When
we got up, the sun was shining brightly in a lovely blue sky but the forecast
was that it wasn’t going to last. We were heading for the southernmost of
Denmark’s major islands, Mon, Falster and Lolland. The satnav wanted us to take
the motorway but there was a lovely straight road marked as a green route on
our Marco Polo map so we went that way. I had spotted two barrows on the island
of Mon and researched them on the Internet. Both are passage graves built about
3200 BC and are open to the public. Fortunately I managed to find on the satnav,
roads with the same names as the barrows, so I was able to set up a route,
which was just as well because there were no signs to them until we were very
close. Both sites are well worth a visit. Kong Asgers Hoj is a single passage
grave and is in a beautiful position with extensive views inland, over Stege
Bay and the Baltic Sea. Klekkende Hoj is an unusual twin passage grave with a
terraced mound surrounded by a platform. The construction of the passages of
both sites is very impressive with massive stones on the walls and ceilings,
and the gaps filled with smaller stones and crushed flint. The whole of the
stone structure was covered with a layer of clay that was very effective at
keeping water out of the grave. The mound was then formed with local sand and
clay and they are still here over 5,000 years later. Mon is only a small island
(218 sq. km.) but is known to have over 120 barrows and passage graves.
We
plotted a route around Mon and, as always in Denmark, there were lots of cycle
tracks and lots of cyclists but, rather than speed cyclists dressed in lycra,
these were tourers travelling with all of their gear, including tents. We also
saw many serious walkers, something that we haven’t seen so much in Denmark, and
most of those were also carrying tents. It is certainly a very pretty island
and we really enjoyed the drive. We stopped off at Elmelunde where the church,
dating back to 1085 but extended and modified from 1200 to 1500, has lovely
frescos dating from about 1500. The same artist who painted these frescos also
painted the even more impressive ones in Fanefjord church that we visited
later. In both cases, the frescos were painted over during the reformation
which actually helped to preserve them. They were discovered in the 19th
century and restored in the 20th and 21st centuries.
In
between visits to the two churches, we drove to the far eastern end of Mon.
Here is Mons Klint, famous cliffs much visited by the Danes but, after our
underwhelming visit to Stevns Klint, we gave them a miss. However we did visit
Liselund Slot, claimed to be the only thatched palace in the world. It is in
lovely grounds, laid out with lakes, a Swiss Cottage, a Norwegian house, and a
Chinese house. In the past there was also a bathhouse, a chapel, a fisherman’s
house and an artificial ruined fortress. It was lovely to walk around but a
light drizzle restricted our roaming.
We
drove off Mon on a causeway with lots of wildlife (including an islet occupied
by many cormorants) and fishing nets on either side, to the very small island
of Bogo. Here we joined the motorway and the bridge to the island of Falster.
Continuing on the motorway, a tunnel took us to Lolland and we were soon at our
destination of Sakskobing Camping.
Photos:
The view from the mound of Kong Asgers Hoj; The entrance passage of Kong Asgers
Hoj, which is a T-shaped chamber; The twin entrances to Klekkende Hoj with a
small boy conveniently demonstrating how low the entrance is, and it is lower
for adults!; This shows the terracing and platform around the mound; The end of
the Klekkende Hoj chamber; The Last Supper carving on the altar piece (1646) of
Elmelunde church – note that, unusually, two of the disciples have their backs
to the viewer; The thatched palace of Liselunde; The Fanefjord church dating from 1250; One of the many Fanefjord
frescos – interestingly, the figures going to heaven don’t look happy but there
is no horrified expression on the faces of those being led by the Devil to Hell
represented by a rather Vikingesque dragon.
No comments:
Post a Comment