Mr Potato Egg

To Maribo, Denmark -- 51.6 miles, 11.8 mph, 950 ft

Dex and Kylie asked if they could go to the playground this morning as we were finishing packing. It would have been good if we had agreed on a time for them to return and even better if we actually knew where the playground was. We eventually found them -- they were “working out” on the exercise equipment since, you know, we don't normally get enough exercise on the bikes!

It was a beautiful day: quiet roads, pretty views and a light breeze made it hard to beat.

The big event of the day, after more than three weeks, was our departure from Germany. We knew we’d be taking the ferry at Puttgarden to Rodby, Denmark and had been trying since yesterday to book tickets with Scandlines.  All I can say is their website really leaves something to be desired…like an actual way to BUY TICKETS!  

After creating accounts, putting everyone's name, birthdate, eye color and favorite football team in a half dozen times, we still couldn't find the “purchase” button. As a result, when we finally got to the ferry, we ended up getting into the queue with all the other cars. I just happened to notice that the woman in the car in front of us had a gigantic plastic KinderEgg man with what looked like a sailors hat and filled with eggs. Clearly, the only way to describe it was as a huge, plastic Mr Potato Egg. Meg, Dex, and Kylie got a good laugh out of that. When we finally got up to the ticket window, we apparently stumped the ticket girl -- two bikes, two riders, two children...hmmm, that would be...?

Bridge to Fehmarn Island, Germany

In line for the ferry

The 45 minute ferry ride was great. Dex and Kylie played on the deck with their Kinder Egg toys while Meg and I chose the windier side (to avoid the cigarette smoke) and marveled at the sea gulls drafting on the ferry’s wind currents. We could just see a giant wind farm in the distance. I was interested to read that each blade is 150 ft long.

Once in Denmark, it was nice to ride on less traveled roadways among fields of wheat and sugar beets. An hour or so later we arrived at our little Maribo campground.  We found a grassy area among some other tents and bike tourists. The couple already sitting at the picnic table looked at us with some interest. We soon learned that they too were biking with their two daughters on tandems. Their tour was shorter, starting in Copenhagen and destined for Basel Switzerland, their home.

For dinner we strolled into town, very quiet for a Saturday, and enjoyed our first dinner in Denmark.