We had a peaceful night’s sleep and woke ready to get on the road again. The plan was to cross the Øresund Bridge from Sweden to Denmark today and hunt for some trolls near Copenhagen.
We stopped at Lidl to top up our groceries before heading further south. The smell of the bakery was too good to resist and, about an hour later, we stopped in a picnic area for coffee and a croissant.
Our next stop was a viewpoint for the Øresund Bridge, which was a 10 minute detour each way, over lots of speed bumps through residential areas. I found the view rather underwhelming… perhaps because the weather had deteriorated, or maybe because the bridge is so big it’s difficult to comprehend from a distance.
The Øresund Link is the fastest way to travel between Sweden and Denmark. it was opened in 2000 and consists of 8 kilometres of bridge, a 4 kilometre artificial island and 4 kilometres of tunnel. The toll was about £40 with our toll tag, we think. In any case, we were pleased the tag worked and the gate opened… always an anxious moment!
Then we headed to Dragør, which was en route to the first troll I wanted to hunt… more on that in a mo. We didn’t have time to visit Copenhagen and see the Little Mermaid (5 foot) but I’d read there was a Big Mermaid (13 foot) in Dragør. She was built in 2006 in response to tourists who said the Little Mermaid was too small. However, it received mixed feedback, being labelled ‘ugly and pornographic’. We had to see for ourselves!
We didn’t have any strong feelings about the mermaid, but did think Dragør Fort was ugly. It’s a historic naval fort built on an artificial island between 1910 and 1915. Today it’s a public park and event venue but it’s pretty tatty.
Now for the trolls… the highlight of my day! I’d read posts from other motorhomers about going troll hunting. They found huge trolls hidden in forests and parks in Denmark and it captured my imagination. The giant trolls are built by Thomas Dambo from recycled materials such as scrap wood and pallets. His aim is to use rubbish to promote sustainability, and to spark people’s imagination and encourage them to explore.
Each troll giant has its own story. The first one we found was Bjarke Cirkelsten in the Kongelunden Forest. He sits on his knees in the forest making a large stone circle. The story is that he suffers from memory loss and uses the boulders to anchor his memories.
The next two trolls we found were Little Tilde and Thomas on the Mountain, who were in a park, Vallensbæk Mose, close to each other. Little Tilde is a shy troll who loves wildlife and protects forest animals. She hides at the edge of the wetland peeking from between the trees and, apparently, has 28 birdhouses hidden inside her where small birds and animals can hide in winter.
To get to Thomas on the Mountain, we had to use a hand pulled raft to cross a lake… something I’ve never done before! We crossed with a Danish family and it was fun hauling the ropes together to move the raft!
Thomas is a laid back troll who enjoys life’s simple pleasures. He’s just resting, lying on his back in a clearing on the hillside, watching the world go by and appreciating nature. He’s got very long legs and big feet, and his purpose is to remind us we should all take time to slow down and enjoy life.
I thoroughly enjoyed troll hunting and would have liked to find more, but it was time to head to the campsite by now. We’re staying in Køge, planning to visit the town tomorrow before heading to Møn to explore.
Ramblings 
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