October arrived, and with it my favourite time of year. The colours of autumn that slowly transform into the cozy darkness of winter. Chilly mornings, warm clothes and hot cocoa. I know I’m a wee bit early, but Christmas is already in sight, and I’m incredibly excited. I’m bursting with anticipation!
Destinations visited in October 2022
Denmark
- East Jutland (Aarhus, Hov, Odder, Hørning)
- Lolland (Rødby, Rødbyhavn, Hyllekrog, Grænge, Hjelm Strand, Majbølle Vildtreservat, Majbølle, Guldborg, Sædinge, Nebbelunde, Krenkerup Bryggeri, Kragenæs, Dodekalitten, Maribo)
- Falster (Nykøbing, Gedesby, Bøtøskoven, Fiskebæk, Vennerslund Gods, Klodskov, Ny Kirstineberg Gods)
Germany
- Berlin
Top 3 favourite new destinations
- Bøtøskoven, Falster, Danmark
- Gedesby, Falster, Denmark
- Hjelm Strand, Lolland, Denmark
Daily life
I started the month with a weekend at home with my family. I was picked up by my parents and grandmother in Aarhus, and got the surprise of my life when I reached the car. Because in it sat my adorable boyfriend who had travelled all the way from Berlin just to surprise me! Time at home was short as we had to return to Lolland Sunday afternoon, but it was good as always. We visited my younger brother Friday evening, and spent Saturday thrift shopping in Odder (I bought so. much. cool. stuff!), walking in Hov and watching It Takes Two, which my boyfriend and I both loved as children. We don’t share many childhood similarities due to our very different upbringings (he grew up in a city in the middle of Siberia and I in a small town in Denmark), but once in a while, we stumble upon one which is a lot of fun! On the Sunday, we visited my older brother and his little family for a few hours before having to head east.
Back on Lolland, life followed its usual course. I went to work, excavated all day (same excavation with the same awesome people as last month) and spent my afternoons home at the farm. My boyfriend left after two days, and I spent my afternoons applying for scholarships for Aberdeen, working on the blog and cuddling the dogs as always. Life here is slow and pretty sweet!
Berlin also became part of my daily life when I met my boyfriend last year, although not quite as much as I would like. But I did find time for one weekend in the German capital in late October. The main event was a Foil Arms & Hog gig (look them up if you don’t know them, they’re incredible!). We also spent lots of time shopping in thrift stores (and wow, we found some amazing stuff!), shopping in Decathlon (such an amazing store that I wish we had in Denmark, they sell everything you can think of for every sport ever) and of course eating mock duck at Phantasia in Kreuzberg (my all-time favourite!). I also got to meet my boyfriends’ good friend for a fun evening out with drinks and delicious vegan food!
Towards the end of the month, my younger brother came to visit to get a glimpse of my life here on Lolland. It was wonderful to show him everything I love about my life here: the farm, the dogs, the excavation, the adventures. Modig took to him instantly, and Chico eventually learned to love him, and even followed him around towards the end of his stay. He visited the excavation one day, and even got to excavate a posthole of his own (and he was fast, too!).
It was an incredibly warm October, even at its end the days were surprisngly hot, surpassing 15 degrees most days. I was mostly annoyed by it as I just wanted to wear my warm autumn wardrobe!
Travels and local adventures
A hike with wild horses in Bøtøskoven
The second weekend of October was a beautiful one. Sure, I was surprised by a HEAVY downpour in the bus on my way south on Falster, but it stayed dry and sunny for the rest of the weekend.
I spent my Saturday hiking in Bøtøskoven, a forest on Falster’s southeast coast which is known for having “wild” horses. I started my hike in the village of Gedesby, where I stumbled upon a huge flea market by the old mill. I spent a while browsing through the many second hand things and ended up buying a hat that perfectly matched my jacket!
I walked through the quaint streets of Gedesby where all the houses are old and cozy. I parked myself on a bench by the local pond to enjoy my lunch; fresh sourdough bread with my two favourite spreads in the world: Patifu (Czech tofu spread) and Makrelfri (vegan “mackerel” salad)!
Then it was time to hike through Bøtøskoven. I followed random dirt roads through the autumnal forest, hoping to stumble upon the wild horses. I met deer, a squirrel and lots of birds but the horses just didn’t seem to be there. Until I decided to stray from the wide dirt roads and follow a small wooden trail deep into the forest. I had to stop myself from shrieking when I reached the end of it, because there they were. A whole herd of them!
I stood for a while watching the horses before moving onto a second lunch spot by a pond and then heading back to civilization with the sunset and flocks of birds as my only entertainment.
A bike ride/run to the lighthouse at Hyllekrog
The following day, I was too tired for another whole-day adventure, so I decided to take it easy and “just” go on a three-hour trip to Hyllekrog, the southern end of Lolland.
Hyllekrog is a headland with a lighthouse, gorgeous and unusual landscapes and lots and lots of birds. I biked twelve kilometres to the parking lot, then set out on an eight-kilometre run to the lighthouse and back before biking back home again. A very active trip where I didn’t do much sightseeing, but I didn’t need to as my camera and I had already taken a trip there last year. I did climb to the top of the lighthouse, though – the views are always worth it!
Biking Sundruten, a 44 km route on Lolland and Falster
The following weekend, I was feeling lazy and not really up for adventure, but with my time on Lolland coming to an end and a list of adventures still to be had, I made myself go regardless.
I wanted to explore the area around Guldborg, a small town on both Lolland and Falster with a bridge connecting the two sides. I brought my bike along and soon realized I was on the established route, Sundruten, so I decided to keep following it.
The route is 44 km but I took a few detours to explore and ended up on 49 km + a very painful butt! The trip was lovely. Mostly cloudy but also occasionally sunny. Many nice autumnal forests, rural villages and cute little harbours. And nice views of the sound separating Lolland and Falster throughout!
A walk to my two favourite villages near Rødby
On the Sunday, I decided to listen to myself and actually take it easy, but of course not without a little adventure in the afternoon.
I took Modig along for a nice walk through the flat countryside to Sædinge and Nebbelunde, the two cutest villages here in the southern part of Lolland. It was enjoyable and a little sad too, as I think this was my last time walking there (I’m moving away from Lolland in six weeks).
Local adventures with my younger brother
The days with my younger brother were full of fun adventures. Thursday evening, we explored a local abandoned supermarket as much as we could; we couldn’t get inside but did find an area outside with lots of abandoned sheds full of stuff, perhaps a former staff area. We also had a drink at the local half-creepy pub in Rødby.
The following day after work, we took the dogs for a walk through an autumnal forest to a local brewery at Krenkerup Castle! My brother loves beer and history, so this was the perfect place to take him.
We spent the whole Saturday exploring. First, we took the dogs with us on a hike to the lighthouse at Hyllekrog (my second visit in one month!), and then we drove to Dodekalitten, Lolland’s most famous sight. The monument of twelve stone columns with carved heads stand overlooking the island-dotted sea in Lolland’s hilliest area. We also crawled inside the nearby Neolithic passage grave, always a fun experience!
Before he left, we found time for a little walk through the town of Maribo, which is most known for its medieval cathedral and its location on the shores of Denmark’s eighth largest lake.
New on the blog
Most popular post
- My September 2022: A return to the Faroes and back to Lolland – As per usual, the monthly recap is the most popular post of the month!
The other posts
- Easter in Gent, the fairytale city of Belgium – My first post from a gorgeous Easter trip around Belgium
- Secrets of Vágar: Finding the Skarðsáfossur waterfall near Bøur – Uncovering more of my favourite Faroese island
- Where three countries meet: A hike to Dreiländergrenzstein in the Alps – A gorgeous hike in the Alps with a geographic twist!
- A sunset walk in Strendur, perhaps the prettiest village on Eysturoy – A short story from an evening walk in a village I just couldn’t not share here!
- A wonderful weekend on Rømø, a Danish island in the Wadden Sea – Discovering one of Denmark’s most popular islands
Most popular Instagram picture
I had a feeling this would be popular when I posted it – who doesn’t love highland coos!?
Coming up in November 2022
I’m going to Switzerland!
My mum and I are trying for the FOURTH time (thanks, ‘rona) to go on our mother/daughter trip to the beautiful mountainous country of Switzerland. We have rented the cutest airbnb with a lake view and a car to take us around to a bunch of amazing spots. I can’t wait to see more of this country that so many hold as their favourite. We will be leaving on November 5th and spending eight days there!
The weekend after I get back from Switzerland, I’m off to Rostock in Germany for a cozy weekend with my boyfriend. I’ve driven through Rostock countless times, but never actually stepped out, so I’m excited to finally explore this city!
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