Copenhagen with Friends and Onward around Denmark

On the evening Rob arrived (Friday, August 28), shortly after coming on board, the skies began to dump rain, as they had from time to time throughout the day. After 15 minutes, the downpour stopped, and we went ashore and had a great dinner at a restaurant right by our mooring.

The next morning, the three of us left the boat and walked to the Royal Danish Library, nicknamed the Black Diamond due to its architecture, arriving before 9 a.m. as the first swimmers in the TrygFonden Copenhagen Swim were getting ready to start. Having skipped breakfast, we went into the library's cafe when it opened and had a quick morning meal. Then we went back to the pier to look for John and Phoebe Hartz and see them start their 2,000 meter race. While they were getting ready to plunge into the water, we joined up with Catherine (John's wife), William (one of their sons), his girlfriend Feerla, Phoebe's boyfriend Jesse and John's sister Lilly to cheer them on. We got our exercise, quickly walking and sometimes running to see both of them. John surged ahead, but in the end Phoebe was not far behind him, even though she posed with her flashing smile for photos at the bridges. John and Phoebe swam hard and had a good time, and we were delighted to watch them compete.

Phoebe standing on the pontoon talking to John in the water

John (center) off to a strong start

Phoebe pausing to acknowledge her supporters on one of the bridges

Phoebe exhibiting good form

John nearing the finish

Phoebe and Jesse

Catherine congratulating John while avoiding getting wet

Phoebe and John on the podium

After their swim, we all hung around the finish line for a while. John and Phoebe (with Jesse) went to take showers and the rest of us walked through the streets of Copenhagen to the old meatpacking district, where the Festivalpladsen in Kødbyen was taking place. Along the walk we passed a large sculptural piece entitled "Dante in Dialogue with the 21st Century or  Fuck Q-Park's parking basement. It's a provocative protest art installation located at Dantes Plads in central Copenhagen. Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt created the installation to mark the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s death. Local residents, businesses, and associations commissioned or supported the piece to fight plans by Q-Park and the City of Copenhagen to build an underground parking garage beneath the green square. Locals argued the project would destroy old trees, damage historic buildings, ruin a playground, and increase traffic pollution. It features four red/copper shouting busts of Dante on a central pillar, surrounded by four “pig-men” statues (representing “the inner beast/basest urges like hate and intolerance”).  A prominent forearm rises from the center giving a giant middle finger directly toward the proposed parking development area. 

Dante in Dialogue with the 21st Century

The open-air food festival featured amazingly delicious food, and the venders were able to make the dishes for me without the base of rye bread. It's a staple here--but I hate it. We enjoyed a lot of great conversation and were joined by friends of the Hartz's, some of whom also competed.

Peter, William, Anna, Phoebe on left and Jesse, Lilly, John and Rob on right

Catherine, William, Phoebe and Jesse came to visit Mantra and stayed on board for an hour so. Peter was thrilled to show William and Jesse the electronics, navigation systems and the engine room while the rest of us relaxed in the saloon.

Shortly after they left, as arranged, Alan Christopherson arrived. He is a friend of the Brown boys whom they last saw around 1970 on the farms where they lived as children on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Not knowing what each other had been doing for the last 55 years, Peter, Rob and Alan quickly updated each other about their lives since their adolescent years. We were pleased to learn the Alan, a son of a sometime irascible Danish father and a mother with a Greek background, who had moved in his late teens to Denmark on his own, not speaking the language, and through a series of apprenticeships and hard work and ambition, had achieved great success and set up his own business. He also married a delightful Danish woman, Rita Juul, who creates astounding works of art. We saw these when we went to their town home a few miles away, where many are displayed. They live in a half-timbered house from the mid-1800's which has been updated but kept its architectural charm. The five of us had a delightful evening together.

Peter, Alan and Rob on the quay

The next morning, Rob, Peter and I walked a few blocks to a small supermarket where we bought provisions for the next part of our journey. Just before 11 a.m., we cast off and went under the Trangravsbroen, a three-way butterfly bridge that opens on the hour. The last two days we have been sailing when we can and motoring when we can't, en route to the Kiel Canal. The weather alternates many times a day, sunny then cloudy then rainy and repeat. Last night we anchored in a bay near the town of Rørvig near the entrance to Isefjord, having traveled more than nine and half hours for 60 miles. Today, weighing anchor at 7:15, we traveled for 70 miles in 12 hours, and are now anchored by a little sandy island called Musholm. Tomorrow we plan to make it to the western entrance of the Kiel Canal.