We were finally able to have our first family trip outside of Copenhagen! Natalie had a two week “break” where she had to write a 10 page case study as an exam for her Managing Sustainable Corporations course block. She really worked hard at it for the first week so that she could put the laptop away for a few days and it was amazing for the whole family! Seeing this break in sight we booked a vacation home on the Danish island of Bornholm that sits 155km away from the mainland. The place we booked was about 100m from the Baltic Sea plus had an actual tv, more than 1 bathroom, a sauna and bathtub – all luxuries that we have not enjoyed since we moved here. We also rented a car which was another convenience that it has been 6 months since we have had, and it was so great to be able to freely explore the whole island. Side note: it really blew my mind how quickly we just slid back into old habits of driving everywhere. After going so long without access to a car, and really enjoying biking everywhere, I thought it would seem strange, but not at all.
We arrived on Bornholm after a train, a taxi, a ferry, a bus and finally our rental car! From there we drove to the grocery store to pick up beer, I mean food and supplies, and then off to our house in Snogebæk, a small town on the South of the Island. WOW! The location was beautiful and everyone was so excited to have some space and be so close to the water. After a trip to the beach we began what would be a nightly ritual for the week of Natalie and the boys having a 1hr+ long bath while I sat in the sauna – it was heavenly for all of us.
The island is full of an incredible variety of landscapes and nature and we were able to explore several amazing hikes during our time there:
Climbing the rocky coastline in Gudhjem; strolling through the forest of Paradisbakkerne to find an 35 ton Ice Age stone that is perfectly balanced so you can “rock” it back and forth; exploring the ruins of the early 1200’s era Hammerhus Slot (Castle); cutting through granite quarries to find Mountain Sheep and the beautiful Opalsøen (Opal Lake); and playing in the stunning Dueodde Strand (Beach) with the finest, softest sand we have ever seen.
The week also held a couple celebrations for us, Easter and Miller’s 6th Birthday! These are moments that we are used to spending with friends and family, but there is a beauty and simplicity in pairing it down to just our small family. This is now Miller’s second birthday spent in the pandemic but he seems to really enjoy being able to decide what we do all day, which typically includes a sugary cereal, a hike, a picnic lunch, pasta for dinner and a movie of his choice – this year it was Spies in Disguise.
It was a great week to explore a beautiful new place and for Natalie to have a break. We were so happy to have visited Bornholm, especially after reflecting that without covid restrictions, we probably would have been off to other parts of the continent instead. It also reinforced how much we love travelling with the boys! They are such champs during the long trips to and from our destination, and everyone is so energized by discovering new places.
Thanks for the fun Bornholm!
Four for the road is what I hear in your words. This is a best of life and you have at least another decade for more, more for the four.
A couple of families I’ve met on the road on their year long journeys come to mind. In the Solomon Islands, an Australian family of six whose 11 year old would catch and gut a king mackerel, for our nightly dinners reserving the heads and tails for Fred and his gang of mid size sharks. Another family, I met exploring Fiji and heard the 13 year olds proud account of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost