OUT OF RUNGSTEDLUND

Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke had a farm in Africa … and in Denmark. Also known under the pen name “Isak Dinesen,” the author was born there in 1885 and spent most of her 76 years on the country estate Rugstedlund. Seventeen years of her adult life were spent in Kenya, where she and her Swedish husband (also her cousin), Bror Blixen-Finecke, bought a coffee plantation. Her experiences in running its operations and living and dealing with local African staff were recounted in her 1937 memoir, Out of Africa. After reading the book and seeing the Award-winning movie adaptation with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, I was determined to make a pilgrimage to the place where she had penned it. During a recent trip to Copenhagen, the opportunity finally arrived.

To reach Rungstedlund, I took a 35-minute train ride north to Rungsted Kyst and from there, walked 15 minutes through the forest to what is now the Karen Blixen Museum. And oh, what a glorious place! Arriving at the property, located across the Øresund Sound, I quickly understood how the ancient trees, sprawling fields, and colorful flower beds nurtured Blixen’s love of nature and the outdoors from a young age. Growing up, these surroundings and her interest in Danish folklore, fairy tales, and mythology sparked a creative flair for storytelling that continued during her time in Africa. It was here at Rungstedlund where she wrote and then published her first work, Seven Gothic Tales in 1934, followed by her most famous book, Out of Africa, in 1937.

Originally serving as an inn and working farm, the property dates back to 1680 and was purchased by Blixen’s father, Wilhelm Dinesen, in 1879. Walking into the threshold of the family home with its original furnishings, such as the dining room pictured below, feels like entering another century. With guest place cards and fresh flowers from the garden set on the table, it seems that the author briefly stepped away into the kitchen to check on the turtle soup or quail entree.

Karen Blixen was an avid hostess and spent weeks preparing for her guests, who never numbered more than seven. While her cook, Caroline Carlsen, cooked the dinners, she created the floral bouquets from blooms in her vast gardens. In the green 60s-style kitchen, the author’s cook books, china, and crystal glasses—some which she had taken to Kenya with her—are on display (see below).

I gravitated to the Green Room, where the author had typed her works on a Corona typewriter similar to the one here. Set amid the rich green tones of the walls, a table for four is positioned at the other end of the room. The wicker chair at the head was the favorite of her lover Denys Finch-Hatton when they sat together by the fireplace in her African home, Mbogani. The gramophone he had given her is also in the room. If you strain your ears, you may hear distant echoes of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, as featured in the film “Out of Africa.”

Blixen named her father’s former study (below) after 18th century Danish poet-dramatist Johannes Ewald, who had stayed at the property when it was Rungsted Inn. A bust of his likeness looks down on visitors from a cabinet on the right side of the room. On the opposite wall, some of Mr. Dinesen’s guns are mounted. There are also sentimental artifacts and mementoes from Ms. Blixen’s years in Africa.

An avid reader, Karen Blixen had an impressive home library (photo below) that would make any bibliophile envious. Although a long narrow room, it is lined from wall to ceiling with classics by Dickens, Melville, Goethe, and others. Some of her fellow contemporary authors, such as Anthony Powell and Carlson McCullers, are also represented. My husband Otto couldn’t resist taking a photo of this book lover.

Upon entering the bedroom, I was at once struck by the size of the diminutive bed. Then I remembered that when the author died of malnutrition in that room in 1962, she was severely underweight due to her minimal daily diet of raw oysters, grapes, and champagne. A sign posted in the room informs visitors that she also relied on strong medicines for the chronic abdominal pain that plagued her most of her adult life. Given her physical weakness, the beautiful views of the Sound outside the windows must have buoyed her spirits.

The room is covered from floor to ceiling in dark pinewood with a black iron stove from a manor house, Wedellsborg, that she visited as a child. At the foot of the bed sits a well worn suitcase, which could almost trick the visitor into thinking Ms. Blixen has returned from a recent adventure and will soon greeting us downstairs.

In Out of Africa Karen Blixen mentions how she and Denys discussed their future burial sites, which she suggested to him was, “a place in the hills, on the first ridge in the Game Reserve.” On occasion, when they ventured into the hills, he would say, “Let us drive as far as our graves.” Mr. Finch-Hatton’s wish was granted, but not in the way the lovers had envisioned. After he was killed in a plane crash in May, 1931, Karen had him buried there. However, she soon returned to Denmark and outlived Denys by 31 years. During that time, she never made it back to Africa to visit his grave.

After touring the museum, enjoying tea and cakes at Madam Carlsens Cafe, and walking past the charming gardens back to the train station, we arrived at Karen Blixen’s final resting spot. She is buried under an enormous 300-year-old beech wood with a tombstone that simply states her name and no other details. Her true love, Denys Finch-Hatton is buried over 6,000 miles away. I couldn’t help shedding a few tears as I imagined how distressed she must have felt that she and Denys could not reunite in death with a return to her beloved Africa.

Otto and I walked back to the station with our hearts full, inspired by her love of beauty and nature, and eager to read more of her memoirs and stories. The latter should keep us satisfied until our next visit to Rungstedlund.

For more information on visiting: https://blixen.dk/en. The Museum is closed on Mondays and opens on other days at 11 a.m., closing at 9 p.m. from Tuesday-Thursday and at 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Admission is 100 DKK for adult, 60 for students under age 27, and free for those under 18. I recommend spending at least half a day there to tour the former home, shop at the gift store, and enjoy tea and cakes or a traditional open sandwich, smørrebrød. The gardens are gorgeous and peaceful, as are the bucolic surroundings. Enjoy!