Skagen, Denmark and Marstrand, Sweden
We awoke to squalls of rain running across the North Sea, as the Endeavour made her way towards Denmark and our morning destination of Skagen. Though we were experiencing some wind, our Expedition staff decided to go ahead with our morning’s activities. Zodiacs were launched, and once the Endeavour was close the port entrance to Skagen, Denmark, our shuttles began ferrying us ashore. Once everyone was ashore we boarded busses headed for the most northern point of Denmark, Grenen where the North Sea and the Baltic (or the Skagerrak and Kattegat), meet in a collision of seas and currents! Due to our morning weather, the sight was just as dramatic! Two separate seas both experiencing the morning’s high winds were colliding… creating a spectacle of confused seas and waves being blown across each other against an angry sky of dark gray and the background sound of thunder just to add to our senses experience!
Once back in the town of Skagen our first stop was the museum housing the paintings of the school of Danish Impressionist painters. The light on this unusually formed peninsula of Denmark became famous many years ago. The reflection of sun on sand and the water brings a brightness to the land that is quite remarkable. It was in this light that a group of people began their sketches during the summer months and continued throughout the winter completing paintings from those sketches. As we began to explore, the sun began to break through the clouds and pour through the windows of the museum… casting shadows and light throughout; we easily saw and experienced the inspiration of these northern Impressionists.
Some of us took time to walk the small alleys and streets of Skagen bathed in the warmth of the sun; we photographed the gardens and yellow houses that Skagen is also famous for! The flowers were decorated in the diamonds of recent rain, sparkling in the sun.
All too soon we had to make our way back to the Zodiac landing site, and return to the Endeavour. Our ship would position a short distance to the west coast of Sweden, to the small town of Marstrand. Anchoring very close to the harbor, Zodiacs were dropped and we made our away a short distance into the main harbor. Marstrand was an important center for herring fishing industry in the 14th and 15th century. The small herring was one of the most important fisheries of the northern countries. It brought great wealth, particularly to Sweden and to this small west coast community. The herring salt houses have been turned into bath houses for summer vacationers and sailors, and the town is a very popular sailing harbor for the large yachting population of Scandinavia. Several wood two-masted sailing barques were docked inside the harbor. These vessels have been turned into sailing schools for the youth of Sweden. Young people can have their first sailing experiences aboard a traditional sailing vessel, following an ancient Swedish tradition.
A few of us wandered the streets of Marstrand, while the rest of the group made their way up to the fortress that overlooks the small community of Marstrand. Because of the wealth earned through herring, this community brought granite slabs from the bedrock of the Kungalv district of Sweden for the construction of Carlsten’s Fastning (the fort), an imposing building that dominates the view both on approach to Marstand and throughout our walks in the town. With winds building and the approach of evening we were called back to the dock to our waiting Zodiacs and our return to the Endeavour. As the Endeavour made her way out of the narrow harbor opening, and into the North Sea, we watched Marstrand and her fortress disappear into the early evening light.
We awoke to squalls of rain running across the North Sea, as the Endeavour made her way towards Denmark and our morning destination of Skagen. Though we were experiencing some wind, our Expedition staff decided to go ahead with our morning’s activities. Zodiacs were launched, and once the Endeavour was close the port entrance to Skagen, Denmark, our shuttles began ferrying us ashore. Once everyone was ashore we boarded busses headed for the most northern point of Denmark, Grenen where the North Sea and the Baltic (or the Skagerrak and Kattegat), meet in a collision of seas and currents! Due to our morning weather, the sight was just as dramatic! Two separate seas both experiencing the morning’s high winds were colliding… creating a spectacle of confused seas and waves being blown across each other against an angry sky of dark gray and the background sound of thunder just to add to our senses experience!
Once back in the town of Skagen our first stop was the museum housing the paintings of the school of Danish Impressionist painters. The light on this unusually formed peninsula of Denmark became famous many years ago. The reflection of sun on sand and the water brings a brightness to the land that is quite remarkable. It was in this light that a group of people began their sketches during the summer months and continued throughout the winter completing paintings from those sketches. As we began to explore, the sun began to break through the clouds and pour through the windows of the museum… casting shadows and light throughout; we easily saw and experienced the inspiration of these northern Impressionists.
Some of us took time to walk the small alleys and streets of Skagen bathed in the warmth of the sun; we photographed the gardens and yellow houses that Skagen is also famous for! The flowers were decorated in the diamonds of recent rain, sparkling in the sun.
All too soon we had to make our way back to the Zodiac landing site, and return to the Endeavour. Our ship would position a short distance to the west coast of Sweden, to the small town of Marstrand. Anchoring very close to the harbor, Zodiacs were dropped and we made our away a short distance into the main harbor. Marstrand was an important center for herring fishing industry in the 14th and 15th century. The small herring was one of the most important fisheries of the northern countries. It brought great wealth, particularly to Sweden and to this small west coast community. The herring salt houses have been turned into bath houses for summer vacationers and sailors, and the town is a very popular sailing harbor for the large yachting population of Scandinavia. Several wood two-masted sailing barques were docked inside the harbor. These vessels have been turned into sailing schools for the youth of Sweden. Young people can have their first sailing experiences aboard a traditional sailing vessel, following an ancient Swedish tradition.
A few of us wandered the streets of Marstrand, while the rest of the group made their way up to the fortress that overlooks the small community of Marstrand. Because of the wealth earned through herring, this community brought granite slabs from the bedrock of the Kungalv district of Sweden for the construction of Carlsten’s Fastning (the fort), an imposing building that dominates the view both on approach to Marstand and throughout our walks in the town. With winds building and the approach of evening we were called back to the dock to our waiting Zodiacs and our return to the Endeavour. As the Endeavour made her way out of the narrow harbor opening, and into the North Sea, we watched Marstrand and her fortress disappear into the early evening light.
