Kelstrup Strand

Haven't been to the south of Jütland for a while, I took the long way around on my way to Sweden and stopped off at friends who have a cottage at Kelstrup Strand, between Aabenraa and Haderslev. It was a gorgeous evening, this summer that means it was not raining out and the mosquitos were not out in full force.

I wanted to walk down to the beach, like I used to do many years ago when we borrowed this cabin for a vacation. My friend warned me - things have changed. And indeed they have. Some rich guy built a Russian-style monstrosity in between all of the little Danish cottages that have numerous buildings tacked on here, there and elsewhere. I don't think the Danes have actual building codes they have to follow, the result tends to be charming, but this Russian thing does look quite out of place.


She then said "Here's where they keep dumping dirt to try and save the coastline". There are 4 houses that used to have backyards which went down to the Baltic Sea. They now have small strips of dirt stamped around the houses, bits of steel and concrete set up in a desperate attempt to keep the houses from falling into the sea.

I remarked that the people who have owned these houses for ages must be so sad to see their houses disappear. "Oh no," she said, "they all sold out to Copenhagener who think they can fight the sea!" I just hope they are not in the houses when they fall down.

The wooden stairs down to the more secluded beach was swept away in the spring storms. They've put down a rope, but it is kind of dangerous, as there are lots of trees that are only half fallen down. Another good rain and they will hit the beach. Guys go down to fish (there is a fisherman standing in the water at the top of the picture, hard to make out in the small version), but you can't really enjoy a sunny day at the beach there any more. Oh well, no sunny days this summer anyway.

We then walked over and down to the camper's beach. This stairway is still there, although it is slippery as all get-out. One of the teenager boys lounging around waiting to make out with the teenage girl at the bottom of the stairs is complaining that he just slipped and hit his head. My friend translates and then asks me - in German - if the youth dress as outrageously in Berlin. Yes. Worse.

The camper's beach has gotten very small. There are lots of boats beached here, some of them are not going anywhere anytime soon. She said that people just junk their boats here and between the teenagers and the sea they pretty much decay. You can't walk very far along the beach, the little rivulet that used to run into the sea here has turned into a raging river. Her teenager dares balance across on a wooden beam that has been wedged in place, but I am a bit leery of slipping, so we turn back.

At least the view from her cabin is still gorgeous!