Free Tourism In Aarhus
Aarhus – 8th May
Another shout out for Denmark: In France it was often cold in the houses we stayed in as they had big thick stone walls and little tiny windows covered with shutters because there were no curtains for privacy. So far in Denmark the houses we have stayed in have been warm with lots of windows letting in light and sun; above is our Aarhus basement accommodation, bright, warm and sound proof from those above us.
We caught the bus into the city centre to hang out with Aarhu’s 60,000 university students and to get in a bit of geocaching. Bus navigating and payment by app was effortless, which was lucky as the ticket police were carrying out checks. The bus dropped us off right in the heart of the café culture; unfortunately I trusted Lonely Planet’s recommendation for the best coffee in town and it (the NZ$10 coffee) didn’t quite meet Roger’s discerning coffee taste. Danes drink mainly filtered coffee, they also sell hand brew coffee (instant) and they don’t use cream, only milk.
The first geocache was at the Aarhus Cathedral (free entry), it is the longest and tallest cathedral in Denmark. Inside the walls had been painted white so they looked clean and warm compare to churches in France of the same age that are left as natural stone with centuries of candle soot layered on them.
Our second geocache was on top of the Salling Department Store (free entry). The AROS museum down the road has access to the roof and a very expensive 360 degree panoramic rainbow coloured glass skywalk that can be experienced for NZ$50 each. We chose to do the cheaper and more interesting option which is to take the elevator to the rooftop garden terrace on the 6th floor of Sallings Department Store. You get the same 360 degree panoramic view for free and can look back at the more expensive rainbow one. There are several terraces, a garden, artwork, a café, a wine bar and a glass skywalk that goes out over the street below.
Our third cache was at the Aarhus Botanical Gardens (free entry), they weren’t large but they did have a glasshouse filled with plants from many countries. We found the geocache, or I should say we found three ladies (geocaching name Odd Ducks) from Canada, who had found it.
Today’s ABBA tribute is for our bus ride home ‘Voulez vous’ (1979)
And here we go again
We know the start, we know the end
Masters of the scene
We’ve done it all before
As the bus was full, two kind girls offered the aging tourists their seats, cheeky devils, although one of us was travelling on the senior’s rate.