18 May

Today started out with preparing myself and then having another full breakfast – the usual fare, including cereals. Got tea all right, and brewed well. There was another place set, but I never got to see if anyone sat there.
I settled the account, finished packing up and then headed out. I thought the route I followed was similar t the way I came in, but I didn’t pass any towns I recognised. I programmed the SatNav for the quickest journey to Copenhagen, as today is Sunday and I wanted to arrive in time to choose accommodation, even if there was no tourist bureau open.
Everything went well and I stopped at a rest stop to empty the rubbish bag out and have a bit of a walk around. The SatNav stopped working so I reset it and kept on.
I was surprised to arrive at a ferry terminal just after midday, so checked my route and, yes, a ferry trip was the shortest route. It saves a long trip around through Jutland. But just before I went to get my ticket, the SatNav stopped again and wouldn’t start. That was no problem for the next hour or so (I was on a ferry with nowhere else to go) and even for the run into Copenhagen, but to find anything in Copenhagen and find my way around it was a disaster. I boarded the ferry, found the safety equipment was made in Germany but licensed for Australia (among other countries) and had a good trip over. I notice many of the Scandinavians returning home were loaded to the gunwales with booze – apparently far cheaper in Germany than at home. In common with other ferry rides, many headed straight to the restaurants and starting eating, even before we had left the quay. Duty-free alcohol and cigarettes had to wait until we were in (technically) international waters. The trip was reasonably smooth with a slight easterly swell. I’ve never had so many ferry trips as in the past five months.
At the dock I tried the SatNav again, reset it, tried it with the computer power supply, but still no luck. I headed up towards Copenhagen, then turned off at an exit where a likely town was. There was an information sign indicating a motel in the town, so that looked a good bet for overnight. I found it and booked in, even though it was a little over my budget and had no breakfast included, as there is a shop down the road dealing in TomTom SatNavs, so hopefully I can either get it fixed, replaced (it’s still under warranty, but of course all the documentation is at home) or get another identical model, load up my maps and then figure out what to do either once I get home or when I am in the Netherlands (the home of Tomtom).
Plan B swung into operation and I used the handheld GPS to mark the position of the motel and then I headed off into Copenhagen to do the main thing I wanted to here – drive across the tunnel/bridge to Sweden. That was easy enough as it was on a main road all the way, but there are no marked stops for photo opportunities – I will have to utilise some of the publicity shots.
The drive over was great and the view fantastic – from the ships near the bridge to the windmills in the water off to the east. Then I had to pay the toll and met Swedish Customs on the other side. I explained what I was doing and got told where to turn, and asked what I thought of the tunnel/bridge (great!) but got no stamps or anything, so all I have are the toll receipts (it’s not cheap) and some photos I took at the information area on the Swedish side.
I was able to return to the motel okay using the handheld GPS, but I had asked about laundrettes in the town – none! The first order of business was to wash underwear and a few shirts. The room looks like a laundry, with socks on the window ledge, underwear on the table and shirts drip-drying in the shower recess. If they don’t all dry by tomorrow, hopefully they will dry in the car.
Once that was out of the way, I rang Kristian’s family – he is a Dane who stayed with Fran and the family about ten years ago now. His mother answered, I established who I was and found out that Kristian is doing the last project in his computing degree course and won’t be home, but if I get things fixed, and am able to, I will call in tomorrow afternoon on my way past, say hello and leave a DVD of pictures for the family.
I still have one more to ring, Simon, who I met in Tasmania when visiting friends of Fran’s. He coaches and plays soccer here, but whether he is actually in the country or not is problematic.
Two other things before I forget (too easily done these days).
I saw my first motor vehicle accident in Germany yesterday afternoon. I came around a corner to see a warning triangle on the road, so slowed and looked around. Here was a bright blue car with its headlights either side of a decent-sized tree. Two men were looking at it as if wondering what to do – it was about five metres off the road, and the road wasn’t too bad, so he must have been moving very quickly or not in control at all.
The second thing is that at roadworks they use yellow paint – all over Europe, by what I have seen. So when the roadworks are finished, they just paint the white ones back and let the yellow ones wear out. Drivers all know to follow the white only when there are no roadwork signs. Simple, and very effective.
I’ve rung Simon, and talk about coincidence! I’m staying in the town of the soccer club he plays for, even though he resides in Copenhagen. He’s quite busy over the next few days so I will ring him again tomorrow when (if?) I sort out the SatNav and know where I am and where I am going. If possible I will catch up with him in the late morning and catch up with Kristian’s family in the late afternoon.
Now it’s off to sleep.