Merry Christmas - Grateful Christmas

December 25, 2014

We've had a nice couple of days here this Christmas Week.

Eliza's gift to me:  handknit coffee cozy for my handle-less mug

The days this week have been slower than the chaotic rush of December....and November.

Lars, Eliza and Alistair 

But, now it's our last Christmas here in Denmark, and while I am trying to savor each moment, I also feel the bittersweet sensation of losing something -- of losing time.

Every move has this feeling.

Christmas Walk in the Dyrehaven

Especially this move.

Ian, Eliza, Skipper....Ducks

But, I'm pretty sure that's only because we have all five been so happy here.

December 25, 2014 in the Dyrehaven

Grateful Christmas.

Busy.... :-)

All About Food: Trine Hahnemann

Scandinavian Baking

I went to a Book Launch in Hellerup,  at the closest-thing-to-book-heaven:

Books and Company

Books and Co is a warm and inviting shop, which is FILLED with books.  In English.  Only English.  Name one other European capitol where you can find that...?    I'm impressed.  

Anyway, back to Scandinavian Baking:

Trine Hahnemann and her Bountiful Table

Not just a Book Talk.  Not just a Book Launch.  Not just a Book Signing.....NO.  We got to eat from this table, as well. :-) 

Now, I'm going to be very honest:    I myself had *never* heard of Trine Hahnemann.   I was invited to this event by a British friend.  Trine is apparently *hugely* popular in the UK;  that room was FILLED with British passport holders.

Trine, Tanya, Isabella

However -- Trine Hahnemann and I *do* have a mutual friend in the Danish Food World,  who was at my dinner table two weeks ago.  I LOVE this about Copenhagen -- everyone knows each other!!     At the same dinner table, two weeks ago, was also Isabella, proprietor of  Books -- whom I also lovelovelove -- because she makes me feel smart and funny and I love that she will come to dinner as often as she does!! :-).

I was actually going to send Trine's book back to the States as a PRESENT.  But, she signed it to TANJA ;-) at Isabella's urging.....so, I guess I'll have to keep it now. :-)

Camping - By Eliza

October 2014 

This is Eliza. 


My dad and I wen to Charlottenlund Fort to go camping.

We rode our bikes there. Luckily,  the wind was at our backs for most of the time,  so we barely had to pedal our way to the campsite!!:) (Danish wind is like a squirrel)

It was very cold, sleeping outside in a tent. But then we had our blankets to keep us warm enough for the night:) As you can see in the picture, my dad and I fit just right in the tent, although some (someone meaning Skipper our dog) would have liked to be there with us...

Even though it was cold at night before we went to sleep, we had pizza and at the pizza place we could see it being made!

My dad did want to take that little someone with but I said no in case he (Skipper)  slipped out. 

All About Food: Claus Meyer

October 2014

 

I went to a presentation at Copenhagen Business School, featuring Claus Meyer as a guest lecturer.

He is perhaps most famous as the man responsible for NOMA.


He has additionally developed a wide and far-reaching range of food concepts in Denmark:

The *wildly* popular Meyer's Deli/Bakery being one of them.....and cooking schools in prisons, being another (it works -- it really does!)

He is a passionate speaker when it comes to using local, seasonal, organic products -- and makes you just want to rush home and bake bread.

He also has a good sense of humor:

ha ha! :-)

I was surprised by the enormous amount of "giving back" through The Melting Pot Foundation:

 ....this covers the prison mission, as well as a restaurant project in Bolivia, which has given employment, growing self-sufficiency and healthy food trends to an impoverished area in the Bolivian capitol,  La Paz.

His next project is Meyer Grand Central in NYC -- and -- through The Melting Pot, an urban project in Brooklyn designed to teach and give hope, food skills and inspire drive and motivation in Brownsville.

But, more than that -- his ventures promote healthy eating, healthy habits and a healthy relationship to our food.  He said:  Food is so much more than what we put in our mouths.

I love that sentence.  There are so many ways to spring from those words into related topics.

I also love this:

He said that one of his partners read this and mentioned that if you took out the word "Nordic" you could apply this Food Philosophy to anywhere.  Any country.

Shirt OUT halfway through the lecture....

This is *such* a Danish Moment.  I find - over and over - that the Danes are working diligently, quietly, positively forward for better tomorrows.....and with little expectation of praise or thanks.  

I also see on the link above that he has a TED Talk.  He didn't mention that during his lecture.  

Mangholm: November 1st

Eliza and I went to an Apple and Honey Festival at a small farm outside the city today.

It  is *beautifully* situated.

At Mangholm Farm there were bags of homegrown wheat, which have the name of the FIELD written on the label.  These bags came from Cherry Field No. 7-0.

 freshly milled and still warm (!) in the sacks --

-- as well as honey from the neighbor's apiary.

Plus, Honey Cake from all these amazing ingredients to taste...

.....to buy....

.....to learn how to make.....

We bought four apples for the horses ....

....and Eliza particularly enjoyed the Bread Sticks.

 I know these photos don't show much enthusiasm, but she went back eight more times to roast bread.  :-)

The pumpkin soup was soooooo delicious with a topping of garlickey, herbey bread salad and creme fraiche....

...that we and had seconds.  She used Danish for the entire transaction, too. :-)

It was the perfect November 1st -- misty, cool, sunny, bright, crisp and "slow" -- I can't tell you how much I loved the easy pace and rhythm of just enjoying being outside in Danish Autumn Perfect..

...and most especially that my urban daughter was finding some happiness  with fields, fire and sticks.

Sparkly boots and all.  :-)

High School Lunch

Octopi.....I love that shirt.... :-)

Lars' friend from Germany visited us for a week, and went to SCHOOL with Lars for a few days.  My understanding is that the German class was particularly entertaining.

This obviously called for a McDonald's Lunch Delivery by yours truly.  American.

They ate outside in the park.  Danish.

All three boys were utterly *mortified* by me taking a photograph.  In public.  Adolescence.

Roskilde Domkirke

Self-Portrait in the Pew

Eliza and I visited the Cathedral in Roskilde one day after school in August.

It's about 30 minutes outside Copenhagen, and is very famous as all the Danish Kings and Queens are buried there.

Photos by Eliza

It is also an UNESCO World Heritage site and was built in the 12th and 13th centuries --

 --  the first gothic cathedral in Scandinavia to be constructed with bricks.

Talking....

Talking...Always Talking...

Of course, there is a lot more to Roskilde than one Cathedral -  the city has a much longer & more ancient history than Copenhagen does.

Springy Steps

 Roskilde is famous for many things, including an impressive Viking Museum...as well as a yearly music festival which rivals Woodstock for loss of inhibition.

Cobblestone Pose

But, for that one afternoon - our first visit -  we spent time only with the Domkirke and it's centuries of workmanship.

There will be another day to discover Music and Vikings.

;-)