Sondeborg in Denmark - fifth country visited

We don't count UK but so far we have been to France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and now Denmark.
We are, however, really starting to cruise slowly now because we are enjoying the places and scenery so much. Corinthian sailors would be disgusted with our progress, but our excuse is quality rather than quantity, (it probably is that, just an excuse)!
We left Wandering Star watching the tennis on their satellite telly on Sunday 8th July and ambled through the lifting bridge at Kappeln and up the Schlei using just the genoa as we could not be bothered to rush. Incredibly picturesque with rolling hills coming down to the waters edge. We stopped and anchored in a little bay above the town of Schleswig and watched the world go by for a couple of hours and then turned back through the lifting bridge again and further down the fjord to an anchorage close the entrance. The weather forecast was not cheerful, ( second hand English weather approaching), so we anchored in 2 1/2 metres of water close to the shore for protection from the forecast wind. Not something you would try in a tidal environment. Just after we had anchored, a huge black cloud like a biblical portent of doom approached and it started to pour with rain and to thunder. A catamaran came scudding by and dropped anchor in even shallower water, and when the rain eased, Iain Kidsen (CA member) came over in his dinghy and invited us for drinks!
Next morning, Monday 9th Wandering Star came down to us, we sailed out of the Schlei and North to the large fjord that leads to Sonderborg and on to Flensburg. The middle of this fjord is the border between Germany and Denmark. The original border was much further South, making Denmark a considerably larger country, but in 1864, the Germans beat the Danes at the battle of Dybbol (close to Sonderborg), and so Denark shrunk.
The weather forecast for the area was grim predicting F6-7in the afternoon, but as we only had twenty miles to go to a protected anchorage and left at 9:30 we thought it worth the effort especially as it was a broad reach all the way.
Both boats roared down wind under genoa alone, the sails gradually being furled as the wind increased. To get into the chosen anchorage in Vemmingbund Bay West of Sonderburg required a cross wind reach and then we felt the wind. I only saw 35 knots but the local marina claimed it was gusting 40. The grief only lasted for an hour though before we were in the lee of land and both boats anchored in less than 3m and calm water with the wind roaring through the trees onshore but just a breeze at water level.
Today, 10th July was a record for a short sail, just three miles to the big marina at the entrance to the town of Sonderborg. A lovely historic town.
The queen of Denmark is here!
Nice of her to visit in her beautiful classic motor yacht 'Danneborg' just to see us, we have had a wash and brush up collected a case of beer from the local supermarket and await our invite to her summer residence!