Denmark in a Nutshell

Location of the first Asfeldt home
in Herning. 

Sunday's mountain bike trek with the Danes was a blast. Biking with Aalborg's fastest cyclists was by no means a walk in the park, as suggested by the excursion's heart rate summary. I was impressed with the trails and it was a very good time. I have since travelled to Herning, along with Ruth, who showed me both her summer house and that of Hans and Marthe. We also stopped in and had a good visit with Niklas and Dorthe. Now staying at Vivian and Birthe's, I have been busy sight-seeing and Vivian has given me the complete tour of Denmark. We went over to "the wrong side of the tracks", where both he and Farfar (Johs) grew up. After the war, I am told they were part of a gang there, in order to stand up to the "enemy" on the other side of the train tracks. This along with other memories made number 31 an interesting place to see.

On Tuesday, it was back to school- and I thought I would never have to go back! This time, though, it was in Danish! I was invited by my cousin, Allette, to spend a day with her at school. It was great to talk to the young people of Denmark. Many things were different here from in Canada; the universal use of laptops, the absence of lockers and bells between classes, and the general atmosphere itself. I also got an impression of very positive staff-student interaction. For the most part, students seemed to be left to their own freedom, which, when not playing Tetris, appeared to be used quite efficiently. I attended a biology class and a physics class, both of which covered material I was already familiar with. This made the language barrier somewhat easier to cross. I even answered a question in physics! History and "Innovations" on the other hand... I was a little lost amid 70 minutes of Danish lecturing- although, Allette did give me the impression that she learned about as much as did. But overall it was a great day and dragging myself out of bed at 6:30 turned out to be very worth while.

Among the many road trips through the countryside of my ancestors, was a trip to Hodsager, the birth place of Johs, Vivian, and Holger. A walk through the meadow inspired stories of various Asfeldt adventures from years ago (about 70 years ago!). Although the farm was torn down, Vivian showed me their potato bunker (now a small museum) and the church. During their years at Hodsager, a nieghbor often let out her domestic doves. Unfortunately, the doves consistently chose to eat the chicken feed at the Asfeldt farm. My great-grandmother had had enough of this, and after futile complaints, she eventually trapped them. Vivian tells me this neighbor came by one day, inquiring as to the whereabouts of her doves, asking if they had been seen lately. "No, we haven't seen them." The dove keeper left, oblivious that her birds were right under her nose, sizzling on the stove.

Niklas came to Herning on Wednesday, and we spent a few hours at the mall, while the rain poured outside (it rained incessantly for more than two straight days). It was a good time, Niklas is very easy to talk to. He also accompanied us up to a lake, the name of which escapes me (names are hard to remember when you can't even pronounce them in the first place), and we then continued on toVivian and Birthe's summer house. We were finally lucky enough to have a day of sunshine, and the water was beautiful.

I must apologize because I have a failed to mention what may be the most important aspect of Denmark. You guessed it, the food! So far, I have eaten every day. I meant I have eaten LOTS every day. Pastries for breakfast, Danish butter and cheeses, etc. for lunch, and everything else for supper. Dad told me before I left that I would likely be eating potatoes every day. He was right. He also said that every time I eat potatoes, they will have a different sauce, or be cooked in a different dish. He was right. The food is great and I am not yet tired of potatoes. On Wednesday I went for a run around the lake to try and burn off some of the pastries. On Thursday, though, I ate as much as possible, partly because Torben's steaks and Helle's potatoes tasted so good, but also to heed Vivian's warning that I would likely starve in Norway, where they eat fish for breakfast, fish for lunch, and fish for supper (don't worry, I like fish). The post-dinner football and hockey games were a blast with young Holger. I did not realize there were such skilled hockey players in Denmark (not exacly the land of ice and snow).

My stay in Denmark was highly enjoyable, and I must thank everyone for their very generous hospitality. I am sure to return soon.

-written en route to Oslo (on the ferry, where it is very difficult to get around with four pieces of luggage, let alone use the washroom, or find something to eat)