In May 2020, Karin Valencia Vitalis came to Denmark from Madrid. The 39-year-old civil engineer was part of the first team at FLC (Femern Link Contractors, ed), which came to Rødbyhavn to work on the Fehmarn link when the construction work on the Danish side began.
– It was a great opportunity for me. I got the job, so now we’re here, smiles Karin, who moved alone to Rødbyhavn to start with. Later, her husband, the artist Sergio Rubio Presa, also moved up from Burgo in Spain.
– When I came to the island, I could not find a house in Maribo. So I found this. The landlords are really nice … yes, they have almost become friends. They live in Copenhagen. But as soon as something is wrong, it is fixed the next day, says Karin about the redstone villa in Rødbyhavn.
Loves big challenges
39-year-old Karin has already tried a bit of everything as a civil engineer. She loves working on large construction projects and has previously worked on the construction of a bridge over the Panama Canal.
– It’s hard to return to working on smaller projects once you’ve worked on something this big. I got a permanent job with an engineering company in Spain. But I quickly started to get bored. That’s why I applied to the Fehmarn connection, says Karin.
The job opportunities after 2029 will also determine whether the small family stays in Rødbyhavn.
– It is important to me that there is another big project nearby if we are to stay in Denmark. It could be another tunnel, a bridge or the like. Ultimately, we must be able to find work, explains Karin.
Absolutely fine with a bit of peace
All in all, the couple are happy with the decision to move the tent poles to Rødbyhavn and create the framework for their family here.
– It is very quiet here. It is, of course, a huge difference between Panama City, where two million people live, and Burgos, where 200,000 people live. Now we are in Rødbyhavn … There are not so many people here. But we feel pretty good about that. Maybe we’ve just reached the age where it’s perfectly fine to have a bit of peace, laughs Karin.
