A Tale of Two (Danish) Cities

Before we leave Randers, Denmark, behind, I need to share some photos of this great city.  It was not all that small--61,000 or so--but the beautiful churches and brick buildings
 were still very impressive. 

I think orange brick must have been plentiful over the years as both new and old buildings seemed to favor that particular medium.  Notice the set of apartment buildings where we stayed, which resembled many other orange-brick housing projects throughout the town.

And please be impressed that we were able to "negotiate" the 100 steps to the no-elevator-provided 5th floor!  Needless to say, we only returned to our room once a night!  We were told these buildings were over 100 years old. 

 However, our cute "Airb&b" hostess was anything but old!

This young gal and her military husband just recently put their apartment up for occasional rent, while he is in the barracks and she can stay with her parents.  We and another couple from Frankfurt (They were attending Festinord as Area YSA missionaries) shared the accommodations.  We all shared the tiny bathroom, 

we got the spare bedroom (they rented the apartment first!), 

and I got the air mattress! Nevertheless, it was much more convenient than the motel many miles away which a number of other missionaries had rented.

We enjoyed walking from our apartment to the local downtown area, which, like all European towns, has a cobblestone no-car zone for very enjoyable shopping, browsing, and eating.  We bought a nice map of Europe--which unfortunately has different dimensions than German picture frames--some candies, and post cards.  Not very big shoppers on this trip!

Ha!  This one is priceless!  It's Elder G talking to a policeman who luckily gave us only a warning ticket since our license plates were German and he figured

 we didn't know it was a park & pay zone!

One of the evenings I went for a walk and was pleasantly surprised to find a neighborhood right adjacent to this big apartment complex!  I loved the architecture of the Danish homes and was equally impressed with how nicely their yards were kept up.

 

Notice the "plethora" of shrubbery!  Randers was one of the most green cities I've ever seen!

This one was a complete surprise and was totally out of sync with the rest of the neighborhood!  It looked more like it belonged in Derek's neighborhood in Alaska!

I want to point out how Denmark uses shrubs or trees planted in the road to slow down traffic. America may use "speed bumps," but Denmark uses "speed greens" to maneuver around!

And before we head out of town, I have to share that Randers, Denmark, has a Graceland!  Yes, somehow, somewhere in time, an Elvis fan built this amazing replica of Graceland in DENMARK, no less!!!.  Elder G refused to budge from the car, while I thought it was weird enough to warrant a peak inside.  Inside is a very popular 50's restaurant and an everything-Elvis gift shop; the museum is both upstairs and downstairs. 

Anyone ever remember Elvis looking this young?  I certainly don't!

And, believe it or not, the site is complete with a replica of Elvis' birth home!!!

Oh, Love Me Tender, you ole Blue Swede Shoes! 

We passed this tower every morning on our way to Festinord.  We always wanted to find out what it was, but never did.  Still, it was cool to view and wonder about!

And lastly, what is Denmark without Danish!  We ate them for breakfast; we ate them for lunch, and we had them for dessert after dinner!  Amazingly delicious!!!

Anyway, after attending Festinord, our plans were to head back to Frankfurt, Germany, via the scenic "slow lane" as opposed to the autobahn.  One of our Danish friends suggested we visit Ribe, the oldest intact Viking city in Denmark.  We loved driving through the rural countryside as well as through quaint, old villages.  Of course, my favorite detours along the way are the beautiful old churches.  Most had the graveyard alongside as well.

We saw this hot springs place off the beaten path and thought it looked quaint.  There are tons of cities in Europe with the first word "Bad," like Bad Homburg, for example.  "Bad" means "bath," so it makes me wonder if they're not all like our lovely Midway with its many hot springs.

We finally arrived in Ribe, Denmark's oldest Viking town.
Ribe celebrated its 1300th anniversary in 2010!


Many of its ancient homes and businesses remain to this day.

The Tourist Bureau had this map of the town dated 1736.
Notice how the huge cathedral dominated the city center

and still does today!

The Catholic cathedral, completed in the 1200s, is so big, and the town square so small
that I just couldn't get all of it in the picture.

The buildings on the town square don't look as old as they really are because they have been updated.  But they are still the original buildings.

We met the couple living in this house!

And we liked the nameplate on this house stating who had lived there since the 1500s!!!

Some of the homes and businesses that surround the town square...

Neat antique store on the corner

We loved the cobblestone streets with sagging house fronts

There was a nice inlet with local businesses alongside and small private boats.

After the Reformation in 1536, 12 of the city's 14 churches were destroyed, leaving two behind--the Catholic cathedral shown earlier and this Protestant St. Katherine Church, built in the 1400s.

Just on the edge of the town center was a beautiful walk with newer picturesque homes.

This is a former mansion-turned-Art-Museum now under renovation

We had pizza here for dinner before taking the "Night Watchman's Tour." 

Traditionally, he walks his nightly route through the old town, instructing the tourists and singing

to alert the locals regarding bedtime approaching.

The night tour of the town square and adjacent streets was a good way to end a
very exciting day!  Farewell, beautiful, Viking town, Ribe!