We enjoyed our time in Norway and really saw a lot. Although there are still many points open that we have not addressed. They have to be used the next time. We really didn't like to leave Norway. However, we were also looking forward to Denmark. Discovering a new country is something special and we were hoping for warmer temperatures. It was getting really cold in Norway now and we had a lot of heating on. Even if the weather was nice, it didn't mean that it was warm. Let's see what Denmark has to offer us.
Grenen - North Sea meets Baltic Sea
In Kristiansand we then drove on the catamaran ferry. Since the ferry only has one ramp, we had to drive in on the left and in a semicircle to the right. For us it was something new and exciting again. We left Finja in the car even though we saw several passengers with dogs walking on deck. We had her on deck on a longer ferry trip in Norway, but she started to “whine” after three quarters of an hour. Since the trip was only supposed to take 2 hours, we left her alone.
Since the weather was really nice, most of the time we were on the deck, which was towards the rear. So we sat sheltered from the wind in the sun and had our last glances at Norway. Since we still had a few Norwegian kroner, we were able to spend them in the shop. The ferry ride only lasted 2 hours and they were over quickly. The catamaran ferry takes 1 hour less than a normal ferry. When we arrived in Hirtshals we drove to a parking lot shortly after the city so that Finja could pee. She did really well with the ferry. When we got to the bus she freaked out to see us.
We are then further after Grenen driven. What we noticed immediately about this country, of course, is that it is mostly flat with small hills or dunes. Unusual for us, of course, as we had huge mountains in Norway. Grenen was our first item on the list, as this is where the North Sea meets the Baltic Sea. When we arrived at the parking lot, we first went for a short run. It was nice to have the sea with a sandy beach. We missed the beach by the sea in Scandinavia. Above all, however, we had warm temperatures of 15 ° C. After a few photos we ate and had a cozy evening, it was already later.
The parking lot is really big, but also designed for tourism. Since Grenen is of course a sight, even full coaches come here. We noticed that the next day even in the off-season. At noon we started walking to have a look at the headland.
The weather was great, clear blue skies and warm. We only had our sweat jackets over our T-shirts. Some of the crowds that came towards us or walked in the same direction wore hats, thick jackets and some even had gloves. Then we noticed that we still have the Norwegian cold in us and that the weather here is almost summer for us.
It was really busy here. Even the tractors with their covered wagons drove. These drive a sandy path from the parking lot to and over the beach to the headland. We didn't expect that they would drive so often. We walked up on the Baltic Sea side and it was nice and calm. Finja also had fun running in the sand.
Once at the top, the people romped about. Everyone wanted to take photos of the two seas meeting each other, of course. Basti even made it without having anyone in the photo. On the North Sea side we walked back to the junction. An incredible number of shells and small starfish washed up on the beach. It was really windy here too, so we had to make our jackets.
Basti then found a really big cancer on the beach. We thought it was dead because it hadn't moved. Basti picked it up to show how big it was. After a quick photo of me, Basti dropped him in shock because he had moved. But then he picked it up and took it into the sea. We saw him immediately move deeper into the water.
After a nice 1 ½ hour walk we were back at the bus and had lunch first. Then we went to Skagen because we wanted to get some cash. And we hoped we could find a good chip shop to pick up for dinner later.
Skagen is a small place and we walked through the shopping street. There were many small shops, but we didn't see a chip shop. At the back of the car we looked at Google and there was one very close by. Basti got us fries and we enjoyed them. Finally real fries! We then spent a second night in Grenen. There were also several mobile homes here. We slept very well the nights and then drove on the next day.
https://www.opdagdanmark.dk/de/oplevelser/grenen-skagen/
Tornby - Overnight in the woods
The next day brought rain. When there was a rain break it was incredibly stormy and cloudy. When driving a car you noticed the wind quite well, because the country is pretty flat. Washing is trendy and in Denmark there are finally laundromats again. So you don't have to go to a campsite and hope that the washing machine and dryer are free. The way led us to Hirtshals to a laundromat that Basti only found via the app. There was no signage for the salon.
Since you could only operate the machines with coins, Basti got me a coffee and exchanged money. All machines were free and so I could wash and dry everything at once. That was really great and the laundry was really dry, except for the few items that are not allowed in the dryer. After 3 hours I was through with everything. We also had stripped the beds once. Since it was very stormy, it was a bit of a problem to find a sheltered place to sleep.
We are then in to a hiking car park Tornby drove, which was well protected from the wind by trees. It was a small wood where there was even a demarcated part especially for dogs. We positioned ourselves in such a way that no branch could hit the bus. Because there was the dog forest, there was of course a lot going on. Many locals came with their four-legged friends to go running. Later in the evening a lot of cars came with people in Viking clothes and with bows and arrows, shields and swords. One parking lot down there was a club house and everyone walked there.
We went for a run with Finja in the forest and she had a lot of fun. Then there was food and we ended the evening. We didn't notice much of the storm either, we even slept very well. In the morning it was immediately full again. At the entrance to the dog forest there was a seating area with tables and the locals met there after the walk and had coffee.
When we finished drinking coffee, we set off again. There is a little shopping to be done, including for the dog. So off to Hjorring, where I went to a small pet shop for the dog. There was a parrot there that chatted with you the whole time. It was really funny. Basti was still shopping in a REMA and then we drove on.
You can find more pictures in the Denmark photo gallery.
