Last week, I visited the island of Bornholm for a paleontologic meeting.
This is a Danish island that is far removed from the remainder of Denmark.
Bornholm is in the Baltic Sea at roughly the same distance from Sweden,
Germany, and Poland. The beach shells (arcs, mussels) are adult but very
small, and I was told that they are stunted by living in brackish water.
The Baltic Sea is the world's largest expanse of brackish water, and the
seawater around Bornholm is drinkable, though not palatable. It was
peculiar to see freshwater-loving plants growing on the cliff and upper
beach. Unfortunately, I did not have time to collect shells; we were on the
beach to look at trace fossils in the seacliffs.
 
The island is a resort, and ferries ply the waters of the Baltic all year
round, carrying cars, busses, and passengers to enjoy a few days in a quiet
place. I have never seen anything like these ferries in the United States;
they are large, clean, proud, and capable of carrying a thousand people at
a time. People can buy a berth in a cabin for one, two, or four, or sleep
in the bunkhouse, or else they sit in the cafeteria or enjoy the view from
one of the many decks. The ferries also have restaurants where one can
linger for hours over smoerrebroed (the Danish equivalent of smorgasbord, a
buffet meal) and good wine while watching the water and sky. English is the
second language of most Danes, so communication was not a problem.
 
The meeting was held in a pension (hotel) converted from an old windmill,
Limensgade Moelle, whose proprietor teaches at the University of
Copenhagen. She runs the place largely for the benefit of scientific
visitors. The bedrooms were basic but comfortable, and visitors had access
to a suite of common rooms as well. Meals were included. Located in the
midst of wheat fields, the Mill is a quiet place where one can concentrate
on work, reading, or a conference. Everyone left saying that they would
come back someday.
 
The Danes are generally a softspoken people, but I did witness one
exception. Just before the ferry left Roenne harbor in Bornholm, it carried
many teenagers who happily shouted school slogans back and forth to their
friends on the wharf. The well-wishers on the wharf burst into song,
apparently a school anthem, in beautiful harmony. The spirit of hilarity
continued as the ferry left its moorings and the crowd left on the land
followed the big ship along the wharf, to say goodbye until the last
moment.
 
The shell collecting is probably not very rich on this island in terms of
number of species. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience to see
the dwarfed fauna firsthand, the people are friendly, and if you like fish,
the food is wonderful. I'm already planning my next visit to Denmark.
 
Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama