The marked bicycle route to the island of Mon took us through quiet back roads and past incredibly beautiful pastoral scenery. One duck pond could have inspired a Disney movie. The animals included ducks with ducklings and goats with baby goats. The cottage behind it was being re-thatched.

Our accommodation on Mon island was in a 200 years old farmhouse. It was built in a square around a central courtyard.

We had the wing that would originally been a row of worker's cottages. It was tastefully renovated with all the modern comforts but still retained the original character.

The owners had retired from Copenhagen and renovated the buildings, renting out the cottage to supplement their pensions.

Although the cottage was in a tiny hamlet there was a restaurant within walking distance. The menu was unremarkable, we had pepper steak and schnitzel, but the quality was astounding. We found that if you compare Danish and Australian restaurant prices then Denmark seems expensive, but the quality makes Denmark better value.

We stayed three nights in Mon, one day touring the island to see the famous white cliffs. Unfortunately we didn't actually see the cliffs because we didn't want to risk leaving our bikes unattended while we walked down to the beach, and you can't see cliffs from the top.

The Danish countryside is remarkably unspoiled. The population has generally shifted from country to city and there are very few modern houses or new industries in the country.

Many people cycle and use public transport so the back roads have few cars. The farming is mainly crops, there is little stock, and so there aren't many fences alongside the road giving open vistas.