Our last day on bikes. Copenhagen is a mere 50 kilometers away, the sun is shining, the wind blowing, and the hills rolling. In the back garden of a large home sat an old, inactivate windmill. A sign indicated that of two parallel lanes in the direction of the mill, one was private property belonging to an adjacent house, the other would lead to the windmill. So we both walked down the mill access lane and snap away with our cameras. A few minutes later, there is Jan walking across the freshly cut lawn of the back garden of the private house to get a closer view of the front of the mill. We tried to creep unnoticed as it still felt like trespassing (which it was!)
The bright yellow churches continue to appear at frequent intervals as we traveled north. This one was especially nice with an immaculate graveyard, the gravel paths being manicured (weeded? dry-cleaned?) by a propane-powered machine as we watched. The entry gate was electronically opened by the punch of a button. The inside was a lovely chapel, ornate but, in our opinion, tasteful. Fascinating interior details included the two ornate chandeliers for the main section of the church, but a suspended galleon complete with masts and rigging hanging in front of the resplendent organ where a third chandelier would have hung and, level with the top of the wonderfully decorative pulpit, something akin to a spice rack holding four large sand-filled hour glasses - presumably for use as pre-cellphone sermon-timers.
As we got closer to Copenhagen the homes got larger and the grounds more park like. Some were large areas still being farmed. Even closer in we entered a national park that extended around the southern perimeter into the edge of the city. We rode quiet trails passing grazing cows surrounded by electric fences within three kilometers of large commercial buildings and glitzy modern international high-rise conference centers.
After so many days in very rural surroundings it was a shock to enter such a busy city. We carefully navigated through heavy car and pedestrian traffic, massive bike lanes, and multiple traffic lights to find our hotel. With bikes handed in at a biblical 666km / 414m total for our trip, we were free to begin exploring Copenhagen.
After dinner, we entered the wonderland of Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world. Apparently the oldest is only a few miles away, also in Denmark. It seems that it was an inspiration for Walt Disney and Michael Jackson, who tried to buy the place. We skipped the carnival games and rides but enjoyed the crowds, the buildings, the lake, and the lights.
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