Denmark's nose

This is the area which bulges out on the east coast of north Jutland into the Kattegat (Dutch for "cat's hole" apparently) sea. Here we enjoyed swimming, beautiful beaches, cycling and ancient monuments.

After our brief tour of north Jutland we headed for home via Esbjerg but not without first checking out the fantastic Fisheries and Maritime Museum (I know this sounds dull but it really wasn't) and this curious sculpture called Man Meets the Sea by Svend Wiig Hansen.

Shortly after this shot was taken, it was our turn to meet the sea and a day later, on July 22nd (following a brief stop in Bury St. Edmonds to fix a broken exhaust pipe, using a method of which Robert Pirsig would have been proud) we were back at home.

Denmark's second highest point?

Apparently this is open to much debate but, after the towers of the Funen-Jutland bridge, the highest point in Denmark is Himmelbjerg at a far from lofty 147m above sea level.

Himmelbjerg glimpsed tantalisingly across the lake.

Himmelbjerg's towering summit.

You can get to the foot of the, ahem, mountain from Silkeborg by taking the world's oldest paddle steamer, the Hjejlen. This makes a pleasant 90 minute journey up the lake to the foot of the majestic peak. From there it's 30 minutes to the top.

Hjejlen hoves into view at Silkeborg.

Hjejlen's big ends and crankshaft for all you engineering buffs.

Silkeborg museum is home (and final resting place?) of Tollund Man, one of the remarkable "bog bodies" found in the area. I first heard about Tollund Man in history lessons as a youngster (thanks Mr Lewis) but coming face to face with him was quite a powerful experience. Tollund Man's facial features are astonishingly well preserved and to know that the man you're gazing at, last drew breath in 350BC (the early iron age) brings history and the nature of human life into very close proximity. I found myself almost willing him to speak to explain about his life! I did take some photographs but later thought it appropriate to delete them.

Funen-Jutland Bridge

The towers of this bridge linking two of Denmark's islands are the highest points in Denmark. It's an impressive structure.

Wonderful, wonderful...

We couldn't visit Denmark without stopping off in Copenhagen. We just spent an evening in the city wandering around, having a few drinks and a meal. It's a pretty spot...

and the Danes like a drink as much as anyone else!

Something rotten...

...in the state of Denmark. Certainly it's a little unfair to describe this castle in those terms but it's the one at Helsingor that's reputed to be the inspiration for Elsinor, seat of Hamlet in the famous play of the same name.

Shakespeare, apparently, never visited so it might just be as much a fiction as the play itself. But try telling that to the hordes of tourists looking for Hamlet's bedroom!

Lake Asnen

From Roskilde in Denmark we crossed to southern Sweden to visit Lake Asnen in Smaland. The Lake is a Ramsar designated wetland nature reserve and here we were able to hire a canoe to make a 3 day tour of the lake.

The lake is large and highly fragmented, with many islands, meaning that there is plenty of change of scenery.

Typical view of islands on Lake Asnen

We found this archaeological feature (a water trough?)

and this damselfly (Calopteryx splendens - Banded Demoiselle)

Canoeing on the lake is easy (photo by Caroline)

As is Osprey spotting (photographing from the boat is less easy though)

This was the only Elk we saw

Views like this more than compensated though

Never mind the aurochs

While in Roskilde a friendly German (Werner Pleil) introduced us to Lejre. Werner had been competing in a "prehistoric archery contest" there. Lejre is a centre for experimental archaeology where students and academics put into practice the theories of life in the past to test their hypotheses.

Most impressive was an attempt to recreate a Danish "fishtail dagger" in flint. This involved highly accurate, skilled work in making the piece and equally painstaking analysis of the debitage (the waste flint flakes) and techniques applied in the process. I was happy to play my part by standing on a boulder to add my weight to a primitive vice used to hold the piece still while the knapper worked!

Visitors are invited to participate to a large extent and it was possible to have a go at knapping flint, potting, making textiles, grinding corn to make "bread", chopping wood, fire lighting and paddling a dugout canoe (couldn't resist this).

Me paddling my own canoe. Picture taken by Caroline.

The students dressed in period clothing (including "Raquel Welch, One Million Years BC" style animal skins) were however, to my jaundiced English eye, just a little bit amusing!

Prehistoric, animal skin "bender".

A grisly scene at the sacrificial bog.

A load of aurochs.

More Vikings

Before we left Roskilde we visited the Viking Ship Museum (I recommend it very highly). Here we watched conservators at work on timbers lifted from the fjord, watched a blacksmith and learned a great deal about Viking shipbuilding and maritime history.

Best of all was that I was allowed to take the tiller of a replica Norwegian fishing boat. I've not sailed since I was a teenager and it felt great to be at the helm of a boat under sail again.

Our ship in port at the Viking Ship Museum.

Pining for the fjords

Our first Scandinavian stop on our odyssey (having been on the move for 3 days) was Roskilde fjord on Zealand; a fine campsite with great views.

We also took some time to watch some wildlife. Particularly Hooded crows and this large Common toad.

This bright yellow lichen also caught my eye.

Sutton Hoo

Before catching our ferry to Esbjerg from Harwich we checked out Sutton Hoo, famous for it's Anglo Saxon longship burial, associated archaeological finds and remaining burial mounds. I found it an atmospheric spot where it's possible to "connect" with quite a personal sense of history and origin. I've been reading Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf (link to The British Library) of late though so that might explain it!

Get the full low down on Sutton Hoo from the National Trust here.

Here's a shot of the burial mounds.

The Sandlings, things that go "churrrrrr" in the night

On our way to Denmark and Sweden we camped in an area called The Sandlings in East Suffolk. This is an area of heath, arable farming and woodland with it's own particular habitats.

Perhaps it's most well known inhabitant is the Nightjar. These are peculiar nocturnal birds; threatened summer visitors to the UK which make an unearthly "churring" call at night. We heard them from our campsite. If you get the chance to "twitch" a nightjar, take it. There's nothing quite like it.

The picture of a Nightjar below is actually one netted and ringed at Timble Ings in North Yorkshire recently. Photo by Andy Jowett.

On a night-time trip to the gents I nearly stepped on this chap. It's either a Common/Smooth newt or a Palmate newt (hard to tell apart I'm told) although the acid heath habitat points toward the latter. Newts have a terrestrial stage in late summer when they go wandering abroad on land at night after things to eat. This newt is having rather a thin time in an empty sandwich box prior to being returned quickly to where I found it.

Find out more about newts and other reptiles and amphibians at the Herpetological Conservation Trust.

Perfect predator?

One evening this week, my partner and I went to see the Peregrine falcon pair, brooding 2 chicks at Malham Cove.

The malhamdale.com website has been keeping a diary and the RSPB has established a view point there as part of their "Aren't Birds Brilliant!" programme. Details here.

The Cove itself is a magnificent place to visit. An entirely appropriate spot to see this superb bird of prey. The birds were seen and heard calling in the sunlit part on the right wing of the Cove.

I considered myself fortunate to have got this shot of one of the adults. It was taken from the position shown in the image of the Cove, above.

Those familiar with my Osprey shot of April 2006 will appreciate the significant improvement this image represents!

The Vikings, the Vikings...

A key attraction of the Ribblehead area of the Ingleborough NNR is its archaeological significance which stretches from the earliest times of human habitation to the present day via the Vikings and the Victorian constructors of the Settle-Carlisle Railway. Some more shots.

The foundations of the gable-end and entrance of a Viking long-house. The foundations of the "long walls" lead away from the camera as low ridges.

Ribblehead Viaduct, testament to the toil of 19th century labourers. Shooting location for Topgear's Jag, Merc, Beemer feature. Can't help thinking that Clarkson didn't quite do the place justice!

Ingleborough NNR

After Ling Gill we drove the short distance to Ingleborough NNR specifically to do the Ribblehead Quarry Walk. I was keen to see how a recently abandoned quarry was being recolonised.

The quarry bottom is being recolonised by plants and hollows have been created to collect water. I saw Oystercatcher and Redshank here. Ringed plover have also been recorded along with newts and dragonflies.

One of the pretty plants beginning to recolonise the quarry bottom. Don't know what it is.

And another one. I think this might be Birds-eye Primrose (Arrgh harrgh, Cap'n).

Now I know this one. It's Hart's-tongue Fern.

An arty shot of a weathered limestone clint. The fissures between the clints are known as grykes.

God's Bridge

On our return from Ling Gill NNR our route took us over God's Bridge (SD 798 775). This is a natural limestone arch which carries the path over a beck. A small but significant feature typical of the Dales and known for centuries.

It proved a refreshingly cool spot to spend some time beneath on a scorching hot day.

If the water's low enough, it's possible to scrabble right underneath God's Bridge, following the water. Please take care not to climb directly over the drystone walls though, there are stiles built in to the walls though they take a bit of finding.

Anyone for jambalaya?

My partner's quick eyes spotted several of these fellas under Ling Gill Bridge ("Look, prawns", she said). On close inspection of the photos they seem to be the American Signal Crayfish as opposed to the native White-clawed variety. Note the ostentatious red claws.

As such they are a threat to our native species (so say DeFRA and the UK Biodiveristity Action Plan) since they are larger, lay more eggs and are more aggressive than our own more reserved, deferential, class-aware crustaceans. Certainly I struggled to separate the little blighters' claws from my anatomy at times. Seems the tentacled chaps have got ideas above their station, by Jove. "Overweight, oversexed and over here" one might say.

Had I realised this at the time it'd have been straight out with the onion, sausage, tabasco, bell peppers, catfish and rice for an al fresco jambalaya.

Anyone for roast grey squirrel with a signal crayfish starter? I'm surprised Jamie Oliver's not already on to it. Perhaps DeFRA and UKBAP should publish recipes.

Ling Gill NNR

On the Sunday morning of the BPC Presidents Meet, after my bike trip, my partner and I walked off the excesses of the night before by visiting Ling Gill National Nature Reserve.

Here are some pictures.

A typical, ruined, Dales field-barn on the way to Ling Gill.

Wooden framed cattle stalls inside the barn, colonised by vivid green algae.

Iron ring and swivel used to tether beasts. The sides of the stalls are made of slate slabs (quarried locally?)

Ling Gill disappears into a deep gorge forming a very special habitat for wildlife.

Ling Gill Bridge, just upstream from the previous shot.

An inscription inside the parapet of the bridge which reads "... 1765, this bridge was repaired at the charge of the whole West Riding?". An indication of the importance of these bridges in the 18th century when these routes were still used for the movement of goods.