one side or the other somehow. Great thinking, but it didn’t work. Two hours later I was still walking and after every step I could just see more trees, no roads or a sign of life.

It started getting dark. 

I was mentally preparing to spend the night under the stars and continue my quest tomorrow… as long as it wouldn’t start raining that’d be doable. I’m a big fan of Bear Grills, I can recall some of his survival tips, it’ll be fine.

But hey, what was that. Smoke! A chimney! Civilization!

Like it was the northern star I followed the sight I traced down from a distance… I had to climb over gates, pass horses, clamber through fields and even got an electric shock climbing one of the fences, but I didn’t care. I knocked on the windows and doors, using the door knocker, until a pretty blonde woman came into sight. Her clothes told the story of horseback riding, her smile the one of welcoming hospitality. I summed up my day and before I could even ask for some directions or an electricity plug to charge my phone, I was already sitting in the kitchen with a cup of hot coffee in my hands. I heard her making a phone call in a language I didn’t understand.

“You’re very far, dear, you must have had a terrible day!”, she said. Oh no no, I protested, it was incredible! I’m so lucky to be here, you’re so lucky to live here! She smiled, “I am. Don’t worry, my husband is on his way, he will bring you back to Ebeltoft.”

The Danes. Quiet, well-behaved people that don’t speak unless they’re spoken to. But they have a great heart.

Even their electricity plugs are kind

It’s hard to top an adventure like that, so the next day I settled with a more relaxed and leisurely stroll. I saw there was a big forest on the south of Ebeltoft too, which asked for an exploration. I moved down via the picturesque harbour...

... and simply followed the coastline for hours until the land stopped and only sea was left. I spent hours lying in the high grass reading a book, an art worth keeping alive even in modern times.

I skimmed down the naked shore, uncovered by low tie, decorated by jellyfish and mussels.

The Old Steph would have been happy about this free seafood dish, and would’ve gotten her bag out to collect dinner. The New Steph apologized to the mussels she accidently crushed the shell of, to quickly release the suddenly nude animal in his sea where he could hopefully trace down a new house soon. But it’s nature, so free food is everywhere anyway, no need to starve with Mother Earth watching over you! The act of collecting blackberries is more calming than any mindfulness therapy.

While the wind lifted my hair and cracked my lips with its cold power I climbed the trees to collect the reddest apples, the specialty of Ebeltoft… because æbel is Danish for apple, but you already knew that, didn’t you?

With pockets full of food and a heart full of passion I returned to my spherical cabin, soon to be filled with the scents of baking with the ingredients growing freely around me. It is the simple things that fill me with love. 

Until we meet.

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Me speaking in Danish. Correction: Me miserably failing in speaking Danish.