We Celebrated our Wedding Anniversary Copenhagen Style

Randell and I celebrated our anniversary this week, our first, here in Denmark. We decided that instead of the usual cards and gifts, we would surprise each other in the activities we chose to do. We took the train into the city, where my surprises awaited....

We started with a delicious and very romantic Italian dinner at the oldest Italian restaurant in Copenhagen. It is the Ristorante Italiano with both indoor and outdoor seating. I chose the outdoor seating as it reminded me of the outdoor cafes that one would see along the streets of Italy. 

We had a lovely dinner and sipped some wine all the while enjoying the guitar, singers and accordion players. The waiters were wonderful and very attentive. At the end of dinner, the waiters wished us a Happy Anniversary by bringing us 3 complimentary fresh made sorbets for dessert. Yummy...they were light and very refreshing.

When we finished, it was on to the next surprise, one that I had been excited about experiencing and seeing Randell's reaction to it!! Fish Kiss is a brand new spa in Copenhagen and one that uses tiny carp in fish tanks to give pedicures and manicures. The day that I discovered Fish Kiss, I was with my friend Micki and we saw several men in the front window with their feet in fish tanks...we had to go in and find out what it was all about.

You sit in a chair and immerse your feet into the tank for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour.

The little carp eat your dead skin cells and leave your feet silky smooth!!

My feet and legs :o)

Randell was surprised to say the least. We laughed as the fish tickled us and after getting used to it, relaxed and enjoyed this very odd style of pampering!! I have to confess, as strange as it was, I would do it all over again, even on a weekly basis. It wasn't expensive and those little fish made my skin and feet so soft!! Randell loved my surprises but now it was time for him to surprise me!!

We took the train to Tivoli, the amusement park in the city of Copenhagen. Using our season passes, we entered and went to this place called "Simply Chocolate Sticks". The concept was really interesting and the results were delicious. First you choose 5 pieces of fruit that are put on a stick. The choices are strawberries, banannas, marshmallows and licorice(LOL...not fruits), pineapple, mango, and papaya. Secondly, you decide which kind of chocolate you want the stick dipped into. The choices are dark, milk, and white chocolates. Finally, you decide what you want to top the stick with. There were about 6-8 choices, from hazelnuts, to plain coconut flakes and many different flavored coconut flakes. Once your masterpiece is created, it is set under a cold fan that cools and hardens the chocolate. 

When the sticks were ready to eat, we took them to the gardens and took a beautiful stroll as the day faded away and the lights in the gardens lit everything up...Beautiful!! We rode the roller coaster and the Golden Tower which is one of those "drop zone" kind of rides :o) I have a terrible fear of heights and Randell has been asking me to ride the Golden Tower with him ever since moving here. I finally decided to do it and surprised him by leading him over to the ride. It was fantastic and we had a fabulous anniversary!!

Fish Kisses

I met my friend Micki in Copenhagen today at our favorite coffee shop. We met for lunch and coffee and had a lot to catch up on since we hadn't talked since before we left for the US!!

I had a hen salad sandwich, and veggies. Danish sandwiches are usually open-faced and eaten with a fork and knife. They do make the best vanilla lattes...sorry Starbucks!!

Afterwards, we walked around the streets and checked out some of the shops. We passed little street cafes, one, an Italian cafe had the best smelling aromas, little candles on the outdoor tables and a man playing lovely music on his guitar...it was very romantic. 

I mentioned to Micki that Randell and I will be celebrating our anniversary on the 14th and what a lovely way it would be to spend our "date night" at a little romantic cafe...then, we saw THIS!!! 

The name in itself was intriguing....We had to go in and investigate...it is a unique spa treatment where you soak your feet in the pool of water and tiny carp fishes "clean" your tootsies. They say it is better than a pedicure treatment as the little fish can get in places that a pedicure scrub can't. Personally, I think it would be fun to have my toes tickled by little fish!!

Soooo...now I have the perfect surprise for my anniversary gift to Randell...a gift like no other...Fish Kisses!!

Summer Fun in the States: South Carolina & New Mexico Bound

Towards the end of June, Randell headed back to Denmark after having enjoyed his 10 day visit to the states. 

The first few days of July were spent with friends in the beautiful state of South Carolina. Cameron and I made the trip while Corey headed out to New Mexico for his Philmont Boy Scout trek.

 Cameron and I visited my friend Holly and arrived at her farm where she had organized a small cookout with some of our SC girlfriends (letterboxing friends). It was so nice to see everyone and have the time to visit and catch up and of course there was some letterboxing to do. Afterwards, we relaxed in the river, soaking our feet on a very hot afternoon while the boys tubed, splashed and played in the water.

These guys were funny to watch & they were always hanging out together!

Joy and Holly

Joy, Holly, Paula and Amy~chillin' in the river

Sean and Cameron floating down the river

It was so HOT...everyone was cooling off!!

Lou is looking for pretty river rocks

"...but Mom, mud baths are good for the complexion!!"

Cameron and Sean settling in for some late night TV...

While the boys watched TV, there was more letterboxing to do...this time, night boxing!!!

Holly and Renee

The following day, we letterboxed all around Pickens and Greeneville SC before heading back to NC. It was a short visit but a great one, packed with fun friends and fun times. Cameron and Sean had a great time together too. Thanks for the down home, country hospitality Holly, Sean and Glen. You all are awesome!!

Summer Fun In the States: Begins in Virginia

Our first week (June 16) home was full of scheduled appointments for doctors, dentist and eye exams and spending time with family. It was a whirlwind of activity. 

The first weekend (June 23-26) in the states, I went to Virginia to stay with my best guy friends Bill and Scott. We had a grand time....letterboxing every day, all day long. They took me to all of the battlefields and historic parks and landmarks in Fredericksburg and beyond. 

They shared historic facts with me that I hadn't known about the Civil War.  They are a wealth of knowledge!

Had a great time hiking the trails here, towards the end of the hike, we ran into a snake!

I loved visiting the Stonewall Jackson Shrine and learning the history behind the house where he was brought to after being shot and then later died in.
There was a really beautiful stamp carved and hidden in a letterbox nearby. So happy to add it to my collection!

Dinner at the Melting Pot

We went out to eat at the Melting Pot and had a terrific time. Bill and I shared a lobster feast...Yummy!! I have never laughed so hard in a long time and at one point we were laughing so hard that we were all crying and I thought the owner would come and kick us out. It was so much fun.

One of the days we were together, we ventured to McLean, VA and letterboxed the park where the watershed event was held the previous weekend. Laura (the letterboxer who hosted the event) was so sweet to leave the boxes out for us since coming from Denmark, I was going to miss the event by a week. The trails were nice to hike and the park was beautiful, especially hiking beside the Potomac River.

Bill and Scott

A beautiful area along the river.

As we continued to drive around Virginia, the subject of the immense number of mattress stores in Virginia was brought up.  We started noticing that they were EVERYWHERE!! When we saw this funny mattress guy, we just had to have a picture moment :o)

Mr. Mattress and I

One of my favorite places that we visited was Government Island.  This island is the location where stone was quarried and used to build the U.S. Capitol and White House in Washington, D.C. It was cut and loaded on ships that carried it on the Potomac River to it's final destination. There is a fabulous letterbox series on this island that we had fun discovering.

  

As we continued our adventure, we drove to the miniature Iwo Jima statue just outside the gates of the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, in Virginia. I have been fortunate enough to see the large version and seeing this smaller one still makes quite and emotional impact. Thank you Bill and Scott for taking me there! 

Our next stop was the site of the first Roman Catholic settlement. The crucifix was beautiful and surrounded by fresh flowers that people regularly bring and place. 

 The next day was just as eventful. A full day of letterboxing and sight- seeing. One place we really enjoyed was the Belmont Estate. It is located in Falmouth, VA and was the home of painters Gari and Connie Melchers. The landscape and gardens were like beautiful paintings in themselves.

Found a letterbox in the gardens

We continued on to Historic Fredericksburg and visited a bookstore and an Irish Pub. Bill and I enjoyed a cold beer and stamped into an awesome letterbox that is housed at this particular bar.

The boys took me to a nearby ice cream shop, Carl's, famous for its soft serve ice cream. People form lines that reach across and down the street!! We each enjoyed a cup of delicious ice cream.

Then it was on to Fredericksburg Battlefield...again, I must say how wonderful it was to have Scott and Bill with me to fill me in on all of the history that they knew about. I found the grounds beautifully kept and it was a wonderful hike on the trails to find letterboxes. Bill was able to do some maintenance and to retire some that were in bad shape. We even found a stamp that had alluded some...

You can see the troop trenches and the cannon areas

Scott tells me the direction of the troops that came up over the hill.

Meade's Pyramid

Letterbox that we found!!

Around 1897, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society wanted to place markers along the railroad, marking Civil War sites. The rail road was not opposed to the idea but was not fond of the wooden signs that the Society proposed. The railroad claimed that they would look too much like advertising. A better marker was chosen, a granite pyramid. The society used a 90 foot pyramid located in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery as the model. 

In 1898 the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail Road hauled over 17 tons of Virginia Granite to construct the pyramid. Today the pyramid, (officially known as Meade's Pyramid after General George Meade) still stands as a monument to the Civil War and is the only one of it's kind. 

Monday morning it was time to say good-bye. It was very difficult to say good-bye but knowing that Bill and Scott will be visiting me in Denmark helps!! I love you guys and thank you for everything...you are the most awesome friends!!

Mixed Emotions

This Saturday, June 16th, will be 6 months to the day that we arrived and moved into our new home in Denmark, and we will be departing the same day for summer vacation to the United States.

When we arrived, life was a whirlwind of things to do... There was the moving in and unpacking, setting up house and learning the locations of important places like the grocery stores, the post office, and the closest bus/train station. We learned how to use the Danish currency, Skype, and military time as well as the time difference between our new home and the one in North Carolina.

Over time, we ventured out, explored, learned how to use the mass transit system, travel to school, shopping malls and specialty stores as well as exercise and dance classes, after school sports and the like. We began to travel not only outside of our city but to other countries!! All the while, returning to our Denmark home in Bagsvaerd.

It is home to us now...the white walls of the house we moved into holds pictures of family near and far. It has been filled with the beloved and cherished things we brought from NC and has been transformed into our home...a place where we gather for family dinners, to discuss the daily happenings, whether it be school, job or just to share our day. Even my furry daughters, Maggie and Balcony who were at first very nervous and anxious, have settled in and are right at home.

Expats are often warned that they may experience a period of "romance" with their new home and those feelings eventually pass as they settle into life and the everyday routines. I indeed have fallen in love with Denmark, but the feelings have not passed and now with our home leave trip just days away, I find myself having a whole range of feelings. On one hand I am excited to travel to the states to see family and friends, but I have feelings of sadness about leaving Denmark. I will be returning in July and even knowing that and the excitement that will bring, I can't help but feel that I will be missing and longing to get back to my home in Denmark (as well as my furry daughters).

This country is very special. It has been summed up well in the article linked below...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/world-happiness-report-2012_n_1408787.html

I am not a world traveler...YET...but no where else have I seen such a sense of community, family and the appreciation for family togetherness, self respect and respect for ones neighbor, equality and acceptance of all. The people of Denmark are warm and friendly and very, very humble.

I am an American... I am an American who has relocated to another country for 3 years. For the 3 years that I live here, Denmark is and will be my home and I will treasure each day! I will enjoy my visit to the states, I'm sure of it, but I will also be looking forward to returning to my Denmark home.