Denmark 2014 · Page 3

One sign says that an overnight stay costs 150 DKK, payable only after 6 p.m. So we assumed there were no parking fees during the day – unfortunately that wasn't the case. More about that later. Out of the motorhome and off to the fine sandy beach at the tip of Denmark. A path leads over the dunes to the beach, past the old bunkers with plenty of space. The beach is a magnet for people, so it was busy accordingly. The sun was shining and the sand was lovely and warm – and that in May.

At the tip, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. You can see this natural spectacle in the water, as the waves run against each other. And where else can you stand in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea at the same time?

Back at the motorhome came the little shock in the form of a parking ticket: the misread parking sign cost us 510 DKK. Unfortunately the traffic warden was nowhere to be seen, so we couldn't sort it out on the spot. Afterwards we went shopping in Skagen. You can park a motorhome at the supermarkets, but be careful – you have to pay for parking at the supermarket car parks too.

Staying overnight at the lighthouse for 150 DKK was out of the question for us, as motorhomes have to leave by 9 a.m. and chairs in front of the vehicle are not allowed.

So we headed for the Grenen campsite right by the water: 230 DKK including electricity, directly by the sea (only a dune blocked the view).

A great site – the newly built washroom is superb, and the sun continued to spoil us. On Saturday, after a leisurely breakfast, we set off on our bikes.

First we explored the pedestrian zone and discovered a small sweet factory along the way.

We continued past the harbour, all the while feeling that Skagen is the Sylt of Denmark. We cycled on towards Frederikshavn and discovered a little snack bar right by the sea. The sun was shining and the waves were breaking on the shore. Pure peace and relaxation.

Our destination was the sand-buried church near Skagen, on the Baltic side. As we were currently on the North Sea side, we just had to keep going straight.
So we went up the dunes and down again. Petra turned into a pit bull and cursed me the whole time – which is where the nickname "Pitbull-Pitti" comes from.

When we arrived at the church, we were rewarded with a great sight. The church was built and consecrated in the 13th century. Because it kept getting covered in sand, services were stopped in the 17th century, and afterwards the entire nave disappeared under the sand, so that only the tower stuck out.

Back at the site, we went to the beach, which was only 15 metres away (over the dune).

On Sunday morning, after paying (37 euros per night, plus some extra fees), we set off for our next stop, Aarhus.

At first we wanted to stay at the local campsite, but changed our minds, as Katharina and Lutz could only leave Hamburg in the evening and wouldn't have been allowed onto the site so late. So we went to the motorhome pitches at Marina Egå instead.

The pitches are laid out on the large car park. Electricity, fresh water and toilet disposal are available. Showers, toilets and washing machines are right at the harbour (about 20 metres away).

As the weather was still fantastic and it was a Sunday, the car park was correspondingly full and all the boat owners were at their boats.
An overnight stay including electricity costs 145 DKK, payable at the machine.

In the afternoon we had a barbecue and relaxed.

On Monday morning Katharina and Lutz had arrived too, and after a warm welcome we set off to explore on our bikes.

We cycled from Egå to Aarhus, 6 kilometres away. On the way there we took the main road, which isn't very nice. There is an alternative cycle path right along the water: cross the small brown bridge at the marina and then just keep following the water.

Along the way we sorted out our ancient Danish coins that are no longer valid. The best comment came from the waitress: "These coins are older than I am, and I don't recognise this money."

After returning to the motorhome, we went to the small sandy beach with our swimming things. And what can we say – the water was really warm and wonderfully refreshing. In the evening the barbecue came out again, with 26 degrees and sunshine. What fantastic weather!

On Tuesday it was time to say goodbye, as our ferry from Grenaa to Sweden left at 2.20 p.m. We had planned to empty the grey water at the pitch, but that wasn't possible as there is no facility for it. So we had to take the water with us and find another disposal point.

It's only 50 kilometres to Grenaa on the country road. We did some quick shopping in Grenaa town centre, and shortly afterwards the ferry was ready and waiting.