My American Family in Denmark (Part 2)

Canal where the boathouse was located (you can see it on the right)

It's time for a major rewind in order to catch up on all the fun we've had over the past five days. I've already described the day of my mom's arrival to Denmark, so I will pick up where I left off: the next morning!

On Friday morning, the whole family (except for Mira, who was in school) set off for Copenhagen to explore the channels and canals via the water! Lars and Helle had organized a family kayaking tour, offering a completely new way for both my mom and me to experience the city. The excursion was a blast from start to end. I will describe some highlights here.

By far the funniest moment of the trip happened before we had even left the area in front of the boathouse. Kasper had gotten into his single kayak, and Lars and my Mom pushed off in a double. Hysteria was about to unfold (we reenacted the experience at the end for posterity's sake):

As they start to paddle away, Mom notices Lars' toe right next to her. She thinks to herself, "Wow! He must have really long legs!" She turns around to see how far back he was sitting and came face to face with him. "Oh! Hello! What are you doing here?" she asked him. She becomes slightly hysterical.

As they start to [try to] paddle, Lars thinks to himself, "Huh, I can't move my arms..." but he's never kayaked before, so he has nothing to compare it to. He finds this hysterical.

View from the dock

They awkwardly try to maneuver, and somehow manage to make it alllll the way down the canal and back. I remember distinctly thinking, "Huh, these Danish kayaks are strange... there is so much empty space in front of Mom and behind Lars, but they are right on top of each other... It looks rather intimate... Maybe Helle and Lars should have gone together!" Then, the tour guide on the dock called to them, "Excuse me, but Lars, you are sitting in the child's seat. You need to move back." He needed to move back a good foot and a half. I don't think I've seen mom laugh that hard in years (and we all know she loves to laugh).

The trip itself was absolutely gorgeous! The weather could not have been more perfect and seeing the city from the water gave me a new appreciation for it. We had a break half-way through our paddle to have drinks on the water. The end of the excursion was just as hilarious as the beginning, as mom fell out of the boat and onto the dock when she was trying to scoot herself out of her seat.

Lars' expression as mom lays like a dead bug says it all

The church is 295 feet tall... a long way up!

After kayaking, we set off for part two of our day: a trip to the Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Savior), which is famous for its tall Golden Spire offering stunning views of the city.

As we climbed higher, the views were absolutely incredible!

Oh how much I LOVE this city! 

Denmark is famous for its use of wind energy. Turbines are everywhere!

295 feet above street level and loving it!

Panorama shot!

We climbed alllll the way back down and split up: Lars, Helle, and Kasper went back home to begin to prepare for our evenings activities, while Mom and I continued to explore the city.

Walking towards the Black Diamond Library, crossing water and searching for a bite to eat

From our kayaks, we'd seen one of my favorite spots in Denmark: the Black Diamond (Royal Library). Having now seen it from the water, I truly understood its name. When viewed from sea, the building literally glistens and shimmers, exactly as a diamond would. It was breathtaking from the outside and I couldn't wait to show mom the inside...

Exterior of the Black Diamond from the street

Inside!

Inside and looking down

The architecture is breathtaking: the lighting, the materials, the study rooms and spaces, the windows and reflections, the staircases and ramps, the curves and spirals... My mom pointed out that from the outside, the library is constructed using strictly straight lines, but inside, all of the design uses curves and circles. I've spent afternoons studying here in the past. Mom was equally impressed. 

After our visit, we walked towards to center of the city. I had intended for us to get to Rosenborg or the Botanical Gardens, but we never made it. Instead, we found a Wine Bar and Bistro for a late bite to eat!

Right across from our restaurant and happens to be where DIS's opening program was 2 years ago 

The bartender inside was super friendly. He let me sample 4 different wines before making my selection and engaged us in an interesting conversation. Mom ordered a beer and cheese plate and I got a sandwhich with pesto, ham, and fresh cheese.

Enjoying my wine and the chance to sit down. Waiting for the food

#classic photo of my mother: this was her expression of joy/appreciation
when her food arrived (and the whole time she ate).

The reason she was "in heaven." 100% fresh, local, organic cheeses and ham... delicious

After our lunch/snack, we had to rush home. Because of her (relatively small) beer, my mother was exhausted, so I let her sleep on the train ride. As we rode, I reflected on how proud I was that I could easily navigate through the whole city. I had gotten us from place to place to place without a hitch!

We arrived at Herlev Station and took the bus home, getting there in time to welcome the guests for the GIANT family & friends BBQ the Hellesens were hosting. SO. MUCH. FUN!

The table is all ready to go!!

The dogs are keeping watch by the kitchen doors

Lars the grill master cooks food for 13 people

The evening was so much fun! It gave my mom the chance to meet some of the other most important people in my Danish life including Lars' father, Helle's mother and sister and brother-in-law, and the family's closest friends. We had steak, tenderloin, burgers, salad, two types of fries, and (later, because it was friday) CANDY!

View down the table 

After eating, Mira and I set up the trampoline and then hung out for a bit while the grownups talked.

Setting up the trampoline for one jump the next day

When I was first abroad, one of Mira's and my favorite activities had been using the "Photobooth" app on my computer to take silly pics together. It provided a fun way for us to hang out that didn't involve much talking because (early on) Mira was not comfortable speaking English. Now that has DEFINITELY changed and we talk for hours on end, but it was still so much fun to take tons of goofy pictures. We also blasted Danish music and laughed hysterically when I tried to sing along. We watched music videos and later made our own. Finally, guests were beginning to leave, so I went out to be social for a bit again. It was hard to say goodbye, but luckily I know I will be seeing them again soon!

Under the seaaaa 

The options in the Photobooth app have become WAAAY more hightech in 2 years :)

All in all, another fantastic day that helped me to show mom both the places and people who have helped me to fall in love with Denmark. We finally went to sleep around 1am, ready for another big day on Saturday (which I will write about after dinner!).