Where have all the people gone?

Seriously. Off season is one thing, but this island seems to be void of anyone not from here, yet it is one of the country’s premiere destinations. It isn’t lack of beauty or charm, there is plenty of that, but lack of activities, other than sightseeing, that will get to you.

No significant driving today. Ærø is probably the size of Martha’s Vineyard. There are three main towns and a few small villages. It is flat, pastoral, historic, marine and colorful. Today we set out from Marstal, where there is a long stretch of beach with colorful changing huts that have sort of become a trademark of the place. Of course, no one was in sight, except the cool breeze.

The town of Ærøskøbing is a true delight. It is a convenient place for people of all nationalities to get married, without much bureaucracy; sort of a Danish Vegas.

A German lady and an Indian gentleman getting hitched today

Once again, the colors of the small, quaint homes, are a delight to the senses. I’m afraid you will have to endure more pictures of buildings, since I cannot seem to stop taking them, but it is not a building that makes it special, rather the way they have been assembled, one attached to the other, weaving in and out of curves, cobblestones on the pavement, bicycles leaning on the walls. I’m afraid the whole cannot be communicated with a photograph. Of course it‘s the best I can do.

Centuries-old doors adorn many of the houses

The most fragrant rose I have smelled in decades

Bike-strollers aplenty

I thought our reflection looked cool

We had a delightful lunch in a restaurant that used to be a centuries old pharmacy. Thai curry soup for me and a burrata plate for Diane. The place was also a store for everything made on the island, local wine, beer, even locally made Churchill cigars, if you can believe it.

Søby is the third largest town. Not as charismatic as the others, but still a good stop.

Tomorrow we’ll head back to Copenhagen. We figured out a way to do it using only one ferry, by going through a different island. I will let you know how it went.