Travel report: Round trip on Funen

Monday, July 18, 2022

Lara:

We arrive in Odense. We have a really nice hotel with comfortable and modern rooms. The hotel is close to the city center and allows us to visit the city. We visited the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, which was interesting and well designed. The museum recreated Andersen's life with lots of drawings and audio support, which made the visit even better.

Sylvie:

Arrival in Odense in cloudy weather. Our hotel is charming and allows us to visit the city very easily. Even though we are in the middle of the countryside, we can hear the seabirds singing, which is not surprising as the sea is very close. We visited the museum based on the life of Hans Christian Andersen. The city pays a lot of attention to him now that he is famous worldwide, but when he was alive, Denmark never recognized him. The museum tells the story of his life and work without having to read a book. It was a nice sensory experience that I would recommend to everyone.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Lara:

We start our cycle tour from Odense. Today we will cycle as far as Faaborg. We left the hotel early to avoid getting stuck in traffic in the city center. We had trouble finding the signposts for the onward journey, but we asked some Danes who lived there for directions. They always gave us a warm welcome, even if it had to be in English. But apart from the fact that we got lost for a while and the very hot weather, we enjoyed some beautiful scenery and an amazing sunset when we arrived at our hotel.

Sylvie:

We started our day early, but we still took the time to explore the old town of Odense photographically. We had trouble finding our way out, but we eventually found one that we followed. On the way, we were able to admire some camels in the zoo along the way. We continued through wheat fields in the most beautiful colors. We were surprised by the soil, which was more damaged than we thought. There are beautiful forests and landscapes, but mostly there is hardly anyone around and there is no traffic, which made it easier for us to drive around. At the end of the day we reached the Baltic Sea, but we didn't arrive at our hotel until late in the evening and had a swim before going to dinner.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Lara:

Today we drove from Faaborg to Svendborg. We started our day with a big hill to climb in weather that was already super hot in the morning. Today's ride was fun because we were between the sea and the wheat and corn fields, which made for a great mix of fresh air and sweet smells. We stopped at a campsite near the lake to refresh ourselves with water and of course an ice cream. We got a great hotel with a beautiful view of the sea.

Sylvie:

Today we experienced a great heat and we started our day with a huge hill to climb. How fun!!! On the way we saw a chocolate store, but it wasn't the right moment for chocolate, so we grabbed a delicious ice cream at a campsite along the way instead. Mainly our cycle route was between the sea and the land. We also cycled over the big bridge to the island of Tåsinge, but we didn't feel like visiting the castle on the island. Well, we'll just do that another time. Our hotel was beautiful and offers a wonderful view of the Baltic Sea.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Lara:

Today we're going to do something different. We're taking the ferry to an island with lots of fields and hills. It was impressive to see how many cars and trucks the ferry could handle on its own. For lunch, we stopped at a small café and had one of the best cheesecakes we've ever eaten. The lady who greeted us is German and we had an interesting conversation with her about the island and how people live here.

Sylvie:

We started our day in Svendborg and were ready to go to the island of Ærø. We really wanted to congratulate the people who work at the ferry company, because their organization had no flaws at all. We arrived and headed towards the town, which is right by the sea. We passed a large number of stalls, which everyone there seems to have, and they trust anyone who wants to buy from them. We stopped at a small café in the countryside between two hills and meet a German woman who offers us an excellent cake. And I promise you, if I told you that you would die for a piece of this cake, you would do it without hesitation.

Friday, July 22, 2022

Lara:

Today we cycled from Svendborg to Nyborg. We started our day with a hilly part in the forest and then cycled along the coast again. The day was windy and we didn't meet many tourists. As usual, we cycled on very small roads through wheat fields. When we arrived in Nyborg, we visited the town before going to our hotel by the sea. We were very disappointed with the hotel. It is huge. Our room was right next to the highway and we could hear the noise. The staff were not very friendly and the food was very expensive and not very good. We liked the bath in the Baltic Sea right in front of the hotel and a sauna.

Sylvie:

We started our cycling day in Svendborg again, but we got lost again and headed back into the forest. We cycled along the sea and then returned to the countryside to meet the wheat fields again. The day was windy and it was difficult to find a place to stop. Eventually we stopped at a self-catering store where we bought some pesto to spread on our bread. There was nothing to drink. Luckily we had enough water with us. At the end of the day we reached Nyborg. We toured the town before heading to our hotel, which looked like an industrial building. We ended our day with a lovely swim right in front of the hotel with perfectly tempered sea.

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Lara:

Today is the last day of our tour. We're cycling from Nyborg to Odense. We cycled along the sea and reached Kerteminde, where the cherry festival was taking place. There you could buy and taste everything to do with cherries: Fruit, ice cream, pastries, jam and drinks. By this time it was starting to rain and we took a shortcut to get to Odense as quickly as possible.

Sylvie:

We started our day in Nyborg. We stopped in Kerteminde, where the cherry festival was taking place. But the rain started and we took a shortcut to get to Odense as quickly as possible. There are a few villages with few houses and after a while we arrived at our hotel, this time without any problems. We visited the church and the castle.

Lara's conclusion:

We really enjoyed the tour as there are many protected areas for cyclists. The paths are generally well signposted and the routes we took were always empty of cars, which made it easier for us. I would recommend not taking a GPS with you, but asking the locals for directions if you get lost. The Danes are very friendly and always happy to help. Also, they all speak good English, so don't be shy and ask them!

Sylvie's conclusion:

We really enjoyed the tour as it was away from the main traffic most of the time. You should bring something to eat and drink as it is difficult to find restaurants along the way. It was hillier than we thought it would be, but it was good for our health and a good excuse to have a nice dinner at the end of the day. I would recommend the tour if you like wild nature and remoteness. Be aware that there is very often a lot of wind.