I love flying on a frosty winter day, with blue skies and crisp air. It would often require a pilot to be more alert to the frequent weather changes, it might be cold in the cockpit, but it is so magic!
The white-blues of wintry dreams fill in the sky. The winter chill awakens other senses and brings so much comfort!
Flemming and I didn’t really know where to fly to. We had a couple of destinations in mind, and thought we’d take a decision once airborne.
The visibility was very good, scattered clouds were coming and leaving, and we headed for Endelave island:
Near the island of Samsø we were lucky the see a circular rainbow that followed us till the end of the cloud mass:
It has been a long time since I visited Endelave last time, and I missed this beautiful island:
We took the bikes, and headed happily on the road.
A small frozen pond on our way; Flemming did some rock skipping there. The small rocks made such a cool sound when hitting the ice!
A visit to the harbour where a ferry was waiting for passengers:
We had lunch al fresco, with some beautiful views:
After lunch, the energy was back, and there was also enough time to play in the island’s marina:
We visited my favourite spot in Endelave Village – Dronningesmøgen, with the drawing of a Queen on the wall, and a photo of Margrethe II of Denmark:
When the Queen visited the island, she sat there on a simple plastic chair by the wall. That chair is exhibited during warmer times, and anyone can sit there. The name “dronningesmøgen” has a double meaning: it can be a small passage (here: the Queen’s passage), but it can also mean “the Queen’s cigarette” (and our Queen is a smoker).
The island was completely empty and very silent, and it was just what we needed. We went to the Cliff of Endelave, the only one on the island:
It was formed during the Ice Age. On the steep sides of the cliff, one can see how the various ice advances have deposited layer upon layer of material. The cliff is about 400 meters long and 5 meters high (at its highest part).
Back to the airfield, and preparing for flying home.
The airfield of Endelave is an aviation heritage. In the aviation world this island is known for one of its inhabitants – Jens Toft – a great flying enthusiast who established an airport on the island in 1964 (a grass strip of 650 m). Jens Toft has owned 137 aeroplanes, and has done a lot for the development of interest to general aviation in Denmark.
Flemming and I took off. The sea between Endelave and Samsø had a greyish blue colour:
Very small white clouds would appear out of nowhere, embellishing the views:
The sun would occasionally cast a little light on one or another area, making it a colourful spot:
It was overcast, but with a narrow opening close to the horizon, and we waited patiently for the sunset, flying around and enjoying the marvellous colour changes in the air and on the ground.
When the sun came out, it began raining. Rain and sub-zero temperatures is not a good combination; we immediately turned back to my home airfield in Holbæk, and even speeded up. By the time we landed, it started snowing.
It was a very nice day. We were happy to spend it on Endelave, in frost and sunshine.