The Christmas holidays were fantastic! Although I wasn’t home, I had a great time with family in Denmark and Norway.
I had a blast with the Aalborg folks (Hanne, Jørgen, Henrik, and Henriette, and Keld, Sanne, Stine, and Simone, Ruth was also visiting). We of course subscribed to all the good Danish traditions and ate plenty of delicious food. Although beneficial, the “pre-emptive pre-holiday” training turned out not to be completely necessary after all. If you know anything about Keld or Jørgen, they’re not your average couch potatoes… Given the abnormal amount of snow in Denmark, and a couple of brand-new sets of skis (Henrik and Keld’s), we took to the trails of Denmark, which, were actually quite impressive. In three days, we put in a solid five hours of skiing. (And yes, while traveling, I was asked numerous times why I was bothering to take skis to Denmark?) I also went for a run with Stine (fast!) the day after I arrived. While in Denmark, I realized the extent of my progress in Norwegian. Although there is certainly plenty of room for improvement, I appreciated being able to speak Norwegian with the Danish family and being able to understand a little bit of the Danish conversations. It was incomparable with my visit in August. It was a great time with everyone in Aalborg.
The next stop was at Sten, Dorthe, Niklas, and Jesper’s place. We enjoyed further Christmas treats, took in a movie (with Danish subtitles and butter-free popcorn), and went for a very enjoyable hike in the Viborg area. The weather was great (although maybe a little cold for the Danes!) and we went down to the lake where they keep a small fishing boat. Sten and Jesper provided me with some interesting geographic background while we enjoyed the crisp fresh air.
During my stay in Herning with Vivian, Birthe, Torben, Helle, Holger, and Allette, we continued to take advantage of the unusual winter weather. Being avid hockey fans, Torben and Holger had cleared off a hockey rink in front of their house. Along with a few neighbours, we picked up a game which revealed Holger’s very impressive skills! Torben and Helle: enjoy Holger while you can, I wouldn’t be surprised if Canada picks him up in next year’s draft! In the evening, we all piled in the car and went to The Herning Blue Fox hockey game. It was a nice change to be right at the game instead of listening to internet radio at three in the morning to catch some of the NHL. I also stayed with Vivian and Birthe. Birthe, you are a fabulous cook! We had a relaxed visit which was a much needed break. We stopped by Kirsteen’s and said hello but the rest of the family was off at swimming camps and practices preparing for national races! Vivian and I started up where we left off in August and we all had a few good laughs watching some of Vivian’s home videos from the 70’s. I was told lots of stories. Vivian and family had made a trip to Whitehorse when Dad was living there and particular footage emphasized the time-frame. I like your style Dad!
On my way to Sarpsborg to visit Per and Lill, I walked the streets of Gotenberg amid countless decorations and lights for a couple of hours- all while carrying my ski bag and a very heavy and overfull duffel bag. Per and Lill provided their unbeatable hospitality once again and I had a nice New Years with them and many of their friends (without a doubt the rowdiest 90 year olds I’ve met! They’re actually 70 but they could easily pass for 29!). I toured around Sarpsborg a couple of times while out jogging and I later went for a drive along a chain of islands with Per and Lill who provided professional commentary. I was also afforded the pleasure of seeing Lill’s sister, Grete, again, and meeting Flemming and Lisa and their families. I had a great stay in Sarpsborg and I managed to catch up on a lot of sleep which I had missed over the last four or five months.
Lill
Thank-you to everyone I stayed with over the holidays! It was a memorable time and look forward to seeing you all again!
I had a blast with the Aalborg folks (Hanne, Jørgen, Henrik, and Henriette, and Keld, Sanne, Stine, and Simone, Ruth was also visiting). We of course subscribed to all the good Danish traditions and ate plenty of delicious food. Although beneficial, the “pre-emptive pre-holiday” training turned out not to be completely necessary after all. If you know anything about Keld or Jørgen, they’re not your average couch potatoes… Given the abnormal amount of snow in Denmark, and a couple of brand-new sets of skis (Henrik and Keld’s), we took to the trails of Denmark, which, were actually quite impressive. In three days, we put in a solid five hours of skiing. (And yes, while traveling, I was asked numerous times why I was bothering to take skis to Denmark?) I also went for a run with Stine (fast!) the day after I arrived. While in Denmark, I realized the extent of my progress in Norwegian. Although there is certainly plenty of room for improvement, I appreciated being able to speak Norwegian with the Danish family and being able to understand a little bit of the Danish conversations. It was incomparable with my visit in August. It was a great time with everyone in Aalborg.
The next stop was at Sten, Dorthe, Niklas, and Jesper’s place. We enjoyed further Christmas treats, took in a movie (with Danish subtitles and butter-free popcorn), and went for a very enjoyable hike in the Viborg area. The weather was great (although maybe a little cold for the Danes!) and we went down to the lake where they keep a small fishing boat. Sten and Jesper provided me with some interesting geographic background while we enjoyed the crisp fresh air.
During my stay in Herning with Vivian, Birthe, Torben, Helle, Holger, and Allette, we continued to take advantage of the unusual winter weather. Being avid hockey fans, Torben and Holger had cleared off a hockey rink in front of their house. Along with a few neighbours, we picked up a game which revealed Holger’s very impressive skills! Torben and Helle: enjoy Holger while you can, I wouldn’t be surprised if Canada picks him up in next year’s draft! In the evening, we all piled in the car and went to The Herning Blue Fox hockey game. It was a nice change to be right at the game instead of listening to internet radio at three in the morning to catch some of the NHL. I also stayed with Vivian and Birthe. Birthe, you are a fabulous cook! We had a relaxed visit which was a much needed break. We stopped by Kirsteen’s and said hello but the rest of the family was off at swimming camps and practices preparing for national races! Vivian and I started up where we left off in August and we all had a few good laughs watching some of Vivian’s home videos from the 70’s. I was told lots of stories. Vivian and family had made a trip to Whitehorse when Dad was living there and particular footage emphasized the time-frame. I like your style Dad!
On my way to Sarpsborg to visit Per and Lill, I walked the streets of Gotenberg amid countless decorations and lights for a couple of hours- all while carrying my ski bag and a very heavy and overfull duffel bag. Per and Lill provided their unbeatable hospitality once again and I had a nice New Years with them and many of their friends (without a doubt the rowdiest 90 year olds I’ve met! They’re actually 70 but they could easily pass for 29!). I toured around Sarpsborg a couple of times while out jogging and I later went for a drive along a chain of islands with Per and Lill who provided professional commentary. I was also afforded the pleasure of seeing Lill’s sister, Grete, again, and meeting Flemming and Lisa and their families. I had a great stay in Sarpsborg and I managed to catch up on a lot of sleep which I had missed over the last four or five months.
Lill
Thank-you to everyone I stayed with over the holidays! It was a memorable time and look forward to seeing you all again!
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