A slight departure from the more usual format today for a different type of rambling. Well a short bus ride/walk anyway, to a lake that is just a stone’s throw (if you are Thor) from our place.

Furesø lake is twenty kilometers north-west of Copenhagen and is apparently the deepest in Denmark. It’s also a perfect location to relax on such a fine sunny day. With the bordering forest an added attraction, we figured it was high time we made a return visit.

It has a small sandy beach by the crystal-clear waters, where ducks and sea birds idled on the jetties and small children paddled in the shallows. Ice creams or fries were begged from harassed Mums, queuing at a small kiosk, while a slightly drunk older couple commented a little too loudly on the proceedings.

Conker-toned sunbathers dozed in the glorious sunshine and families shared picnics on the surrounding grassy borders.

A couple of silver-haired ladies carried a canoe from the boat club down to the water’s edge, sending the water fowl scurrying aside.

After a coffee with the ducks (delightful family) we decided to retrace the path we took on our last visit, two, or perhaps it was three years ago. How time flies.

Just a short walk from the boat club and public bathing area, a trail winds into the forest, bringing some welcome shade and respite from the mid-day heat and minor hubbub. The path is uneven and filled with roots, but the sunlight filtering through the canopy made every step a pleasure. It was sublimely peaceful, save for a lone military jet which passed noisily overhead.

We took a few pictures and found some familiar trees, including the remnants of one which has a wonderfully sculptural quality and another whose markings resemble strange ancient hieroglyphs. Clearly the work of aliens.

We eventually found another familiar spot, a peaceful little barbecue area with log-seats, right by the water. After consuming our modest picnic lunch, we became entranced by the increasingly autumnal colours of the leaves, and spotted a lone beetle making his way through the debris.

He arranged some of the beautiful leaves into a circular pattern (or maybe that was me), then posed obligingly, clearly a natural who loves the camera. “Have you got any beetle juice?” he asked, once the shoot was ‘in the bag’. Sadly we did not, so he shuffled away with a slight air of disappointment, and we made a mental note to avoid consuming those little pointy-shaped forest mushrooms in future.

Sitting there by the lapping waters, time seemed to stand still. One could see why folks who’ve ‘got a few bob’ would choose to make their homes close to the lake. It really is something special.

A few joggers, mountain bikers and dog walkers passed by, but no forest trolls were spotted as we made our way back to the start of the trail. Probably just as well as I’d run out of coffee by this point.

We returned home with memory cards filled with slightly blurry photos of nature, and our heads full of images from our blissful late-Summer excursion.
 
©Text and images copyright Jason Lennick 2016. All rights reserved.