Island of Fano, near Esbjerg, Norway

On the last blog I was hoping that it might cool down a little - well after another very hot day as we left the island of Fano over the 10km long causeway once again - into a headwind, naturally....

Here is a photo of a very small part of the beach on Romo - one of the widest beaches in Europe, and very smooth and flat with no stones at all - but after all, the island is really only a glorified sandbank.  Cars are allowed to drive on the beach, and there are individual separate areas for sailboarding, kite-sailing and wind-buggies.

There is even an 8km bike ride along the compacted sand - not very easy to cycle though without a mountain bike and wide tyres.

Back on the mainland, this is a typical church - very large in comparison to the size of the small villages.

Very hot as we cycled along, desperately looking for some shade and somewhere to sit for our lunch - finally found what looked like  an idyllic spot in a garden in front of a church - with a bench and in the shade, but also out of the wind as well that was building up. When we had sat down by the side of the small pond covered in weed and water lillies, could hear what sounded like crackling and popping sounds coming from the water - almost as though it was fermenting.  Little bubbles could be seen from some sort of creatures living just below the surface - but never actually saw what they were.  Then a very persistent horse fly found me and managed to bite me in three different places - so decided to make a hasty retreat.

Finally found our way to Ribe (pronounced Riba), inland and off the route of the North Coast Cycle ride - we were also minus a suitable map from the border between Germany and Denmark as I very carefully gave Janet and Barry the maps for the rest of the trip before we left, so they could bring them with them -including the Danish maps - forgetting that we would be in Denmark for three days or so before we met them....  Barry did scan and email them and I had downloaded the maps on the pc, but not very useful when you are on the cycle track by the side of a dyke or the sea.

Ribe is the oldest town in Denmark - 1300 years old this year, and well preserved.  The King used to have a residence here, and the town was very prosperous until a terrible fire destroyed much of the town and the King decamped - there was not much money to re build the houses so done in an 'old' style -and at the end of the 1800's preservation orders were made that have ensured that the town has remained in a medieval way.  Was so hot though when we got there that we really didn't have any energy to look round.  We were given various bits of duff information by locals - the supermarkets are shut now(Saturday afternoon), and the best way to the camp site was along the very busy main road, rather than carrying on from where we were and going through the town streets straight to the campsite on quiet streets and cycle ways.  Were very pleased that we got the first pick of the camping spots (a massive campsite, but very impressive facilities)- and lots of shade on a fairly bald area of grass, with a table and benches - thought we'd really got an excellent spot.  Spent quiet a long time sat at the table cooling down and enjoying the shade, until our Dutch friends, Jan and Ria appeared on the next door pitch.  We both put our tents up and then spent hours chatting, sat at the table and drinking cups of tea and coffee.  Was clouding over now, as it does fro time to time, but was still nice and warm.  Roger cycled to the supermarket close by (that was open till 6pm) and came back with 2 packs of spare ribs to cook on the provided gas bar-b-ques - what a lovely change from pasta.

Just finished when Ria came over and asked us if we fancied cycling into Ribe with them and having a look round and a drink.  So very quickly got ready and off we went.

It was still warm but looking even more grey.  We wandered around the lovely town, got told off for cycling on the cobbled street in the centre of town, then opposite the massive church we sat outside a half timbered inn - the oldest building in town - and had a drink.  Just as I was taking the photo below the first big drops of rain started falling, soin we rushed to sit inside the inn - not happy with us as about to close and we were not eating - but what else are you supposed to do with most of your drink still to down and it's chucking it down with rain and thunder is sounding?

After about half an hour heavy rain, it stopped and we had a 10 minute window to cycle back to the campsite before it started once again.  I was waiting for it to stop again so I could go to the loo, lying fully clothed in the tent - but it just kept on raining and raining - and our wonderful pitch was no longer quite so desirable - the ground was so hard that the water did not get absorbed so sat on the surface, and the bare earth made it worse - plus there was a slight dip near the front of the tent - so we were soon awash again inside the tent - didn't help that we had left the ventilation zips at the back vestibule bit open, so the rain had rained in and then gone between the groundsheet and the bottom of the tent and then soaked through into the tent.

Felt as though I was lying on a water bed or a lilo surrounded by water all night - not the best nights sleep I've ever had.

Next morning, the rain had finally stopped but even though we were not moving on, we had to pack up everything and then dry the tent out in the sun - not anywhere near where we were camped - cold and wet under the trees- so had to take everything to where the sun was - really warm there and soon dried things out.  Looked a little like the day after Armageddon - all the cycle campers were drying their stuff out prior to packing it up to move on.  Roger made a couple of cups of coffee for Jan and Ria, and we once again spent getting on for an hour chatting away with them.  They were moving on northwards today as well, via Esbjerg where we were going to meet Janet and Barry at 1 pm.  Had to leave our clothes and towels drying as they had got caught out on the washing line in the rain.

Went the most direct route to Esbjerg (pronounced Iceberg) - a head wind so quite hard work, but at least the sun came out.  Arrived with enough time to eat our butties before the ferry docked - and there they were - first out of the dock gate.

Great to see them, and glad for them that it wasn't raining when they arrived - they'd seen no rain at all on the crossing and the sea was as calm as a mill pond.

Cycled the 18 miles or so back to the campsite at Ribe - a warm and easy ride as the wind now behind us.  Barry pulling the trailer - no lightweight approach for this trip at all - rather him than me anyway - and at leastit gives us a fighting chance to keep up with him - he has been a Category B cyclist in his time, almost turned pro and one point - cycled internationally - so even without any training and a very heavy trailer he can get a fair turn of speed up.

Once back at the campsite, they now needed to put the tent up - did go up easier than last time when we met them a month ago, but willno doubt get easier as the trip goes on.....

Decide to go into Ribe or something to eat - did think about the inn in the oldest building in the town where we had had a drink the night before - but very expensive and Roger and Janet had spotted the 'eat as much as you like' buffet at the Chinese place - on a covered terrace overlooking the river that flows through the town - a lovely spot.  Enjoyed plenty of the first course choices - but then found out there was 'help yourself soft ice-cream' from a machine that made it fresh.  There were small glass bowls to use - and a great variety of sauces and different coloured hundreds and thousands etc togo on the top.  We only realised a little later that those who had obviously been before took the much larger salad bowls with them to put the ice-cream in!!! Janet, Barry and Roger discovered the licquorice sauce which they seemed to really like - Roger going back for seconds - which was a little bit of ice cream and lots of the liquorice....

Ribe is known for the stalks - there used to be over 30 pairs - now it's down to one pair or even none at all.  In 2007 the male stalk arrived (usually come before the female) but then the female never turned up - the male stayed around for a couple of weeks then disappeared and wasn't seen again the following year.  When they do arrive, Spring is thought to have officially arrived.  Various nests can be seen on the roofs throughout town.

There are a couple of night watchmen who are based on those that used to patrol the town streets over the years, watching out for trouble, floods and fires.  They also lit the gas lights and sang a song once an hour.... and they do a couple of guided walks around the town buildings in the evening.  Both evenings we bumped into the tour just as it was finishing.....  You can also go on a ghost walk with them later on in the evening.

Janet enjoying herself lap dancing on the pole by the river that marks the various heights that floods have risen to over the years - over 5 metres in the 1600's......

Liked the brick work on this house - the way that each section is different.

An interesting wind vane .....

Loved the stones used in part of the huge church - lots of different colours to the stones.

There was an outside exhibition - with enlarged photos of some skeletons that had been dug up.  This one is a child - the bones have almost disappeared but the coloured beads that were a necklace have remained intact and still very brightly coloured.

This skeleton has had the bottom part of the legs bisected by the foundations of a building that was erected at a later date. 

Ribe is celebrating that it is 1300 years old - I thought the logo was great with the R of Ribe being made to look like a 13.

Sorry mum - but saw this in a window and 'thought of you'.....  You know I mean it in the nicest of ways....

Took this photo of the cobbled streets to remind me that they have been so successful in draining the surrounding land to the town that the water table has gone very low, and the land under the town buildings has dried out causing subsidence problems.  They have replaced all the roads etc with the cobbles, infilled with sand to allow water to drain through into the land below when it rains.

An unusual fountain ...

Liked this sign (presume it means you can park for 48 hours)

A lovely end to the evening as we cycled back to the campsite into the sun set.

Next morning Barry managed to break one of his £15 fold up chairs, so spent half an hour trying to codge up a seat from what was left.

Needless to say - a total disaster.

Never mind - part of the broken stool could be used as a hook to hold the water container up so easy to get water out of it.

e had been planning to go to a small island just off the coast nearby,called Monde - you got to it via a tractor bus that took you across the shallow sea/sandbank area - but unfortunately one of the spokes on Rogers back wheel broke as we cycled into Robe the night before - so by the time it was sorted, plus a new back tyre for my bike it was too late to go.

Janet and me sat most of the morning chatting (what Janet and Sue chatting - never....)  before walking up to the supermarket to buy a couple of pizzas for lunch - able to use the ovens at the campsite to cook them.  Spent the afternoon in the swimming pool and then sitting in the sun (and shadow when the clouds came over) people watching, before Janet and Barry cycled back to the supermarket to get various meats for us to bar-b-que again.  Had to wait a while to get a free bar-b-que and table but worth the wait - under cover and nice and warm.

Just after Roger had got up this morning, the heavens opened and it rained for getting on a for an hour which was a bit of a pain.

The sun came out though by the time we left to cycle back north to the port of Esbjerg once again - warm sun but a strong head wind as when we cycled the same route 2 days ago.

Cycled past the Harwich Ferry - it arrives at the port every other day at 1pm - so as 2 days since Janet and Barry arrive - it was here once again as it was about 1.30 when we got there.  The ferry to the small island (sandbank) goes from just down the road from the Harwich ferry - runs every 20 minutes but we just missed one - not a long wait though for the next one.

This is supposed to be a 'nice' photo of Barry - find the deliberate error......

Roger lost his cap the other day - and the only one we could get was either a blue one with large yellow letters saying ITALIA, or this yellow one with Brazils logo on...... - very cheap though - and we won't miss Roger will we????  Janet and Barry both had bright yellow tops on today, Roger and me in orange tops.  Looked as though we were competing in something - the yellow team v the orange team, with Roger not quite able to make his mind up.

A local thought Roger and I were from the Netherlands and shouted as much to us - the match between them and Uruguay is being played as I type this in - the TV on in the corner of the room (free Wifi here).  The reception and computer room / TV lounge are in the building below.

After we had booked in and put the tents up,and had a cuppa and chilled for a little while, went off for a cycle ride on to the beach - a very long beach once again used for buggies and kites etc.

Down the beach - very hard sand and easy to cycle on - especially with the wind behind us.  Then across the sand dunes and back up the road to the campsite where we had a lovely tea of pasta and bolagnaise sauce. Gone very cold this evening, glad to be inside the warm TV room at the moment.