It is a fresh and lovely summer morning.

You are standing at a pier in Copenhagen Harbour together with your family and friends. There are some you have not seen in a long time, and it is so good to be together with them again. Still, you fidget impatiently as you wait, for soon – very soon, you hope! – the trip will start. It is a special one, and you look forward to it, for you will sail to a small island called Hven. You have never been there before, but you hear it is lovely and memorable!

Finally, you are boarding! And soon after, the ferry casts off and sets out. You pass by the long row of open sea windmills, standing free in the water like seaborne guardians against all evil storms, and you see the great span of the Øresund Bridge rising above the water in the distance to the south. And shortly after that, just a little farther out, you pass the Oslo ferry on its way back to Copenhagen. And then … then there is nothing but the sparkling sea, the blue sky, and the eternal breeze.

Eventually, after being properly blown through, you go down to the others in the comfortably warm restaurant within the ferry’s sheltered body. Oh, and a surprise awaits you there – croissants and coffee! And two sweet nieces sit together at your table. And with the cosy conversation, happy laughter, and energetically splashing waves that almost reach the window, time disappears in the blink of an eye.

Then suddenly, a rumour spreads like wildfire among the restaurant’s guests: “You can see the island!” Oh, yes! And you rush out of the restaurant with the others to see a long isthmus with steep cliffs miraculously rising above the sea. A beautiful beach appears shortly after, followed by an idyllic town with old-fashioned timbered houses. And there, the ferry slows down and docks.

We are all allowed to disembark now. And what do we see? A flagpole is proudly waving a Swedish flag! We are in a foreign country! Where to, now? Up the hill, we hear, and so we do. And there is another sea! A sea of bicycles! There are all kinds; for one, two, and even three people at a time. They are for rent, but not for us – because we are taking a horse-drawn carriage.

Two gigantic, massive horses are standing in front of a semi-covered carriage. They are so overwhelming and powerful that you may never have seen anything like them in your entire life! The girls instantly run over to greet them, not the least afraid of the enormous beasts, and you shake your head at their heedless bravery. But the coach driver – a friendly middle-aged woman – smiles and waves us over and greets all of us, and once we are safely inside, the horses walk off with us.

There are green fields with pheasants running back and forth and a hare sitting so still in a garden that we’re still unsure if it might have been a statue. “Why is it so green here on the island?” we ask, for the warm summer has brought a severe drought to our country, and we are really not that far away here – just about an hour and a half from Copenhagen. “Ah,” says the coachwoman, “we know some old-fashioned dances that summon rain!” And she laughs.

The carriage moves so slowly that the youngest girl, Ellen, who loves all sorts of challenges and enjoys climbing up into the tallest treetops, eventually gives in. She starts swinging acrobatically back and forth, in and out of the carriage. It startles the driver so much that she quickly forbids such play while the horses walk.

Finally, we stop, and we all get out. There is a church, but it is closed. What are we doing here, then? We walk through the cemetery and out the other side, and here – Oh my! – here, the view makes you forget entirely to breathe for a moment! Ellen hurries over to a large cement block hanging halfway out over the cliffside, and some of us cautiously follow along.

“You can see Sweden from here!” And it is true. The northern island harbour, the lazy swing of the coastline, and the gigantic sea – you can see it all from up here. Varying with depth, the sea shifts from an almost translucent light blue to a deep green and dark blue in beautiful colours and patterns. It resembles a silk sheet quivering in the wind. Ellen looks down the slope, standing right at the edge, and turns her inspired face toward you. You point the camera at her, and a shy, charming smile appears. But now we must return to the carriage and drive to a restaurant.

It turns out to be a vegetarian stone oven pizza restaurant! We sit under large, shadowy tree canopies. Like the rest of the island, everything is green and fresh, quite unlike the summer-dried country we come from. The service is amiable, and a brave blackbird chick hops lively about. Even if you are not a big fan of pizza, you will surely be hungry by now, and the rustic country atmosphere is charming. After tasting that pizza, one could well come back to this island for just another taste!

After the restaurant, we walk to the Tycho Brahe Museum. He lived here on the island for many years, and it was also here that he made all those fantastic astronomical observations! The museum is split up into several buildings, and the most mysterious part is, without a doubt, the partially underground observatory of Stjerneborg (‘Star Castle’). The above-ground part is small enough that it is easy to miss. Once you find it, you have to step down a steep staircase and into a relatively small, strange room that mostly resembles something from the Stone Age! But then … then a marvellous astronomical performance starts! A complete show, like a small theatre, presented in absolute darkness with scene after scene lighting up in turn around the room and on the ceiling. It is fun!

After the mystery of the observatory, we proceed to the large and elegant museum right across from it. It was initially a church, but now it is a museum with many astronomical instruments, artefacts, and stories from his life. There are also folding chairs in case anyone wants to sit down for a while, for there is quite a bit to marvel about and to study.

Eventually, we gather outside in the large garden, where there are some outdoor medieval games. Some of us try the various activities, while others sit down and chat. “What is so special about this place?” you wonder, “that makes us all relax so? What is it about this place that gives the taste of being back in a time that cannot be disturbed by occasional passing cars, cell phones, and all that accompanies modern life?”

You look at the blades of grass dancing in the wind and feel more and more of the island’s quiet magic. Eventually, it strikes you: the feeling of being here and now and experiencing life as it is! Not somewhere on the internet, not in a rush to get somewhere else. But with peace. With a deep breath. With joy for what one has right here and now.

“Oh no! We’re about to be late for the boat!” The electrifying message breaks the quiet idyll. So, there is such a thing as relaxing too much, after all! With bold steps, we set off down the road. It was quite a distance, and you are not the first to arrive – mainly because you cannot resist the temptation to take just a few more pictures and a little more footage of this wonderful place!

Yes, we made it to the boat! But this time, we are sailing to Elsinore. Brownies and coffee await us at the tables, but you find a secluded spot at the stern where the wind is less intense. You gaze out at the water and let the feeling of the island sink deep into your heart and mind so that, when you need to find yourself again in a busy world, you can return to this experience on the island of Hven, take a deep breath … and relax in the same way you experienced here.

The sea is fascinating in the afternoon sun under the light cloud cover! Sparkling, ever-changing in its beauty, just like life itself. A playful dance of light, wind, water, and currents!

You lift your head and see a castle on the horizon. Hamlet’s Castle, Kronborg! The captain says we are a bit early, so we sail north of the court to get a good view. It is like receiving an extra gift! There are also small sailboats on the water. They circle and sail in a long row after each other, like a ballet performance just for us! But, eventually, the ferry turns about and glides back towards the harbour of Elsinore, a town with so many different styles and a wondrously colourful atmosphere.

Here, we have dinner at last, in a cosy cafe in the old part of the town, enjoying the food and singing birthday songs for my father-in-law – for it is his birthday. Indeed, the entire excursion is a gift from my in-laws to the rest of the family so that we may celebrate it together. “They must be very wealthy,” you may say. But they are not – not in money. But if you count love and care (and you should), then they have a lot! They live modestly and save where they can, and then – from time to time – they invite us all out on trips and excursions like this – giving us all the chance to share exciting and new experiences together!

I have also made a film and composed music for this beautiful journey. It’s called “A Sailing Trip to Hven,” and you can find it on YouTube on my channel, “Music of the Heart.” Just remember to tell YouTube to play it in the best quality, please, using the “settings” icon (⚙️). And as usual, if you wish to have an even better version of it (not compressed as heavily as YouTube does), please write to me!

❣️ Please view it in 4K; it will look much better!

• On a PC, choose the “settings” icon ⚙️ at the lower right corner of the movie. Click and select the quality you want.
• On a phone, the “settings” icon will likely be at the top right corner.
• If you do not see any icon, you may have to move the mouse/touch the screen for it to appear.
• If the movie “stutters” or halts, you may have to choose a lower quality.
• Sometimes – especially when using the app – YouTube may ignore your choice of quality because it thinks that “it knows best”. But if you persist, it will usually listen to you after a while. 😉

Attributions

Video by Elena Voroniouk © 2023 all rights reserved.
Editing: Ruben Mannstaedt.

All music performed and composed by Elena Voroniouk.

To read the post in Danish, please click here.

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