On to Læsø!

Well, after an absolutely awesome time in Copenhagen, it was time to bid adieu to the land of bikes, comfy beds, and place names that have Danish characters in them that slow down my typing on an American keyboard.

 

In its place we were off to the island where Charlotte's family keeps a summer house. It too has tons of bikes, very comfy beds, and its name has two Danish characters in it, so this post won't be any faster to type. On to Læsø! First, we had to get there, and so we headed to Copenhagen's awesome central rail station, loaded up on pastries, and got on a very comfortable Intercity train.




Unfortunately, as our train neared the midpoint of its journey, there was a tragic accident on the tracks just minutes ahead of our train. While we weren't personally affected at all, it caused a very significant delay for our train. However, by using a slightly chaotic bus system to bypass the accident, another train to complete the journey, and a taxi van hired to drive the last leg of the trip for us at ~100mph, DSB (the rail company) was still able to get me and Charlotte to the Læsø ferry on time! Pretty amazing, considering the circumstances.



The island of Læsø is not connected to land by any road or bridge, and so even though it's a relatively small island, it's serviced by two large dedicated ferries. They schlep tourists over during the summer, and maintain a lifeline to the mainland for the 2,000 or so year-round residents. While aboard, there are many amenities, including a playroom for children, rest and dining areas, a cafeteria, and many decks with great views! You couldn't imagine a nicer place to get intensely, intensely seasick (but that's a story for our return trip...).







Læsø lies in the Kattegat Sea (really a bay in the North Sea), and while it feels like a whole different world, it's only about 20km (12.5 miles) from the mainland. The ferry makes the trip in about 90 minutes, and so it wasn't long before we began to catch glimpses of Læsø on the horizon. Soon after, we saw Charlotte's mom waiting to greet us, and before we knew it, we were back at the bus stop where you can still see us on Google Street View!




Charlotte's grandparents bought and restored the family summerhouse on Læsø over a number of decades, and it is now shared equally by Charlotte's mom (Kirsten) and her uncle (Lars). I can't even tell you what a magical place it is, or how peaceful and relaxing it is to spend a chunk of time there. For Charlotte, who spent time there most every summer of her childhood, the house and Læsø are full of memories and favorite places. For me, it's quickly becoming a very favorite place, too!



The inside is very cozy, and we spent many evenings relaxing by the woodstove, or curled up reading in the upstairs loft that Charlotte and I shared.



Speaking of curling up, tomorrow's a school day, so I'll need to end this post here! When we meet up next, though, I'll show you some of the highlights of Læsø-it's a pretty neat place!