a magical long weekend – fanø, denmark

Fanø is an island on the West coast of Denmark …. a bit complicated to get to without a car, but with urging comes will.

Had a fantastic weekend there with Ann Christin@Leya and her husband Lars, we needed a good driver to get there. *smile

It’s all down to one of my girlfriends in the UK … that we got this fantastic experience. Liz, she posted a video on my FB page about a year ago … and both Ann Christin and I had the same thought – this we just have to see. 

For 35 years has Fanø hosted the world’s largest kite rally -Fanø International Kite Fliers Meeting. Fanø is known all over the world as one of the best places to fly kites.  it is organized each year in June on Fanø. 5000 kite flyers meet and create a party that is not found likely anywhere else in the world.  It’s just amazing … never seen anything like it.

Some of the fliers have up to 10-20 kites. They all make their own kites and they are made from sailcloth, nylon fiber andd they will cost about 500-1200$ in material and I couldn’t say how many hours it will take, but quite a few.

The fliers are on the island for a fortnight, but the main event is the last weekend.

There are no images that can make the experience and the view the justice.

I found the most adorable little blue (Wedgewood blue) guest house in the middle of Norby, the village on the island where the ferry from Esbjerg takes you. The “Det blå gæstehus” … owned by Lorne and her husband Martin that lives in the house too. A big spacious ground floor apartment with 2 double bedrooms, big kitchen, and large comfortable living room plus a garden that was bursting in flowers. Just in the middle of the village on the main street.

It started to rain so soon we had landed on the island … but turned into a very nice evening and gave us a chance to walk around after our fantastic dinner at “Sylvesters”.

The weather wasn’t really on our side, but Friday gave us the most spectacular day at the beach with blue sky and a perfect wind for the kites. We were there around 10 am and the kites started to fill up the sky … and as the day progressed more and more kites was added. There was kite on the ground too.

We took a break in the middle of the day … returned to the guesthouse and enjoyed some sunshine lunch in the garden

and returned in the afternoon … and the view as absolutely amazing; kites everywhere. In all honesty, I don’t know how to explain it. It has to be seen.

Saturday turned into wet and misty very quickly … Lars had been informed that Sønderho, the other village on the island … is the most beautiful village in Denmark. So we decided to we were going to see what that was all about and then drive along the beach back up to Norby again.

The island is about 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) long and 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) wide. I think it’s pretty hard to get lost on the island. There is a bus service on the island – the Blue buses.

As we arrive at Sønderho we saw a show or rally with Citroën cars, old and new. Nice start.

But the village didn’t give us any vibrations. So Lars drove down one of the small lanes and there it was … the most beautiful village in Denmark and I have never seen anything so pretty. We just couldn’t get enough of it.

The village dates back to the 16th century and has about 300 well-preserved buildings that stem mainly from the 19th century when Sønderho was the leading navigation area on the Jutlandic west coast. Almost all the cottages, stand with their petite thatched house ends to the east and west surrounded by small gardens. Between the houses is a labyrinthine network of narrow paths and crooked streets.  The village is well protected from wind and water behind large sand dunes and green dykes.

Supposed to be quite different from a hundred years ago, when there were only a few weather-beaten trees.

After a nice soft icecream under shelter and pouring rain … we got back in the car and then we drove along a very empty and grey beach. I still enjoyed it and there were loads of objects that Oscar liked.

When we reached the area where the kites had been flying the days before … where nearly empty, there were some brave fliers that tried the hardest to get the kites up, but there wasn’t enough wind.

It gave us all melancholic and sad feelings because 24 hours earlier had there been an explosion of colours on the beach and in the sky.

I truly enjoyed our days on Fanø, even if the weather wasn’t on our side all the time – more wet than dry. Evenings were nice and that gave us a chance to get some amazing evening shots.

It was like being away from the madding crowd. 

You can reach the island with the ferry from Esbjerg, the crossing only takes 12 minutes and the ferries sail most of the day. You can only buy tickets at departure.

Thank you, Liz … for the video that made me ticking  … Ann Christin and Lars, thanks for making it come true.

“Denmark is like a secret little place
with its own special language.”
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