Day 6 - Aarhus - Denmark - Friday

Weather was 13 to 27 during the say with sun!

Den Gamble - Circa 1700 - 1800



Once again the morning came early as the sunlight came into the stateroom early. I got up and managed to get some e-mail done and then I uploaded a report of the previous day. I then did a load of laundry as it was early enough to ensure that the Laundromat would be empty. Sure enough it was and I sank $ 2.00 US into the washing machine and added a box of detergent for another 1.50. I let the machine do its work and I returned to the stateroom to finish my log activity. Suddenly I heard the engine noise change to signal the arrival in port. We docker in Aarhus at about 7:15 am and that earlier arrival time now allowed for a full day in town instead of just a few hours. By 8:00 am we were ready to go for breakfast. We ended up in the stern buffet area where there seemed to be a shortage of food. We rummaged up enough for breakfast and chatted with our group for a while. Then it was time to get organized and get off the ship for the day. Well the getting organized took longer than planned and we finally got going about 9:10 or so.



Wall construction - an example



Our plan was to walk the 2 km to Den Gamble By open air museum. The walk took us through the canal area that was lined with cafes and small restaurants. The early morning allowed us the opportunity to see how they opened their businesses for the day. We walked past Magasin which is the major store in centre town. We were to return there later in the day. We arrived at Den Gamble just as they were opening for the day. That allowed us to walk about a bit before the hords arrived from the Princess tours. This open air museum is a beautiful small old town in the middle of Arhus. The cobble stone streets, the period costumes, the open shops to view, the construction techniques, the priest wandering the streets and the open hospitality were all very much appreciated. They used timber framing and filled the gaps with mortar and bricks in all types of patterns. The environment and presentation was by much like Upper Canada Village where you are wandering about in a particular period. I am thinking that a collage of pictures would be a good idea to show some of the unusual and clever building techniques and decorating techniques of the period. This was no castle presentation where wealth and possessions are the focal point as this was how a small town operated with hard working folks. It was about noon when we made our way to the exit. It was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.



Our walk back in the direction of the ship was interrupted by a stop in a cafe for a cold drink. It was nice to sit in the sun and enjoy watching the folks walk by or searching for a table of their own. The street was much busier than before as there were students and working people filling the streets at their lunch break. We observed that the open faced sandwiches, which are a Danish specialty were generally huge and well filled with their contents. We did some window shopping and found the Viking Museum which was a collection of a Viking Village that was discovered in the 60s when they excavated to build a bank. That was an interesting visit as we learned about life in the 10th century.

Merchant signage

It then became time to get some food so we stopped in another cafe/restaurant to order some food. We shared sandwiches in an attempt to reduce some of the food intake. We decided to split up as Freddi wanted to see a old Church and some of us wanted to do some serious shopping. The Magasin offered a pretty good variety for men but reports back from the ladies were less positive. Bruce and i were successful in finding some clothing to purchase at sale pricing. Naturally i bought a couple of shirts. I then went back to a store I had spotted to purchase a small travel case as my suitcase was going to be too small for our return trip. Next time I must take the second suitcase right from the get go. The walk back to the ship was leisurely and entertaining as there was a great hustle and bustle in this beautiful city. The architecture was distinctively European with consistent building heights and much attention to detail. Most of the area we walked in was mall like with only pedestrian traffic. That made the walking experience quite enjoyable as we were not dodging car traffic.

We stopped in a craft tent that was set up by the entrance to the ship. The big pull the was a neat garlic plate that had a scraper built into the clay before firing. It solves the garlic press conundrum as it is simple and easy to use. One of those made it into my bag. Once back on the ship I opened one of my shirts and tried it on only to find that the European sizing and pension for tight clothes made the size I selected too small for me. Since it was only 4 PM I settled in to a walk back to the store to exchange for larger sizes. That went pretty smoothly and I bumped into Bob and Edna on the return walk. They had enjoyed a Museum that was well out of town and at the end of a 4 km walk in the woods? Pretty interesting experience as they got to see the Bog Man who was reserved for (I believe) two thousand years. I dropped them at the craft tent and turned to get day for dinner.

Dinner was in Sabatini's with Bruce and Alison. They have changed their format from a feast to more moderate portions. We enjoyed an Antipasto of thinly sliced prosciutto, olives and bread which was followed by a selected appie or soup, a pasta course of the day, a main and then a dessert. That does sound like much of a reduction but believe me it is based on past Sabatini experiences. We had a good variety of applies (mushrooms, calamari, salads and soup) and each selected our own main. I chose lobster 3 ways which was comprised of a lobster tail, lobster risotto and a lobster sauce. Lucy had the same thing but was conflicted as she wanted to try the scampi. Elmer our waiter brought her both! Freddi has a chicken with polenta, Alison had the veal chop and Bruce had the chicken. All was well prepared and enjoyed. Only Bruce passed up the opportunity to have a dessert. The restaurant was not as busy as I had thought it might be. I guess some people are staying with the dining room option. We topped the evening with a ventriloquist show in the Princess Theatre. He was very funny and very adept at ventriloquism. Freddi missed the show as she wanted to go to bed. She has been feeling the pressure of her asthma again.

All in all it was a walking day with lots to absorb. Another observation is that the youth of Denmark are a very good looking, fit, happy and polite. It is nice to see the fresh faces on the streets and even better when you engage them in conversation.

Staircase in Mint Masters Mansion - Den Gamble