We have always loved to be beside the seaside and for the last nine years we have been fortunate enough to live no more than ten minutes away from some very special beaches. Here in Copenhagen we are spoilt for choice, go further up and you can find little gems trailing along the coast road. Upon the very north coast of the Island is Hornbæk, fifty kilometres away from Copenhagen and a mere half hour drive away. It was to Hornbæk that we headed today. A long stretch of white sand snaking along the coast, the beach is watched over in summer by a team of lifeguards. There are clean toilets and a kiosk serving all the usual ice creams, hotdogs and coffee.
The first time we visited this beach our middle son was the age that our youngest is now and the way in which we use the environment has changed accordingly. One of the big attractions for the boys in Hornbæk is the channel that crosses the sand on the far right of the beach. The end of a stream it provides a natural water feature that creates literally hours of entertainment for children no matter their age. Three years ago we stuck to tradition and planted ourselves front and centre by the sea but unable to see the children who naturally gravitated towards this area. These day's laziness has overtaken and we automatically set up camp right next to the channel where we are able to observe from a horizontal position the progress of our varying in age offspring.
Today being no different we pulled the pushchair across the sands and carried the acquired on arrival picnic over the dunes to our spot. It was not the best start, the clouds were threatening to take over and we judged the removal of our clothing according to the window of sunshine opportunity. The children were reluctant to venture off and as always seems to be the case, were immediately hungry as soon as we arrived. The toddler then awoke from his nap halfway through thus eliminating the need for the book I had rather opitimistically taken with me. Just as we began to think we ought to cut our losses and head home, the sun started to emerge more triumphantly from it's cloudy curtain and began to warm us back up to summer.
We ended up staying at the beach for seven hours, the boys were free to venture off and explore the sand dunes that divide the beach from the road and town behind. They played happily in the channel creating dam's to hold the water, running the length of the route to the sea and swimming about in the not too cold water. At one point the eldest returned clutching a handful of blackberries they had found hidden in the golden hills, a gift for his littlest brother who greedily and gratefully swallowed them up as intended.
Realising we had reached the point of no return where a journey home would result in three sleeping children and a subsequent early morning for us, we took a little stroll along to the harbour for some dinner. There are several eating places to choose from along the seafront depending on your sensibilities and many of them looked full and content with customers. We chose to visit the fish kiosk, mostly because we had tired children and preferred a stress free al fresco meal rather than a sit down dinner but there were certainly places we might like to return to another time. We had an okay fish and chips, nothing to be excited about but they filled hole and today that was the point for us.
Behind the harbour is a children's playground with plenty of wooden equipment to occupy the boys prior to heading home and we spent a while sitting in a boat sailing to Australia captained by a happy four year old and his ship's mate.
Of course you can't visit the seaside without having an ice cream and there are plenty of places to choose from in that respect. This time we went West and had a Ben and Jerry's in the harbour but normally we go closer to home and visit one the Hansen's kiosks, especially the shop that makes it's own waffle cones out the back.
The weather was excellent , the children were content so therefore we were content and it long ago felt like we were on holiday. Satisfied, we headed home and by the time we returned we had two sleeping boys and a third, grateful to fall heavily into bed ready to sleep the sleep that comes after a long day at the beach.
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