Hello from… Ærø, a remote Danish island in the South Funen archipelago—around three hours from Copenhagen (by train and ferry). Only accessible by water (unless you have a private plane), the island’s cabin-dotted dunes, quaint fishing villages, and wildlife-filled beach meadows are still relatively undiscovered. Most visitors make port in Ærøskøbing, a beautifully preserved marina town lined with cobblestone streets of timber-framed houses with brightly painted doorways, some of which are over 750 years old. Locals mostly get about by boat and bicycle, with well-marked coastal trails criss-crossing from one tip of the island to the other—covering dramatic cliffs at nature reserve Voderup Klint, and sprawling farmland with roadside stalls selling orchard-grown goods.
Where I’m staying… Hotel The Monica, the three-bedroom boutique guesthouse of former Danish model Monica Conradsen. Geismar’s bed linens line-dry in the garden, the scent of home-baked coconut macaroons lingers in the open kitchen, and Frama bath oils keep long soaks in Room Three’s green, freestanding tub extra bubbly. Monica decorated the entire house herself, filling the library with her favourite magazines, collaborating with Danish textile designer Helene Blanche on bespoke wallpaper throughout, and even sketched the designs for her kitchen cabinetry which now hold countless cookbooks, time-honored recipes, and especially made dinnerware by Danish ceramicist Hanne Bertelsen (who is also stocked in Copenhagen’s Louisiana Design shop). Every little detail has been meticulously thought of, and yet it’s all very lived-in and laid-back.
The best meal (or two) I had… Monica cooked every meal for us over the long weekend, using herbs from her garden and the finest cuts of meat from the local butcher. Her signature lamb and potatoes were served on a big, sharing-style plate with heaps of seasonal vegetables, followed by a velvet-smooth Valrhona chocolate cake. I also discovered the life-altering combination of marmalade on toast topped with an artisan disc of Peter Beier dark chocolate at breakfast (Monica kindly sent me home with a tin so that I could continue my chocolate-orange obsession).
The most fun thing I did… Each morning began with a cold plunge in the Baltic Sea. There are lots of wild swimming spots around Ærø, including Kleven Havn along the coast (with its wood-fired sauna to warm up in) and Vesterstrand’s sandy shoreline, backed by colourful beach houses which have stood, exactly as they are, for over 100 years. There are baskets of waffle-knit towels, hand-embroidered sun hats, and striped robes by aiayu in each of The Monica’s rooms to keep swimmers feeling stylish and snuggly. We walked back with wet hair and salty skin and ate breakfast in our bathing suits.
The book I read… We, The Drowned by Carsten Jensen charts the seafaring story of Marstal, Ærø’s main shipping port, and four generations of its sailors who fight—and eventually defeat—the Germans by the end of WWII. You’ll feel as though you’ve vicariously sailed around the world, and yet remained anchored on Ærø all the while.
The playlist on repeat… This was very much an unplugged break, so I simply soaked up the sounds of the waves, bicycle bells clanging on cobbled streets, and distantly honking wild geese flying overhead.
What I packed… Having perused The Monica’s shop online, I knew there’d be plenty of knitwear from Guðrun & Guðrun, hand-loomed Rejkjær coats, and APOF blouses to layer if I’d packed too lightly. Not the most glamorous, but some water shoes will also come in handy for those Nordic dips.
A thing or two I learned… While visiting Hammerich’s Hus, the higgledy-piggledy holiday home of Danish sculptor Gunnar Hammerich, known locally as the Red House (just a few doors down from The Monica), we spotted rows upon rows of ceramic mugs hanging from the low ceilings. These individually designed vessels were made for each of Hammerich’s overnight guests, so that each of his creative friends (the house became a popular gathering place for painters and poets) might return for a drink.
The best thing I’m bringing home… I can’t wait to hang my Hotel The Monica bauble on my tree this Christmas. I’ve been collecting festive decorations on my travels for years, and this hand-painted addition carries lots of cosy memories from my time on the island (which also hosts the most magical winter market each December).
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