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.

Go To HEL

 

This parkinson's thing is sucking the life out of me.  So I am trying to suck back.  Now, instead of 1000 days a week at the nursing home, I am trying to take 1 day off - Tuesday preferably or Wednesday.   I have been doing this for almost 2 months now.  It was the 2nd or 3rd free Tuesday that I had planned on taking my annual day trip to Malmö, Sweden.  But I was so exhausted, I just couldn't get myself together and go.  That's when I knew something was terribly wrong; not having the strength to do the thing I wanted. 

Well........... the next Tuesday came along and I said ok - this is it, Eddie, you are going to Malmö even if it kills you.  But when monday came along, I said: Hey Eddie, you've been to Malmö so many times already, why not try something different?  My good neighbors Finn and Liss just came home from a little trip to Helsingbor, Sweden and they said they had a really nice time and it sounded so easy to get there. 

On the platform at
Copenhagen central station.

It was so easy, that I actually started to get a little upset with Jens for never suggesting that we do this.  He doesn't like the Swedes, he says - because back in his youth when he was a policeman on the streets, he was constantly arresting drunk Swedes.  Or so that's the story he tells me.

Here comes my train.

This is my train. 

Anyway, I got up at a reasonable time, walked 10 minutes to the Metro and at the next stop, the central station, I hopped on the next train to Helsingør.  It departs every 20 minutes. It was so easy. The Metro is only 1 stop / a 4 minute underground ride, the train ride is only 55 minutes and it's the last station.

In the background, above and below photos, is my final destination.  A smaller portion of the ride is along the coast on the Danish side.  Across the opening to the Baltic Sea is Helsingbor, Sweden.

When the train pulls into the last station, I simply get out, snap a few photos of the beautiful train station, walk to the end of the track, hang a right and make my way into the entrance to the ferry.  Passengers walk upstairs to the many ticket machines, punch in their travel info and then simply follow the signs to the ferry.   So dang easy  - AND cheap too.  

I just bought my ticket and now I am in the gangway to
the ship.  You can see the ferry that I am about to board.

These are passengers disembarking.  You can see
the train station where I just came from.

I've seen this train station a hundred times
and I find it to be so amazing every time.

Walking thru the gangway.  Almost there.
In the background you can see what is nicked-
named Hamlet's Castle.  More about that later.

The real name is Kronborg Castle.

I am now on the ferry and totally wowed 

by how modern and huge it is.

Huge bar but it was closed.      I could only imagine
that if you were not first in line to get your cocktail,
you better have it served in the cardboard cup
because the ride is that short.


Within just minutes, we are already on our way.

I managed to find my way to the bow / front of the ship.

Completely wonderful.

Here you can see a ferry on it's way back to Denmark.

In the video above and below, I am pointing too 

far south.  I couldn't see anything on my camera 

screen because of all the wonderful sunshine.

Plus I didn't really know where I was going other than to Hel.

Now approaching the harbor on the Swedish side.

The ferry approaching the dock.

The ferry approaching the dock.

In this video you can see when the ferry actually

hits the ramp as the trucks wiggle back and forth.

I have now stepped on ground.

Here come a few shots of the city.

As soon as you get off of the ferry,

you are welcomed with a huge bouquet.

And now come the photos of all the old buildings 

in the town.  It's what I really enjoy looking at.

Of course most old European cities are built around old churches. So you always have to check them out - well... I do.  This is St. Mary Church (without the 's).  Originally built in the 12th century but rebuilt again in the late 13th century.  What you see now is from 1410 with an addition from 1953.

You will almost always find a ship hanging from the ceiling of a Scandinavian church - The ship itself serves as a metaphor for the church congregation, navigating through life's challenges and temptation under Christ's guidance. My ship has sunk - and it's more of a rubber raft than a ship.  Thank goodness for my water wings.

I lit a candle for departed loved ones :-(

All that holy moly stuff worked up my appetite.  

I found the nicest place to eat just in front of St. Mary.

I ordered some salmon swimming

 in a dill sauce over pasta, and a

  nice glass of white wine.  I ate

  it while filling out YOUR

post card.  I hope you  

have received it by now.  

;-)

As I am eating and writing, 

I have this view of St. Mary.

After lunch, I walked to the tower. 

The tower is just beyond this 

staircase structure called

King Oscar II's Terrace. 

 

It's not possible to see it from this angle and I don't have any photos of it so I am borrowing the photo below from google.  But if you zoom in on the arches in the above photo, you can see a bit of the tower with the Swedish flag at the top of the tower.

The tower Kärnan, built in 1310, is a medieval tower.  It is the only remaining part of a larger Danish fortress when, at the time, along with the fortress Kronborg (the castle you saw in the video/photo at the start of this blog and which I said I would get back to) on the opposite bank of the sea, controlled the entrance way to the Baltic Sea.  This of course was at the time when Sweden was Denmark.  Since then, the castle has undergone several reconstructions and repairs.  Now a museum open to all.  What you see in the foreground is the top part of the King Oscar II's Terrace which was built in 1899 - 1903,  which was then and now, Sweden.  

 

Hamlet's Castle in the background.

Kronborg - This fortress/castle was built to keep tabs on who is coming and going thru the Baltic Sea and to collect a crossing toll.  You may ask - If it is Denmark on one side and Sweden on the other side, why was it the Danes who collected the passage toll?  At the time, the entire area, on both sides of the Baltic Sea entrance was Denmark.  Kronborg castle also has a nickname: Hamlet's Castle.  This is because William Shakespeare's famous play, Hamlet, took place here.  In his play, he changed the town name Helsingborg to Elsinore.  In the play, the guard named Marcellus says the famous line you all know, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark".  And if you know that one, then you definitely know the line by Prince Hamlet, "To be or not to be, that is the question".

As you approach the terrace steps,

you pass this sculpture.

Sculpted in 1922, the bronze figure depicts 

David with Goliath's head under his foot.  

 

Inside the tower.

A few shots from the top of the tower.

After my climb to the top, I walk back to the center

of town to admire and discover the architecture.

from 1759

from 1641

Tycho Brahe square and fountain to commemorate 

the most important astronomer of the Renaissance,

 before the telescope was invented.

He has quite an interesting history if you are into that

sort of thing.  Click here if you want to read more.  

It's getting time for me to leave and head back to Copenhagen but before I say good-bye, I find a spot in the sun to have a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.

After I soak up the last bit of sunshine for the day, I made my way back to the ferry and grabbed a little snack on board.  It was a great free day away from the nursing home.  

And now that I know that it is so easy, I will for sure have a difficult time deciding next time if I should go to Malmö or to Helsingborg.

Yeah, That's what I was thinking too:

Why not both?