It was a nice Saturday morning, and Flemming and I had big plans. We wanted to go on a weekend tour to one or another island in Denmark, but the weather was uncertain. Our Danish meteorology service promised clear skies and sunshine almost all over the country, whereas windy.com which we normally use for flight planning, had a very different opinion.
When the sunrise came, I got into a drone flying mood, and took some pictures:
It was -6C, and didn’t look like it was going to be a cloud-free day; in fact, the cloud base was very low. Flemming and I had plan A, B, and C ready, and we took off for plan A which was Endelave island.
It was long time ago that I saw our runway covered in snow:
I love winter flying, snow and frost, though it can have its surprises, like frozen fog, sudden mist or even subcooled rain. Our winters are normally very mild; I can only imagine, how it is in the northern countries, like Sweden, Norway, Finland…
After 10-15 minutes of flying west, Flemming and I could see that the cloud base was becoming lower and lower over the Samsø Belt, and we turned back. We didn’t want to take any chances. It looked like the weather was better in the southern Zealand.
Plan B was dropped as well; Flemming and I decided to follow our plan C – do a day trip to Næstved.
We headed south, and enjoyed the beautiful snowy views:
Tuelå – a small stream near Fjenneslev:
In Næstved, the sun was shining, and we were warmly welcomed by local pilots:
Taxi to the town, and we were walking slowly through its centre, admiring old buildings, clean streets. and contemporary art here and there.
A fish stall attracted our attention, where Flemming pointed at a huge turbot. We could choose between a big one, and a bigger one:
It was easy to make a choice, and to buy more of the delicacies from the stall. Everything was packed nicely, so that we could have it in our backpacks, though mine was too small for the turbot. The day after Flemming prepared a delicious meal for us of that fish. We did wanted to have it as an al fresco grill meal in the garden with snow, but it was impossible to buy charcoal! Not a grilling season in Denmark. Flemming made it in the oven instead of.
Kompagnihuset, a medieval guild house, the only one preserved in the entire Nordic region:
It was used for parties (!), but later also as a warehouse.
We were surprised by the amount and size of churches in the town:
Due to the corona lockdown, the streets were quite empty. Occasionally, a couple of people would come by, wearing masks. Some of the shops were open, but cafes and restaurants were all closed, besides a very small café where we could buy food and drinks “to go”. We had a thermos with tea with us, and lots of sandwiches, but couldn’t resist a cappuccino – and it tasted so good!
Apotekegaarden, a nice place – built or rebuilt after the fire in 1722:
There was a pharmacy since 1696. Today, doctors have their medical practice there.
And another corner of Næstved – I found it quite charming. All cities have a luxury facade and some back streets; and back streets are not necessarily something negative. It was just a bit surprising, but even houses need to be demolished sometimes:
Næstved Arrest on the photo below, located in the middle of the town – a small prison with 16 places, one of the smallest in Denmark.
The arrest offers schooling in Danish, mathematics and visual arts. In addition, the inmate can perform work on his own cell, typically easier assembly work. It was a bit sad to see it, but we are not living in a perfect world.
It was time to fly back home, and we called a taxi. The taxi drivers in Næstved were very polite and service-minded people. Nobody was at the airfield. We took off, and again had a chance to appreciate the beauty of Zeeland under the snow:
We landed in Holbæk, and taxied around in the snow – it might be gone very soon!
I cleaned up my Aeroprakt – only the fairings were dirty, even the prop was crystal clean:
It was such a nice and relaxing winter day out! After a hard working week (especially for me, with at least 10-12 hours work every day), that was what Flemming and I needed most. Winter day when it’s best!
