Ferry 'cross the Elbe

The sun is shining in Denmark, so we didn't head for Spain. The weather is dramatically warmer than the Netherlands, so much so that children tonight are swimming in the campsite pool.

The scenery from Netherlands to Germany was typical: from well-ordered Dutch fields kept meticulously, even anally, neat we crossed into Germany with its verges less kempt, its fields only occasionally plowed, and some of them lying fallow, still under consideration. There wasn't really a sign to say that we had arrived in Germany, or that we'd left the Netherlands. Forty years ago we were stopped at the Border crossing here, we had to show our passports, and because Pete looked like a long haired, long bearded hippie in those days, we were practically strip-searched. Not so now. All the barriers are down.

We took rural routes through Germany which appeal to us much more than motorways, but still we rushed to catch the Wischaffen-Gluckstadt ferry. We needn't have bothered as Thursday, we soon discovered, was a religious holiday in this part of the world, Ascension Thursday, and much of the population was travelling to or from something, so four ferries ran our direction in just one half an hour. Amazing service.

German boys are already partying. Every town we drove through on this holiday long weekend we have seen a pack of drunken youths wheeling a barrow of their beer supplies from an old haunt where they likely had worn out their welcome, to their new haunt. This is a four-day weekend. These lads will have a major headache come Monday if they don't learn to pace themselves.

The scenery from Germany to Denmark changed yet again. For the entire month throughout the Netherlands and Germany the land has been flat. Up close, Denmark has lovely rolling hills, at this time of the year they are all covered in golden canola and a green grassy grain we have yet to identify.

Many of their buildings are rendered, painted white, mustard, or sometimes grey. Barns are not nearly as huge as the German ones, but still extensive, considering that we've seen few animals in the fields here: mainly grain.

Q: Why do grain farmers need such large barns? I can't imagine storing grain is very profitable, so surely it is not for that?

We're impressed though with the roadside markers: little signs mark parking places (3 places allowed) or a heated swimming pool (a man with a roof over his head) or camping allowed, and so on. Signage 

Roads are not nearly as well looked after in Denmark as they were in the Netherlands--or in Germany. Campsites are considerably more expensive, at least double elsewhere: tonight $A40, plus showers extra. Thanks to Rene's forewarning we did most of our shopping in Germany so we shouldn't be too horrified.

While the Danes are internationally famous for design, so far their architecture has proved nothing more than nondescript. They have been through may wars and lost many old and possibly lovely buildings. The replacement construction is plain, mostly red-brick, undecorated and uninteresting in its sameness. Houses are mainly little squares or rectangulars topped with pink or black tiled pyramid roofs. There is so little variation that the scenery almost become tedious. Not much is remarkable, as in the Netherlands. The rural churches, though, are interesting and have found favour with us.

We've been on the hunt for the touted espresso. Sad to say we are not finding it. Netherlands coffee was fine, just not brilliant. It was lacking full bodied flavour at times and left to overbrew at others, and sometimes is was just not hot enough. We're ordering Danish espressos everywhere and I hesitate to call what we have been served coffee, as yet: it is more like coffee-coloured dishwater. So disappointing.

The best coffee to date has been served in an Italian restaurant by a young Romanian couple, who had to relocate to Germany to find work. Such is the coffee search so far in Europe. We are hanging out for a really delicious, even a decadent, espresso. We shall have two if ever we find one.

Wischaffen-Gluckstadt ferry 

Gold and green countryside