Skagen, DK

Skagen, DK

Sunday, 02. September 2012

We will return, but then we want to see the guys from Transjö actually making glass. We’ve already thought of a competition: who can complete the most ‘Incalmos’ with the largest number of 90 degree connections. This means connecting as many small pieces as possible while hot and in the process moving the pipe as often as you can. This may be done by only two people, in one go, using at least two different colours, one clear and one opaque. Our last days there were very interesting and full of action. Thanks to Lars and Dan we now have a contact in America (Josiah McElheny) and also in Japan.

Tuesday was a big fishing day. On a beautiful frosty morning at 5am we were out on the lake in a canoe. As we were fishing with Lars and Dan we were checking all the usual fishing spots and we were rewarded with a tasty dinner. And for a bit of swimming practice we braved the cold and jumped into the lake. Franca just couldn’t get enough of it and went in once more with Lars’ dog, Lotta, although actually she had only wanted to show Lotta the way into the water from the canoe, but all of a sudden she went in as well. The next day we checked out the Swedish moors before on Friday, completely dry and clean, we made our way from wonderful Tansjö to Göteborg by ferry. We got to Göteborg fairly quickly, with just two cars. Finding a bed for the night wasn’t a problem but getting the right ferry was not so easy.

In Göteborg we stayed in a hostel for the first time since we started the journey and although we met nice people, we later decided that it’s not top of our list. In good spirits, we spent Saturday checking our Göteborg until our planned ferry at 4pm. We got to the ferry in time, before a strange and silly misunderstanding occurred. In the queue in front of us were two Germans who were told by the check-in lady that they were at the wrong ferry. In a panic, we also asked if we were in the right place. The lady quickly glanced at the booking number on Franca’s mobile, however, had we waited just 10 seconds longer she would have scanned the booking and seen that we were right. Instead she sent us on a two kilometre run to another ferry. This was not an easy sprint as we had filled up the rucksacks with food in order to spend our last Swedish Krone. 

Along the street, over fences and finally along a hot hallway and up stairs to the fourth floor. Completely exhausted and with a red face I ran towards the lady behind the counter at five minutes to four. Annoyingly, she first asked me why I hadn’t taken the lift! Franca followed a few minutes later and collapsed on the floor with her rucksack. It turned out that we were now at the ferry to Kiel and that we had previously been at the right ferry, which we saw departing in the distance. The lady kindly rebooked our tickets for the 8am Sunday morning ferry including breakfast, without us having to pay any extra. Angrily we made our way back to the hostel. Today we finally made it onto the right ferry and have reached Jonas Brus Staehr in Skagen. We are staying in our own small apartment quite close to the North Sea. The plan is to stay here for all of September assisting him and also making a few of our own pieces.