From Lonnestak (southwards) to Ribe (Denmark)

In changeable climatic conditions, (drizzle, rain, sun, wind) we visited the Viking Centre at Ribe. Now if anything was ever worth its entrance fee, this was. Volunteers in constumes brought the historic village to life, with demonstrations of traditional crafts (weaving, woodwork, pottery, jewellery, a blacksmith), rare breeds of sheep and cattle, old types of crops and herbs, longhouse buildings, and even a demonstration of warrior training with sword and shield, then one of falconry.  Danish law says you cannot keep native birds in captivity, so all the bird they flew were of non-Danish origin.  There was a spotted eagle owl, a Harris Hawk from South America, and a Saker Falkon from the Middle East, which flies at 180 mph.  We got some good shots of the back of its tail as it flew overhead.  A brief stop for coffee in their post and deserted cafe, then we drove onwards towards Ribe (sounds like Ree-bah).   What a pretty little rown: lovely cobbled streets and old houses, and stacks of history. In the cathedral a video presentation, in English , explained why the pedestrian walkway round the cathedral is in a state of chaos.  A short walk brought us to the moat and ramparts of Riberhus Slotsbanke, remains of a 12th Century fortress.  Not much remains. Round the edge of the moat, a charming set of allotments were in full bloom with many different types of flower, and vegetables.

At 8pm we walked back into the town to go on a guided tour with the night watchman.  An interesting old gentleman gave the information, first in Danish, then in English, and he certainly had some tales to tell, all for free. He carried a mace which they called a Morgenstern or Morning Star, and a lantern. He sang a song as he went round. This was to prove to his employers that he was actually working, and not falling asleep.  He stopped at certain buildings and told stories about their past: how the town burnt down and had to be rebuilt with hard rooves, not thatch, by order of the King. Furthermore, the King gave them a tax free period of 13 years in order to be able to afford to do the work. Some alleys have the Danish name for slipper, because all the waste water would be thrown from windows,(including the contents of their chamber pot, and any other household waste,) and it would "slip" down the alley, to the river. In 1874, when the railway came to Ribe, weverything between the station and the Town Hall was demolished, so that passengers had a fine view of the Town Hall when they got off the train.  St Katherines convent has a tree on a mound in the grounds. It is said that hundreds of plague victims are buried there. We had visited the convent earlier in the day, and saw a jackscrew in the crypt, which was used in the last renovation to bring the walls back to a level. The nightwatchman told us of many such renovations over the centuries, due to the poor foundations in the soft sand.

There is plenty in Ribe to keep you occupied.  We could have spent some more time there, looking at the Wadden Sea Centre, gone on a seal tour by tractor, or visited the Abbey gardens or the town museum and Town Hall.