All the fixed time frames, calendar features, and notifications fade away a bit more up here

When and why did you buy the summer house?

“We dreamed of spending more vacations here at home. It might be a bit of a cliché to say these days, but that doesn’t make it any less true. We also wanted a safe haven for our children. They’ve gotten old enough now that they can go to a summer house on their own with their friends. We searched intensively for a house for two years. We live in a small town called Tårnby, between Hjørring and Hirtshals, and we’ve always known that if we were going to have a summer house, it had to be here in Tversted. We bought the summer house—our first one—last May. Since then, we’ve been doing ongoing renovations, which we’ll probably never quite finish. There’s always something new we’d like to do.”

What’s the first thing you do when you arrive?

“If it’s winter, the first thing we do is always light a fire in the wood-burning stove. In the summer, there’s usually one of us who goes out and gets all the outdoor areas ready: setting out cushions, preparing for a bonfire, and things like that. Our entire property, which is 3,000 square meters, is fenced in because we have our dog, Billie, with us, so we always let her off the leash as one of the first things we do so she can run around freely.”

What are your rituals at the summer house?

“We always get ice cream when we’re here. There are three ice cream shops in a row on the beach, and we’re always down there. We also grill every evening, and then we often end up out by the bonfire.”

> It’s not every day that kids that age want to go on vacation with their parents

What do you allow yourselves to do at the summer house that you never do in your everyday life?

“Generally, we’re a little more laid-back, we step away from our daily routine, and we don’t worry about sand on the floor. All the fixed schedules, calendar reminders, and notifications fade into the background a bit more up here. Bedtimes aren’t strictly enforced, and we just give ourselves permission to do more. And we’re allowed to eat those sweet breakfast items that come in boxes when we’re at the summer house.”

What has surprised you most about having a summer house?

“First and foremost, how great the surroundings have been for helping us slow down. But we’ve also been surprised by how much the rest of the family loves the place. We have two teenage girls, ages 14 and 17, who love coming along. It’s not every day that kids that age want to go on vacation with their parents. This summer, all seven of us are getting together. Even our 23-year-old son, who’s the assistant chef at Falkenberg Strandbad, is coming along. You’d think he’d have all sorts of other things to do. We’ve also had to buy a tent for the yard so we can all sleep here.”

What’s the next thing you’d like to do at your summer house?

“We’ve ordered a sauna that’s coming in August. It’ll be set up down in the beach area we’ve created. It comes with a large panoramic window at one end, so you can sit inside in the warmth and enjoy the view of this protected dune landscape, which is incredibly beautiful. Eventually, we’ll also be redoing our patio, so that’s the next big project we have in the works.”

What’s the best lunch or dinner to enjoy at the summer house?

“We’ve ‘invented’ a twist-bread dough with ham, mozzarella, and oregano, which has become very popular among our friends and family. It tastes really good, too, if we do say so ourselves. Otherwise, it’s the classic meal of Danish potatoes, salad, and a piece of organic chicken on the grill. It doesn’t get much better than that.”