The Island of Ærø, Denmark
I’ve made the decision that every time I visit Finland for a long time I must make a short trip to a neighboring Nordic country.
My mother and I had our eyes out on Denmark, and when Stina (a dear family friend), invited us over we could not resist.
That is how we ended up flying to
Copenhagen, taking a train ride to Nyborg and finally a ferry to Ærø.
Before Ærø,we were
to meet up for dinner in Nyborg. After countless hugs and quick catching up, we
headed on to the traditionally yet stylish Hotel Hesselet.
The hotel’s restaurant has beautiful views of the Great Belt and even more
beautiful dishes. Mix all that with great company and you’ve got the perfect
evening.
I started off with foie gras, rich and
tangy when accompanied with the compote and honey. While others took the smoked
salmon.
I followed with steak in a
chanterelle sauce. The presentation is truly a piece of art.
After a lovely dinner and a ferry
ride in the darkness unto Ærø, we sunk into our beds excited for the day ahead.
Ærø is an island in the Danish
Baltic Sea measuring around 20km, there are a handful of small towns and
villages including Ærøskøbing where we stayed.
The town is like a fairy tale; it is
idyllic and picturesque, the buildings are similar to doll houses, all painted
soft shades of blue, yellow or gray, booming with flowers and knickknacks at
window stills.
Whichever direction you chose you
will always have a view of the sea or the fields, giving the island a very calming atmosphere.
We walked around oohing and aahing
at each house which seemed prettier than the last.
We even found a store that we
managed to spend almost an hour in, rummaging through old styled porcelain,
trinkets and even toys.
I ended up buying too many mugs and
bowls.
We were then joined by Stina and we
all headed off to the backyard garden of Restaurant Mumm for lunch.
Local apple juice, warm bread and
fresh fish were quickly served.
Each type of fish was accompanied
with different herbs and sauces, all fitting right in with the island's ambiance.
We continued exploring, shopping,
taking a break in a garden café and visiting the monuments.
My favourite part had to be the tiny
little beach houses planted over one side of the coast. There were over a dozen
of those charming little cabins. Apparently it is illegal to build more but
locals tend to quietly expand them while renovating.
Imagine sitting there, sipping some
warm tea while watching the waves after a long day on the beach.
We ended the day with dinner at
Addis where massive portions of home style food was served. All dishes
were delicious and authentic, however I could not take any worthwhile images as
it was quite dark, it was basically lit by candlelight. I do however recommend it for a homey feel, try the the
lamb and stay for the desserts.
After a long and tiring but
fantastic day I collapsed into my bed, saddened that this lovely island visit was
ending.
In the morning we took off to
Copenhagen, sending our farewells to the dreamland that is Ærø. The views from
the ferry did make it up a bit.
I would like to thank our charming
and always witty host Stina for having us and showing us around, it was a truly
magnificent time!
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