Since my arrival, I have scouted locations to hide many of the Denmark boxes but wanted to wait and plant them when the snow was melted and when I became more familiar with the area and traffic flow. Many have homes picked out and will be planted very soon.
I planted several letterboxes when my family and I traveled from Denmark to Sweden and then Finland in mid-February. We also stopped on our return trip for a night in Mariehamn which is the capital city on one of the Aland islands that forms an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. I searched for letterboxes on this trip as well and came away with a couple of finds while the others I was able to confirm for the planter as having gone missing.
The following posts will include some stamp images as well as photo clues, so if you intend on searching for these boxes and don't like SPOILERS...you may not want to follow this blog.
Letterboxing in Ireland:
10/15-10/19/2012
Before leaving for Ireland tomorrow morning, I made sure the four letterboxes that I would be taking to plant were ready to go. I did a little research for each box and know the approximate location each one will be planted. I will of course have to make sure once I am there and actually see the areas that they are suitable and that the boxes will be safe where they are left.
I will be taking the following letterboxes:
- Ireland's Celtic Cross by Shi eh ree from Pittsboro, NC
- Lucky Irish Derby by Shoafsters from Okinawa, Japan (originally from NC)
- Irish Lager by party pig from Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Lucky Charms by party pig from Fredericksburg, Virginia
Getting the boxes ready included making logbooks for some and boxes for others. Here are the stamps: SPOILER ALERT: if you don't want to see the images, look no further...
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| Not the greatest image, but fantastic stamps!! |
Once in Ireland, on Tuesday the 16th, we rode the Dublin Tour bus around the city and when we reached Merrion Square Park and the nearby locations of Oscar Wilde's residence and memorial. I knew we were in the perfect location for planting this box.
Knowing that Oscar Wilde was an Irish gentleman and that most men of those times wore the bowler hat, or derby, I wanted to plant the Lucky Irish Derby box near the memorial.
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| OscarWilde |
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| Entering the Merrion Square Park through the gate next to the bus stop, we turned left on the path and upon rounding the corner, found the memorial. |
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| After taking pictures, I entered the small path on the left of the big rock |
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| On the left of the small path was another rock and a small log |
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| The box was planted between and tucked up under the rock. |
St. Stephen's Green is a huge 22 acre park with several lakes in the city center of Dublin. We accessed the park by taking the Dublin Bus Tour and getting off at stop #7. It was a lovely walk in the park and perfect location for many family pictures. After exploring for a bit, I found a great tree to hide this box behind and a nice rock to cover it. There was a nice growth of ivy as well that will cover the area and hopefully Lucky Charms will stay put for a long, long time.
Irish Lager: : http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=208703
It just so happened that in the front lawn of the hotel we stayed in while vacationing, stood a very large stone horse. There was no plaque and I don't know the story behind it but when I saw it, I instantly knew that the Irish Lager stamp carved by party pig had to be planted nearby!! The statue is located to the right of this picture and the letterbox to the left.
This is Bewley's Hotel Ballsbridge built in 1880 and located on the corner of Merrion and Simmonscourt Road. The property is open to the public as they have a lovely restaurant and bar on the premises. There is also street parking and a parking deck behind the hotel.
There are many seating areas in the courtyard as well as a nice gazebo, perfect for stamping in and enjoying an Irish Lager!!
Ireland's Celtic Cross: http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=208701
This box was planted at night after we finished our Ghost Bus Tour (to read more on that, visit the Ireland Vacation page). We had been to several churches, crypts and cemeteries. I noticed a little park while at this church earlier in the evening. The park is beside Christ Church Cathedral and in front of the Dublin City Council building.
It just so happened that in the front lawn of the hotel we stayed in while vacationing, stood a very large stone horse. There was no plaque and I don't know the story behind it but when I saw it, I instantly knew that the Irish Lager stamp carved by party pig had to be planted nearby!! The statue is located to the right of this picture and the letterbox to the left.
Ireland's Celtic Cross: http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=208701
This box was planted at night after we finished our Ghost Bus Tour (to read more on that, visit the Ireland Vacation page). We had been to several churches, crypts and cemeteries. I noticed a little park while at this church earlier in the evening. The park is beside Christ Church Cathedral and in front of the Dublin City Council building.
Take the stairs up...and you are in the park. There are benches, picnic tables and it is beautifully landscaped.
Follow the brick path towards the building
I also found a letterbox while in Ireland!! On Thursday the 18th, we traveled to Blarney to visit the Blarney Castle (more of that adventure on the vacation page). While there, I found a letterbox in a small park nearby...
http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=206140
Letterboxing in Denmark:
3/24/2012
Randell had the day off and it was a beautiful day for a lunch date and a walk outdoors!! We started off by eating at an Indian restaurant. I had NEVER had Indian food before and had heard it was very spicy I was honestly afraid I wouldn't like it...but I was wrong. The restaurant where we went to eat was fabulous!
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| Nice beer to help with the spicy food |
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| I have no idea what I ordered...LOL |
After we finished our meal, we went to the Kastellet to plant a letterbox and then to the Little Mermaid to plant another. This is the Atlas Quest link to the "Püstetrölle" letterbox.
About this Letterbox and it's Location: This letterbox, called Püstetrölle, was carved and gifted to me by Mama Wolf of the Wolf Family from Matthews, North Carolina, USA. I looked for a long time for the perfect location for this box, thinking that I would hide it in a forest somewhere on a fairly long hike (as Mama Wolf likes to take long hikes). However, since I have learned that there are not very many letterboxers in the area and anyone that may look for this box would be from outside of this country and here for a short visit, I decided to plant it where it would be easy enough to access and stand the chance of being visited more frequently.
Also, due to a Trolls protective nature, I thought the perfect location for hiding would be a place of protection, as is the Kastellet in Copenhagen. The Kastellet is one of the best preserved fortifications in Northern Europe. Kastellet’s construction was started by King Christian IV of Denmark as far back as 1626. It is constructed in the form of a pentagram with bastions at its corners. A series of moats and earthworks surround the fort, protecting the inside. The fort has been through several battles, including a Swedish siege and a British Naval Battle. It's last significant military involvement was when the Germans captured it in World War 2.
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| Entering the King's Gate |
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| Pentagram shaped |
Kastellet today is a peaceful, protected area, serving as a public park, a cultural historical monument and as an active military area. The Fortress is free to walk round.
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| The moats and earthworks that surround the fort |
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| The powder house |
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| The store house |
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| The windmill that still functions |
The powder house was designed with massive walls and a slightly vaulted ceiling to ensure that a possible explosion would move upward and thereby cause a minimum of damages to the surroundings.
The 2 store houses held everything needed in the event of a siege, and could when full, feed the 1,800 men of the garrison, other personnel, and their families for four years.
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| The prison inside the fort |
A little history on Trolls and what Püstetrölle means:
Scandinavian folklore is rich in myths and stories, filled with Viking tales of the beginning of the world, of courage and bravery, of Thor and Odin and the mischievousness of Loki and of the magical celestial kingdom of Asgaard and Valhalla. The tales are also full of giants, dwarves, elves, and assorted folk of faerie, but the most popular tales are of the rascals called the Trolls.
In olden times, Trolls lived just about everywhere in the Scandinavian Countries. They believed that they owned the lakes, fields, forests, and bridges where they lived. This always caused a great deal of misunderstanding, as the farmers and townsfolk also believed that they owned these places. Trolls were also apt to make their homes under tree roots and in caves in the mountains and some called Nissen, lived on farms and brought good luck to kind farm people. They were protective of their barns and the animals that lived there.
At Christmas (Yuletime), the Scandinavian families called the Troll, Jule Nissen, and would leave a bowl of Rommegrot (a type of porridge) in the barn so that Nissen would give the farm animals good health for the coming year. (This Troll taught the lesson of kindness.) It was also thought that, "Puffing at trolls when feeling sad, lessens pain and makes you glad". This is where the term "Püstetrölle" comes from.
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| This is the stamped image |
3/17/2012
On St. Patrick's Day, the family and I went to Klampenborg. There, we visited the park called Dyrehaven which translates to Deer Park. For more on what we saw, refer to "St. Patty's Day in Klampenborg" posted under Daily Happenings. The clues and photos to this box are on Atlas Quest at this link: http://www.atlasquest.com/boxes/clue/?gBoxId=193211
Letterboxing in Finland:
2/13/2012
While in Helsinki Finland, I found "The Rock Church" and "Sibelius Monument" both planted by Travel Fairy.
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| Rock Church, letterbox was in a foot or more of snow...but I found it! |
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| What a massive and spectacular monument! |
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| Boxing in knee high snow...nothing like it :o) |
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| Hung is a camo bag within this tree cluster |
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| "Heat Miser Battles Mr. Freeze: Who Wins?"
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| This is very close to Santa's Village |
When we were in Mariehamn, Finland, I searched for all three boxes planted by cheekee monkey back in 2009. I had no luck locating them and have been in touch with her about them. She will be visiting later this Spring or Summer and will check behind me. I did leave a box behind called "Mariehamn Mariner", carved by Party Pig. This stamp is gorgeous and I made a nice logbook and pouch to go with it. I thought Mariehamn, known for being a famous shipping port would be the perfect place for this stamp.
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| The inspiration for the location |
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| The memorial garden for sailors lost at sea |
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| The famous Pommern ship |
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| Some silly signs we saw |
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| Hiding spot |
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