Grenen

Jutland, the large peninsula that comprises most of western Denmark, ends in a sharp sandy spit just north of the town of Skagen.  The point is Grenen, and it marks where the Skagerrak on the west meets the Kattegat on the east. Some places have more geographic significance than others. For a good part of an hour a few weeks ago (June 19th), I had it pretty much to myself.

We were staying in Frederikshavn, 45 minutes south. I got up at the crack of dawn and drove up through Skagen and past the lighthouse, then walked the last kilometer out to the tip. There were scattered storm clouds and a stiff breeze, but it stayed dry and relatively pleasant.

Old bunkers (not surprising that this place has had great military importance and a rich history) were collapsing into the sea. A fleet of large cargo ships were anchored in the distance on the eastern, Kattegat, side, and a large three masted ship was cruising by (not under sail). The sand was blowing across the beach. Waves were crashing in the sunglint far offshore where the tides and the winds clashed. Birds hung out on the sandbar where Denmark slides into the sea, except when I got a little too close. There was someone else wandering around in the dunes, but I enjoyed being the only person out on the point that morning.

Of course, it was also nice to make it back for breakfast at the hotel with M. And with plenty of time to still make it to Hirtshals for the ferry to Norway at noon.