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Aero, Denmark's Nantucket
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Everywhere you look on this jewel of an island an hour’s ferry ride from the mainland there's a scene that could be framed: sweeping vistas of the sea, quaint thatched roof cottages, rich farmland and tidy homesteads painted in bold colors, complete with flocks of geese.
It's about eighteen miles long, five wide in the middle. Ancient tombs have been found here, estimated to be 10,000 years old. Aeroskobing, the island’s main town, has a royal charter that dates to 1522. The look of the charming medieval village is protected by strict building codes. Only permanent residents may own a home in the old town.
Once a Viking stronghold, this isle has always depended on the sea. Models of sailing ships hang in the Aeroskobing church in the town square, built in 1756 on the site of a Middle Ages sanctuary. Only Copenhagen had more ships in the late 1800’s. Aero mariners sailed the world from this home port back when Denmark owned St. Thomas and St. Croix in the Caribbean.
The economy tanked as shipyards moved to the Far East and Poland, where labor is cheaper. The few remaining shop windows shine like diamonds at night. The jeweler leaves gems in the window and the blomster (florist) simply ties a string around the plants sitting for sale outdoors. Perhaps honesty is made easier by the fact that there is no easy way to leave before the morning ferry.
Tiny, colorful one room cottages line the beach. Horses graze in a field nearby, flanked by giant, high tech windmills and solar panels which provide almost half the island’s electricity. Bicycles abound, with riders of all ages.
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