MORE VISITORS FROM HOME

We were so pleased when Jordan and Emily decided at almost the last minute to come visit.  Airline prices dipped suddenly and they snapped up tickets.  And Shayna and Adeline (granddaughter, yeah!!!) were able to coordinate with Jor and decided to come too. Schedules matched, timing matched and with a few key strokes on the internet all was arranged.    Our visitors  had planned a tricky itinerary which involved Utahans and Texans meeting in New York,

Just a little tired!

sharing a 7 hour lay-over, then flying to Copenhagen via  Dublin, Ireland (overnight stay plus tour).   Complicated, but do-able on a normal day.  But normal flew out the window when  the Delta hub went down and people and planes all over the world were backed up like a Los Angeles freeway on a Friday.  Just hours before departure time.  Could things  be worse?  Well, yes they could. Shayna discovered the night before leaving that Addie's passport had expired.  To make a long story short, miracles occurred.  Did you know that if you can find some place open to take your passport picture in the dead of night,  (the hardest part) you can obtain a passport in person in Dallas?   In hours?  And Jordan was actually able to get on an earlier flight;  Shayna a later one, and both ended up in New York in time to catch their flight to Ireland.  All was good.  Hurrahs.  Just one last catch:  most of Shayna's luggage booked a different trip.  A 5-day trip.  And not to Denmark.  We adjusted.

They wanted to see it all, so we got right to work!  The first day they fell in love with Danish hot dogs.  They are called pølser and you get the best ones at little wagons on the street.  Just pick your sausage, add dried onions, pickled onions, relish, mustard, ketchup and remoulade (a peculiar Danish condiment) and tuck in.  Served on a napkin.  Kind of sloppy, but yummy.

This picture was actually taken by Kendell on a later visit, but you get the idea.  Kendell and Ruth fell in love with a different Danish dish.  Future post.

We tried to show each set of visitors a little something different.  On a trip down the coast to Stevn´s Klint, we detoured and found an unusual Danish church.  I love the churches in Denmark.  Each one is unique on the inside, but most are generally white-washed or red brick on the outside.  But this one was unusual:  yellow- that unique mustard color found on old houses here.

This wonderful church and cemetery was found in Gammel Havdrup.

Every churchyard has a cemetery, manicured and lovely.

Seeing and playing in the freezing Baltic Seat at the Klint (cliff) is always a big hit!

Lovely harbor village, Rødvig

On our way back, we found a cute little couple hitch-hiking.  Or rather, they found us.  They had docked a boat, then walked 12 km along the coast to Stevn's Klint and needed a ride back to their boat. Their crew mates were getting worried.  Since we had a van, we stuffed them in with us.  As a result, we found a cute little fishing village, toured the harbor, and climbed aboard our new friends' sailing boat.  What a way to travel Europe!  They were from Germany and were crusing the coast.

This little cutie came all the way with her mom.  We loved having her and introducing her to her ancestor's homeland.

We saw all the castles and  took bunches of pictures.  Jor arrived with a  selfie-stick and it worked wonders, but you can't use them inside the museums.  Museum people are afraid you will stumble into  prized artifacts and break them.  One does tend to get a little silly  with selfies.

Adeline and Grandpa at Frederiksberg Slot garden.

Christiansborg palace where the current Queen holds receptions - hence the cute shoe covers.  These relatively new tapestries tell the whole history of Denmark.  Fabulous.

Another stop was Christiansborg .  I had never been to this one.  This is where the parliament meets currently, and formal receptions are held in majestic rooms. 

Jordan answering the phone in the copper-potted kitchen.  The butler wanted the soup brought up NOW!
And the royal horses having baths.

You can also visit the kitchens (not in use now, but full of copper pots.  Oh, the copper!)  and the stables,  Emily's favorite part.  The horses get the royal treatment and live in marble stalls.  Yeah.

Besides the Fish Kiss Spa, Adeline and the crew couldn't wait to get to Tivoli.  Tivoli is a very compact amusement park with beautiful flower gardens and restaurants and rides.  One of the rides pulls so many G's that you can't scream.  Of course they tried it.  But, Shayna freaked out most on the sky swings.   Grandpa and I just held the popcorn and said, "Have at it."

Even super moms and dads need a break.  So glad they could come and have a little vacation.

One evening this crew joined us for the missionary couples monthly dinner at the Knudsens.  You know, the place where we had kangaroo.  They met our office friends and mission friends and had an authentic Danish meal crowded  in a tiny Danish apartment.   Another evening we went to the temple where Adeline and Jordan did baptisms for the dead.  Addie and Jor were able to perform baptisms for some of our ancestors born here in the 1800's.  Our family also attended the branch where we proudly introduced them to as many as possible.

Thank goodness the Ortman clothes showed up in time for church.

After sacrament meeting we had a special experience with our family.  We drove to the mission office where Elder Buxton was set apart as the interim Mission President by Elder Sabin (from the Area Presidency in Germany)  and President O'Bryant.  After that,  President O'Bryant was given a priesthood blessing since he was leaving within a few days to go to Salt Lake for a heart procedure.  It was wonderful to see my two men worthy to stand in and assist.  What a great blessing for all of us.

And, we got the following announcement a month early:

We'll be home in time for the big event!!!!  So excited.  It was hard to see our visitors go, but school was starting soon.  Love having family visit and sharing Denmark with them!