Tuesday - July 25 - Ronne, Bornholm (Denmark)
Last night the captain came to our port talk on Ronne to let us know that a storm was on its way. He just wanted us to know that we may feel a little turbulence, but he had set the course to go "full speed ahead" (really don't now how fast that is). He felt confident he could get ahead of it enough to minimize the worst of the rocking and rolling of the boat. I did notice a little turbulence during the night, but not bad enough to ruin a good night's sleep. It seems he succeeded in getting ahead of it.
After breakfast, we arrived at the island of Bornholm, which is about one fourth the size of Rhode Island. The population is around 40,000. Ronne is the biggest town with 14,000 people. They have a hospital, an small airport, and a high school, but no higher education.
The island is a popular holiday destination and it has ferry connections with the Danish mainland, Sweden, Germany, and Poland.
Bornholm is considered the Pearl of the Baltic Sea because of its breathtaking scenery. And Ronne is a town of cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and brightly painted buildings.
We visited the town's largest square, Store Torv, where the Danes sell produce, clothing, and granite jewelry during market days. We also saw the octagonal lighthouse, which was built in 1880 and operational until it was decommissioned in 1989.
We headed to Hjorths Fabrik, a ceramic museum showcasing the long history of pottery-making in Ronne. Bornholm residents have been digging into the island's rich deposits of clay and creating unusual and whimsical pots, plates, and cups since the early 18th century.
The Hjorth ceramic factory opened in 1858 and was operational for more than a century before it shut down in 1993. Today, it is still run by the Hjorth family and has ceramic artifacts from the early 18th century, pieces made when the factory was operational, and modern-day works created by contemporary potters.
We also made a stop at a silk factory, where many of us parted way with our Krone money!
We made stops at a couple of churches. One is Ny Kirke, a 12th century round church rich in history, and the other one newer with a big model of a ship inside, as the community relies upon its trading with other countries.
We returned to the ship for lunch and then had the rest of the afternoon to go back to Ronne to continue our discoveries. Some chose to visit one of the town's many clockmakers, a tradition dating back to 1744. The island was once known for its unique grandfather clocks, but the craft disappeared after World War II. In recent years, the tradition has revived and today its hourly chimes can be heard singing throughout the streets!
This afternoon we were privileged to have a Syrian refugee family come onboard and talk with us about their struggle in Syria, how they were able to leave and come to Ronne, and what it has been like for them to be free from that country. One of the best things about traveling is to meet and talk with the people. You find that what you have been reading in the newspapers or listening to on the radio is not always accurate. Something that happened to one individual or on a singe day can come across as being what happened to everyone in that country and is continuing to happen. But when you talk with individuals, you find out the truth.
This is what I learned today:
- Ronne is 11 square miles.
- Owing to its natural harbor and its strategic position in the Baltic Sea, Ronne has an interesting history coming under German and Swedish influence during its development as a herring fishing port.
- Ronne probably originated around the year 1000 when a small fishing community grew up around the natural harbor.
- There is a high speed catamaran link to Ystad which connects with a direct train link between Ystad and Copenhagen.
- Ronne is a garden town. Behind many of the houses there are large gardens maintained by the residents. Though not all of the gardens can be seen from the street, you can smell the flowers and fruit trees as you walk thru the village.
- Though many of the houses are the typical half-timbered houses built in the Middle Ages, about one in ten houses are made of brick. These are relics of the Russian bombing of the island during World War II when it was occupied by Germans.
- A shipwreck on the island in 1744 brought several broken clocks to the town, and by fixing them the people discovered a new industry.
Some Danish words:
Bede om = please
Farvell = goodbye
Godt = fine; thank you
Det var sa lidt = you are welcome
Food:
Frikadeller are pork meatballs and are a popular dish in Denmark and may be eaten cold or warm. They are often eaten with potato wedges, cauliflower, and assorted vegetables.- Danish braid is a treat made with flour, milk, eggs, sugar, and plenty of butter! They can be filled with fruits or nuts. We had it with vanilla custard and berries.
- The Danish cuisine is practical because it uses ingredients that can survive the cold winters. Vegetables and starches have played a big role in the kitchen, along with beef and pork.
- The national dish of Denmark is fried pork. It used to be fried, but is now typically made using an oven. Even so, you can hear them refer to it as fried pork all over the place.
- The open-faced sandwich is called smorrebrod.
This evening we have a port talk on Copenhagen and also instructions for disembarking the ship, as tonight is our last night on board. We will finish the cruise tomorrow and all will stay one night in a Copenhagen hotel. On Thursday, the majority of the group will head on home, while a few of us will stay for some additional time in Copenhagen.
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