Ebeltoft - in the nose of Denmark (with a little cold)

This summer, during the weekend of St. Hans Aften and Zone Conference, we took a day trip to "the nose of Denmark." Most travel brochures do not describe this place as "the nose of Denmark" because if you look closely---the nose has a bit of a cold....but the Danes know where their nose is.

In the nose is a little village called "Ebeltoft, derived from "Aepplaetoftae"- which means "apple garden." Their giant apple sculptures are all over this little apple town.

Ebeltoft became a city in the year 1301 but it was a natural harbor for Vikings long before it was called "Ebeltoft." It is one of Denmark's oldest market towns.

JJ and Carl are standing by the longest wooden frigate (ship) in the world. It is a royal battleship launched in 1860 named "Fregatten Jylland" (Ship Jutland--after the pennisula of Jutland, Denmark)

This man-of-war ship was retired from the Royal Danish Navy in about 1908. At that time it was auctioned, and later brought to Ebletoft harbor where it was restored and combined with a maritime museum. (opened to the public in 1994).

This "largest wooden ship in the world" is guilded with a royal shield and fine wooden ornaments.

The figure head on the prow of the ship is a mythical Goddess of the north sea. She holds a crook to catch drowning sailors who have fallen overboard.

Carl and JJ are resting on one of the muzzle loading cannons from the ship. There were forty four of them -- used for broadside shooting during a battle. (click to enlarge)

Sister Williamson and Sister Reed celebrate our arrival in Ebeltoft...in front of the big wooden ship.

In our summer of hollyhocks and cobblestone walking streets- (Gagades- pronounced "go-gathah") we enter the land of artists and fishermen. The old cottages and shops have been there for centuries.

Ebeltoft has been a thriving market center since medieval times. Today it is still a fine cobblestoned village full of beach loving visitors from all over the world. There are over 7,000 summer home here waiting for a taste of summer in the nose of Denmark.

What a colorful summer place..

I am sure that green ice cream cones with whipped cream on top were introduced by the vikings during one of their long hot summer vacations between invasions.

--Sister Williamson, Elder Wilberg and JJ eating traditional Ebeltoft summer foods.

I think that the Vikings would love pink whipped cream.

I Love the signs and flowers on the "Gagade"... (walking street)

In 1576, 200 years before the signing of the "Declaration of Independence",

Ebeltoft decided to build the smallest town hall in the world. Later they rebuilt it and added a clock tower and a dark, damp dungeon.

Here are some Ebeltoft summer visitors waiting for the two night watchman who come to the town hall to sing their nightly songs. There is not much for a town watchman to do in a lazy summer in apple town.

-- Sister Williamson, JJ, and Sister Reed who never did get to hear the watchmen sing..

Ebeltoft is in the center of what is called the "land of the Mols"...They are

known as "Molboere" or Mols residents. Many unflattering false stories have been written about the Mols who live in the nose of Denmark. They are often described by wealthy summer visitors and curious authors- as unrefined people who are not too smart. We only found one, not so smart, stuffed "Mol" on the "go-gathah". Can you tell which one is a "Mol," and which one is a Sea Captain from Greenland?

We won't forget the lightest days of the year -- spent in the middle of Denmark with the some of our favorite people...the Elders, the Sisters, JJ, and the Mols of Ebeltoft.

I wonder what we will all be doing next St Hans Aften.