The fall came and went...

Marianne:
Can´t believe that it´s been so long since I wrote the last newsletter. These posts on the blog are intended to replace those newsletters.

When I wrote the last time, it was summer - the best summer we have had in Denmark for decades. It was SO nice. The fall has been pretty wet but still mild - and the winter month as well.

To start where I ended last, it was time for a vacation. Denmark was hosting a huge golf tournament, which is not an everyday event. This was Made in Denmark - part of the European Tour.

We went with Jeanette and Ole and together we rented a house close to the golf course. We took the opportunity to play some rounds in the area, which is in the Northers part of the country - not too far from our summerhouse. We had some great days. The house was not really what we had expected, but had a lot of amenities that made the stay extra fun. We played table tennis, pool, Sequence, played with Jeanette and Ole´s dogs and had a lot of visitors.

My parents came for lunch and we went to see the venue where the tournament was to take place. My cousin and her husband stayed for a couple of nights and so did Jeanette and Ole´s son and daughter in law. It was fun to be with all these different wonderful people.

One evening Ole had planned for a whole crowd to come by for BBQ. It was a lot of fun. We did not know very many of these people, they were mostly golfers from the club where our friends play.

Before we left US, we were invited to Ingrid and Dominique´s for Moules et frites (mussels with french fries). We loved how the mussels were prepared and since Danish mussels are very good, we tried to make them ourselves. And boy were they good! I found a recipe with Pernod, which was also an important ingredient in Ingrid´s version. On top of that I added different vegetables - among these fennel, which emphasized the anise taste. I also added a bit of cream for the soup - not a bad move either. (When has cream ever been a bad move?)




One of the great things about being home, is that we are closer to our nephew and niece, Søren and Sisse. We have been babysitting a couple of time - either here or at their´s. It is always great fun. Sometimes we all need to relax - and it is good to watch TV with their beloved uncle Michael Bo. (Michael goes by Michael Bo in my family since my brother is also Michael).

We all went for a long walk in the forest close by. There were a lot of mushrooms. It was the first time I saw these red ones, that almost look artificial. But I can guarantee that they are for real.

On another one of the baby-sittings we went orienteering with the kids. Their parents were running a half marathon - we took the shorter (but far more hilly!) distance.

I decided to attend a 24-hour retreat organized by my union. The title was Mindfulness and we were practicing different methods to get into that special state of mind. We practiced yoga, meditation and walking in the forest in solitude. I would never have thought it was something for me, but I loved every second of it. So relaxing and since there were few sessions with interactions (talking) with the other participants, it was a very special experience for someone like me. I am sure you know what I mean...


The forest was absolutely beautiful and the day after, I convinced Michael to
go there with me, bringing our camera. I LOVE the fall colors!










Copenhagen is less than 30 minutes´ drive away from here. One day I went there for a meeting, but I went early in order to make some photos. Even if the weather was far from perfect, I got some pretty nice pics.

This was late November and Santa was visiting a Christmas Market. I found it interesting that they actually call it Christmas Market and don´t use the Danish word. That is something that has come to our attention since we came back. The Danes seem to be much more anglicized since we first left.

Here is the Danish Parliament Christiansborg in the distance. A very beautiful building.

















I caught the Round Tower, that is an old tower that was finished in 1642.
















I perpetuated the Stork Fountain which was congregated in 1894. It is placed in one of the most spectacular squares in Copenhagen.

I REALLY hope that this has piqued your curiosity so that you want to come see more. There is MUCH more to see!







I know that Movember is a huge phenomena in US - and so it is here. I decided to participate. Who says that it is only something for guys? I must admit that I needed some help. What do you think?

The Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries wanted to know which food the Danes considered their National Dish. We were asked to vote online and the winner ended up being fried pork with parsley sauce and potatoes. We decided to honor this when we arrived at the summerhouse by the end of November. We have to admit that we like it a lot - but it is not a particularly healthy dish. We usually try to make it a little less sinful by adding cauliflower.

It was very strange not to prepare celebration of the first Sunday in advent, which we have celebrated at our house in Bountiful the past 6 years. However we had an amazing day. My parent´s were visiting, so we went to a Christmas Market together and had a cup of gløgg and some æbleskiver there. When we came back home, we lighted the first candle of the ”wreath”. This year not really a wreath - but fashion changes…

On November 29th we celebrated 2 x 75 years´ birthday for my mom and dad. The actual dates are December 2nd for dad and February 2nd for my mom. We all met in beautiful Tivoli, where everything was decorated for Christmas. We tried to stay warm with some nice gløgg, which was needed. It was a cold day! In the evening we had drinks and dinner in a wonderful restaurant at the spectacular hotel Bella Sky in Copenhagen.












We also celebrated on the actual day with a dinner close to where Caro, Mick, Søren and Sisse live. Since it was a weekday, we wanted to be close to home, so nobody had to stay up too late. I am sure my dad was pleased being with his loved ones on this special day.

Last weekend we, Lone and Peter were invited by our friends, Helle and Søren, to go hunting on their ground. It was an absolutely wonderful day. The girls caught up on what happened since we last met, just after I returned to Denmark. The boys had fun outside and came back with both deer, pheasants, a duck and a snipe. We were co-driving with Lone and Peter, so even the trip home was nice. We really enjoy having them close by. They are within 15 minutes´ drive, so we see each other pretty often. Actually quite a lot of our friends are in a distance of less than 30 minutes drive. That is one of the reasons that we really like the area where we are currently living.

By December 1st I signed a contract for a job as Marketing Manager with a company called Icepharma. Icepharma has introduced a new operating model for pharmaceutical companies in Denmark/Scandinavia. We call it a ”housing concept”, where pharmaceutical companies can keep their own identity under the Icepharma umbrella and share overhead cost with other companies. I have been working for the company as an independent consultant for the past 6 weeks, but now I have a more secure position. The GM is Peter, who has been my boss twice before, so we know each other very well and we enjoy working together. For the time being, I work from home but that is hopefully going to change in the not to distant future. I hope that the company will be successful and it is a great opportunity to be part of something totally new. I´ve never tried that before, so it will be a great learning process.

Tonight Michael is out for ”Christmas Lunch” with the Ministry of Defense - something that is a tradition in Danish companies and also private settings. We are going to some friends´ tomorrow with a similar concept. The food is traditional and everybody loves it. We will go on our bikes, since it is probably not a very good idea to drive home. Usually beer and schnapps is part of the ”agenda”.