Day 9/19 (2023 Summer Biketrip)

Intro: in the summer of 2023 I did a 1.614 km (1.000 miles) long biketour in Denmark and a bit of Sweden. I wanted to ride on a couple of old railroad-tracks, now converted into bike trails.
It took me 19 days in the sadle and it was a great adventure !

Saturday 15th of July 2023

I started the day with two lovely cups of coffee and left Felsted around 10:15 AM after staying as a guest with Michael and Kira since Thursday afternoon. Many thanks to both of you, it was really nice and much needed on my part. I felt recharged, both physically and with my gear.

I pumped up my flat rear tire and began cycling towards Ballebro, where there was a ferry to Hardeshøj. This was the first of three ferries I had to take today. I arrived at the ferry in Ballebro at 11:15 AM, and for 25 DKK, I got a short 10-minute ferryride to Hardeshøj.

I reached Hardeshøj and cycled northeast through the towns of Mjels, Oksbøl, Havnbjerg, Elsmark, and Svenstrup, eventually making my way down to Fynshav. Unfortunately, the regular Ærø ferry “Ellen” was out of service due to battery overheating. Luckily, another ferry was scheduled to depart from Fynshav to Bøjden on South Funen at 5:00 PM. It was a 50-minute ferry ride and a bit of a detour since I needed to sail to Zealand, but I was determined to visit Ærø. The crossing cost 65 DKK.

After arriving in Bøjden, I cycled towards Faaborg, where a ferry would take me to Sæby on Ærø. In Faaborg, I bought two extra bike tubes, which was a relief to have as backup. I’ll change the tire when I find the time. Interestingly, the wheel held air all day, which is odd since I know it goes flat overnight. Could it be because there’s no weight on it?

At the harbor in Faaborg, I saw there would be a 50-minute wait before the ferry arrived at 5:00 PM, so I used the time to relax a bit.

The ferry crossing took an hour and cost 160 DKK. I enjoyed a cold Tuborg Classic and a Coke Zero onboard. The weather was lovely, and everything felt great. There was a little boy onboard who wanted a small pack of colored pencils. However, the woman at the counter wanted 25 DKK for them since they weren’t free but part of a set with a coloring book. The little boy said he already had a coloring book and was clearly disappointed. Then, a very handsome 40-year-old man in cycling clothes said, “I’ll pay for it.”

Once I arrived on the other side in Sæby on Ærø, it was time to start looking for a shelter. I cycled about 10 km to reach a good but very popular campsite, probably the only free one on Ærø. But there was water and a toilet. Late at night and throughout the night, there was heavy rain and wind. I was a little worried whether the tent would hold up, but it did. Now I know my tent can withstand a real beating.

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