Billund Archives — Travel with Gunst

A week later, we travelled to Billund, and we stayed there three days until I took a flight to Rome.

Even though Billund is an essential touristic focus and contains Denmark’s second most important airport, there is no train station to get there. So we took a train from Randers to Vejle and then a bus to Billund. The total time was around three hours, which was nothing having Ida as a company.

The city lives through Lego. If I were the King of Denmark, I would rename it to Legoland.

Here you have Worldwide Lego’s factory (they produce 85% of world Lego), Lego Worldwide Headquarters, Lego House and Lego Resort.

The only thing that is not Lego in Billund is The Teddy Bear Art Museum, which I can recommend to you if you are dating someone. Even Billund Airport was built by Lego (however was transferred later to public administration).

Legoland was still open in November, but only on weekends. It is understandable with this weather closed to 0 degrees. It was lovely to go through Miniland with Ida and imagine an incredible world where we end happily ever after.

I even thought of having kids and raising them in Denmark. I imagined learning Danish and talking to my kids about how I ended randomly in this country and fell in love with your mother.

Ida seemed like the perfect girl on Earth: she is clever, funny, attractive and sensitive. In addition to that, she loved art, literature, nature and parks.

“Benjamin Gunst, I am not going to ask you to stay. But I have enjoyed a lot being with you these days”.

I just had the courage to say “Me too”.

“I’d love to meet you again.”

“What if we plan to meet on your next vacation? Maybe in the summertime”, I said hopefully.

“It sounds good, but do not plan it. Your life is beautiful now because it is full of spontaneous moments and unpredictable events. I don’t want to be your only event on your calendar. If we are going to meet again, you will be surprised by it”.

And then we kissed.

I still don’t know why I took that Ryanair flight to Rome.

What I like about Randers is Ida and the magic that surrounds her.

The morning after the dinner, Ida picked me up at my hotel. Then we visited three museums: Randers Kunstmuseum, Museum Østjylland and the Memphis Mansion.

I have to say that Memphis Mansion is worthy, as you don’t expect to have the most extensive collection of Elvis items in a humble city outside the United States.

I also had a fabulous experience at Randers Kunstmuseum. Even though it is a typical art museum of a small European city, Ida imprinted all her energy showing it to me as she works there.

The museum contains an extensive selection of arts from Denmark and abroad. They are chronologically placed from the late 18th Century (the Golden Age of Danish art) to our days showing how Denmark Art Scene has changed through the ages. As Ida did her master’s in Danish Gold Age Art, she was living the life of her dreams.

It was marvellous to see her explaining with great passion the works of names such as C. W. Eckersberg, J. Th. Lundbye, Vilhelm Kyhn that I never heard before. I got fascinated by Tróndur Patursson’s Koskisk Rum; it was the artistic highlight of the day.

So far, I haven’t expressed my interest to Ida because I feel so impure to even make her acknowledge my intentions. But I couldn’t resist admiring her at the Kosmik Rum dome.

She noticed it and smiled.

She invited me to have dinner at her place again, but I asked her to go to a restaurant. She accepted and suggested Café Jens Otto for beers. The night was going excellent until Jessica appeared.

“Come to Italy, Benjamin. I want to talk to you,” she texted.

Ida invited me to stay over a couple of days at her place so I would have the chance to relax the back and forth travelling and to experience living in a Danish neighbourhood.

“If you decide to stay one week until I am free of work at the museum, I can take you to Billund. There is a park there and also a very well connected airport.”

I couldn’t say no. My only problem was that I wanted to stay with her forever. I don’t know why I didn’t mention it.

“Where are you going after, Benjamin Gunst?”

“Maybe Italy,” my mouth said. But my mind wanted to stay in Randers. I don’t know why I needed to go to Italy, I don’t know why I bought that ticket from Billund.

“Let’s talk next week. I am flying to Rome, Jessica”.