Tuesday, June 9 - very big day

Our day starts with a tour through the Vendsyssel Art Museum. The current exhibitions are primarily modern.
After leaving the museum Rotarian Kjeld Berg guides us on a walking tour in town, starting with the wonderful fountains by Bjørn Nørgaards. The fountain above is adorned with figures from the Nordic Mythology.
Unfortunately the fountains are having some maintenance work done and we can't see the water running which would have truly been a treat as from the big fountain the water then runs down through all these lower fountains to the bottom of the pedestrian mall.
Still, even without the water one can easily imagine the tranquility.
As the tour continues, we see many other beautiful works of art and historic buildings. When we arrive at the Church of St Cathrine, we are greeted inside by the famous organist Michael Austin - the piano half of the Duo Kænguru - who proceeds to play for us the most beautiful concert. What a special treat!
As we walk up the road and in through the little lane into the court yard behind Grethe and Jens Abildgaard's abode, we find another treat awaiting us: Strawberries and Champagne, some other nibbles and of course also some medicine.
Thus fortified, we keep on following our guide until we come to the Vendsyssel Historic Museum.
On a lawn beyond this lovely kitchen garden, a marqui has been erected and tables laid as beautifully as if for a wedding. A sumptuous luncheon, prepared by the Hjørring Rotary faeries is being served to us.
We continue by bus from Hjørring to Mårup Church near Lønstrup where the sand cliff keeps on eroding. The church used to be a long way off the edge, but now it is precariously close. Efforts have been made to take the church down stone by stone and rebuild it somewhere else.
That would save the church, but some graves have already disappeared and otheres are only just hanging there until the next shift in the sand. Very sad.
These houses also look as if they might not be on the top for much longer.
Not very far from there however, is Rubjerg Knude, the white hill in the distance, where the light house has at times been almost completely covered with sand building up. It is no longer being used now.
Some energetic members of the group take a quick walk up there, but most stay around the
little town of Lønstrup as we have only little time before driving on to the afternoon tea that the good faeries have organised for us.
Our next stop is Børglum Kloster where we are taken on a wonderful guided tour by the present owner Hans Rottbøll. The Rottbøll family have owned the ancient monastery for several generations now. One young male member of the family was murdered during the war for being a patriot - if I understood that sad story correctly.
When the young man died the windmill was stopped with the wings making the sign of a cross and has never been used again since.

Our last stop for the day is Den gamle Smedie (the old smithy) just behind the windmill where we are served a medeaval dinner with some entertainment.

The table decoration is all edible consisting of fruits, berries and nuts and loaves of bread. The meal is huge and sumptuous.
Hjørring is our shortest stay, but they have certainly crammed a lot into the last two days.

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