Last ones to leave

Day 2 Odense:

Breakfast and a choice to make
A 10am breakfast - these people both rock and roll. Bo had been to the bakery - mmmmm. Drew tried both the Nutella and the chocolate wafer sandwich fillers and both got the thumbs up. spreads, pâté, earl grey and coffee for Ree - heaven.

Surprisingly to nobody, Legoland became the day's chosen destination.
A school holiday promotion allowed free entry to children if they presented a picture of a Polar bear so the kids got busy while we got ready. Julie is pretty impressive for a 5 year old artiste - she drew very earnestly. - her pic is the one at the back.

Free entry for a Polar Bear pic

It was a 1.5 hour drive. Lovely flat, green and yellow countryside. All the kids and Elsebeth singing in one car and learning to count in Danish, English and Italian. Ree, Bo and I in the other car, less chatty after the previous nights journey to the distilleries of Ireland and Scotland.

Are we happy to be here?

Don't want to harp on this for too long but Legoland is FANTASTIC. A whole different vibe to Disney - crowded (school hols and lovely day) but no real pushing, rushing or Disney fever.
The first section is made up of mini models of famous Danish areas - Nyhaben etc. Its mindblowingly clever how it's all put together and how the Lego is used to build these structures . There are moving trains and boats, bridges that raise and airplanes that taxi. I took about 6.3 million pictures with only a few collaged below.

The kids are not Lego. Note Zoe's top now passed on to a new, loving owner pre growth spurt.

For mine, the coolest attraction was the Driving Lessons course. Its a 30 minute experience. The kids get a lesson in road rules then drive mini Lego cars around on roads with traffic lights, stop signs, give way signs, petrol station, car washing etc. There are kids from lots of countries but the young Legoland workers at this attraction had it covered. Most spoke at least Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German and English. Others also included Spanish, Finnish and probably Icelandic. Sheesh.
The kids LOVED this experience. They all took it VERY seriously with very distinct hand signals, earnest steering, filling up with fuel, watching road signals etc. They were quite surprised that driving isn't that easy.......try it with loud, non-negotiating, often violent, usually bickering children in the backseat with a mobile phone ringing whilst driving at maximal speed in peak hour to pick one child up from point a and drop the other off at point b simultaneously (although points a and b are on opposite ends of the metropolitan area spectrum).

Once completed, you get you license and are chuffed.

Chuffed

Best ever picture of a kid having fun on a roller coaster?
Aia had never been on a proper rollercoaster before this one. Do you think she liked it?

Pure FUN

Again, Again.
Not sure if Drew is having quite as much fun!

By the time we had finished our rides, and more rides and trip to watch the penguins, we were well hungry and ready for a mega meal. Alas, although Legoland closes at 10, the restaurants all close at 8, which coincidentally, had past 10 minutes before we began our search for our evening repaste. Rats!
We eventually found a hotel that backed on to Legoland so ate like Kings and pigs from a large buffet of cost unknown (sometimes its best not to ask), then set off to the carpark. Alas, by now it was after 10 so the park had shut and our way through Legoland to the carpark had therefore also been removed. returning through the hotel, out a side door and across a few roads, we made our way carwards - not a whinge from any kid including 5 year old and very tired Julie.

at the hotel exit: The real Dark Lord....Volde-who?

We really were the last ones to leave. I was about 10:30 by the time we got to the cars (just getting dark). Two cars left in the carpark - just enough for all of us.

Empty carpark

The day / night still had a few more treats with Bo stopping a couple of times on the "way" back for some must see sights - no wonder he is such good friends with Christian.
We saw the burial stones of the first great King (and Queen) of Denmark - the first time "Denmark" is mentioned. The tradition was to be buried in "mounds" which were man made great big hills. You could see the 2 large burial mounds.

A mini Danish Stonehenge....even more cool at midnight

Next stop was a viking ship in a large lake - bright half moon reflecting into the water. Not a great camera angle so around to the other side we trekked - by now the Danish kids are fast asleep in the back of car 2. To even the score, Ree touched the fence near the lake - electrified, she jumped quite high. I know that feeling. Ouch.

Can just see the Viking Ship in the shadows.....not so for the electric fence

Definitely enough for one day - home after midnight and asleep in 2.3 millisconds.

Enough