Til Tops

One of the great things about the children growing up is that the scope for family friendly activity increases. We are nappy free, nap free and for the time being, puppy free and no longer are we confined to the local soft play centre when we need an opportunity to let off some organised steam. When my husband's birthday arrived a couple of weeks ago I took a leap of faith and booked an adventurous day out for the whole family to enjoy together.

Til Tops had been recommended to me by two dear friends who both thought it brilliant and we really could not have had a better time.  Built upon an unused golf course, Til Tops is home to four adventure trails that take visitors through the tree canopies on various activities. The yellow course is entirely suitable for little ones, our three year old couldn't wait to have a turn and would have happily been entertained all day had we not been the support party for the taller and more adventurous members of our group. They focused on the green and blue trails which are higher and higher still through the trees. Unfortunately my ten year old wasn't tall enough by just a couple of centimetres for the red trail so we didn't get to try the 150 metre zip line that lies across the vast lawn. He is now hoping for a growth spurt by the end of the summer.

Before starting, one of the instructors help's you climb into your harness and lead's you through the practise course so that you feel comfortable with the equipment. They are very friendly and English is absolutely not a problem. This is invaluable, especially for impatient boys and they will not let you on the high climbs without knowing you can work the harness correctly. Once comfortable we set off on the green trail which is set between two and four metres above the ground. No two activities are the same on the trail aside from the zip lines because a zip line is a zip line and they could never get boring!

It was high and before booking you should check that your child meets the age and height requirements. Things look very different when you're up high and the confidence that seems so great on the ground can feel very different six metres up.

Booking is done online and is a straight forward process. I booked the day before but I am sure that during the summer months they will be a lot busier so it's probably best to book ahead.

There is a cafe on site that serves tea, coffee and cold refreshments. It is great and very nicely run. Situated just outside Hornbeck it only took us half an hour to drive there from where we live just north of Copenhagen. 

We got incredibly lucky with the weather and spent four very content hours climbing and supporting each other in the beautiful sunshine. The boys loved their day out with Pappa and Pappa overcame his fear of heights, thankfully. We will return, I just hope dogs are welcome...

Aarstiderne Christmas Market

æbleskive

Yesterday the two youngest children and I took a quick trip up to Aarstiderne's Krogerup farm, for their annual Christmas market. Obviously, with snow on the ground it was cold, so we took our time to wrap up warm before we set off to investigate the delicious smells wafting their way across the car park and meet our friends.

Immediately our eyes were drawn to an apple press, the juice from which was the principle ingredient for a deliciously spicy warm apple drink. We ordered a cup to go with the two servings of freshly prepared æbleskive that we simply could not walk by. Having just bought the special pan in which to try and make my own I was more than happy to watch an expert at work turning the balls of mixture, each stuffed with a piece of cooked apple. They were very delicious and quite different from the frozen version we have tried so far. Æbleskiver finished, the children looked to the next stall and I was soon dispatched to purchase some soup that was cooking over a log fire. They devoured the contents of the cup with such great satisfaction that I must try to recreate the flavor at home. This is one reason why I love coming here, the team that create the wonderful array of dishes on offer do so using produce that we can all find.

After meeting our friends we went inside the farm shop to have a look around and warm up a little. The children then had the chance to bake large spiced honey hearts and while they were cooking in the ovens we took a look at the rest of the activities on offer. There was an adventure trail outside for the children that looked fun, pony rides and a Christmas story time. It was all in Danish of course,  no problem on a warmer day but translations in the snow with an unhappily cold toddler at my feet required more commitment than I was warm enough to muster. So we returned inside to decorate our hearts and heat our insides with delicious Julkringle (a yeasted dough filled with an amazingly spiced fruit and nut mix) and coffee.

Before I knew it we had been there for three hours, eaten most of the food on offer and had a lovely time with lovely new friends enjoying the extra special introduction to Danish Christmas culture. 

Tummy's full it was time to return home, peel off the layers and read a book by the fire, a perfect start to December.

 

An hour at the farm: Aarstiderne

I took my ever inquisitive two year old son up to Aarstiderne's Krogerup farm on Tuesday for a stroll in the sunshine and to get some fresh inspiration for future writing. I realise that toddlers are not always the easiest of company but at the farm he is in his element and as soon the constraints of the car seat were released away we went. I decided to let him lead the way, sometimes the best inspiration comes from a different perspective and I was happy to follow his wandering path taking pictures as I went.

There were lots of school children working when we arrived, busy creating a history with the soil as they worked alongside classmates and helping hands. Tempted by the sound of water at the sinks that were being used for hand washing, the little one and I made our way across the courtyard and into the Garden Kitchen. The first time my family used the Garden Kitchen was for an event that encouraged children to choose their favourite vegetables, collect a handful of bread dough and get to work on the outside tables chopping and prepping. Vegetables cooked on the repurposed steel drum stoves until they were tender and sweetly delicious and ready to be the topping on freshly toasted flatbread. Rustic, delicious and oh such proud faces on the children that cooked them.

There was no cooking that day as the school groups were busy cultivating rather than harvesting and it was great to see and hear their enthusiasm as they worked. As one of us was fascinated by the stone steps leading down to the sinks the other was able to take a wonder and some photographs, I’ll let you decide who was who! Planted around the central washing area are raised beds containing mixed herbs, chives, lemon verbena, lemon grass and many more. My companion was fascinated by a pair of ladybirds that we found resting on a leaf so we watched them for a while before taking a look at some of the long beds that are home to various fruits and vegetables, it’s all very inspiring and accessible.From there to the giant hay piles that just beg small people to climb aboard, actually age is irrelevant when it comes to this kind of fun. We had a rigorous game of ‘tag’ at a brunch hosted earlier in the year with some friends and thanks to CrossFit and a heavy training schedule I leapt like an ( admittedly older) gazelle across the bales remembering what it feels like to be a child. This time one of us jumped repeatedly whilst the other counted to three, again I’ll let you decide who.

Before we left we stuck our heads into the farm kiosk to see what we could have for dinner and left with enough vegetables for some topped flatbreads later that day. Although it is not staffed, the kiosk is open all day and once you have chosen your goods you place payment in the honesty box so it is a perfect one stop veg shop.

A very satisfying hour or so spent wondering, exploring and enjoying the farm. If you have more time than we did that day is it possible to go further and take in a tour of the wood and surrounding fields which are often home to the farm machinery that excites children old and young. I left with lots of inspiration and pictures to accompany but I thought this week I would start at the beginning and a walk through the space that gave them to me, after all the roots are where it all begins.