Live by the Sun - Love by the Moon: DAY 126 – I Love Hans Christian Anderson Stories!

July 23 - Time for Odense in a 12-hour Travel Day

We left Tjaeroborg early to get to the island of Møn, in Denmark. It was going to be another l-o-n-g travel day by train.

We saw many bridges along the way

In and out and over the waterways - pictures through the windows of the train.

Picturesque as sailboats are everywhere

We planned a 3 hour stopover in Odense to go to the famous HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN MUSEUM.

He is one of my favorite authors writing such stories as: The Tinderbox, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor's New Clothes.

April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875 - HCA was born in Odense.

He was the son of a shoemaker and most likely was born here in this little yellow house where his father's aunt and his grandmother had once lived. It was a very poor part of town and this was considered a run-down shack at the time. It was built in 1700 with only an earth floor; no brick or woodwork visible. Now these early houses around here are hard to buy and very expensive.

Rich poses in front of Andersen's birth house.

Although a writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories express themes that transcend age and nationality.

HCA books have been translated into 150 different languages, the most that any other author has seen.

The Ugly Duckling was one of his most famous stories. I used to play the song on the piano and sing it (but I lent it to one of my students and it's lost - :(

"There once was an Ugly Duckling with feathers all tarnished and brown,
The other birds in so many words said "Tsk - get of of town."

I still remember every word - such a cute song.

One of HCA's first sketches

Hans was also good at illustrating and had the most amazing knack of cutting out things with just an ordinary pair of scissors.

A couple of stories about Hans

The characters dance on the music

Funny story about leaving his scissors in his pants pocket.

I find his work with a pair of scissors just fascinating.

Miss Heiberg's Album with HCA cutouts. She saved all the ones he gave her.

During several periods in his life, HCS lived in Nyhaven, close to the Royal Theatre. This depicts where he lived his final years at Nyhaven 18 and shows the author's personal items.

I walked to the house where he grew up.

His childhood home from the front

It was very small and was shared with two other families in other areas of the house. Luckily he was the only child, so he got his own room.

Bedroom where he lived with typical furnishings

The kitchen area and tools of his father

An old woman who told him his fortune once said that he would be famous. "All of Odense will one day be lit up in his honour." Everyone in his family was so happy. You can tell that now from all the tourists that come here.

His home from the back.

The back yard was spacious with many flowers.

Hans always carried a rope with him while traveling. He was afraid of fire and thought if he was in a hotel, at least he could save himself by using the rope to lower himself from the window.

Most likely this is the church he attended- St. Canute's Cathedral or Odense Cathedral

Hans never married. A girl named Riborg Voigt was the love of Andersen's youth. A small pouch containing a long letter from Riborg was found on Andersen's chest when he died, several decades after he first fell in love with her, and after he supposedly fell in love with others.

Hans, his love, and the letter

I attended a 3o minute collage of several of Andersen's fairy tales presented in a musical fashion. It was in Danish, but music is the universal language, so I understood most everything. It was very good with mostly children playing the roles. It was free - we sat on the lawn and enjoyed!