My 2 Favourite Lucky Charms

 See what I did there?   

                                  The last time I was in California, it was in March.  I went to visit Sabrina and Declan in their new home in Oceanside.  Sabrina and Declan had recently moved from Cork, Ireland to San Diego.   Well..... it was supposed to be San Diego but because the job offer didn't go thru - or something like that - Declan ended up getting a job in Irvine.  So Oceanside turned out to be much closer to work.  

Anyway, when I got to their place, they ended up telling me that they were going to go back to Ireland come this August.  They were going to be going to 2 weddings.  Declan's older bother was getting married and one of his best friends was also getting married.  It ended up being a long "vacation" for them.  6 weeks of which 4 of them was on-line work.  

I got excited to hear that they were going to be going back to Ireland for part of the summer and I said to them that I would love to come and visit.  But as we got closer to August, Sabrina said that she would love to come to Copenhagen.  Oh, I was so excited about that.  I think it was going to be Sabrina's 5th time here in Copenhagen and it would be the first time for Declan.

I kept an eye on the flight plan and as they were landing, I was getting into my car.  It's just a 13 minute drive to the airport.  They only had carry-on luggage so we should be, in theory, able to meet in front of the airport at the same time.  But as I am cruising along the motorway to the airport, traffic is stopped and backed up in the opposite direction - at 11:40 at night.  What the heck!  When I got off of the motorway, the traffic on the surface street was so packed, no cars were moving even an inch.  It was like a movie.  It was impossible for me to get to the parking lot. So I pulled into the hotel just across the street from the terminal.  

What was taking them so long to come out - I wondered.  "We're almost there", was the text message on Whatsapp.  I wrote: I am across the street parked smack in front of the hotel door.  Walk this way - and I sent Sabrina a video pointing the way to get to where I was waiting.  I keep laughing at my video.  But it was just seconds after I hit the "send" button that Sabrina and Declan came walking out of the hotel lobby.  Somebody had told them where the shortcut was at.  You can actually walk to the hotel lobby from the airport without having to step 1 foot outside.

What took so long was that I had totally forgotten that Sabrina was traveling on an US passport. By the time we got to my apartment, it was around 1:00 in the morning.  I made some soup and served it with toasted bread roll and butter.  

Since they were here for only 2 full days, we got a lot of walking and boating packed in. Luckily the weather was amazing.... the first day.  Here now are a few photos that I snapped on our walk along the harbor.

The Royal Library

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Taking a cool break on a hot day.

The Plads (square) was used primarily as a wharf for ships in 1735.  In 1747 the area was used by The Royal Greenland Trade Department.  Eventually the area was named Greenlandic Merchant Plads.  In 1802 the area became acquired by the captain and merchant named Hans Krøyer and is now named after him.

From our resting spot we could see this:

 a ship sailing thru the open bridge.

And this:

The Kissing bridge takes about 1½ minutes to close. 

I captured most of the closing 

and sped it up to just a few seconds.

Once we were ready to get up and continue our walk, we crossed over the Kissing bridge.  I snapped a few pix of Sabrina and Declan on the bridge.

The Royal Play House in the background.

Way in the back is the Royal Opera House.
To the right is Denmark's most expensive real-estate.
Private apartments -
they don't actually seem to have that Wow! effect

Once we cross the bridge, 

Nyhavn is there to welcome us with bright 

colours (oops, I did it again)

Once we past Nyhavn, I lead the way via part of Europe's longest walking street to the canal boats located just beyond Højbro Plads (High Bridge Square) and Gammel Strand (Old Beach) and across the street from the parliament building.  Here are a few pix from our boat ride. 

Sailing by the Church of Our Savior.
These photos were supposed to be video 
but silly me had the lens on "photo".

At the end of a very busy day full of sight-seeing, 

 we walked back to my place for a BBQ dinner.

The next day was a bit gloomy in the sky.  Sabrina wanted to hit up Christiania.  I don't really know it because Jens preferred me not to go there. Christiania is an intentional community/socialistic and anarchist commune in the Christianshavn neighbourhood (Oops - i did it yet again).  It began in 1971 as a squatted military base.  Its main selling street, Pusher Street, was famous for its open illegal trade of cannabis - hens Jens not wanting me to spend time there.  According to wikipedia, Chrisitania is considered to be the fourth largest tourist attraction in Copenhagen.  You can read more about it here.

Instead of walking all the way there, 

we sailed half the way via the harbor water bus.

They weren't into standing in front of the

camera so much so I had to act quick.

Here we are leaving.

I crack up at the sign.

But I don't think it is meant to be a joke.

There was a lot more walking so 

a refreshing break was in need.

Then we made a long walk to the Kings summer castle.  At the time when it was built in the early 1600s by King Christian IV, it was outside of the city walls.  Now it's considered the center of town.  This is where the royal crown and royal jewels are kept.  Click here to read more.

Our last big event was visiting Tivoli Gardens.  It was Declan's first time so you kind of have to go to Tivoli when visiting Copenhagen.  We walked around the gardens, ate dinner, and then we went on the roller coaster and tossed our cookies.

Thanks Sabrina and Declan for coming to town to visit this old man.  

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

35 Years - Another Milestone

August 23, 1990

On August 23, 1990, 35 years ago, Jens and I said, "I do," at the town hall.   Since it was 35 years ago, I wanted to do something special.  But could Jens do it?  I was going to surprise him with a big celebration.  Then I thought, no - maybe I should ask him first to see if he was even interested it in.  And if he was, then it would give him something to look forward to.  In the late stages of Parkinson's, along with losing full control of your muscles, you also lose the ability to use your face muscles.  I wanted to cry when I saw a big smile on his face with so much joy in his eyes when I asked him - Hey, Jens, what do you think about getting a room at a hotel to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.  

We had the top floor, center.

It was not just going to be some cheapy, sleaze bag hotel - like I normally book.  No.  This was going to be something nice.  Less than 2 km or 1 tenth of a mile, stands the Radisson Blue Hotel.  I booked a room.  On the one side of the hotel tower, the view is over the residential neighborhoods, including where I live, the airport and the nature area.  But I wanted the more expensive view over old town Copenhagen.  

residential view

After booking, I looked at on-line photos again of the room.  One chair.  That's it.  Where were we going to sit?  Jens can't sit in his wheelchair for more than 20 minutes.  I needed a place to sit down too.  My back would kill me if I should have to sit on the edge of the bed for any significant amount of time.  So I changed my booking to a suite.  Maybe I should spell it: $uite.  

Big and fancy - lobby and restaurant and more.

The problem was, as with most hotels, you arrive before noon but you can't check in until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.  By that time, Jens would be half finished.  So I booked the suite for 2 nights.  This would allow me to bring in a few things a day before Jens showed up. And It would allow us to show up just before lunch time. 

And what do I do about lunch?  I had a nice conversation with my sister and she suggested just to do a few snacks in the room.  That was even a better idea.  Otherwise I think Jens would have been too tired to go to lunch and dinner in the hotel.  I ended up making lunch.  I was able to bring in most everything I needed the day before - that was Friday the 22nd.  I brought in plates, flatware, glasses, banner and flag, some food and even his shower bench.  

It was a big bathroom and a very nice shower that I knew he would love.  I knew he would love to take a nice long shower in a non-institution environment.  He must have been in the shower under the rain-drop showerhead for about half an hour.

But first before the shower, we had lunch and we toasted a glass of champagne to us for a very successful, loving, and happy 35 years. The last decade has been tough but my life is full of so much love, it almost makes me sick to my stomach.

A traditional shrimp and egg sandwich w/ mayo and tomato.  I forgot the lemon.  And a very affordable bottle of Spanish Cordon Negro.  Can't go wrong with that.  Plus Jens wouldn't be able to drink more than a glass - if even that.

After lunch, we sat at the windows again and continued to admire the amazing view over Copenhagen.

Then it was shower time. Every thing was going perfect.  After the shower we got into our cuddle mode to take a little relaxer.  Jens can get very tired very fast.  Once we got up, we moved back to the writing desk to have cake and coffee and another sip of the bubbly.  Again as we sat with cake n coffee, we continued to admire the view.  We would point out the buildings to each other and tell what we could see.  Later on, we moved to the sofa to watch a bit of tv but we eventually would turn back to the windows.  We moved back and forth between the bedroom window and the living room window. 

After a fresh shower and getting dressed, it was cake time. 

2 slices of cream cake.

And 2 slices of beefcake.

Say: Ostemad.

I made dinner reservations for 5:30 - the same time that Jens has dinner in the nursing home.  I checked out the menu on-line the same day that I booked the room.  I had to make sure there was something soft to eat.  Ravioli - that's normally something very soft. The problem with that was, it had some kind of toasted kale, drizzled as a decorative topping.  I've had it only once before and it was pretty interesting - in a good way.  But there were way too many stems so I had to carefully scrape all the garden gunk away.  If you look at the photo I posted, you will see almost something equivalent to a garden clippings that would get stuck in anybody's throat.  But we ate around it and we had a nice celebratory dinner to applaud our 35 years of marital bliss.  Gag.  No, but really - 35 years.  Wow !  I just can't believe it.

I circled the dangerous sticks in the food.

  

After dinner, we rolled our way back up to the 26th floor.  We got ourselves ready to return back to the nursing home.  Once all of that was settled, we went back down to the lobby and waited for the hospital van to pick us up.  I wouldn't have to worry about packing every thing that I hauled in, because I didn't have to check out until Sunday, 

When the hospital shuttle service dropped us off at the home, I rolled Jens back to his room.  About 40 minutes later, I got on my bike which I had left at his place Saturday morning.  We kissed good-bye and I road my bike back to the hotel to start to wind down and pack up.  I was going to go home that same evening but I ended up staying over night.  Mostly because I wanted to see the view at night time.    At the time, I wasn't sure if staying there over night was the right thing to do.  I just should have gone home.  I felt so empty and all alone.  I told my sister that as wonderful as the celebration was, I was feeling sad because I know this is going to be the last time that Jens and I will have such a celebration.  She said she could understand that I would have such feelings but that there was no reason why we couldn't do this again.  It might not be another wedding anniversary, but why not just do it again next year or something?  And I was so happy that I had that conversation.  Of course.  As long as Jens still can - we should.  So........I asked him just yesterday how he feels about getting another room for Christmas.  And there was that smile again.  So look what I just did while writing this.

THE NEXT DAY

The morning after, I got on my bike and road from the hotel to my apartment.  I parked the bike and got in my car and drove back to the hotel to pick up the shower bench.  Basically, everything else fit in my bike basket, back rack and back pack.  From the hotel, I drove straight to the nursing home.  Jens and I agreed that if the weather was decent, we would take a little drive down to the coast.  The first stop is this little shack within walking distance from the airport.

Can you see Jens in the patio?

Jens and I are on a new health kick.  Vanilla ice-cream and espresso.  We love it.  We lose all control and just suck it up.  Sooooo de-lish.  Then...... when we were ready to head back the way we came, we pulled into the beach parking lot and took a 20 minute stroll.

In the background, you can see the bridge
to Sweden and an airplane getting ready
to land at the Copenhagen airport.

In the background, you can see the same
structure that I pointed out in the last blog
about Paris.  It's one of the last photos
where the plane is about to land.
The structure is an industrial and sports
building.  It has 2 stair paths, 90 meters high
and I sometimes walk it to exercise my legs.
It's roughly the same height as the hotel.

It was a wonderful weekend and it went very well considering the big picture.  Mange tak, Sweetie for a wonderful 35 years.

Here now, are a few of the photos that I snapped from the hotel window.

Looking at a mote type of canal that goes around the parliament building.

The arched marble bridge crossing from city to the island. 

In the background center is St. Petri Church.

And just off to the side, is Church of Our Lady.

St. Petri Church

In the background is the sports arena.

In the center is the State Museum of Art.

In the foreground to the left is Nikolaj Church,

which is now an art hall.

The top of the Parliament tower.

In time, the copper will be just as green as all the other towers.

Frederik's Church known as the marble church.

Way off in the distance is Grundtvigs Church.

Copenhagen town hall bell tower.

Church of Our Savior

one of the most unusual church

spires anywhere, is this one. 

It's an outdoor stair case to the top.

This is the top of the Round Tower.  At the top is Europe's oldest, still functioning astronomical observatory.  Nearly 400 years old.  When it was built, it was by far the tallest structure in Denmark. The tower is connected to Trinity Church.  In the background is the new Children's Hospital.

Looking almost straight down out of the window is the lake that at one time served as protection for the city of Copenhagen.  At the time it was made, it circled the entire city.  Of course the city has grown miles beyond the fortification.

The Royal yacht.  

In the background is a yellow harbor water bus.

 It has a stop right in front of our apartment. 

And as I mentioned earlier, this monstrosity is the structure that is almost as tall as the hotel (not including the smoke stacks)  This is called Amager Bakke or Copenhill.  It's an activity center built on and around a power plant that burns trash and makes heat for the city.  I climb the stairs every now and then.  You can actually ski on it year round.  But it is too much to explain so click this link if you want to learn more.