Loving Denmark

The trip is winding to a close and this is the nearest I've been to a computer in a week--except for the all-important hour each night that my sister and I have spent calling Northwest Airlines or the Amsterdam airport or Copenhagen luggage services. (You know to assist them in tracking down a little thing called our luggage.)

It has been hotter than we expected or planned for and I got sunburned the other day on our mile-long hike down the beach to the point where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea crash together. The water was lovely and icy cold and I loved walking in the sand and having it crash around my ankles. But I was surprised by the bright, hot ferocity of the sun that day as we expected this part of our trip to be the coolest so far. We've had one day of rain--on the island of Mon last Monday--but every other day has been warm and humid. It has been perfect sight-seeing weather.

Just two days ago we spent time tracking down my mother's side of the family here in Denmark. They joined the church in 1862 and waited until 1878 to emigrate to the U.S. They were regularly mobbed by anti-Mormon zealots when they tried to gather for worship services and my great, great, great-grandfather more than once had chunks of his thick, black hair pulled out when the mobbers attacked him. Apparently he was also fleet of foot and learned rather quickly how to outmanuever the attackers.

Yesterday we were in Roskildne at the Viking museum and the great cathedral. I bought a tiny Viking ship to hang on my Christmas tree and remind me of the hardscrabble and brutal past of the Danes. We dressed as Vikings and sat in boats taking pictures. I will share the ones of Rus dressed up as a Viking knight as soon as I can.

Right now, I'm sitting at the breakfast table surrounded by my siblings eating the famous Danish breakfast. Here is some of what is on the menu: scrambled eggs, soft and hard-boiled eggs, bacon, potato, sausages, three kinds of milk, yogurt, mixed fruit, oranges, apples, six kinds of bread, several types of jam and cheese, all kinds of ham, beef and turkey deli meats, pastries, lots of cereal and cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and carrots.

Is that enough food for you???

Every breakfast, every place we have stayed is like this. We've had a family vote and decided that Danish breakfasts should be instituted in America generally and in Utah specifically. Yummo!

Wish me luck as we continue our great Danish adventure. Today's schedule includes church and the Carl Bloch paintings.

Oh happy day!