Finally a Sunny Day on the Second Day of May. Hurrah!

The sea is indispensable to me. I would not be able to live in a place where I could not go to the sea very often. It must be the sailor's blood, although I'm not much of a sailor myself. I get easily seasick.

This second day of May is a lovely day, with a blue sea and a blue sky, a light breeze and a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius.Finally. It has been so cold but it is soon forgotten.

The marina, called Marselis, is a quiet place at this time of the morning. In the evening it's another matter. The restaurants are filled with people, some fish-restaurants are very popular. There are no city shops in the place, they are actually only meant for the boat people, the shops have maritime equipment, and the clothes you can buy are sailor's clothes, you know, marine, white, red, stripes and fine fabrics. If I go there it's only because I like to watch those pretty sail boats or yacths! - and see them sail out into the bay. But there are cafés and ice cream shops where you can sit outside and enjoy a summer's day with coffee or ice cream!

But now I just want to walk along the beach road and up through the park and the botanical garden, from where I can go back to my home. It's a good "motion tour". Or what it is you call it?  A pretty sailboat is on its way out in the bay. I don't quite understand, why people don't use their boats, even in the week-ends I have noticed that the boats are anchered up in the marina. Maybe they only use them for a holiday in the summer season. Or maybe they get seasick like me! A sailboat looks so pretty in the blue sea. I've got a weakness for sailboats, also the big ones. The huge sailing ships. I once saw the famous Russian school ship. It was so beautiful with all sails up that it's impossible to describe.
















 
Well, I'm now leaving the beach road, walking up the steep bank to the park. There were some old ruined stairs, but they have been removed. Now it's only the solid trampled earth and it's really steep. Luckily there is a bench at the top. With a beautiful view across the bay. I really feel lucky this year. Last year was not a good one. And the light green leaves of the beech have come out. I took a photo of "witches broom" in a birch tree for Rebecca in the Woods, but I'm not sure she sees my blog. I've made a link so you can see what she wrote about witches broom. 

Marselisborg castle is being painted.

 There are two neat little houses in the park, they are not inhabited, the gardeners use them for storing. They were built in the 1800s, they functioned as a residence for servants of the manor Marselisborg. They burnt down in 1996 but were rebuilt by Århus Municipality in their original looks.
Oh, I see now that queen Margrethe's "summer house" is being painted. She really must have bought a huge pot of paint!

There was a pretty magnolia tree in the garden by the Donbæk houses, and along both sides of the lawn are rhododendrons in many colours during summer, but only the light pink is blooming now. I was looking for the blue tits, but maybe it was too late in the morning. I'll  have to be out earlier if I want to "catch" the little birds. Wauw, they are smoking water pipe over there. I wish I could go a little closer, but I won't disturb them. If you enlarge the photo you can see the pipe upon the table. 

Speedwell

In the grass is the fine blue speedwell, and by the foot of some trees was a carpet of the wood sorrel with the pure white flowers and the light green leaf.
The beech wood stands with its beautiful light green leaf,  it's one of the most wonderful sights in spring, the tall beeches with their light green leaves, which turn bright yellow when the sun shines through.

Wood Sorrel

The beech forest is a very loved forest type in Denmark, it is called the typical Danish forest, the beech is in the national hymn and together with the oak it's appointed Denmarks' national tree. The beech immigrated into Denmark ab. 3000 years ago, but it was not a common tree until 500 B.C. The beech is native to western Europe, where it is a part of mixed hardwoods, and it has its northern border in Denmark. It is known and loved for two things in spring, the carpet of  white anemones and the lightgreen leaves in May. The forests are now treated in a different way than before, where the wellknown and loved columned hall of beeches were the usual sight. Now dead trunks and branches are allowed to stay in the forest floor, there are more glades and water holes, and other trees are allowed to grow, so the forest will be more versatile. The beloved columned beech hall will not disappear, but the forest will be more exciting to be experience.

    

From the wood I walked out into the park - the wonderful Japan cherry is still blooming with bunches and bunches of lovely pink and white flowers. Soon the flowers will fall down, covering the lawn like a fine layer of snow.  The pink flowers and the blue sky, that's such a beautiful sight. It's difficult to leave this place, but I still find it too cold to sit on a bench here. It's not summer yet. 

I must not forget the simplest little flowers, they are so pretty too.
They pop modestly up in the grass, faithfully turning their heads towards the sun
Tusindfryd in Danish, meaning thousands of joys, and Daisy in English. Daisy is also a girl's name, like Hyacinth Bouquet's sister Daisy , married to Onslow. Some sweet, funny types.  

Some photos of the beech wood from the 2. of May:

Among the dry leaves in the botanical garden was a strange plant. I had only seen it once before, somewhere in south Jutland. It's the Common Toothwort. (DK: Skælrod). It's a parasitic plant without chlorophyll. The flowers have a fine scent.  It's hostplant is usually hazel, but also other hardwoods. It seems that it does no harm to its host plant. It is difficult to confuse this plant for any other plant in Denmark, there is only the same species of this family in northern Europe, globally are 5 species. The plant is not in bloom each year, but it can survive underground for one year or more. The Latin family name lathraéa is from Greek lathraios = hidden, it refers to the hidden life of the plant. Its specific name squmaria comes from sqama = scales. Its habitat is fertile hardwoods, parks and fences, old gardens etc., often with hazel, but also other hardwoods like lime, oak etc. It is rare in Denmark, mostly seen on the island Fyn, where it is found in many hazel growths and little forests.

Green-veined White butterfly.

Isn't this a fine little one. My first little ladybird this year. Now I can ask it to fly up into the sky to ask for fine weather.  And the only butterfly I saw today was the green-veined white upon a dandelion. (click to enlarge)

In the botanical garden are many resting places! Here's a bench by the pond, but I'm not far from home, so it's not worthwhile. I'm thirsty for a cup of coffee now! Btw, I wonder if those ducks are either deaf or just of a calm nature. The sirens started to alarm, we had been told a few days ago that they did a test at twelve noon. The last time they did the test, people were not aware of what happened, and they called the alarm central and blocked for important calls. The sirens stand in various places of town, and this one was close to the park on the other side of the fence, the sound was so terribly high that I had to put my hands on my ears. The ducks kept on sleeping, while the birds in the treetops flew confused around. That's why I wonder if ducks are deaf??

photos 2 May 2012: grethe bachmann

the terrible siren