Having the Venø Ferry in Your Backyard

Can you hear it?

The engine hums deeply, the ramp lifts slightly, and the propeller whips up the water.

In just three minutes, the ferry will dock on Venø, but that is plenty of time to adjust to the slow-paced island life. At least, that is how Lise Aggerholm feels. She lives in the old ferry master's house right at the tip of the harbor, and even though she and her husband live there all year round, it still feels like staying at a summer holiday home. A bit like being on vacation all year long.

The Venø ferry docks right in Lise's backyard, so she doesn't have a long commute. At the age of 52, she left her career as a primary school teacher behind and trained to become a ferry navigator. Although she misses the children, she is glad every single day that she dared to make the career change—both when she sits on the bridge navigating the ferry, and when she walks the deck checking tickets. On the bridge, she enjoys the view and the tranquility, and on the deck, she loves the quick chats she gets to have with both islanders and tourists.

Lise is happy that it is the Venø side she steps onto when she is off duty. To her, island life means solidarity and community. The people of Venø depend on each other, just as they depend on their little ferry and the people who sail it.