Ærø

In July, my friend Anna and I wanted to go on an adventure. We decided to explore Ærø, located in the South Funen Archipelago. To be honest, we could have gone anywhere. We were open. Quite quickly we settled on the idea of visiting one of the many islands in Denmark. There really are so many worth visiting. And to me, crossing the sea emphasises the feeling of exploration. Our stay was very minimal. We camped in a field on the first night, and then in a shelter on the next. We transported ourselves around the island by bike only and we cooked our own food over the fire. This is a small visual journal of a little summer getaway, a primal and simple one.

Campsite at Voderup Klint

During the first of our two nights we camped on a field in Voderup Klint. There was running water, a toilet and a place to make a bonfire. We saw the most magical of sunsets here and during the first half of the morning we were guarded by a herd of cows. From here you can cycle into Ærøskøbing via the bike paths and see the landscape in slowmotion. 

Ærøskøbing

This little charmning town is what I'd describe as a postcard with pretty multi-coloured houses with more of a touristic towny feel. We had a wonderful lunch at Den Gamle Købmandsgaard. They sell local produce from Ærø including organic jams, herbed vinegars and salt, syrups, truffle oil, whiskey, mustards, soap and much more. I'd say its a farmers market with a café and a small bakery and they have a sunny courtyard where you can sit and enjoy the rest of your Ærø beer - which they of course also sell. Loved the feel here. We tried a few different places for ice cream and my favourite was Aroma Is, located right next to the harbour. You can't miss it. Get at least three different scoops, all of them are so good. 

Shelters in Voderup Klint

10 meters away from the coastline lies the two wooden shelters, characterized by their round fish eye windows, randomly dotted out on the black walls. I loved how compact and multifunctional they were, with so many doors and windows and sliding walls that allows one to customise the little wooden shed. I loved to wake up and open a long narrow hatch, and there I had it - a first class view of the sea right before me. Just to the left of this house runs a stream named Eskebækken and on the beach there is a little place to make fire with large rocks perfect to sit on. We started  bonfire from nothing but newspaper and wooden logs, and to be quite frank, we we're pretty proud of ourselves for this achievement!

The shelters at Voderup Klint are drawn by Danish Lumo Architects and are administrated by the nearby farm Vesteraas. To book one click here.

Marstal

Marstal has a more local feel to it with a tight knit network of residential houses and a industrial harbour. I didn't find it quite as charming as Ærøskøbing, maybe the rain affected the mood of the town, however Marstal also had a postcard kind of side to it; Eriks Hale. Fifteen minutes by foot from the centre lies a tail of small cabins, just big enough for a small kitchen unit and a few chairs. The wide open stretches of green grasslands and the picturesque houses a few metres of the the coast line is what I see before me when I close my eyes and think of Ærø. This was one of my absolute favourite sights. Probably also a nice place to take a dip, if the weather allows it.