August 2 Skagen Denmark

Back to Denmark, visiting its most northern city, Skagen (pronounced "Skane," the 'g' is silent).  And in a change from previous weather, it was gloriously sunny and pleasant.

We shuttle bused to the center of town, a very short ride mostly to get out of the industrial port.

 A B&B near the beach.  Unusual in that it's made from wood and painted black.  As you'll see, just about everything else is brick and painted Skagen yellow.

 The locals were all heading for the beach at 8:30am.

 The "Grey" lighthouse is visible to both the Baltic and North Seas.

 Typical property

 There are some wealthy people living, or summering, at this end of Denmark.  And they have some fancy cars.

 A model of the 16th century lighthouse here, the Bascule Lighthouse.  You fill the bucket with flaming materials and lift it up high.

 Walking down a quiet residential street and there's a buzzing noise coming from the yard.  A robot lawn mower was doing its business in a small yard.

 Brandum's hotel

Skagen Vandtårn, with a memorial to someone brave in the foreground.  The legend was in Danish.  The tower is actually a water tower, 30 meters tall.  The memorial is only about 3 meters tall.

 Railway station

 Pedestrian shopping street barely coming to life at 10am.  The ship had arrived at 7am, and was scheduled to leave at 4pm.  I would have thought the retailers would have been more eager to sell things to the tourists.  But there was also some event or festival taking place this weekend, so maybe that was going to be the big deal, and who cares about 600 tourists with dollars to spend?

 Bjarne, we're not in Kansas anymore!

 Street art, sort of a fountain.  Probably a small skating rink 8 months of the year.

 By 11 there were tables of goods out in the street, and more shoppers.

 The Skagen Kirke

 An organist was playing while we were inside.  Very impressive.

 Memorial to fishermen and ocean rescue

 Panorama of the red warehouses, originally used to store fish.  When they became too small they were retained as stores and restaurants.

 This is the sort of place that Nautica berths sometimes

 Bike rental shop doing land office business on such a beautiful day.

There were a couple of places just too far to walk to.  From Wikipedia: Klitgaarden (lit. "The Dune House") is a former summer residence of the Danish royal family situated just south of Skagen on the northern tip of Jutland. The house was designed by Ulrik Plesner for King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine and completed in 1914. It is now owned and run by a trust and serves as a retreat for artists and scientists.

 

The sand buried church: around 1775, the Skageners had to dig their way into the church as the shifting sands continually buried it. The struggle continued until 1795 when the church was closed by royal decree. Only the towers remain, all else was demolished and reused.