Sort Sol
As a way of thanking Lisbeth’s parents for all they did for the wedding, we took them on a tour called Sort Sol, which means black sun. It’s the nightly resting place of the starling, which settles in massive flocks in different areas in Southern Denmark as part of migration. We were told that this particular night there were up to 600,000 birds.
We were also told that one of the reasons that the location varies is because people (who are not, it was made clear, on one of their tours) occasionally use loud noises to rouse the birds once they settle in order to see them darken the sky again. Read More →
The Wedding
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I’m no wedding expert, but I’ve been to enough to know that the couple getting married doesn’t always have a very good time. It’s easy to see why, with all the planning, the expectations, the logistics, and the fact that — hopefully — you only have one chance to get it right. So I was a little surprised that it was such a fantastic day, and we enjoyed ourselves so much. That’s not to say that it was perfect, but the imperfections were harmless and pretty funny.
The Preparation
There were a lot of things about this wedding that weren’t like others I’ve been to. For example, Lisbeth made the wedding cake. It’s not unusual for the bride to make the cake in Denmark, but I’ve never heard of that in the US. (It was utterly fantastic cake!)
The party (or reception as it’s generally called in the states) was held in the back yard at Lisbeth’s parents’ house. If you’ve been following this blog then you know that they live in a really pretty setting, and so there was no debate where we wanted to have the party. Read More →
“Ja”
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On Saturday, September 20th, Lisbeth and I were married in her hometown, Vejle. We’re both very pleased with the way everything went. The weather was great, the service was beautiful, and the party afterwards was a lot of fun. More here.
Coming in February:
During almost four decades of watching people reproduce, sometimes foolishly and sometimes on purpose, I’ve never thought much of it. It didn’t compel me to follow suit. There certainly wasn’t any jealousy. And the kids, while I enjoyed them (some more than others), they didn’t make me want kids of my own.
More Nikon glass
The official name of my latest lens is “Nikon 60mm f/2.8 AF-S Micro-Nikkor“. It’s what Nikon calls a micro lens, but every other manufacturer calls a macro lens. It’s designed to focus very close. It’s not a microscope, but can focus down to an inch from the glass. Read More →
Sweden
I’d only been to Sweden once before — to Malmø on a slow Sunday afternoon — and I wasn’t impressed. Or in a hurry to get back (that was almost two years ago.) This time I saw a very different part of Sweden, and would welcome the opportunity to go back.
Lisbeth and her sister Hanne had been in Sweden for a week, canoeing and camping. They were joined by Hanne’s boyfriend Kaspar, and two of their friends Søren and Lotte from the collective where they live. But they didn’t come to canoe. They came for rock climbing.
The area where we were, Kullen, has very rugged terrain. It’s pretty much rock coming straight out of the ocean. The scenery is stunning, but it’s hostile too. Everything is rocky. There’s no sand on these beaches, just big rocks.
New Mexico, hot and dry
I’d been raving for months about how great Northern New Mexico is in the summer. It’s warm, but not too warm. There’s lots of sunshine, but with frequent afternoon rains, green fields, a soft breeze during the day, and cool, crisp air at night. And so on. At least that’s the way I remember it. But it wasn’t like that at all when we visited in June.
I don’t remember antelope listlessly roaming around my grandparent’s ranch. I don’t remember the pastures being overtaken by prickly-pear cactus. I don’t remember otherwise healthy trees near my parents house drying out and falling over. It was hot and dry. Very dry.
On our last night we could smell the smoke from a fire to the North, and water restrictions were enacted in Las Vegas right after we left. Read More →
1st of May and the rainforest
Earlier this month we went to Ã…rhus to visit Hanne and Kaspar and to attend the party the collective they live in throws every year. The party is for the Arbejdernes internationale kampdag, or “worker’s international fight day”, which Americans know as Labour Day.
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but ‘ve never really thought much about labour day before. I just took the eight-hour workday for granted, but it had to be fought for. In Denmark labour day is very much a socialist day. Hence the red flag outside the house. Read More →
Silkeborg
In April we went to Silkeborg to visit Lisbeth’s long-time friend Karina and her boyfriend Michael. Karina and Lisbeth met in “efterskole” which is a sort of boarding school which is pretty common for Danes to attend for a year at around age sixteen. (And in case you can’t tell, Karina and Michael are expecting their first child at the end of may.)
Silkeborg is perhaps best known for its natural beauty, but it was also where the Nazis choose to place their headquarters during the occupation. (Which is disturbing because thus far I’ve been quite charmed by both Nazi headquarters that I’ve visited: Berlin and Silkeborg.)
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