Month: June 2009

  • Summer in Denmark

    While Czech Repulic was getting washed away I went to Denmark for a bit more than a week. I had not been back since Christmas so it was really great to get back.

    View from Tørskind

    I started out in Odder where I spend a day with Magnus, my nephew. First I went with him to preschool (it’s called 0th grade and the kids are 6-7 years old) and had a good time with Magnus and his classmates. During his school day we had morning singing (or whatever it is called) followed by roll call, and me telling his class a bit about what i do and about some of my travels. I didn’t really know how to approach kids at this age but they had a map of the world and Europe that we used to talk about different places and how they were different than Denmark. They seemed interested and had their own stories of trips they had made so the time went quick. Then it was time for a library visit with a fairytale reading by the librarian, followed by the class showing off what letters in the alphabet they had learned.
    After school Magnus and I went home to play for the rest of the day untill Majbrit and Mogens got home. Here is a video of a slide with a “bomb” we tried to make from his bed to the living room – can you ever get too old to play with Lego? 🙂

    It was really great to spend some time in Odder with family and catch up with the little guy – who is not that little any more.

    The family in Odder

    Friday Ann arrived and stayed for the weekend. For once she wasn’t visiting in the winter time so I was happy to see that the weather was fairly good to us.

    Tiny, cosy house

    Saturday we packed a lunch and took off to the southwestern corner of the kingdom. First stop was the sight of where the Golden Horns were found. Apart from two stones marking the locations of the finds there wasn’t anything to see here. Apart from the tiny, cute house pictured above right next to it. The gold horns are two very unique finds in Denmark and their history is quite remarkable.

    Main street in Møgeltønder

    We continued to the village of Møgeltønder (pictured above) where Schackenborg Castle is situated. Schakenborg is the home of Prince Joachim, the younger of the queen’s two sons. He just had to his first child (Prince NN :)) with his second wife (his third in total – officially) so there were crowned storks in the garden to mark the expansion of the royal family.

    The stork has visited the castle

    We stopped at Hojer Mill to have our lunch and went to the coast to see dike and the vastness of the marsh landscape out west by the Wadden Sea.

    Us in front of Højer mill

    At night we went to Ribe to walk around with the watchman as he told about the oldest city of Denmark.

    Nightwatch man in Ribe

    Sunday we went to the area around Tørning and had a barbecue there with my folks.

    [Picture of BBQ from dads camera – coming soon]

    Ann was flying home on Monday so we spend the day making our way slowly towards the airport. We stopped in Jelling to see the rune stones and mounts marking the christening of the Danes and the burial place of Harald Bluetooth. Before Ann took off we had dinner at my aunt’s and uncles farm which is just next to the airport.

    Jelling Church

    My cousin Anders graduated high school on Tuesday so there was a big party in his parents garden and the weather was perfect. Congrats to him!

    People in the garden

    Now I’m back in rainy Prague. Hopefully it doesnt stay that way because Mikkel, my thesis buddy is visiting me.

  • Summer evening on the bike

    Bike path along the river

    The weather in Prague is playing tricks on us and this past weekend it was almost autumn-ish with high winds and degrees around 12. But today it finally turned for the better and hit a nice 24C as I grabbed my bike and headed out for a ride.

    Panorama of Prague, Charles bridge on the far right

    Sunset over Prague

  • A weekend in Tuscany

    Ann spend the month of May in Pisa doing research at a dye analysis lab (correct me if im wrong 🙂 ) at the Università di Pisa. The last weekend she was there I went down to visit her and together we explored a bit of the region.

    Us in front of the tower

    My dad has been going to Tuscany to bike each spring for the last 4-5 years and my mother has been there a couple of times as well and they have always talked very fondly of the region so I was looking forward to finally seeing it myself. And let me just say that I was really taken with Tuscany – I really have to get back there some day and see more.

    I arrived in Pisa Thursday where Ann finished up at the university and we saw a bit of Pisa. Friday we headed to Cinque Terra (which is actually not in Tuscany but Liguria).

    Manarola

    Cinque Terra means Five Lands and consists of five small villages clinging to the edge of the rocks next to the Mediterranean. Pictured above is the village Manarola. To get between the villages you can either walk on a trail, take the train that runs in a tunnel beneath the villages or take a boat.

    The harbour in Vernazza
    See a bigger version of the panorama here.

    We took it easy and walked part of the way and took the train for the rest. The weather was just right and the scenery between the villages as well as the atmosphere in the villages was excellent.
    After we had spent most of the day taking in the sights we found a small rock beach where we could cool down before heading back to Pisa.

    Rock beach where we went swimming

    Saturday we headed inland for the city of Siena and this was as Tuscan as it gets. Set in a landscape of lush, green, rolling hills the train ride there was nice.

    Red roofs of Siena

    With all the houses made from a red-brown stone this place is really like something out of a movie. We brought a picnic lunch with us and ate it at the huge Piazza del Campo in the center of town.

    Palazzo Pubblico in Piazza del Campo

    It is easy to get a little lost in the small winding streets. But that doesn’t matter. For every corner you turn there is another interesting view.

    Narrow street of Siena

    On our way back to Pisa we made a stop in quaint town of Certaldo where we could take a cable car up to the old town on top of the hill. It was quite small but we also had it more or less to ourselves and the locals.

    Deserted street in Certaldo

    Sunday I was already heading back home again. So short time with Ann and so short time in Tuscany. I will have to see them both again soon 😉