Åbyhøj

Great day! Stella needed to study so I jumped a bus into town by myself! Yep all alone in this little non scary at all country :)
Got a Telstra day pass for the internet and I was off! Found a barber and got my hair trimmed. Did think I got tourist prices but then later on my walked realised that was standard pricing (double Melbourne).
Walking ‘what’s that wildmill? Oops I am at Gamble bi. I’m going there later with Stella.’ Ok there is the church tower. That is in the centre of town. Off I walk.
God this city is beautiful. I am on a street lined with small coffee shops with people siting outside. I am getting hungry and even though I know almost everybody knows English I keep walking. Mum you would have been proud as I didn’t want to sit.
Passed a little church with a gay painted bench out the front. Don’t see that everyday do you Andrew?
Still aiming for the big church.
I stopped in the square of the big church and bought a hot dog. Into 7/11 for a red bull. I know how to say hi ‘hej, pronounced hi and Tak. There were Americans in front of me so I seemed like a local 😁
Into the church and I asked if I had to pay and they responded ‘only if you want to climb the tower. 150 steps.’ Of course I want to climb the tower are you kidding me?!
Ok is it because I am almost 40 or I am unfit that I found this hard? Hrrrrrm best start to think about this. What better place than getting to the top and being the only one up there!!! 360 view and I am in the bell tower overlooking Aarhus!
I kept sneaking under the bell to go to the otherside mindful that the bell may go off any moment.
Sure enough as soon as I relaxed it did. Scared me. It only sounded once though. Missed it on the video.
Back down (always easier). Oh there is a statue. Christian X. As I was about to take a picture a mini tour ground walked up. I thought if this is in English this is my lucky day.
Sure bloody enough it was. Oh wow was the guide amazing!
Ready?...
Be ready!

Christian X King of Denmark though WW1 and WW2. Kept Denmark out of the first.
During the second he stayed in Denmark when other countries Monarchs left under Nazi occupation. He even road the streets to let the people of Copenhagen know he was still there.
Hitler apparently really liked the Denmark king and even sent him a letter for his birthday. To which the king responded via telegraph ‘thanks’. Not a fan back hahaha
When asked for the Jews to wear the star Christian responded that, if that was so he would be the first to wear it. So Denmark Jews never had to.
When asked to hand over the Jews the king refused and this was accepted.
In 1944 the Danish parliament were requested to reinstate the death penalty but they refused so were dismissed. At this time the Nazis decided to round up the Danish Jews. A German general who disagreed with the policy let 2 parliamentarian know the date. The king then reached out to Sweden who I think the King was married to Christian’s sister (Mum find out) and asked them to accept the Danes. They of course said yes. Copenhagen Danes were transfered by any boat available. Those in Jutland were hidden through farms (the tour guide’s grandfather was one of them) to be transported then via boat to Sweden. 6000 in total missing only 500.
500 Danes were rounded up by the Nazi’s and sent to a concentration camp. When the king heard this he was furious and ordered the Danish Red Cross to go to the camp and get his people back.
They did what they were told and after touring the camp said to the commander ‘oh by the way we are taking our Danish Jews with us’. When asked on who’s authority they replied Christian the tenth King of Denmark. They left with the 500 Danes and 200 Norwegians and got to Sweden before they were thwarted.
In all I think it was 48 or 68 Danish Jews died in the war. What a statue to stop at!!

Off to meet Stella now at Den gamle By (but I’m tired now so will tell you later).Read more