Today we traveled from Copenhagen to Aero Island via bridges and a ferry boat. Denmark is a country of hundreds of islands, most unnamed or unpronounceable. Even my spelling will be an approximation, as English lacks many Danish/Scandinavian letters. The first letter in Aero is actually an "A-E" combination merged together, and the last is an "o" with a "/" through it. "Aro" is kinda what it sounds like, but as the Swedes and Norwegians would say, first fill your mouth with potatoes.
Along the way we stopped in the city of Roskilde for a quick visit to the wonderful Viking Ship Museum and Roskilde Cathederal. Five of the best preserved Viking ships in the world can be found here. They were discovered sunk in the mud out in the bay(they call it a fiord, but it looks like a bay to me". The boats were actually sunk to block off the harbor entrance from invading enemies. One came from Ireland. No where else in Scandinavia can you find such a a well preserved collection, thanks to the unique nature of the mud at the bottom where these ships were scuttled. It took over 30 years to put all of the pieces back together.
A lot of what we know today about Viking ship building was found at the site. The building techniques are on display for the public. All 5 boats have been built into replicas using the similar techniques and material, and have sailed throughout Scandinavia. Norway has reconstructed boats of its own with the help of Danish researchers and historians.
Roskilde Cathederal is a hodgepodge of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture, having been built over many centuries. Inside are the remains of 38 Danish Monarchs, making it the largest such "collection" in the world. Spanning centuries, these crypts change radically in style. There is even a prototype for the present queen's future tomb.
Being a land of islands, Denmark has lots of bridges, some quite impressive like the Storebalt Bridge separating Zealand(the Island where Copenhagen is) and Funen, where we caught our ferry to Aero.
Some of the tour members enjoy "Viking Blood", or mead, the traditional toast before a journey.
The restaurant Mumm on Aero, where we had a traditional Danish feast. The main course was a slow cooked pork roast fired at the very end to produce a crispy exterior. Incredible. The beer from the local brewery certainly helped as well. We are here for two nights, and will hopefully be providing pictures of this quaint little Danish town and island.
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