Around Læsø

Well, with so many nice things to share out this way, it's about time to wrap up the blog posts from our August trip to Denmark! With that in mind, I'll try to give you a quick tour of some other favorite spots on the island of Læsø. Having spent such a nice chunk of time there (~8-9 days!), it was easy to see many of the great spots on the ~45 square mile island. Starting nearest to Charlotte's family summerhouse is Vesterø Havn. It's where the ferries arrive from the mainland, and also home to the well-sheltered harbor where many sailors dock.
  




The harbor is also flanked by a small town with many useful stores. These include a bike-rental company and two noteworthy ice-cream shops. There's also a small grocery store that carries many interesting items.
 


Midway across the island (and almost exactly three miles from Charlotte's summerhouse) is the small town of Byrum. Among other things, Byrum has the big grocery store of the island, two banks that don't cash travelers checks (oy!), a beautiful church, and a tall tower that provides a great view of that section of the island.



Byrum was also the go-to destination for my slightly longer jogging days (jogging at sea level on a flat-as-a-pancake island is awesome)!


Further on down, Østerby Havn is the final of the island's main towns, and home to its second large harbor. This is where the island's fishing fleet and processing plant are housed. Læsø apparently catches and transports most of the langoustines ("Norway lobsters") enjoyed throughout Europe, so this is a good place, and the harbor has lots of fishing boats to watch!

The town itself also has a few restaurants that cook up some of that delicious seafood. We also explored a contemporary art gallery, and found good free-WiFi that let us Skype with Andreas and make it a true family vacation!

So, the towns are unquestionably great. However, some of the real gems on the island lie in between. Almost all are easily reached either on foot, by bike, or by bus. However, I also lucked out and discovered that my mother-in-law had rented an electric car for an extra-full day of exploring. All in all, we covered a lot of ground, and got lots of great exercise. Among the many destinations, some of my favorite were a glass studio...

...a pottery studio...

...a newly-opened brewery just down the road from the summer house (not complaining!)...

...and the famous Læsø saltworks, which makes beautiful sea salt from the very saline water found in parts of the island.

Scattered throughout the island, there's also a handful of houses that still have roofs made of seaweed, as was once the norm on the island. The Danish government is spending millions of dollars to preserve these remaining homes, and they're a pretty darn fascinating part of Læsø history.

Really, though, the highlight of the island is its abundant natural beauty. No matter where you look or go, the scenery combines with the incredible light to create the sort of vistas that I'm still daydreaming about months after returning to Laramie. It's quite a spot!

And, of course, the chance to see family, meet some dear family friends, and explore and relax in great company was extremely special. I can't imagine a better second trip to Læsø-now it's time to look forward to a third!