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Archaeology Denmark Monthly recaps

My January-March 2021: Digging away on Lolland

by on 31/03/2021

The first three months of the decade were a jumble of sameness. No travelling (obviously – thanks, ‘rona!), but instead lots of digging, lots of cuddling with cats, dogs and babies and lots of exploring on Lolland and the surrounding islands! But there was also one important event to mix it all up – the arrival of my nephew, Sam.

The turn of the year with the presence of Covid-19

2021 started the way 2020 ended – with a mild case of Covid-19, along with the rest of my family (apart from my dad who got it a week later…). I spent New Years at my older brother’s place in Hørning with the family members that were still infected. It wasn’t the most eventful New Years Eve ever, although we did make the most of it with some fun board games and pizza – which I could hardly taste, but oh well!

I returned home some days later to stay isolated in my room until my symptoms were over + 2 days. It was incredibly boring, but at least I had lots of time to work on blog posts and cuddle with my cat! And I still managed to do my 15,000 daily steps without seeing a soul. I also binge-watched The Little House on the Prairie, which I (sadly) finished watching in March after spending a whole year getting to know Laura and co.

Back to Lolland and the excavation

On January 12th, I was finally let out of my corona prison. I caught the train back to Lolland where I’ve been working on an archaeological excavation since mid-November. I was really excited to get back to work after missing almost two weeks (the first time I’ve ever had sick leave…). It was eventful being back, especially since the ground was frozen most mornings – and when it wasn’t frozen, it was as muddy as can be! We were also often joined by two dogs, Tina and Чудо/Chudo (Russian for ‘Miracle’!), that live at the neighbouring farm!

Unfortunately, I was hit with some very very sad news upon arrival to Lolland. Little Crowley, the beloved cat of the farm where I’m staying, was tested positive for feline leukemia and was put down the day after I got back. I’m thankful that I got to say goodbye, although it was terribly tough. Crowley was a wonderful cat, a special cat who was incredibly affectionate, always drooling and always came running along with the dogs for treats. I miss him dearly.

I’m glad I had the dogs there, though – and it has been a joy watching the puppies grow up into individual crazy heads. Theo (or Bamse or Nanok as we called him) moved to Esbjerg with my host’s oldest son, and Golda moved to Copenhagen with their other son, but I still see her once in a while when he brings her home! Chico is staying at the farm for good, and Zuko didn’t leave until the end of March.

I had the pleasure of meeting Noam, the daughter of my hosts, who usually lives in Israel but was home for Christmas. She’d stayed put for three months as she had to wait for Zuko to be ready to travel back with her. It was a sad day when they did leave, especially for Chico who is now the only puppy left. I cried as they drove away, but I’m sure Zuko will be just fine as he adores Noam – and she him! And I’m really glad that Chico is staying, because that little darling has completely stolen my heart!

January adventures

Ever since I moved to Lolland, I’ve been spending most of my weekends on adventures around the island and its neighbouring islands. January was no different.

I went on a long hike through Ravnsby Bakker, the hilliest part of the (very very flat) Lolland, and saw Dodekalitten, the most famous attraction on the island besides the waterpark, Lalandia. The weekend after, I went on a 50 km bike ride along the Maribo Lakes, a beautiful yet cloudy journey through gorgeous nature. It was my first long bike ride in a loooong time, so it was tough – especially the last 16 km, which were in complete darkness and pouring rain…

I also took Modig and Kanzi, the two adult dogs on the farm, for several walks in and near Rødby (and the puppies twice – but only for short walks!). I took Kanzi to the beach in Rødbyhavn for a dip in the cold ocean (not me, just him!), and Modig and I went on a long walk to the nearby village of Errindlev.

A real winter finally came to Denmark!

It started snowing in January all over Denmark… Well, apart from Lolland! I had to wait until February, but at least that month brought us two weeks of real winter – and then two weeks of way too early spring, but never mind that! We finally had actual snow that stayed on the ground! It happens so rarely nowadays – so for a winter child like me, it was amazing! It just makes everything so much more beautiful.

On the less positive side, the snow meant we couldn’t continue on the excavation and instead had to work indoors – sifting soil and washing artifacts. I definitely don’t mind this kind of work either, but I just LOVE working outside (unless it’s raining and really windy)!

February adventures

On February 1st, I could finally celebrate walking 15,000 steps per day for an entire year! And I decided to start walking 16,000 steps per day, something that my many weekend adventures contribute to!

With the snow still on the ground, I sailed over to Femø, one of the small islands near Lolland. I spent a beautiful day there, walking 14 km along the hilly country roads. It was very cold with minus degrees and strong winds, so I’m excited to return in the late spring/early summer to experience the beautiful island in warm weather too!

February also offered my first overnight trip since moving to Lolland. I brought Kanzi along with me to the neighbouring island of Falster, where we stayed in the town of Nørre Alslev for two nights. It was really cozy having him with me and he was as good as gold. We spent a full day exploring the nearby town of Vordingborg and walking over the Storstrøm Bridge to the tiny island of Masnedø and back to Falster. The next day, we woke up to fresh snow and spent the morning in the forests around Nørre Alslev before returning to Lolland.

Of course, I also found time to go for walks with the dogs, including one very beautiful walk with Kanzi to the nearby village of Sædinge, which is my favourite village on Lolland!

A preliminary excavation on Falster

Towards the end of February, I was sent on an exciting job on Falster along with one of my colleagues. We had to do a preliminary excavation of a field that will soon turn into a quarry.

It was an eventful week that gave us every type of weather you can imagine. A snowstorm, days of thick fog, hailstones, rain and then sun! At the end of the week, my colleague and I got to try the excavator, which was a lot of fun. It was a lot more difficult than I’d ever imagined!

Back home for two birthday celebrations

I travelled back home to East Jutland to spend the last weekend of February with my family. It was my mum’s birthday on the 26th, and we surprised her with dinner, cake and presents. It was a lovely day!

My niece Ellie stayed with us for two days, which was wonderful especially since I don’t see her as much as I’d like. We went for a walk to the beach and practiced talking which she’s getting really good at (she calls me Arty – which is so, so cute!).

On the 28th, we reunited with her parents to celebrate her second birthday. It was a little early as her birthday is March 17th, but with a little brother on his way, we couldn’t wait too long!

A cold March with ups and downs

February ended with warm spring weather, but when March arrived, the frosty nights returned and it was foggy for days on end. It was an unusually cold March, and I even started longing for summer (something I never do – I usually hate heat, but working outside all winter has me longing for some heat!). However, it wasn’t too cold to work outside. The indoor work finally came to an end and we resumed our work on the excavation. I found the world’s longest worm and Tina came for more visits (I think Chudo has moved away, unfortunately!).

March was the month when I FINALLY started running – something I never thought would happen as I’ve always hated it. I don’t know what made me do it, but one day, I just woke up and decided to buy myself a pair of running shoes. Luckily, I actually enjoy it and I plan on continuing.

I was hit with more bad news in mid-March when my Faroese “family” told me that their beloved dog, Alex, was sick and probably wouldn’t live much longer. He got better for about a week, but then he got worse and they were about to take him to the vet when he passed over in their home. Alex was the funniest and weirdest dog I’ve ever met, and being on the Faroe Islands without him truly won’t be the same. I’d known him for six years and shared many great adventures with him (some of which you can read about here!). Rest in peace, my dear Alex.

Around the same time, I received the sad news that a friend of mine in California had died. My friend Amanda and I were on a roadtrip along Route 66 in the summer of 2018 when we met Meredith and his wife Beatrice at a bar in Barstow. They asked us about our travels and ended up inviting us to stay at their house for the night, instead of sleeping in the car. We had a wonderful evening with them and their son Tristan and were sad to say goodbye the next morning. Even after just one evening, they felt like home. Rest in peace, Meredith, and thank you for being so kind to Amanda and I.

Thankfully, the month also brought the most wonderful news of 2021. On March 20th, my baby nephew Sam was born. I’m so excited to now have both a niece and a nephew to love and spoil – and in the future, to show the world!

March adventures

On the first weekend in March, a friend of mine was supposed to visit me, but when he cancelled last minute, I decided to spend the day on an adventure on the headland of Albuen near Nakskov. But I caught the train in the opposite direction and ended up in Sakskøbing instead… Typical me! I made the best of the situation though and spent some time shopping in Sakskøbing’s many charity shops, and then went on a long bike ride through nature reserves (where I shouldn’t have been… ooops) and to the end of the Vigsnæs peninsula.

The following weekend, I finally made it out to Albuen for my favourite trip so far on Lolland. I biked 30 kilometres and hiked 16 kilometres, and saw just about everything that Albuen has to offer, including an abandoned village, the remains of a Medieval herring market and lots of gorgeous nature.

The weekend after, I went to Kramnitze, a tiny harbour with a large summer house community. The only remaining part of the former Rødby Fjord can be seen here, as can the large pumping station which constantly pumps water out from the fjord to keep it drained. From Kramnitze, I followed the local canal, Rødby Kanal, from its mouth. My plan was to hike to the end of the canal, but it split into two at one point, so I only followed one part of it. I’ll return another day to follow the other part as I’m curious to see where it ends! I love hikes like this where I follow a random stream or canal as I get the nature all to myself and also get to know the area in a much more personal way than when I follow actual trails.

Back home again to meet baby Sam

My Easter holiday started on March 26th, when I travelled home again, this time to meet the newest member of our family, little Sam. He is just as gorgeous and cute as he looks in the pictures below!

It was also lovely to spend more time with the rest of my family, and I enjoyed going for long walks in the area where I grew up. It’s so special to me.

Destinations visited in January-March 2021

  • Hørning, Hov, Odder, Lolland (Rødby, Rødbyhavn, Kragenæs, Birket, Torrig, Tågerup, Errindlev, Maribo, Sædinge, Sakskøbing, Vigsnæs, Nakskov, Albuen, Kramnitze), Femø, Falster (Nørre Alslev, Nørre Vedby), Vordingborg and Masnedø, Denmark

Highlights

  • The birth of my dear little nephew, Sam. Nothing is bigger than that!
  • Spending time with my family. It’s always a highlight!
  • Snow, snow, snow. Can never get enough snow!
  • The preliminary excavation on Falster – it’s always fun to try something new!
  • The fact that I – finally – started running and actually enjoy it!
  • All the adventures I’ve been on, especially the overnight trip to Falster with Kanzi and the day trips to Femø and Albuen. I’m thankful that I’ve kept up my curious spirit during these times of zero travel!

Challenges

  • The corona prison… Not the best start to a fresh year!
  • Losing my beloved Crowley and Alex. Very few animals (even fewer people) are truly special to me, and those two were. So it was really tough to loose them both so close together. Crowley’s illness and death was unexpected and he was young, whereas Alex was old and it was simply his time. It still hurts the same though.
  • The way too early passing of Meredith. He was such a wonderful man.
  • Saying goodbye to Noam and Zuko as they travelled home to Israel. I doubt I’ll ever see them again, which makes me really sad, but at least I had the pleasure of both of them for several months!

Most popular post

  • Over the sea to Lewis and Harris, the heart of the Outer Hebrides (Published in February) – traffic was pretty still in February and early March for this post, but it really took off towards the end of March. I’m not sure what happened but all the views came from Facebook, so I’m guessing the post was shared in a Scotland travel group!

The other posts

January:

February:

March:

Most popular Instagram picture

This post about my trip to Svalbard in 2015 is the most popular so far in 2021!

Coming up in April 2021

It’s my birthday month! And one of my favourite months of the year! I love spring, because everything comes to life and the days get longer after the cold and dark winter months (which I also love though). I just adore the change of the seasons and don’t think I could survive in a country that doesn’t have any!

April will begin at home, but I’ll travel back to Lolland on the 1st – although not alone! My parents and grandmother are tagging along for five days so I’m going to show them all around my new home, and they’re going to meet my hosts and their precious dogs! My birthday is on the 4th, so we’ll celebrate it together on Lolland. It will be so much fun.

Afterwards, one of my favourite humans on this planet, Solveig, is coming to stay with me for a week, and the rest of April will be full of adventures and much more digging! I hope to go on some shelter trips in the next few months as the nights draw out and the temperatures rise!

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