{"id":11922,"date":"2015-05-21T19:42:25","date_gmt":"2015-05-21T19:42:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=11922"},"modified":"2017-05-21T09:48:42","modified_gmt":"2017-05-21T09:48:42","slug":"back-to-bornholm-denmark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/back-to-bornholm-denmark\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to Bornholm – Denmark"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In order to join in with Mari’s<\/a> fabulous Time Traveller linky, I thought we would go back in time to our previous country<\/a>, and one of my favourite trips we took while we lived there – to Bornholm…<\/em><\/p>\n

For those of you unacquainted, Bornholm<\/a> is a small island in the middle of the Baltic sea, famous for its round churches, hand-blown glass, local produce, and of course – smoked herring! \u00a0From Denmark, you get there by driving to Sweden and taking a short ferry trip, before technically arriving back in Denmark again. \u00a0Along with Skagen<\/a>, it’s a place I really recommend should you spend any significant length of time there…<\/p>\n

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The original version of this post was constructed from the veranda of our compact but cute summer house, looking out to sea, and contemplating the fact that the world was supposedly going to end the next day<\/a>. \u00a0 \u00a0Thankfully finding ourselves still very much alive the following morning, we popped up the road to The Hammerhus<\/a> (apparently the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe)…<\/p>\n

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As you might imagine for such a ruin, it has a gruesome history, but I like to think that life back then was made more bearable by the vast amounts of daily beer rations…<\/p>\n

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I would also recommend a walk around the base of the Hammerhus, which is spectacular (although quite demanding in parts)… \u00a0When we visited, the ground was covered in a carpet of wild garlic, which not only looked beautiful, but seemed to please Bornholm’s elusive “laughing frogs” the sound of which was quite deafening (Denmark not only has the “happiest people”, but the happiest amphibians it seems!)…<\/p>\n

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Smoke Houses are the main point of refreshment on the island, and of course Smoked Herring is the traditional order of the day… \u00a0Being near Gudshejm, we had to order “Sol over Gudhjem”, a local Smorrebrod of smoked herring on rugbrod, served with radish, chopped onion and topped with a raw egg yolk; quite appetising compared to the surrounding school trip’s packed lunches, which seemed to consist of whole smoked herrings with rugbrod, pork fat and salt, but they were all tucking in!<\/p>\n

Svaneke<\/a> was probably our favourite town – famous for its chicken pooping contents (where a grid is drawn on the ground and locals take bets as to where a chicken will poop first) which we didn’t see unfortunately(!). \u00a0 Its winding roads are full of beautiful half-timbered houses, now home to many independent shops and restaurants specialising in the local produce of which the islanders are so proud. \u00a0 \u00a0There’s also a brewery<\/a> which serves great food alongside it’s home-made beers – I highly recommend the chocolate stout poured over a very decent vanilla ice cream for pud.<\/p>\n

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There are hundreds of ancient stone carvings<\/a> dotted about the island too – carved directly into huge granite rocks, some of them date back thousands of years. \u00a0 They are definitely worth seeking out, and even the Small People found them intriguing (although they did want to know whether the man’s boat sank because he was “slightly over-weight”)… \u00a0 The drawings have been painted red mainly to stop people from standing on them, but to be honest they would be quite hard to see otherwise…<\/p>\n

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Together with the round churches and the Knights Templar myths<\/a> surrounding them, the drawings and the ancient ruins, Bornholm is quite a mystical place at times. \u00a0Speaking of mystical, I think I will always remember Bornholm for the thousands of Hares that roam the land (my absolute favourite creature)… \u00a0 Thinking I was in with a chance of getting an amazing photo, I chanced upon a sleeping hare and crept as close as I possibly could without disturbing it. It was so well camouflaged, I edged closer and closer, until…<\/p>\n

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I fell into something else extremely well camouflaged, a huge ditch (much to the amusement of my family waiting in the car!)… \u00a0This was not quite the photograph I had been hoping for….<\/p>\n

Bornholm, you are beautiful, and I would be really happy to visit again one day…<\/p>\n

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