Memories of Denmark, parallels on life

As summer draws near, I’ve been thinking of Denmark. It’s funny about that. My dad was Danish and went to Denmark on his mission. He learned how to speak Danish and retained that knowledge for the rest of his life. I wish he would have taught me, although I never gave it much thought as a kid. He was probably waiting anxiously for me to express an interest, and I was too busy climbing trees.

My sister, Shirley and I had the privilege of going to Denmark twice (two summers in a row). We met some really nice people there and immersed ourselves in the culture of our ancestors. We went on the cheep, reserving bed and breakfast rooms, buying Eurail passes, and basically planning our own tours.

It was hectic and crazy and scary going to a country where we didn’t speak the language, but the Danes were friendly, and if they didn’t speak English, they’d ask around until they found someone who could help us. We got lost more than once, and sometimes our accommodations were less than we had hoped. Occasionally, we discovered that there was no easy way to get where we wanted to go--and more than once, it rained hard enough to change our plans.

We discovered on both trips that we weren’t as prepared as we thought for the rainy and cold weather. None of it mattered because we had agreed ahead of time that it wouldn’t. What ever happened was all part of the adventure.

I think life is like that. We get so many things that we aren’t prepared for. It rains on us; we get lost. Life gets hectic and crazy, and if we don’t decide ahead of time, we could let ourselves get pretty frustrated. But, if we remember that the good and the bad and the detours are all just a part of the adventure called life, it’s easier to relax and enjoy it.

This is our first b&b. We got there around 10pm sans luggage. It's a half hour bus ride from Odense, the woman didn't live there, and she left us a note to call. My phone didn't work in Denmark. We knocked frantically on the door, and luckily two young men were staying there and let us in.

This next picture is of a 500 year-old house next door to our second b&b. Older homes like this

one are cherished and go for top dollar.

This is Eskov Castle. It's an amazing place and very beautiful. There are 3 shrub mazes, meticulous gardens, a motorcycle museum, bicycle museum, car museum (with the strangest cars I've ever seen), and a horse and carriage museum. The grounds has it's own herd of deer.

This is Christ and the twelve apostles. If you recognize the statue of Christ - it is original of the one the LDS church uses in the Salt Lake City visitor's center, and in Mesa visitor's center. The room was so big, I didn't get all of the apostles in.

Ah, the memories! If I could get there in the twinkling of an eye, I'd go again. In fact, if money weren't an issue, I'd buy me a summer home there.