Last days in Copenhagen
Trip Start
Jun 24, 2008
1
37
41
Trip End
Aug 28, 2008
Fredericia,
Jutland,
Denmark
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sunday
Today we were having a Danish lunch. Lots of different things, pickled herring, liver pate with bacon, roast pork with cracking, fish balls, fish fillets, shrimp, chicken carry salads, salami and lots more and of course all kind of delicious chesses. I try to make Danish lunches at home, but they are never as good as the ones we get in Denmark, and Marianne always makes it look so easy.
Søren had already done some shopping and Marianne and I went and got the finally bits in the morning.
We picked our sister Birgit up at the train station. Later our brother Peter arrived with mor
Soren fishing
. He was on call, but was hoping he wouldn't be called. He is the pathologist for Southern Denmark. Unfortunately he was called and had to leave early for a 3 hour drive. The rest of us had a very nice lunch, ate far too much as usual. It was lovely seeing Birgit again and catching up with her news. I think mor enjoyed being there, but a times it's hard to tell. We had planned to take a photo of the 4 siblings but Peter (brother) left before we had a chance. Peter (husband) took one of the 3 of us leaving a space for Peter, after all he would be back the next day. With Photoshop it should not be a problem insert him. Later in the afternoon I took some photos of Marianne and Søren, and Marianne took some of Peter and me. I had taken some of Claus and his brother Peter for her earlier in the day. In the evening some friends of Marianne's came round, we had skipped dinner and so had some wine and cheese when they came. It was a very pleasant end to a good day.
Monday 18th.
A pretty quiet day. While far was alive I sent lots of photos to them. He had put them all in albums (with dates). After he died, mor said they were mine but she would like to keep them for the time being
Lunch
. Now was the time to bring them home. We had bought a big box at the post office and the albums just about fitted in them, a bit of spare space for some clothes and books I didn't need. I had expected it to take at least 6 weeks, but the form from the Post Office said 5 - 7 working days, so Søren said the would post them next week. Couldn't risk that they actually arrived while we were still away. Far had also kept all my letters, but I wanted to take them in my luggage. Marianne photocopied some years (65-71) some years ago and sent them to me. I thought they were the earliest ones, but I now found they dated right back to when I learnt to write. Quite amazing to get your whole life back like that. I'm really looking forward to reading them and getting them on the computer for my girls. The early ones were of course written in Swedish. Peter (brother) arrived late after noon stayed for dinner and we then drove with him back Fredericia a 2 hour drive. Up till about 10 years ago when they built a bridge you had to take a ferry across '"Store Baelt", which from memory took a couple of hours.
Had a drink and a chat with Julia when we got there and then off to bed.
Peter had taken the day off so we could spend it together. We started with a walk in the forest
1-Lunch
. Only a 10 minutes walk from there house, but with Peters sore knee we drove there. We took his dog Fluffy with us, we then did a tour around the area. Starting off by having an ice-cream down by the water. Great strawberry icecream and very generous too. We asked and were charged for 2 scopes but got at least 4 in each. Only problem was that there wee quite a lot of wasps around that were keen to share our ice creams. Next we headed into Frederica to buy a computer for Sebastian. Peter wanted my advice. Hopefully I gave the right advice. We ended up with a nice grunty machine. Fluffy is a very obedient dog. Peter has a hatchback, he leaves the dog in the back with the hatch open and it stays there.
We then drove around town. Frederica is a lovely old town (pop. 40000) , with most of it's rampart still in tact. It was founded in 150 by Frederic III. It was built with defence in mind, so all the streets are very straight to ease troop movement. There are many lovely old houses in the centre of town.
We then had a look at a mini copy of the town anno 1890. All the houses are scale models of house. Some houses still stand. It's a work in progress with about 1 new house added each week
the 3 Peters
. We drove across Lille Baelts broen to Fyn and Middlefart, where we had a nice lunch by the waters edge having a view of both the old and new Lille Baelts bro.
We had a lovely dinner, Peter and I went for a short walk after dinner. We had originally planned to drive with Peter to Odense (where he works) on Tuesday morning and take the train from there, but he had to be in court in Svendborg at 9.30. So we decided it would be much easier for us to take a taxi to the railway station in Frederica.
Tuesday 21st.
We had a nice slow start to the morning, taxi arrived as booked at 9.30. It wasn't far to the station and it only cost 71 D.Kr which was less than we paid for a taxi to the airport at home (9minutes).
The train was very comfortable so the 1 ½ past pretty quick. We were going to visit Peters cousin Jane and her husband Niels. I had woken with a headache that slowly worked itself into a migraine. Niels picked us up at the station in Slagelse about 45 minutes from their home
Birgit, soren Claus
. By the time we got there my migraine was pretty bad. And for once I didn't have any migraine tablets, Neurofen did nothing. Jane had put on a lovely lunch, but I have to admit I didn't eat much. Still it was lovely seeing them again and their daughter Emilie. Marianne arrived around 2pm and had coffee with us. She was in high school with Niels and has of course always know Jane as Jane's mother was not only Peter's aunt but also my godmother.
We got back to Marianne's just after 5pm. She went to do some shopping while Peter and I packed. An other nice dinner, with both the boys. It has been great to see them again. Claus was in France too, but Peter was working, so it was lovely that he came around so often.
It will be sad to leave Denmark, our time was much to short, we had planned to spend much more time there, but by the time all the other plans had been laid we had run out of time. I so wish we lived closer to Marianne and Søren. The good news is that they are coming to visit us in January. We will really have to do something special to match their hospitality.
