Daydreaming Cyclist in Aarhus

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 19:43:00 +0000

Happy Easter everyone! Was really looking forward to the holidays and it was lovely having my in-laws to visit. We got great weather over the holidays - cold, but perfect sunshine. And of course we ate lots of chocolate :) Hope everyone enjoyed the hols! I even managed to go for a 16km run as part of our Aarhus city half-marathon preparations :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 08:30:00 +0000

This is one of those times during the year when I want to be in Ireland. Obviously, having a day off work is nice(!), but I actually love getting involved in St. Patrick's Day activities and wearing fresh shamrock on my lapel. My sister was over visiting last weekend, so she brought over some 'Irish things'. This included a lovely t-shirt for Asger and his own St. Patrick's Day badge :) Yes, he'll be wearing green all day today! I had a look at the parade from Dublin city centre on the RTE player - it's a nice reminder of the celebrations at home today. Hopefully we'll make it to Dublin in the near future for St. Patrick's Day. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the online activities.

Training for the Aarhus City Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 20:47:00 +0000

I decided to sign up for a half marathon - my first since 2012. Actually, the last one I did was also the Aarhus city one. So, perhaps it's a sign, or something like that. A few friends are also doing it, so it was a great way to focus again and get back into running since Asger arrived in May 2014. Running really does give me such a buzz - something I never would have said 10 years ago. Training is going ok - starting off slowly at 5km, and hoping to build up the distance steadily.... Looking forward to June :)

The Great British Bake Off

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 07:43:00 +0000

I had heard about this programme and how everyone was getting very excited about the new series. I wasn't sure I wanted to watch another reality TV show - they all just start blending into one another, and it's not entertaining anymore. But I had a look at this show last night. They are at the quarter-finals stage, so all 5 contestants are good at baking. I really like baking, so thought it might actually be good to pick up a few hints.

I really enjoyed the whole thing - the format, the baking, the interaction with the presenters. But most of all the show made me want to do two things: 1. eat cake while watching the show, preferable a slice of victoria sponge, and 2. start baking. Luckily it was 10pm, and I couldn't do either. I don't think this programme would be very good for my waistline :) Wonder if it's only on once a week....oh, the wait!

Asdis and Berglind get married

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 11:38:00 +0000

So our trip to Iceland finally came around - and it was time for Asdis and Berglind's wedding! That was the main reason we were going to Iceland this summer, and of course, we have been talking about going back since our last trip in 2009, so it was the perfect excuse! We arrived in Reykjavik on the Wednesday before the wedding on the Saturday, so had two and a bit days to drive up to Akureyri. This trip was very different to the last one, where we camped and drove around Iceland with action-packed days. This time we were taking it nice and easy with Asger, but that means still being able to enjoy the amazing scenery and great food!

We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast located very near to the church, so it was easy to get there on the Saturday. The church was lovely, really unusual design with large windows along the sides. It was such a beautiful ceremony - I didn't know the opening song would be so moving, so usually I get a little teary-eyed as the ceremony progresses, but this time it happened straight away! And neither of us could find the tissues. Asger was there to keep everyone entertained, and just waited until the girls got married before taking his afternoon nap :) We had a lovely time at the reception at a restaurant in the city - Asger slept through the speeches and music! Food, company and celebrations were great.

While in Iceland we were able to visit some places we had been before (geysirs) and some new places we hadn't seen before (penninsula near to Reykjavik). The scenery is truly amazing and breathtaking. Most days we had blue skies and sunshine, but around 10 degrees, so it felt like really nice autumn/winter weather (even though it was August!). This was Asger's first trip abroad, so first time on a plane, which went really well. I owe Esben big time - he got the nappy change on the plane - and we know how pokey those toilets are :) Of course, we just keep talking about our next trip back to Iceland, but in the winter this time with snow all around :)

Asger's arrival

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Wed, 21 May 2014 07:49:00 +0000

9 days overdue and getting a little anxious - but at 11.30pm on Tuesday 20 May it all kicked off. Fast forward to 4.11am Wednesday 21 May when Asger entered the world! I thought that I would be way more emotional but to be honest, I was so happy to see him and for him to be lying on me, I didn't have time to get emotional! It was great having Esben with me the whole time - he was a great support, especially during those 'I can't push any longer' moments.

It's a lovely feeling to finally get to meet the little one who has been on the inside for the past 9 months and say 'so you're the one who has been kicking and punching me for the last month - that was so adorable!'. Happy times :)

Trip to Spreewald and Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 12:49:00 +0000

We had planned a trip to Berlin during the second weekend of August to visit Nora, Simon and Holger (or Hølgær as he is sometimes known). And they had a great suggestion - let's take a trip to Spreewald - the home of the gerkin! Where you can hire a canoe and paddle around miles of canals in lovely sunny weather. Yep, my perfect idea of a weekend away! But we would also get to see Berlin (we love Berlin). We arrived Friday evening, and had a lovely catch up over good German beers, before setting off on Saturday morning to Spreewald. The train trip was a little over an hour, and we picked up Holger on the way. We were staying in a lovely apartment in a GDR-style building (oh so new for us, but brought back a lot of childhood memories for Nora and Holger), just a 5-minute walk from the town centre. On Saturday we did the important things - went food/drink shopping and book the canoe trip for Sunday. We managed to get a 5-seater canoe, so this was going to be a fun Sunday outing along the numerous canals, meeting at various intersections, and the possibility of following several routes along the way.

After a fun evening of playing Sagaland (I won't go into it! Let's just say everyone had their own tactics, and we were all ruthless), eating homemade pizza and drinking beers, the next morning we picked up our boat at 9.30 and set off on an "adventure". The surroundings were beautiful: cozy houses and restaurants sitting along the river bank, which we stopped off at on the way. And at other times it was just the five of us in our canoe - pure silence apart from the noise of nature - wonderful!

On Monday it was time to leave Spreewald, and head back to Berlin - or from one lovely place to another! We met up with friends of Simon and Nora, ate ice-cream, relaxed in a lovely park area (which used to be an airport/runway!), and simply enjoyed the lovely sunny weather. And we finished the evening off with a visit to the beergarden - well, when in Rome :) Looking forward to the next trip to Berlin already (which is in November for Nora and Simon's wedding!)

World Championships Moscow 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 09:40:00 +0000

Ireland has another world champion!! Rob Heffernan won gold in the 50km race walk competition - I'm so proud of him. He has improved steadily over the years, and it is about time that his hard work and dedication are rewarded. He came 4th in the London Olympics 2012, so winning today in Moscow is even more special after missing out on a medal last summer. I should also mention that is it 30 years to the day since an Irish man won a gold medal at the World Championships - Eamonn Coughlan in the 5000m at the first World Championships in Helsinki. However, we have had success in the women's competition since then - Gillian O'Sullivan (20km race walk, silver medal, 2003) and Sonia O'Sullivan (1500m, silver medal, 1993/5000m, gold medal, 1995).

I love to watch the World Championships and Olympic Games (well actually almost any sport), but these two are definitely in the top 5. In 2004 I went to the Olympic Games in Athens for my holidays - it was one of the best holidays ever, and that says a lot since I've been to many amazing destinations in the last 10 years. I guess being able to watch sports every day on your holidays is something I thoroughly enjoy, and having the opportunity to support Irish athletes at the same time :)

I was in Berlin at the weekend and I got to watch the 100m men's final - Usain Bolt did it again! But I was very disappointed to read today that RTE (Irish television broadcaster) did not show the World Championships at all - and therefore, missed the opportunity to broadcast Rob Heffernan winning gold for Ireland. Something is not quite right here, and I hope they realise their mistake.

Competing in sports is a really tough job - especially race walking, where the training is very intense and time-consuming. I'm just really happy that all this work paid off in the end. Well done Rob, and hopefully this is only the start of the winning streak!

Of Monsters and Men

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 21:30:00 +0000

The evening had finally arrived - it was time for the Of Monsters and Men gig in Voxhall. They are an Icelandic band and we've been fans for around a year and a half now. So, it was great to finally see them live. And we weren't disappointed :) Voxhall is a great venue, as it's the perfect size - not too big, not too small - just right for that intimate gig with your favourite bands :) Another great thing is that they sell Murphy's on tap - quite unusal for a Danish or Irish pub (in Dublin), and it's one of Esben's favourite drinks. So what more can you ask for on a Tuesday evening - great live music, and all within 15 minutes of home. Nice.

Looking forward to the next album from these guys...

Baby Leo arrives

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 18:14:00 +0000

It's a boy! And his name is Leo :) Yep, today seemed like a good day to have a birthday (4 days after due date). And this means that I now have a nephew to oooh and awww over, in addition to my two beautiful nieces. I am so excited by the news - my sister is doing really well too :) We are going back to Dublin in July, so that'll mean we'll have a chance to see Leo as a new born. They grow so quickly, but I'm sure at 3 weeks old, he will still have the new born features! So, I'm off to go baby boy shopping...

Sculptures by the Sea 2013 & 4:18:4

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 11:07:00 +0000

Soon after we moved to Aarhus two years ago, a really cool outdoor art exhibition began for the month of July - Sculptures by the Sea. Two years later it came back! Obviously with new pieces of art, and this time round they included some sound installations in the forest. As we were away on holidays at the beginning of June, and then at Northside Festival another weekend in June, we left it til the second last weekend to visit the exhibition. And we weren't disappointed one bit! Most of them were located along the beach or in the water, and then the others were in the forest. Even though there is a natural pathway to follow, it can be easy to miss one or two - especially if they are 'part' of nature. So I was pleasantly surprised when I went back a few days later to go swimming in the sea that I got to see the man clinging onto the tree trunk for dear life - he was pretty high up all the same (don't worry, not an actual human being clinging on for dear life for the entire month!).

We spent about 4 hours walking around the area, and it was a nice warm-down after the 4:18:4 triathlon I had completed that morning. Super happy with myself - I finished the triathlon in 1 hour 22 mins - and finally, the cycling event is not too bad after all :) I also took part in the triathalon two years previously - so these events marked our two year 'living in Aarhus' anniversary :)

DNA Dreams @DocLounge Aarhus

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:59:00 +0000

Yesterday evening we went to see a documentary called DNA Dreams written by Bregtje van der Haak and hosted by DocLounge in Aarhus. It was about a company in China called BGI who are the largest genome sequencing centre in the world (I think - they are pretty big in any case!). The documentary focuses on their aims to sequence human DNA with the aim of identifying the intelligence gene. In the documentary we are shown that BGI have opened their European headquarters in Copenhagen. Obviously the documentary raises many issues in terms of ethical issues and human genome sequencing, and we were lucky to be able to skype with Bregtje van der Haak on the night after watching the film. There was also a molecular biologist from Aarhus University in the audience, and he gave a little talk on the background of genome sequencing. After the documentary he reiterated his thoughts on this topic, and mentioned that he is very worried about what the Chinese company plans to do with their research. However, other audience members pointed out that genome sequencing of crops, for example, could help millions of people. But the main worry is in relation to genome sequencing and humans. It was an interesting documentary and definitely a good one to start a discussion afterwards.

What are my thoughts on genome sequencing? The idea that it could help with crop production seemed feasible, but trying to identify the intelligence gene is not something I would be in favour of in the future. Also research is one thing, but implementing results is another. I'm not sure if I would like to live in a world that had only 'intelligent' people (as defined by this research).

6 Nations Rugby here again

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 18:39:00 +0000

As I mentioned in a previous post, the RBS 6 nations rugby campaign for 2013 has begun, and Ireland started off well, but could not beat England today in a disappointing game. The bad, wet weather didn't help, but that wasn't the only reason the Irish team lost. England were definitely the better team on the day, and in my opinion look the likeliest to win the championship this year. We never really looked like scoring a try, and were busy fumbling the ball when it mattered the most. Oh well, hopefully we put in a good display against Scotland in two weekends' time. On the upside, Esben and I enjoyed a nice afternoon in the Irish pub Tir na Nog :o)

A busy month

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:17:00 +0000

As we spent Christmas and New Year's in Denmark, we both travelled back to Dublin in January. Esben went back for a long weekend, and I stayed on for a week (well including two weekends). It was great to be back home again, and I got to catch up with nearly everyone (it's just not enough time!!). During the first weekend my parents organised a family Christmas Day - it was fab. My dad had left up all the decorations so that it would feel like a real Christmas Day - thanks dad! My nieces were very excited about opening more presents, and it was lovely to be part of the excitement. The week continued to be full of get-togethers, dinners, drinks and catch-ups, which is what I really like about going home. I also got to relax at my parents' place and watch some Borgen episodes that my mum had recorded. I never got into that series before coming to Denmark, or while being here, but after 7 straight episodes, I was very happy to know that series 3 has started in Denmark already - I was hooked!

Unfortunately between burning the candle at both ends during the week and the flight back to Denmark, I picked up a head cold, which had me sneezing and sniffing for over a week. For once I stayed in bed a whole day, which definitely helped with the recovery process. Which was good, as I had planned ages ago to go to Hamburg with two friends the weekend after I got back.

The trip to Hamburg was a great success - we booked accommodation through Airbnb, and got a lovely 3-room apartment very near the centre. It was definitely a case of home from home. I travelled with Yana and Tuija, two friends I have met through my Danish course so we got to practice speaking Danish together for the entire weekend, do a bit of shopping, check out the local weekend-markets, enjoy lovely food, look around the beautiful city, and generally have a lovely relaxing time. We got the train there and back, which is a very easy 5-hour trip (each way). Before we got the train back, Tuija recommended a crime novel to me in the train station, and the 5-hour return trip went very quickly as I couldn't put the book down (The Nigtmare by Lars Kepler btw).

And we're off to Copenhagen next weekend for Esben's uncle's 70th. Hmmm...I'm thinking of taking a little time out next month - I'll need my energy for the RBS 6 nations rugby which is starting on Saturday. Although as I won't get a chance to watch the opening games, I can save some energy for the match on the 10th :).

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:32:00 +0000

And welcome to 2013! Wow, another year is over. But actually for once, I have to admit that 2012 was packed full of so many good things and fond memories. We got married and had brilliant celebrations in Aarhus, Copenhagen and Dublin (!), travelled to Africa, went to really good music festivals, got to know Aarhus better, made new friends, (I) learned more Danish and Esben's cooking just got better and better. It really was a fun-packed year, and I'm hoping 2013 is the start of many more good years to come!

We had a lovely New Year's Eve in Odense with our lovely friends (and family), Aine, Troels and Alexander. Alexander celebrated his first NYE, and wore a lovely selection of hats before retiring to bed at 8pm. We had a seriously yummy dinner and enjoyed the firework display which was on for about 5 hours in total.

While we were in Copenhagen for the Christmas period, we visited Tivoli - it has kind of become a tradition that if we are in Copenhagen around Christmas time, we have to go there at least once. And so while we were wandering around enjoying mulled wine and eating spanish churros, Esben spotted the shooting range and suggested we have a (friendly) re-match. The previous encounter resulted in Marian 1, Esben 0, so I think he was trying to win back some street cred. And so we played one round. It is the best of 20 shots. On the previous visit I scored 19/20, so that was going to be difficult to match or beat. I ended up with 14/20 this year. I'm clearly a little rusty at shooting targets. Esben finished with 4/20 (and I kind of shot 2 of them, because he thought his rifle was broken). Oh well, so it now stands at Marian 2, Esben 0. That said, Esben did beat me in the horse racing...until next time for our re-match!

Before leaving Tivoli, we enjoyed the fireworks display which is held every year from 26-30 December. It is really impressive, and it looked amazing as the fireworks shot up behind the Russian/Danish themed Tivoli 2012.

NSFC in December

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:34:00 +0000

So another film club weekend has passed, and we really set the bar high, having watched 6 films over the weekend, plus time for eating and sleeping (plus a nice lie-in). The films included:

Lars and the real girl (establishing relationships can be hard, but a real girl definitely helps! - I love Mrs. Gruner in this film for the way she makes everyone see that we all do a few strange things now and again - great story - I shed a few tears each time I see it!)
REC (virus going around - don't catch it!)
Shaun of the Dead (zombie comedy - a classic)
Let the right one in (very good zombie movie - Swedish original)

and I'm not sure I can remember the others at the moment. I just realised that there was a serious zombie influence in the film list last weekend! REC was probably the weakest of them all, and the fact that it is recorded on a hand-held camera, I felt nauseous within the first 10 minutes. We wanted to start out with a feel-good film, and therefore decided on Lars and the real girl. All of us had seen it before, but I actually forgot how good it is.

Per usual, Esben and I headed home with a stack load of films to watch from the NS selection - good thing it's winter and very cold and dark in the evenings!

Looking forward to the next NSFC in March :)

Winter wonderland in Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 22:52:00 +0000

Last weekend we travelled by train to Berlin to visit our friends Simon and Nora. Esben had never been to Berlin before, and it had been 10 years since I visited the city, so we were both really looking forward to the trip. And the fact that we'd get to meet up with Nora and Simon again (who had lived in Aarhus the previous year). The train trip was very relaxing, and after changing a few times and even travelling some of the distance by bus, we arrived on Thursday evening into Berlin main train station. Nora and Simon live in the area 'Mitte' which is very central and easy to get to and to get to other parts of the city from. Berlin has a great underground system, so even though it's a big city, it's never too difficult to get around. The first evening we had a great opportunity to catch up on everything, and the next day, Esben and I ventured out on our own. Once I was in the city again, a lot of memories came back, and I remembered many of the places that I had seen on my previous visits. The weather was perfect for walking around - fresh snow on the ground, blue skies, and sunshine. First of all we headed towards Strasse des 17. Juni, which is the main street up through the Tiergarten, and one of the main streets in Berlin as it is the continuation of Unter den Linden from the East of Berlin running into the West. While walking up this street towards the former East part, you meet the impressive Siegessaeule (the Victory Column), and once you climb up to the top, you get some great views of the surroundings. After climbing up and down, we continued our walk along Strasse des 17. Juni and under the Brandenburg Gate. The sun was still shining at this stage, so we were able to take some lovely photos in this area. We continued walking towards Potsdamer Platz and enjoyed some mulled wine at the Christmas markets. It had been 12 years since I had visited Potsdamer Platz, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw it this time - they have been very busy developing this area, and it certainly is impressive. It was also great to be in Berlin during December, as we got to visit numerous Christmas markets during our stay - and when it comes to Christmas markets, the Germans really know how to do them properly!

On Friday evening we went to a vegan restaurant Kopps run by head chef Bjoern Moschinski. The food was amazing and I would definitely recommend the restaurant to anyone on a trip to Berlin. Make sure to book in advance though - it's really popular with vegans and non-vegans alike (the egg salad to start is so yum!!)

On Saturday and Sunday we walked around many different parts of the city, enjoying the atmosphere and most notably on Sunday we enjoyed a very delicious vegan brunch - I think the four of us rolled out of that place. They had everything you could imagine, and more! Over the weekend, we managed to get some shopping in (stocking up on winter clothes/boots), and sample great food and drinks all around the city. In the evenings we caught up on the German detective series Im Angesicht des Verbrechens. Given that we had been hooked on Forbrydelsen (The Killing), we thought we should also watch some German-produced drama, and yes, it was very addictive!

Nora and Simon also shared their wonderful news - they got engaged! So more celebrations in Berlin next November...roll on the next trip :)

The Rumour Said Fire @Voxhall

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:22:00 +0000

One of my favourite bands is a Danish band called The Rumour Said Fire, which we have seen once before last summer, and they returned to Aarhus this year just after the release of their new album, Dead Ends. Voxhall is a great venue in the city centre because there is always a very intimate atmosphere when bands play. And we weren't disappointed by this concert - they played a good mix of some old favourites and songs from their new album, which we had listened to many times before and knew most of the melodies at least! It's a pity they were only allowed to play for 2 hours - I could have listened to them all night! Looking forward to the next gig already :o)

Baking weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:47:00 +0000

Over the weekend I decided to bake a few things, because we were going to a friends house for dinner, and I thought it might be nice to bring along dessert. So once again I took out Make, Bake, Love by Lilly Higgins (might as well use the book since I bought it!), and made pecan brownies, white chocolate and raspberry bars, and an old favourite of mine from my childhood - jammy dodgers. Between visiting our friends for dinner, and inviting more friends over the next evening, we managed to eat our way through everything. Of all of them, I think the white chocolate and raspberry bars tasted the best, but that said, the jammy dodgers came a close second. I think I might put the book away for a little while - my sweet tooth is seriously hurting right now!

J-Dag in Aarhus

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:58:00 +0000

Every year on the first Friday of November in Denmark, the Christmas beer (julebryg) is served. This day is called J-Dag (for julebryg day). The first pint is allowed to be poured at 20.59, and this year it was on 2 November. Our Icelandic friends Ásdís and Berglind called over to our apartment for some of Esben's wonderful cooking and to 'hygge' together, before heading into town to taste some Christmas beer. I love the fact that the Danes take their beer seriously, and produce Christmas and Easter brews - and they taste really good, usually a little darker than the regular brew and somewhat sweeter. After Esben's yummy food, we ate some traditional Icelandic skyr dessert - skyr is a type of natural yoghurt, but thicker, and has lots of protein in it. And the dessert had a biscuit base, skyr on top with fresh strawberries mixed in. So good! And then it was off into town - we tried the Christmas brew at two basement bars: Thorups Kælder and Cheers. Both were really good, and we had planned to go on to our favourite bar in town, HeadQuarters, but it now closes at 3am on Fridays and not 5am. Oh well....it was probably time to go home anyhow!

Coffee and Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:09:00 +0000

Last week was semester break in schools and universities in Denmark, so everyone was travelling all over the country - except us (well, we did just get back from Jessie and Gar's wedding!). Instead Esben's parents came to visit us for the weekend. And because we had visitors, the baking utensils came out - you know me, any excuse. I have been looking forward to making some recipes from Lilly Higgins' book Make, Bake, Love, which I bought over a year ago. This was the perfect opportunity, because it is part of Danish culture to drink coffee and eat cake - and I don't want to be the one who starts breaking with tradition now, do I? I opted for the coffee cake - one of my favourites, and it goes well with coffee. How did it turn out? Put it this way: my in-laws are still talking to me, and they even took some home with them! Actually, they said they loved it, so that's a good sign. I think it was a good first attempt, and I can always tweak the recipe next time :o)

Jessie and Gar's wedding in Hamburg

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:26:00 +0000

We're just back from a fab weekend in Hamburg, where we celebrated the marriage of my cousin Gar and his beautiful bride Jessie! I had visited Hamburg 12 years ago, while on Erasmus, and I remember it being an amazing city then. Well, 12 years later and it's even better. The harbour area is still as beautiful was it was 12 years ago, but now other areas in the city have all been developed, and they have done a great job of mixing old and new architecture to make it one of those 'wow' cities in Europe. Of course the reason we were there was to join in the wedding celebrations of Jessie and Gar. Jessie is from Hamburg, but has been living in Ireland for about 15 years (or perhaps a little more). Esben and I were able to get the train from Aarhus (a relaxing 5-hour trip with no bag-weight restrictions), which left us right in the city centre quite near our accommodation. We had been looking forward to the wedding, and our trip away for the weekend, so it was lovely to meet up with family when we got there. Esben and I took the underground train, which also went overground, to the registry office, and it was one of the most beautiful journeys through a city - the sun was shining, blue skies and a little cold out - my favourite weather. We arrived at the registry office, which was situated in a lovely, leafy suburb, and I spotted Jessie immediately - she was wearing an amazing purple coloured coat, and I could get a small glimpse of her dress. I was excited! Once we got nearer, I could see the dress up close - amazing dress! It was white lace, 50's style, with a magenta-coloured ribbon around the waist, and a kind of peticoat underneath to give the bottom of the dress more volume. There was also a magenta coloured layer showing from underneath the dress. She looked beautiful! And my cousin Gar looked very dapper in his wedding suit (I'm not biased!). The lady conducting the ceremony was very friendly and put everyone at ease, so there was lots of fun and laughter in the fairly-packed room. Afterwards we went on a bus-tour of the city - this was a great way to see all the sights, to meet more of the wedding guests, and to relax a bit before the dinner later on. In the evening we all met up at "Die Turnhalle" restaurant, and the evening was brilliant - great food, wine, and company! The speeches were very funny, and we danced into the early hours of the morning. We're already thinking about the next trip back to Hamburg!

Wishing Jessie and Gar all the very best for a wonderful life together! xx

NSFC in September

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 19:36:00 +0000

We're just back from a great Nørre Snede Film Club (NSFC) weekend at Kristina and Ole's. Not only did we get to see some great films, we were also spoiled all weekend with yummy food and freshly baked bread (thanks Ole!). Some recommendations from the weekend include:

Inside Job: want to know how the crisis all started? Well, this is a real eye-opener

Land of the Dead: Want to look at Simon Baker for a few hours and enjoy a really good zombie movie? Then check this out!

Fish Tank: Great writing and Michael Fassbender :o)

Esben's cooking: part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I had always known that Esben liked to cook and now and again he would make something for a special occasion (e.g. birthday celebration). But I didn't actually know how good he is at cooking until I arrived in Denmark. I have featured some of Esben's amazing food before, but I plan to put up some photos which I have taken of the food over the past year. I suggested last night that he could enter 'Come dine with me', but I don't think he'll go ahead with it. So in the meantime I get the benefit of tasting all this amazing food! Here's what he cooked last night:

Avocado with crayfish, creme fraiche and basil

Beef (top) and broccoli, apple, bacon salad topped with Chinese radish

Our Travels: Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (Marian) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 19:57:00 +0000

Our Travels: Part 1|Our Travels: Part 2|Our Travels: Part 3|Our Travels: Part 4|Our Travels: Part 5

Day 26: Saturday, 18 August 2012

Hobas, Namibia – Namibian border crossing – Kalahari Trails camp site, near Kgalagadi transfrontier park, South Africa

We were up early, and had some small for breakfast while watching the sun come up. Our first stop was the roadhouse, and we thought we might just get a cup of coffee, but when we found out they didn't serve coffee on its own, but only a very good value breakfast buffet, including coffee, we went for that. Esben definitely gets his value for money when eating at a buffet. They had everything on offer – it was such a change for us, as we usually just have porridge and museli. They had all the standard cereals, yoghurt, fruit, meats, cheeses, sweet buns, toast and hot food including bacon and eggs. And to top it all off, the best coffee!

The roadhouse itself was great to walk around and to take photos. They had numerous old cars parked in the eating area, and many old signs from railway stations, and the like. They even had a Murphy’s sign by the breakfast buffet. One of the locals (the cat seen above) seemed to like to hang out on or in the old cars :o)

An hour and a half later we were back on the road. Luckily, the drive wasn’t too bad. We knew that we would be on C roads, but they were in good condition. We passed through Keetmanshoop, and then headed east towards the border. When we reached the border, we got our passports stamped on the Namibian side, and as we were heading back to our car, the border police asked us some questions. And then he said: do you have any firearms you want to declare? This question seems so alien to us, as we would never be carrying a firearm. So we said: no! And he said: are you sure? Us: Yep, we’re sure! Him: okay then, have a good trip! Phew, passed that one.

Got to the other side and got the passports stamped no problem. Next task – customs. We saw the police looking through another car in front of us, and it all seemed very serious. They took some firewood from them (not sure why you aren’t allowed this), and were a good 15 minutes going through stuff. Our turn, and we answered all the questions. Then Esben had to show him around the car, but before he did, he asked Esben: do you have anything illegal in your car? Esben: no. Police: are you sure you have nothing illegal in your car? Esben: eh, no! Police: okay then, let’s take a look. 10 minutes later and we were on the road. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to border checks – I’m nervous each time, even though I haven’t done anything wrong!!

The road from the border in South Africa was very nice, and we made good time getting to the campsite, given that SA is an hour ahead of Namibia. We were just about hungry when we got there (given the size of the breakfast), and the lady at the campsite suggested bringing a drink up to the dunes to enjoy sunset. And that’s exactly what we did – South African red wine, naturally! The campsite we booked into is only 30km from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier NP, so the plan is to drive there tomorrow and to stay the night, and then to come back to this campsite and do a game drive and morning walk. It’s nice to be back surrounded by wildlife once again.

Day 27: Sunday, 19 August 2012

Kgalagadi transfrontier park, South Africa

We arrived at the Kgalagadi NP early, checked in, pitched the tent and then started to drive around in our own car. It’s handy that the roads in this NP are suitable for a 2WD, although we think that we might do a night game drive later with an organised tour. We haven’t done a night drive before, and there might be a chance that we would spot a leopard or other predators. Given that this NP is very near the Kalahari desert, there are many red dunes about, and given that it is very windy at the moment, there is a lot of sand blowing everywhere. You can tell that the animals aren’t too impressed with the sand either! While driving around today we spotted numerous ostriches, sprinkbok and wildebeest. And then we came across a few cars parked on the roadside, and they said that there were lions up on the side of the dune. We could just about see them, as they were lying down, sleeping, of course! But then all of them got up and moved location, by about 10 meters. It was great to see an older and a younger male lion, and two females. And then they all sat down again and relaxed in the sun.

We headed off up the road to visit a few more waterholes, and it was great to see an owl in an tree – I am convinced that the owl turned his head 360 degrees – can this be right? The sand was annoying him too!

The NP is very big, and given the 50km/h speed limit, you can’t get too far in one day. So we turned back at around 2.30pm, and enjoyed looking at the numerous animals wandering across the veld (most of whom we had seen on the way out). We stopped again at the lions, and they were all sitting in the same position. I love watching any members of the cat family, and it was a joy to watch them again. When we were almost back at the campsite, we drove over (the car, not the tyre) a puff adder (snake), and drove back to take a look. It was really impressive to see one, and read about how dangerous this species can be. Then it started moving under our car, and we were afraid that it would attach onto the car. But the people in the car passing us by directed us away from the snake, and we saw him move quickly into the undergrowth. I’m not sure I would like to find him anywhere near my tent!

Once we got back, we were able to organise a night drive (starting at 8.30pm),
and cooked dinner while watching the lovely sunset. The night game drive was brilliant. We were the only two on the trip, and we had two guides, Sarah and Mariska. Esben and I had a spotlight each, and we were advised to shine it up high at the ridge, and down low to try to spot some animals. The animals’ eyes would reflect in the light, making them easy to spot. During the trip we saw springhares (they are mix between a hare and a kangaroo – adorable!), bat-eared foxes, elands, springbox, genet, African wild cat, black-backed jackals, and mongoose. The springhare in particular is a nocturnal animal only, so we wouldn’t get to see it at on any other trip. We didn’t see any predators like the lion or leopard on the night drive, but it was very enjoyable all the same. We slept soundly that night after a long day.

Day 28: Monday, 20 August 2012

Kgalagadi transfrontier park, South Africa - Kalahari Trails camp site

After packing up the tent, we set off again today driving around the park in our own car. We went back to the spot where the lions were the day before, but there was no sign of any today. By the way, we could hear the lions last night – makes you realise you are staying in the wild! Today we took a different route across the park, where the landscape changed quite a bit from grass to red dunes. We spotted many birds, wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok and ostrich. We also saw a whole group of suricats and mongoose. There were also quite a few black-backed jackals mingling among the wildebeests. We didn’t see any lions today, and still never spotted a leopard, but it was a very enjoyable day of watching wildlife. At about 4pm we got back to the Kalahari Trails camp, and went on a sunset game drive around their farm.

As it is a restricted area, and there are no predators on the farm, so we were able to get out of the vehicle to take a closer look at bird nests (the sociable weaver builds a really cool nest, and there is a network of entrances and exits), and tracks in the dunes. We saw evidence of an African wild cat, a mouse, a secretary bird (and saw some of these on the farm too), and a hare. Some of these are nocturnal animals, and you can get of an idea of what’s going on during the night from the trails. We also saw about 10 vultures sitting on top of a tree at one stage, and also some of these in flight. It was interesting to hear about the vegetation, how the animals get water, how the aardvark builds his various homes, how they return snakes to the wild if they catch them in the house, why some trees are really green, how the animals breed and about the mating dance of some birds. We tasted some springbok sausages with our dinner, and set up camp for the night soon after 9pm. Tomorrow, we are going on a walking trail with Prof. Anne Rosa (a zoologist) to learn more about the activities of the wildlife in the area, and to learn more about the flora and fauna. Back to watching those twinkling stars….

Day 29: Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Kalahari Trails camp site – Upington – Kuraman

Woke up early to see sunrise and to get ready for our morning walk around the dunes of the Kalahari Trails camp. Prof. Anne Rasa has been living here for over 25 years, and has many more years experience, researching in the area of zoology. She was a guide for the morning, and we were joined by another couple staying at the camp, Andrew and Tamara from Jo’burg. This guided walk was to investigate the tracks that had been left the night before by wildlife. From the minute we left the main house, Anne spotted a trail – an ant hill that was built and moved the previous evening, most probably due to the fact that a predator had disturbed them. The walk was simply fascinating – we saw so many different tracks across the dunes. While we were sleeping, so much was happening around us, and we never even knew :o)

The geckos were out in full force, and from the tracks left, Anne could work out that they were mating during the night. The dancing lady spider was also busy during the night – she leaves a really pretty imprint in the sand, kind of like the shape of a daisy. We saw the footprints of a spotted pole cat, an African wild cat, and a striped genet. A thick-tailed scorpion was very active, as well as the beetles and mice (pygmy and large-eared). And all over the dunes, we saw footprints of the spring hare. This walk allowed us to join all the pieces of the puzzle together, and we were now able to identify the tracks of many of the animals which we had seen during the night drive.

We also learnt about the vegetation of the Kalahari and how it was formed. It was a great end to a visit to this part of South Africa. Anne printed off a certificate with a list of all the trails we saw, which is a very nice souvenir to bring back home!

We got on the road at about 11.30am and headed in the direction of Jo’burg. It will take us two days to get back, so the plan was to drive as far as possible and then stay in a campsite, before driving to Jo’burg the next day. The drive to Upington was pleasant, on a nice road, and we saw some salt pans on the way by. Anne had told us that we would pass some, and 60km east of Upington there is a working salt mine. Over 90% of the salt made in SA is exported, with a lot of it going to Europe to use on the roads during winter. We made a quick stop in Upington to grab some lunch and a few supplies for meals over the next two days. We managed to find a throw-away BBQ, and bought some braii (BBQ) meat, and coupled that with a bottle of South African red wine. The final destination ended up being a campsite just east of Kuruman, and we should make it to Jo’burg by tomorrow lunchtime. It will be nice to spend some time in Jo’burg, before flying out Thursday evening. That reminds me, we better check-in online tomorrow, or else Virgin will re-allocate our seats :o)

Day 30: Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Kuruman – Germinston (suburb of Johannesburg)

When we were going to bed last night (at around 10pm), the party in the bar at the campsite was just getting going. The music started to blare out, and it was like we had pitched our tent in a nightclub. I fall asleep quite easily, but this was seriously over the top. The campsite was a little strange, to be honest. And it was super expensive! We think that most of the tents there were pitched the whole time, or all through the holidays, and that families or older couples spent the weekend or longer socialising with the rest of the people at the campsite. When the music got to an intolerable level, Esben headed up to the bar to find about 15 middle-aged people singing their hearts out to hits from the 70s and 80s. He wasn’t their favourite person when he asked if they could lower the music a bit.

And then the next morning at 6.30am, we were woken by loads of people chatting outside our tent, and the noises coming from the work yard next door. I chatted with a lady who worked there, and she wondered if we were staying for the weekend – the look on my face probably said it all, but I smiled and said, no, we had to get to Johannesburg.

The drive to Johannesburg was constantly disrupted by road works, which involved stopping at a stop/go sign for 15 minutes at a go, and then driving about 4km, and then stopping at the stop/go sign. We weren’t sure if we would make it all the way to Johannesburg the way things were going, but eventually we did. We entrusted the planning of the journey with our GPS, and all was ok until Vryburg, a big enough town on the way to Johannesburg. Then we wanted to know how to get out of the town, and as I was driving along a narrow enough road with numerous potholes, I mentioned to Esben that the road was quite narrow for the main road to Jo’burg. And then it dawned on us – our GPS had directed us along a secondary road, filled with potholes (there were signs to tell you that there were potholes) and at random intervals on the road, the tarmac would disappear, and we were on a bumpy gravel road, and then the tarmac would reappear. So we had the chance to drive through provincial towns along the way. While driving through Kleindorf, we saw a sign for the same ‘doctor’ (Dr Mama-Fatuma) as the one in Zeerust, who is willing to deal with many issues, including penis enlargement, promotion at work, solving court cases and bringing back lost lovers. This is the kind of woman to call in an emergency!

And so the drive continued through the ever-changing landscapes of South Africa. It’s amazing to see large open spaces, with no people or houses for miles and miles, and just the mountains in the distance. We had no idea where to stay in Jo’burg, and didn’t have a guidebook to help us out. So we just picked an area south of the airport, and asked the GPS to recommend names and addresses of B&Bs. We wanted to stay in a B&B so that we could get our things organised, pack everything away, and to clear the car out. So I saw one listed called ‘Museum B&B’ – sounded interesting, and off we went. We arrived into Jo’burg via the motorway, and had a really good view of the CBD on the way in. We pulled up outside the B&B – Esben went in to check about accommodation. 10 minutes later we were checked in to a lovely apartment with two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a sitting room. Everyone was very friendly, and while we were unpacking the car, one of the owners (they are a couple) came by and said we were very welcome to join them for dinner. There was a big group staying (who come back frequently, so we assumed they were passing through on business), and the BBQ was lighting.

It was a really warm evening (22 degrees), so we were more than happy to join them for dinner. They set up a table for us in the courtyard, and we enjoyed a lovely dinner, comprising of soup for starters, BBQ meat, rice and vegetables for main, and ice-cream to finish off. This was all washed down with great SA red wine. After dinner, the husband asked us if we wanted to see the museum. Of course; this sounds very interesting. He is a doctor, and his surgery is situated in the building that we were staying in. There are three parts to the building – the main house, and a wing on the right and a wing on the left. It is a house built by a Greek couple in the 30s, so it has a lot of the features of a palatial Greek home. Our apartment opened out onto a lovely balcony, and when we were brought on the tour of the house, we saw the most interesting pieces all over the house. It is a museum based on donations from people who come to see the doctor. He has a plate that was used by Napoleon Bonapart, a piece of Elizabethan cloth, which is over 300 years old, the first Bible that was brought over to South Africa in the 1600s, and he even has a shillelagh from Ireland. The collection also included old typewriters, telephones that you need to wind up, and old china sets. The list is endless. It was one of the most interesting things to come across, and he said that they are in the process of declaring the places as a World Heritage Site. We spent over an hour going around looking at the collection, but we could have spent much, much longer. The doctor and his wife had to go home after a long day, so we also turned in for the evening. We couldn’t have asked for a better B&B – the people were so welcoming and friendly; it really made our last night in South Africa special.

Day 31: Thursday, 23 August 2012

Germiston (Johannesburg) – London – Dublin

We both slept soundly (the novelty of sleeping in a bed), and were served a lovely breakfast at around 9am. The staff had said that we could take our time packing, and could stay on longer if we needed to. We weren’t sure how long we needed to get the packing finished, and in the end, by the time we were finished, we didn’t have enough time to go and do anything in Johannesburg. We hadn’t even planned to be in the city, so this wasn’t disappointing at all. With the help of the GPS, we did a little tour of the city (this is the home of seriously crazy drivers; I thought Vietnam was bad), and opted to head out early to the airport. You never know how long a short journey will take, and with all the road works and traffic on the roads, this was the best option. All went well at the car rental place – yes, we had a damaged hub cap (from a pothole on day 2), and there was a dint at the side of the car (we have no idea how this happened and never saw it until the guy pointed it out to us), but as we had full cover, so there was no issue.

8202km later, and we had arrived back in Jo’burg airport. And so the trip ends….well, we still have a few hours of films to enjoy on the plane :o) We have so many great memories from our honeymoon – how on earth are we going to pick out the best photos?!