Chapter one ...Skål to Anna and Egon

We're sitting on a tiny balcony in Krakow listening to a neighbor play a melancholy violin tune. If that's not just perfect, I don't know what is. Krakow has been a delight and although it would be nice to stay longer, the Tatra mountains are calling our names. It's getting hot  around here and like all good royalty we need to get to cooler climes. But first an attempt to chronicle the Adventures of Svend and Nancy's retirement 1.0...

It's impossible to believe we have been in Europe for only twenty days. So many wonderful memories have already been gathered. We arrived on the 25th of July, picked up at the airport by everyone's favorite person, Villy Hansen aka Farfar. It was good to spend a couple of quiet days with him in Lindome. We visited the place where Farmor's ashes are spread in Lindome Kirka (church) It's a beautifully peaceful place and we were there on a lovely windy afternoon, memories of the very memorable Farmor with us. I reiterate the fact that there is nothing as lovely as a beautiful Swedish summer afternoon. We capped of the day with a swim in the nearby lake

A sailor's life for me

After two quick days in Sweden and a visit to Hans and Hanne's "little Eden" home in Kállered (they really have the coziest home and yard!) we were off on the Stena ferry to Denmark. Summer on the Stena line ferries means wall to wall people (mainly Swedes standing in lines without complaining.) I was basically complaining about the fact they don't complain - oh yeah and the fact I couldn't get grādda (cream) for my coffee.
So arrival in Denmark -where one can get grādde (flöd) civilization! 

Due to Svend being tired, I offered to drive - in the rain - driving a standard -foreign county etc. etc. (you get the picture -poor me?) Everyone was driving at the least 100! OK that's really about 62 mph, but it took me some time to mentally gear up to driving over 100. Obviously, we made it and arrived in one of our favorite places - Southern Denmark! Favorite place because of the setting itself  and more importantly the people who we know and love - the crazy Danes.

The reason for the gathering in the south of Denmark of people from far and near was the celebration of 140 years of Egon and Anna, Svend's uncle and "auntie" who were celebrating their collective birthdays of 60 and 80 years. A perfect reason for a good party.

The best part of day two in Denmark was picking up Erik, Jen and Chris in Hamburg. It was of course wonderful to see them. Amelia and her friends would be arriving from their overnight in Flensburg later in the afternoon, also the best part of day two. Villy, Hans and Hanne would also be arriving from Sweden later in the afternoon.  Another best part of day two...

The Boston 5,  - me, Svend, Erik, Jen and Chris lived at a summer house next to Gitte and Lars on Flenburg Fjord. (another slice of heaven) Amelia, Chelsea and Alicia were being hosted by our good friend Thomas, one of the Sparta bear hunters who traveled to New Jersey for the last two years to kill one of our adorable black bears. I'm not going to say I was happy that they were unsuccessful, but I will honestly say I was very happy that they came to stay with us.

Friday afternoon, many of the family and friends gathered at the party site to help get the hall ready. Tables and chairs were set up, (happily our children were well prepared for this task from their years of Catholic education. Oh yeah and they're also very well educated.)
Table cloths were added and then came the interesting part - setting the table! It was decided among we Americans that the Danish woman reigned supreme regarding the proper setting of tables. We let them figure it out and did what we were told. Being American, that's hard to do, but of course the tables looked wonderful with two wine glasses, one water glass, one snaps glass, a couple of plates and a multitude of silverware at each setting. The gorgeous pink hydrangeas from Gitte's garden were absolutely perfect. The empty room was transformed into something beautiful.

Our reward for all this was a delicious Danish dinner with a reasonable amount of beer served in the  adjacent room.

Saturday -

Make new friends..

How do you have a great party in Denmark? Start by picking up the guests from their home, rental home or hotel at about 5 PM with a bus and deliver them back  at about 2 AM. Now you can imagine how much good food, good skoals, questionable singing, dancing, music, skits, speeches, more food, etc. can be squeezed into those nine hours.

It's still light out!

Some of the highlights were Learning "Happy Birthday " in Polish (Stola, stola ja lalalalala - that's my version) Egon's birthday song, a song from the Americans and friends, a skit about Egon by Thomas and Hans Moos, (apparently Egon was missing, but my Danish didn't get me much further than that)

 And the food, let's not forget the food. Whoever chose the menu knew what they were doing. (Egon and Anna) The highlight of the appetizer table was the sol egg, "a specialty of this area." I have learned over the years when you hear those words, expect something interesting. And in the hearty farmland of Sonder Jutland it's always good.

Anyone seen Hans?

Pass the Aquivit!

For this dish you choose a boiled egg that it sitting in vinegar-water on the table, peel the egg, cut it in half, mix the yolk with vinegar, Tabasco, mustard, salt and pepper. Then you put the the egg back together and eat it. Hmmm, interesting yes? Keep in mind there are 81 guests at the party and those in line patiently wait for you to do this (with help from a friendly Dane of course). Why do they do it? I have also learned over the years that the Scandinavians do all this unlikely food preparation for one reason - Aquivit! Naturally, you can't eat a sol egg without a shot of Aquivit. Which is why everyone is so patient.

Who did leave those dogs out?

Needless to say a good time was had by all and everyone's language skills dramatically improved as the night went on. Jacob, for example becomes fluent in English after three or four beers. He is now the heir apparent to the "who let the dogs out" chant.

Thank you Egon and Anna for 140 great years.





Enough of blog one. There's much more to come, but we all need break gentle reader...