Christmas Season in Denmark/Back in Texas

Christmas Season in Denmark/Back in Texas

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006--Copenhagen (Cont.)

Kurt and Finn came for dinner in the evening. It was nice to see them and learn about what is happening in their lives. We had a nice dinner--a first course of goat cheese on toast spread with a tomato tapenade, a main couse of roast beef with gravy and boiled new potatoes, and a dessert of fruit salad with creme fraiche.

Friday, Dec. 8, 2006--Copenhagen

I left the apartment around 10:45 a.m. to explore town. I took the train and metro to Kongens Nytorv, one of the main squares in town, to start my remembrance tour for seeing the Christmas decorations in town this year. I went through Magasin du Nord Department Store; walked down Strøget, the main shopping street; went into the Royal Copenhagen Shops to see the special exhibit of Christmas tables set up by artists this year; walked through Illum's Bolighus to see the contemporary furniture hoping to find something that I might want for my new apartment in San Antonio; and wandered through the Bohemian section of Copenhagen with its narrow streets and quaint shops. Then I walked past Tivoli Gardens on my way to Arne's sister's apartment.

Evy, Arvind and I drove to Farum to the campground where they have their trailer which serves as a summer house. I had not been there since they had moved there almost 3 years ago. They wanted me to see the changes they have made which included building a small guest house and installing a shower and toilet. Arvind and I wandered around the campground as he told me about the work he had done to help various people. Then Evy and I sat inside by the heater and visited as Arvind did some small maintenance work needed to prepare for the winter snows that will come.

Back in Copenhagen, we had dinner with their daughter and her husband. Evy made a very tasty dish that consisted of ground beef with a thick brown gravy. We poured it over mashed potatoes. Then neighbors from their summer house joined us and we all had coffee with Evy's homemade Christmas cookies.

Saturday, Dec. 9, 2006--Copenhagen

I had three engagements today in my effort to see as many of my friends as possible while here. I started by going to Old Grethe's at 11 a.m. She suffers from macular degeneration, so it is more and more difficult for her to cook. Therefore, I took smøreebrød (Danish open-faced sandwiches) and we had them for lunch while we visited to catch up on the happenings of the year.

I left there about 2:15 to head to Paulett's, one of my friends from WHO where Arne worked. I took the metro to Kongens Nytorv, then I walked past Nyhavn and down Bredgade, one of Copenhagen's more fashionable streets with lots of auction galeries and nice home furnishings stores, before catching a bus to continue to her apartment. We had coffee and dessert while visiting. She has moved to her present apartment since the last time I visited her, so it was nice to see how beautiful it is and how well she has furnished it.

The final stop was dinner with Jens and Robert, my friends who are coming to San Antonio as Winter Texans for two months this year beginning Jan. 28. Nurse Grethe was already there when I arrived. We all had a nice welcome drink. Then we had a wonderful dinner that started with each of us having half a lobster with garlic mayonnaise. That was followed with slices of beef served with the drippings and boiled new potatoes. For dessert, we had a chocalate tarte.

Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006--Copenhagen

Today, Nurse Grethe and I took the train to the northern part of Zealand for a Christmas luncheon hosted by our friends Ejgil and Preben. There were 10 people there for the luncheon which began at 1 p.m. It was a big production with four first courses, four main courses, two desserts, and then various snacks--fruits, dried fruits, chocolates, cookies, etc. Among the first courses were two kinds of pickled herrings and two kinds of smoked salmon. The main courses included duck, glazed ham, roast beef, spinach in cream sauce, potatoes in cream sauce, tartelettes filled with chicken and asparagus, etc. Desserts included tiramisu and Preben's homemade shortbread. The luncheon lasted from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Along with all the food were servings of beer, aquavit, gin and tonic, coffee, cognac, etc.

Fortunately, a couple who attended the party gave Grethe and me a ride that was more than half way back to town. They dropped us at a major train station, and we only had to wait about 5 minutes to catch a train that would bring us back to our local station.

Monday, Dec. 11, 2006--Copenhagen to San Antonio

Well, today is finally here--the day for returning home to Texas finally arrived. My flight from CPH was not until 12:20. I left Nurse Grethe's apartment around 8:45, because I wanted to get to the airport to see if SAS would give me an Economy Flex seat on my flight to Washington Dulles Airport. Although I had called SAS and the man said he could see on the computer that I was qualified for an Economy Flex seat (further apart and more services), the man at the check-in counter and whoever he called would not agree to it. I, therefore, have decided to give up on SAS. They are the ONLY airline that will not give me seating in Economy Plus/Flex with my around-the-world tickets; all the others (United, Thai, ANA, etc.) do it automatically. And I have had the same problem with them year after year. Anyway, I had to accept the situation for today, but I will try to avoid the airline in the future.

The flight to Washington Dulles was only about 1/2 full. I moved across the aisle so that I had no one sitting beside me. It was a LONG trip followed by a horrible experience at the airport. Immigration and customs at Washington Dulles are the worst I have ever experienced. The area is too small, the number of agents is too few, the re-screening of transfer passengers is in too tight of an area without enough machines. And there were no toilets from when one left the plane until after one had gone through the whole process. People were all complaining and many said they were missing their connecting flights. It took me 1 1/4 hours to complete the process. That's about twice what it takes at any other airport. And because it was so uncomfortable, it seemed as if it were even longer.

I was lucky and made my connecting flight on United to San Antonio. My seat was Economy Plus with lots of leg room, just as it should have been. I didn't even have to ask for it; they could tell by looking at their computer screen. Although there were only 2 empty seats on the entire plane, one was beside me (due to none of the other economy passengers qualifying to move up to Economy Plus, I guess). I arrived back in SA at 7:45 p.m. which was about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. It took a while for the luggage to come out, however, so it was about our scheduled arrival time when I got mine.

I brought back one of Arne's suitcases with some things I have had stored here. I also had some gifts I had been given along the way including some Christmas decorations Paulette gave me Saturday, a mobile that Nurse Grethe gave me, and an advent candle holder that Evy and Arvind gave me. Everything made it here fine. I was so surprised, since the Christmas ornaments are delicate.

It is so nice to be home. I am tired of traveling. I enjoyed South Korea and Vietnam, but I planned too much time in India. I was looking forward to leaving there about 3 weeks before I actually did. It was a short visit in Copenhagen, but I think it was just the right length of time. I didn't seen all my friends, but I don't have to see them on each visit here. I don't expect them all to entertain me when I am here, and I don't want to make the effort to entertain all of them every time I am here. Some of them are planning trips to Texas which will make it easier for me to return their hospitality, and I am encouraging others to do so since it is too difficult for me to entertain them there without a place of my own. Now, I look forward to being at home and enjoying the Christmas season here for the first time in 22 years. (I've had Christmas in Copenhagen every year during that time.)

My travels will resume in May. My friend Wes from Corpus Christi and I will go to Alaska together for 12 days, then I will have 3 weeks in Taiwan and up to 6 weeks to travel the Indonesian archipeligo. That will take me back to Bangkok no later than Aug. 1 to end Around-the-World VII. I will buy a new ticket then. I'm not sure where I will travel from there on Around-the-World VIII. But I will be updating the blog and you can read about it here if you continue to follow my travel notes.