Fairy Tales and Where They Came From

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It’s getting harder to start up these blogs without saying the same old things. Woke early/late. Ate breakfast. Re-packed bags - blah blah…..

Anyway. Woke up early, had breakfast and went for a walk to pick the car up from its car park area. Forgot to tell you that yesterday.

Because our hotel was in the middle of the old city there was no parking available. The council had, however provided 4 parking lots around the town. P-Ost (east), p-Syd(south) - get the idea…. Our lot was P-Syd. A 3 minute drive from the hotel and a 9 minute walk back. When I went there yesterday arvo there were campervans everywhere. Obviously like a camp ground in the city. Even had toilets and I guess showers.

The car park area was also super busy but managed to get a spot. So this morning I had to get back to the car. Managed that pretty well. Maybe not the same streets I walked yesterday but took no longer than 10 minutes and a pleasant walk.

Loaded the car then went and showed Chris one of the historic sights from last nights special tour.

Eventually out of town but not before our first fuel fill up. Everything is automated over here. Card swipe, pick your fuel then pump and card swipe again to finalize the process. Works well.

On our way to Odense. Found Hans Christian Andersen’s house but no way we could park anywhere near here. Off to the hotel to drop bags and see about parking.

As we pulled up near the hotel there was a car looking like it was leaving. There was also a parking inspector dealing out a ticket. Hmm…. Wait for the car with reversing lights on, off, on…. Pull up beside and toot, hand comes out and waves us away. Spot across the road. Turn the corner and get beaten to that so off around the block. Find a car park with a vacant spot. Use the automated ticket machine. No English so just bluff my way through the process. Ask a guy packing up bikes on his car about how it works. Not much English but we work it out and find out that you swipe your card, get a ticket which you place on the dashboard and when you leave you swipe the card which recognizes the first transaction you made and you pay the price.

Into the hotel. Room not ready but can store the bags. Ask about parking. We have done the right thing (by chance). Evidently you only pay between 0800 and 2000 and the rest is free. The machine calculates these times and when you swipe at the end it debits your card.

Wandered off to do touristy things. Hans Christian Andersen museum was the target. Booked a time and went and looked at his growing up time house - the one we drove past.

Back to the museum - fascinating place. You get headphones and walk around and around and around. If you have been to the new science place in Canberra (Questacon) this is the reverse. You start here at the top and wind down ramps to the bottom. You stop at headphone marks in the floor and it starts talking to you about that particular topic. Eerie but interesting.

You end up jostling with the same people for space around each exhibit to listen. If you move away a bit the headphones lose contact and you miss the words.

Eventually got to the bottom and then had to walk up to street level again. Walked through his birth house then out into the fresh air at last.

Walked back towards the hotel. Many bars and cafes along the way. Food for thought for food tonight.

Checked in and up to the room. Smaller and smaller but again serviceable. Bathroom a little less serviceable. As I stand to pee, my butt is almost in the hand basin. And I dread the shower in the morning. Oh well, only 1 night. Other than that another historic hotel - guess they functioned on smaller rooms way back when…….

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