Friday, August 16, 2024
Today, after breakfast, we settled our bills at the hotel desk and loaded our packed bags onto the tour bus. The bus departed around 8 am for two stops on the way back to Copenhagen. We rode about an hour and a half and crossed the Great Belt Strait before arriving at our first destination, a seed orchard complex near near Tuse Næs on Zealand Island. The skies were overcast and a light sprinkle was falling so we started the tour with a presentation near the bus. Eventually, the weather improved and we walked a short distance to view a noble fir and a Nordmann fir clonal seed orchard. We learned about orchard management and productivity as well as a host of genetic studies that have been conducted in these orchards.
—— Tuse Næs Seed Orchards ——
We then rode the bus another hour to Levinsen Seed A/S in Gørløse where we were greeted by its owner, Ulrik Kejser Nyvold along with the aroma of grilling hamburgers. We immediately loaded our plates with hamburgers and sides, grabbed drinks (I opted for beer) and sat at tables set up in the large seed processing facility. As we were finishing our meal, Ulrik, who is paraplegic, presented an interesting slide show that included his biography and the company’s history and business strategy. Afterwards, Ulrik lead us around the facility describing how each machine in the seed processing chain worked. Then, we were provided homemade ice cream from his wife’s business. This stop was very pleasant and informative, especially to visitors from the NCDA reserach field station who were seeking information and ideas for setting up their new seed processing building.
—— Levinsen A/S ——
Next, we reboarded the bus and continued our ride to Copenhagen. On this leg, I sat beside Sandra, a young German lady from the Chamber of Agriculture, North Rhine Westphalia. I enjoyed getting updated on Christmas tree production in her country. As we arrived in Copenhagen and approached the main train station, Sandra became restless about having enough time to catch her train. The bus couldn’t find a place to park near the station so Sandra hurriedly disembarked a block away and ran to catch her train.
Soon after, a group of us were deposited at the Copenhagen Airport and, with bags in tow, found our way to the Comfort Hotel beside the airport. Jeff and Adarsha decided to take the metro to the Nyhavn area to see the canal and to dine. Will, Sarah, and I were ready to relax. (I have visited Nyhavn area previously.) We bypassed the buffet at the restuarant in our hotel and elected to eat at the restaurant in the adjacent Clarion Hotel. The food, wine, and company were excellent. We spent much of the meal discussing Will’s upcoming move to the NC mountains and his new Christmas tree extension job. Then, we retired to our repsective hotel rooms for the evening.
—— Copenhagen Airport from Comfort Hotel ——
