North Djursland along the Coast of Kattegat.

a very fine chessboard, Vivild church.

One of the last days of summer. I had promised to find some reliefs on some churches for a lady from Germany, I actually collect them myself, so it was no inconvenience at all. We first went to two churches on our way to North Djursland and found the reliefs. Those chessboards  are so so much discussed among church experts. I'm of the opinion that the chessboard-patterns  were carved by the stone masons to keep the Devil out from the church. When he saw the chessboard he began to play instead of harassing the church and the church goers inside the church. There are especially many churches in North Jutland with those patterns.

chessboard Ølst church, very indistinct I could hardly find it.

 I really come around in small places! Now I'll have to research the net about chicken!  We had to stop on our way to the beach. I have never seen such a big chicken farm - where the chicken are out in the open air. There were two large enclosures with lots and lots of chicken. Well, I wanted to know what race it was. I guessed they were brown Italians, they are almost the only chicken I know, brown and white Italians. And some called Wyandot. The feathers from the cock are fine for making flies for fly-fishing!  But there are 170 races of chicken and bantams. I was really amazed. Aren't you? Those chicken looked like they were having a good time. They looked healthy with fine feathers. It was a joy to see. All chickens should have a good life like that. There was a rose bush outside the fence.  I threw a ripe rose hip to them, and one of the chicken got hold of it and run off. That was Olympic record in chicken run. It looked so funny.

Fjellerup

Tthe weather was so lovely on this September's day. The beach at Fjellerup is a lively place in high season but on a day like this - already out of the season - it was a quiet peaceful place. I love such places! The air was fresh and salty, the screams of the seagull and the terns were few and deligthful! There are many sandbanks and when the sea is calm like on this day the shades in the water are all kinds of blue and turquoise and emerald green.
Fjellerup strand is one of the good beaches at the northern coast of Djursland. The area is sheltered from the rain behind the Jutland ridge, so the climate is therefore comparatively dry and sunny. This is seen in the vegetation with beach pastures, coastal heaths and chalcareous banks with plants which like the drought.The inland forests and the coastal forests are habitats of various flora and fauna. In the large forests on North Djursland are red deer, the largest land mammal in Denmark.




Two divers just walking out until they were gone. I wondered where did they go? "Do you think they'll commit suicide?" I said. A shake of the head and a grin was the answer. When we drove away from the beach,  we saw them walking up to the holiday houses. They were an elderly couple. 

Landing................

 

landing succeeded.......

Who's that? I don't want to talk.....

come on let's fly away....

Do you think the elves drink water from this one?

As far as I can see the English call this fungus yellow tuning fork. The Danish name is guldgaffel = a golden fork. Dacrymycetes  is the Latin. It is a fine little fungus looking up from the thick green moss. It always grows upon or in connection to a conifer.The colour vary from orange to yellow and bright yellow. There are various species of this fungus. Another little fork mostly grows on beeches.  The Danish family name is tåresvampene = the tear fungis, a poetic name. The golden fork is common all over the country.























The dung beetle is one of nature's garbage men. Most of its food are decaying fungis.It flies mostly at night in june and late summer. While flying it makes a buzzzing sound , in this way males and females can find each other. If you take the beetle up to your ear you can hear a scratching noise, this is the hair of the back-body under the big wings, which is rubbed against the elytra. The enemies of the dung beetle are small predators like hedgehogs and bats, they are also out at night, but birds eat it too.







The Fly Agaric can vary some, and therefore it is important to emphasize that the fungus is poisonous. Typical symptoms after eating are nausea, vomit, and dizzyness, in some cases it is fatal caused by fluid loss from  vomit and diarrhea.

The family name referring to a fly was given because the farmers in the old days used to smear a porridge of Fly Agaric upon the stable walls. This killed many flies. Sibirian and Samic people have used Fly Agaric as an euphoriant. The fungus is rare on the Kamchatka peninsula, and it was extremely costy. Common people could not afford to buy it, but it is said that they drank some of the urine from the rich men to feel a little of the rush. The myth about the Vikings using Fly Agaric is now said to be wrong. The stories about the various euphoric use of Fly Agaric are doubtful in general ! But interesting!

Fly Agaric grows under both pine and birch and is rarely found under beech. The fungus contains poisonous substances , especially ibotensyre and muscimol. The elk likes to eat it like cats like to eat catnip. It grows mostly, but not only, in poor soil in woods where special trees can function as mykorrhiza-partners.  The cap might be from deep red to almost orange and the scales on the cap might be few or miss completely. This is due to that heavy rain has washed away the scales, or the scales have been removed by touch. The ring might be very small or miss completely, especially in older specimen. 


Confusion:
Fly Agaric should not be mistaken for other species

Source: Miljøministeriet, Naturstyrelsen.
Danmarks fugle og natur, felthåndbogen.
































It was day of the dogs, many were out walking the dogs, among a flock of them was a boy with two dogs and a family with more than two dogs - the others are outside the photo. The lovely Sct. Bernhard seemed to know that mom was the strongest!! Or maybe not?

                                                                           



It was always like that in the old days. The inn was placed opposite the church. "It is better to be in the inn thinking about the church than in the church thinking about the inn!" people usually said. Which people?  Those who liked the inn better I suppose. But it was a common sight to see the church and the inn looking at each other out in the countryside. This one is Hornslet church a little north of Århus and the old inn on the other side of the road. Now a suburb-place. Many roads have been changed and most village inns now lie far off the beaten track, but still opposite the church of course.I don't think it is easy for the inns to handle the new times. Many disappear completely,others change their service to a "gourmet- inn" or a "family inn" or a place with ball each Saturday or a place for week-ends and holidays - or simply a bodega. It is difficult for most of them to survive.  Today it is very rare to meet an old-fashioned inn where you can go in to have a cup of coffee and a good cake  or a meal that is not too sophisticated.

Farewell green hills........

photo: september 2011 Djursland: grethe bachmann