ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE

2010-02-05T22:51:00.000-08:00

February 7th, 2010

Greetings from Port Macquarie where all 28 of us have just come together for our very first reunion. It is so wonderful to see each other again. It's almost like being back on the trip.

I'm hoping to catch Louis, our driver, on Skype tonight so we can all have a quick talk to him. We're about to go out to dinner now, all armed with bottles - but no medicine! We cannot get it in Australia. Very sad state of affairs. We are going to have to rely on our friends from Denmark to come and visit.

More later.

Friday, June 12 - FAREWELL DEAR FRIENDS

2009-06-20T08:12:00.001-07:00

Late afternoon we all meet at the Blokhusmuseet. This museum is all about the many Danes who migrated to the United States ages ago.

Every year on the 4th July a big celebration is held out here in the hills. We are told the place is absolutely packed with people. Some are relatives of American Danes, others are descendants of Danish migrants who come back specially for the celebrations here.

From there we move on to the big shed where the party is about to start.

There is big excitement as a lot of the hosts from the previous places have also arrived for our farewell. The place is absolutely crammed full.

Dinner is yet another sumptuous buffet. I fear some of us will have a bit of 'Danish bacon' to get rid off our hips and tummies when we get back.

While DG Finn Munk gives a speech, a familiar face pops into the picture: It is Kurt from the Rotary Club of Rebild who was the GSE team leader last year.

There was some musical entertainment, the two presidents spoke briefly and we exchanged banners.

We had been told we should show our presentation tonight, but it doesn't look as if this would be possible. However, a few preparations soon change that. My baby laptop is at hand just in case, although I had discarded all hope of a good presentation.

But DG Finn Munk turns out to be the saviour. He brings his own laptop with Office 2007 and FINALLY, ON OUR VERY LAST NIGHT WE HAVE THE PERFECT PRESENTATION!!!

All is well that ends well, goes the saying, but couldn't we be given a chance to start all over again and have it perfect in every place?

Louis says he could easily put up with us for another two weeks.

Our team quickly gets to sing a few songs, including the fairly new song about the Danes and also a very new one we've just whipped up and never practiced. It is a tribute to Louis, called 'We love our mobile host Louis' sung to the tune of 'I like aeroplane jelly'.

And then it is time to say good bye to everyone.

This is so very sad!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, dear Danes, for everything you've done for us. We hope to see you all again sometime soon.

Friday, June 12 - very last day

2009-06-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

This morning is all about windmills. No, we are not travelling around the country side to see them.

Instead, we visit Siemens Windpower, the factory where the blades for these incredibly elegant windmills are made.

By the time we have seen the presentation and heard a lot about them some of us feel we should be able to take a windmill home.

Then we are taken through the factory where the blades are made. Apart from a radio, we can't hear any noise. It is the quietest factory we have ever been in. That's because it is all hand work.

These blades of up to 52m in length are carefully laid in moulds. Layer upon layer of material goes into them, i.e. fibre glass and balsa wood, both of which keep them nice and light.

At this point I would love to explain the process in more detail, but unfortunately I would need to use my hands as I can't just put it into words. The process of shaping the blade takes several hours. Then the blade is pushed into a large vacuum press where it stays at little pressure and fairly low temperature for several hours for the materials and the two long seams to melt together. After a cooling down period the blade is taken out and the seams are carefully tidied up by hand with knives and sandpaper. Then it gets painted and voilà, a perfect blade.

One wonders why there aren't more windmills in the world.

Lunchtime is time for our next company visit: Gabriel furniture fabrics. Not so many years ago Gabriel had the wool mill right here. A few years ago the fabrication part was moved far away. These days the large halls where the huge noisy looms used to be have been transformed into airy offices. This is were the designing and marketing teams work.

One of the Rotarians accompanying us today remembers visiting when the looms were still there and comments on how much quieter it is now.

Perhaps the looms at work would have been very interesting to see despite the noise.

We get back to the meeting point fairly early for the hosts to pick us up. We are to have some free time before getting ready for the farewell party.

Thursday, June 11 - Aalborg

2009-06-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

The weather is kind to us as we tackle our first day in Aalborg. We begin with a tour through the Utzon Center. This typical elegant Utzon design reminds strongly of the Sydney Opera House.

The pictures are more descriptive than words could be.

The center also houses an exhibition of Jørn Utzons daughter's art. If you remember her name, please remind me. She is a very accomplished artist and also a very productive one.

The waves of the roof line looking very good against the clouded sky.

We wander through the streets of the old part of Aalborg past beautiful big tudor buildings

and through charming little lanes such as this one.

Then we arrive at Helligåndsklostret, another former monastery which once upon a time even housed monks as well as nuns. It goes without saying that they lived in separate wings.

These days Helligåndsklostret is part museum and part retirement home.

It is a bit cool now, but at least it is not raining, good opportunity for a group photo. Stairs like these are a perfect spot for it.

From there we walk on to the City Hall

where we are received with glasses of champagne by the Vice Mayor Niels Bell who tells us a bit about the Danish Social System, before leading us to another large hall where lunch is served.

Surrounded by art, we enjoy another sumptuous luncheon.

After lunch we walk to Aagaarden Retirement and Nursing Home. While we are informed about the structure of the establishment, we are served coffee and cake.

Aagaarden has a retirement section where people choose to go. Then there is of course the nursing section where people live who need constant care. In addition to that, there is also a section for alcoholics.

We are taken through and shown the different sections. Some of the residents have even kindly agreed to have the visitors brought into their rooms.

Our hosts pick us up from there and we spend the evening with them.

Wednesday, June 10 - on to Aalborg

2009-06-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's time to say good bye again and very befittingly it is raining again. From Hjørring to Sæby it never stops raining.

It is still raining when we get to the impressive Voergaard Castle. The castle is very old and has a mote right around it. No drawbridge, though. It was removed and the mote enlarged quite some time ago. We are given a very comprehensive guided tour through the castle. It is very old and has had lots of owners, one of whom was a not very nice lady who, as the tale goes, haunted the place for a long time. Eventually she was reburied with a stake through her heart. It must have done the trick for the haunting stopped. But we are told she is still trying to get back.

It is a very grand castle with lots of beautiful original paintings and furniture stretching through several epochs. There are also a few rooms, furnished in various styles, which are occasionally used to accommodate guests, as they had been designed to do.

It is still raining when we arrive at Asaa harbour where we are greeted by the Butlerclub of the Rotary Club of Dronninglund.

It turns out they are not just butlers, but they prepared the wonderful luncheon themselves as well. Once again we are being spoiled.

It is still raining on and off while we are having lunch and also as we continue our journey to Aalborg after brief visits to a marine museum and a gallery.

Luckily as we are greeted by our new hosts in Aalborg it stops raining long enough to get our luggage transferred to their cars without getting wet.

Tuesday, June 9 - very big day

2009-06-20T06:55:00.001-07:00

Our day starts with a tour through the Vendsyssel Art Museum. The current exhibitions are primarily modern.

After leaving the museum Rotarian Kjeld Berg guides us on a walking tour in town, starting with the wonderful fountains by Bjørn Nørgaards. The fountain above is adorned with figures from the Nordic Mythology.

Unfortunately the fountains are having some maintenance work done and we can't see the water running which would have truly been a treat as from the big fountain the water then runs down through all these lower fountains to the bottom of the pedestrian mall.

Still, even without the water one can easily imagine the tranquility.

As the tour continues, we see many other beautiful works of art and historic buildings. When we arrive at the Church of St Cathrine, we are greeted inside by the famous organist Michael Austin - the piano half of the Duo Kænguru - who proceeds to play for us the most beautiful concert. What a special treat!

As we walk up the road and in through the little lane into the court yard behind Grethe and Jens Abildgaard's abode, we find another treat awaiting us: Strawberries and Champagne, some other nibbles and of course also some medicine.

Thus fortified, we keep on following our guide until we come to the Vendsyssel Historic Museum.

On a lawn beyond this lovely kitchen garden, a marqui has been erected and tables laid as beautifully as if for a wedding. A sumptuous luncheon, prepared by the Hjørring Rotary faeries is being served to us.

We continue by bus from Hjørring to Mårup Church near Lønstrup where the sand cliff keeps on eroding. The church used to be a long way off the edge, but now it is precariously close. Efforts have been made to take the church down stone by stone and rebuild it somewhere else.

That would save the church, but some graves have already disappeared and otheres are only just hanging there until the next shift in the sand. Very sad.

These houses also look as if they might not be on the top for much longer.

Not very far from there however, is Rubjerg Knude, the white hill in the distance, where the light house has at times been almost completely covered with sand building up. It is no longer being used now.

Some energetic members of the group take a quick walk up there, but most stay around the

little town of Lønstrup as we have only little time before driving on to the afternoon tea that the good faeries have organised for us.

Our next stop is Børglum Kloster where we are taken on a wonderful guided tour by the present owner Hans Rottbøll. The Rottbøll family have owned the ancient monastery for several generations now. One young male member of the family was murdered during the war for being a patriot - if I understood that sad story correctly.

When the young man died the windmill was stopped with the wings making the sign of a cross and has never been used again since.

Our last stop for the day is Den gamle Smedie (the old smithy) just behind the windmill where we are served a medeaval dinner with some entertainment.

The table decoration is all edible consisting of fruits, berries and nuts and loaves of bread. The meal is huge and sumptuous.

Hjørring is our shortest stay, but they have certainly crammed a lot into the last two days.

Monday, June 8 - Top End

2009-06-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

We have a big day ahead of us and the weather is absolutely perfect. This is important today for our various activities. Our first stop is the big sand dune called Råbjerg Mile which we all climb to enjoy the view. One of us is just a little disappointed that despite it's name (bjerg = mountain) it is not steep enough for a slide down on the bum which would have been good fun, of course.

The dune keeps moving steadily as the wind blows the very fine sand along. They reckon that in about 200 years it will be by the main road. Who knows if roads will still be used then.

Shortly afterwards, we pull up by this little hut were morning tea is being served. This consists of Danish Pastry, Coffee, Tea and Dr Nielsons! You see, the partying starts early in Denmark.

Our next big treat awaits us in the Museum of Skagen where we see some absolutely incredible paintings. I could fill a page with photos, but I chose the one above because it shows how the fishermen used to pulll the boats ashore. Although the boats were obviously a fair bit smaller, it still looks like a pretty rough job.

For lunch we drive down to the harbour front. The restaurant is very unique. It is absolutely full of galleon figures of every shape and size. The one above is the largest. Above the tables on the walls there are little thumbsize ones neatly poking out of wooden frames. Very original.

The highlight of the day comes after lunch when we drive out to The Tip, this being the tip of Denmark, where two seas, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat meet.

The Sandormen, a tractor pulling a wagon, is moving people out to the tip through the dunes. Once there, we can take our shoes off, hitch up our pants and walk right out for the feeling of one foot in each sea. The Kattegat actually feels a little warmer.

The waves coming together are actually quite obvious, but perhaps not on the photo.

Our stay in Hjørring is our shortest one. Tonight is Rotary meeting and presentation night.

We have been assured that tonight would definitely be all ok. Even Louis has been assured and he does not bring his laptop.

Luckily, I still have mine with me as this is all we have in the end. The poor little thing is not meant to do big jobs and it starts by refusing to talk to the projector. A kind man who says he is definitely not an expert gets on the phone and has somebody talk him through some setup procedures. Eventually, it is all set up and ready to go.

Little Hurdy Gurdy plays the music as well as the slideshow, working so hard that it starts to slow down the presentation. Before the job breaks the camel's back, I quickly slide a couple of saucers under it to stop it from overheating so much. It makes a little difference, but is by no means good. The audience is very patient and still appreciative even though the ones right up the back probably can't see a lot as the room cannot be darkened properly.

The Bryghuset is the Rotary Club's regular venue, it is above a small local brewery. At this point I would love to tell you the whole story behind it, but the notes are tucked away.

If any of the Hjørring Danes reading this could please help me out with some details it would be much appreciated. You'll have to become a member of the blog in order to be allowed to leave comments.

A much better performance is given by these two gentlemen playing the piano and the clarinet. They call themselves Duo Kænguru.

The kitchen deserves some congratulations as we are served a very special meal with pickled duck breast. That's Muscovie Duck (also known as canard de barbarie or Southamerican goose), very meaty and very red meat. One has to travel far to get this served, and very far to get it so well prepared.

The evening ends with beers all round in the brewery downstairs.

Sunday, June 7 - on the road again

2009-06-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Time to say good bye again. Half of our time is up already. How time flies when you have fun!

We head North-East of course, following the shape of the country, for Hjørring is our destination today.

When the bus pulls up in the parking area of this new wetland area we see a bunch of people waving Australian flags. Some of our new hosts have come to meet us here.

We keep going again soon and stop in a little fishing village. The fishing boats get pulled right out of the water. In the old days it used to be done with a kind of winch system, before those days it was sheer man power. But nowadays they have a bulldozer handy which can pull the boats up quickly and easily. The weather just happens to be a bit overcast and windy and one can easily imagine what a scramble it used to be to get the boats out of a choppy sea.

We drive on shortly afterwards and stop in a place called Bratbjerg where we find this lovely hut with the cute roof by a 'billabong' :-)

Inside the hut we find a fire going, candles on the tables, plates of biscuits, tea and coffee and cases of beer and soft drinks. Moments later huge platters of sandwiches are brought in. Very special sandwiches made with decent bread and with plenty of extra special filling. This is a treat from the Rotary Club of Fjerritslev.

We are getting very spoilt and will probably find it a bit rough to go back to normal life.

When we set off again after the sumptuous luncheon we are told that we're a bit ahead of schedule and would therefore have time to take the scenic route along the beach. Won't that be nice. Have the camera ready.

But the usual afternoon drowsyness sets in and some of us succumb to forty winks, including she who's telling the story. When I suddenly hear my name called and open my eyes this is what I see.

It's so bright and beautiful, I think I've died and gone to heaven and exclaim: 'Oh my God!', much to everyones amusement. Hopefully my funny reaction managed to ease our chauffeur's tension a little for Louis later admits that he has never taken a bus onto a beach and was a tad nervous, especially knowing there were two little streams to be crossed.

It is not a problem however and we get safely back onto the road and into the seaside town of Løkken. But oh dear! Suddenly there are some of the narrowest little streets we've ever seen. Louis is working in millimeters as he slowly gets the big bus through there, carefully dodging the various obstacles on either side. A man quickly whisks away his menu board, but can't do anything about the signpost that is threatening the side mirror, nor is anyone at hand to pull up the awning sticking out. Owners of parked cars come running out of shops looking stricken. But the funniest sight are the couple of cars coming towards us because they go right off the road up onto the sidewalk with expressions on their faces as if they'd seen a dynosaur - which of course they almost have.

Photos? No, of course there are no photos! We are all too busy helping Louis look out, holding our breath and cheering each time he passes another obstacle.

WOW, what an adventure for a bunch of Aussies from the wide open spaces!

The rest of the drive into Hjørring is downright ordinary. That is, of course, until we spot those familiar flags again.

It's so nice to be welcome!

Saturday, June 6 - last day in Thy

2009-06-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

We drive across to Nykøbing on the Island of Mors. Today is the annual Shellfish Festival which is a beaut coincidence for us. First of all, we are taken across the water in a couple of barges to the Shellfish Centre for a guided tour. We are shown around the different departments where shellfish is actually grown and some experiments at growing new species are undertaken.

Life in the breeding tank

A decent catch of mussels

We get back into the town on the barges and are free to roam around and pick what shellfish we want to eat for lunch. The choice is great and stomachs too small to try everything. People are as thick on the ground as sardines in a tin, especially in front of the food stalls. Lunch is a very hard earned affair but absolutely wonderful.

Mussels

Local oysters, much larger and flatter than most

We are taken back in the bus to have a little time with our hosts before going out for the farewell party at Thy-Mors Energy.

Presentation time again. I have been assured that this will be a very high tech place with experts at hand. That is all I the information I get. A little skeptical, I made sure I had the presentation and the music on my little laptop and working properly, thus burning some more midnight oil last night.

Our perceptive chauffeur Louis either picked up on my misgivings or had similar ones himself. He spent some of his precious night hours - having worked all day - downloading a Microsoft conversion programme onto his laptop. While we visit the shellfish center, he downloads the presentation to his laptop.

When I get back to the bus he says the conversion programme is being complicated about starting the show up. So I have a bit of a fiddle with his laptop while he drives us back. Whilst I am not able to fix anything, at least I can figure out how to start the show in a roundabout sort of way.

When we arrive at the Energy place in the evening we find indeed everything high tech, except the only available computer - and no expert around either. So we start setting things up ourselves. Louis gets the presentation working and even figures out how to close the curtains. But the sound system makes no sound. There is a two man band set up in the other corner, so we get them to hook my laptop up to their loudspeakers.

Everything is ready to roll. But we have both missed out on the guided tour through the works. Just as well we have been told earlier that there are no fossil fuel power stations in Thy. In fact enough wind energy gets produced in the area that some can be exported to other regions. At least I know that much now.

Dinner is another fabulous buffet. The band is playing, the speeches are kept to a minimum. We are having a good time. Show time comes and both laptops are fast asleep and have to be woken up again. Grrrr... The band is obliging enough to entertain the audience with another piece of music. Finally, the big moment. Curtains close, music and presentation start rolling. All seems well until we notice that the slideshow runs faster than it should. Trust Microsoft to come up with a conversion to one of their own programmes that only does part of the job. Still, those who have not seen it before won't know any different. At least we have a presentation at all, mostly thanks to Louis, the only one who cared enough to help out. Here's three cheers to Louis, the 29th member of our team.

Neither of us is an expert, but we strongly agree on: If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well!

The evening ends with the exchanging of banners and a lot of singing. The Danes sing, the Aussies sing and we all sing together. The Danes sure know how to throw a good party.

Sue Wines and James Auld have cooked up a new song about the Danes. It is very new and very unpractised but the Danes love it anyway.

Friday, June 5 - Constitution Day

2009-06-18T01:23:00.001-07:00

Today is Danish Constitution Day and most people will have the second half of the day off to celebrate.

We are taking a drive to the North, along the coast and stop at the Tved Church to pick up our team members and their hosts from the Hanstholm Rotary Club. Then we have a walk in the Thy National Park which is of course a very coastal national park with sand dunes and the typical vegetation.

Some time ago the area was heavily planted with oregon pines which are not native to the area. They are to be eliminated slowly and replaced with native species. It is rather cold and windy when we climb up this dune to have a look over the area trying to spot some deer. But the views are breathtaking even though we nearly get blown off the top of the dune.

From there we drive along the coast all the way to Hanstholm where the local Rotarians meet us at the Bunker Museum with a sumptuous luncheon of smørrebrød (There, I have finally taught this laptop to write Danish). There is a guided tour through the bunker after lunch. Although the bunker was indeed intended to defend the Danish coast, it was not built by the Danes, but by the Germans after they had invaded Denmark. There were many more such German bunkers all along the Scandinavian coasts.

Blooming wars! Who needs them?

After this visit the drive back south is a very scenic one through beautiful landscapes all the way to 'The Black Houses in Agger, on the Northsea coast nor far out of Hurup.

The Rotary Club of Sydthy has organised another feast and special entertainment for us in this hall. To celebrate the Constitution Day, they've put on some Thy Folklore for us. There is an orchestra, a group of dancers in traditional costumes and a group of singers. A real evening of 'hygge'! Most enjoyable, and as usual a great pity that it has to come to an end.

Thursday, June 4 - Thisted

2009-06-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

Gathering up the team for the day's activities is quite an excercise as apart from where he is stationed Louis has to make another two stops to pick everyone up.

Today's programme is happening all around the town of Thisted. Kristian Kaptain has arrived by train from Aalborg to join us for the day.

First up is the visit to the pig slaughter house near the harbour where we get an interesting presentation, telling the history of Tican. Before we are taken through the factory, the slideshow ends with a picture of a cute little piggie that looks like Babe. Such a cute darling.

We have to dress up in overalls, shoe protectors and head covers for the guided tour through the works. In a brave attempt to jump my own shadow I dress up and start going along. But when Babe's face seems to look at me from every lump of meat I get very upset. Trying hard not to cry, I end up hyperventilating and have to hang on to a pile of cartons. Our resident doctor, Paul Moran, is quick to pick up on my distress and asks that I be escorted back to the conference room. To my surprise, I find Max Post in there who has not even attempted to visit the works. We later hear that some others did not quite see the full distance either.

Ah well, the world needs some softies too. That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking with it.

After a surprise lunch there, we move on to the nearby hearing aid factory - where pre-arranged lunch is awaiting us! The name escapes me at the moment and my notes are in a safe place. If anyone can help me out, please do so.

Hearing aids are of particular interest to those who are actually wearing them and to Nola and Ken Tyson whose son has been battling with them all his life.

It is absolutely fascinating to learn how many different models can be built to suit everyones needs. Watching the ladies doing the very fiddly job of putting bits together, all the while looking through a microscope makes us very glad we don't have to do the job.

It is wonderful to think that so many more people nowadays can hear thanks to the great invention of hearing aids.

For the rest of the afternoon we are guided around the town, starting with a local museum and another very old church. It is amazing how bright and airy these churches are despite their age.

Then we walk through a lovely city park, through the oldest part of town and passed some well kept garden plots. This system of having a plot when living in the city has been very popular in Denmark for a long time. Although there is no electricity, some people build very cosy little huts and use them as weekenders.

Wednesday, June 3 - moving on

2009-06-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

'Wenn Engel reisen weint der Himmel' is a German saying, meaning, when angels travel the sky weeps. And that is exactly what it does this morning. It all starts with an almighty clap of thunder about five in the morning. Then it just drizzles away as we gather by the bus to say good bye to our hosts.

We have an early start as we have a long way to drive today. Not that our next destination of Syd Thy is that far away but we are making a rather long detour to LEGOLAND!

At first we wonder why so much time has be

en set aside for the visit to Legoland as we think it is all kid's stuff. But we soon find it very enjoyable.

To start with, we get a guided tour through the museum part and learn how one man who started making wooden toys set it all up. A very amazing success story.

After lunch we get to see the fun part of Legoland. It is all beautifully layed out and the castles and towns they have built with Lego are just phantastic.

Some of us end up trying out most rides and feel quite rejuvenated afterwards. We really have lots of fun.

The weather improves temporarily while we are there but when it comes time to leave it starts to rain again. On the way to Thisted it improves again however.

In the region of Thy, we are hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Thisted, Hanstolm and Sydthy. That means we are so spread out that the bus has to make a couple of stops to let some of us out to be picked up. Unfortunately there is some confusion and lots of phone calls have to be made. Eventually it is all sorted though and we all have hosts and a bed to sleep in which is what counts most at the moment because we arrive fairly late.

Tuesday, June 2

2009-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today is to be an easy day, at least from a physical point of view. We are all dressed up in uniforms because today is the first presentation day. But first of all we visit the Old Windmill in Grenaa which is now a cultural center. Although it is only just after breakfast, there is already a spread of drinks and nibbles available. We fear these good people might be eating left overs for a bit. The view from the top over the town of Grenaa and the surroundings is very impressive particularly because of all the greenery and the flowers everywhere.

After this we go on to the Kattegatcenter. This is a beaut acquarium, set up by Grenaa Rotarian Knud Bruno Andersen. We get to see a man feeding the sharks by dunking his hand with fish into the water for the sharks to snatch them up. The camera is poised but I forget to take pics because I'm too busy holding my breath.

All goes well however and as far as we know the man still has two hands.

Then it is time for the lunchtime Rotary meeting. This is taking place in a nearby Conference Center. It is very big and very impressive. The meeting - and presentation - is to be held in a conference room after we have had lunch in another part of the complex. Just a tad intimidating, especially for she who is already nervous about the presentation.

I was taken there a bit earlier to see about someone to help me set things up. First came the technical man and when he didn't know what else to do he fetched a practical man. A little later came a smart man who looked over everyones shoulder and passed comments. In the end I claimed the seat in front of the computer and did what I thought was right.

When the time comes, the music and the slideshow start up ok, but the curtains won't go down properly. Finally it is all happening.

Apart from Max and Jenny Post who saw the presentation on my tiny computer in the bus, none of our team have seen it before. It goes well and seems to be appreciated. I'm the only one who knows that the music was not quite in sync.

The exchange of the banners is the easy bit. But already we are beginning to realise that none of us will have enough banners to go round. Here in Grenaa three clubs are involved in hosting and entertaining us. It is likely to be the same in other host towns.

The meeting finishes spot on time and we are taken into the old part of the town to do some sightseeing and shopping.

Ditching the formal clothes is also quite important for the weather is really hot. The Danes assure us this is unusual for the time of year. We must have brought it with us from Oz.

There is a little time for a quick rest before we head off for an evening get together. This is our farewell night from Grenaa.

There had been neither grace nor national anthem at the formal meeting. But for social gatherings the Danes like a bit of music and singing.

First we have a little concert by a handful of members from a large brass band, some of them Rotarians themselves.

Music lover and flute player Michael de Groot's host happens to be a very competent pianist. So they had a quick rehearsal together and surprise us with a couple of pieces at the dinner.

Then it is our turn to sing. Due to lack of practice we are mainly loud and enthusiastic, but the audience still seems to like it.

Monday, June 1 - Ebeltoft

2009-06-16T13:02:00.001-07:00

Our next stop is Ebeltoft at the southern tip of that peninsula south of Grenaa where we first visit the Glass Museum. We see the most awesome pieces of glass art, some of them by famous artists - famous in Denmark anyway. The one below is just one of them.

We also see ladies blowing glass and naturally, there is a shop too. What a pity the most gorgeous pieces are all too big for the luggage as well as the wallet.

After a great buffet luncheon, we visit the Fregatten Jylland. Jylland is Danish for Jutland. She is the largest wooden ship in the world and the last one to be built like that. She had an engine and a very large propeller which could be lifted right up. For this purpose the propeller came with only two blades. That way they could be stopped in a vertical position and the whole thing pulled up a bit like a guillotine - which naturally wouldn't have been possible with the standard 3 blades.

We learn that the name Fregatten was derived from 'free gates' meaning the holes were the canons poked out were always above the water line.

After the interesting guided tour in the ship and another family photo, we get back on the bus, pick up another guide and proceed to drive through a National Park which is to be officially opened by the Queen in August this year.

On seeing the distance travelled, we are more than a little glad we haven't been asked to walk.

The tip of the peninsula was once covered by two glaciers. When they both melted they became one big stream, then separated again to flow out to sea on either side causing the bays to form on either side.

There is a little village on the tip which remains as it is, part of the National Park. Another harmonious park

Suddenly we come across this little Stone Henge. This goes back to the time when the Vikings - originally nomads - started to found villages and settled down to do some farming. The arrangement of rocks is believed to have been some gathering place.

There used to be many of them around, but only few remain now because modern day people had started to cart the rocks off.

This center rock is one half of a very large boulder which had been carefully cut in half horizontally. The other half was found on another such site way up another hill, a perfect match and calculated to be only very slightly different in weight.

Mind bogling!

We go home to have a relaxing night with our hosts.

Monday June 1 - interesting diversion

2009-06-16T12:38:00.001-07:00

When we left the church of Alsoe, we were told there was a little addition to the programme. Armidale is currently hosting Rotary Exchange Student Ann Katrine whose parents

have a summer house above the beach in Holme. When they heard that the Friendship Exchange team was in the vicinity, they got in touch and invited us all for champagne and strawberries.

Well, we had the drinks, thank you very much, even though it was not yet eleven o'clock!

Why eleven o'clock? Well, on the very first day Louis informed us that drinks were ok from . o'clock onwards, not before. But he didn't stop us. After all, what about Dr Nielsen for breakfast?

Monday, June 1

2009-06-16T12:15:00.005-07:00

Today's bus trip takes us south of Grenaa. First we stop in a little place called Alsoe where we visit the typical country church.

From our guide we learn that country churches, mostly dating back to early middle ages, were all built in this particular style.

What intrigues us the most to begin with is this very wide wall around the grave yard. The grave yard itself is the most beautiful we have ever seen.

The inside of these churches were always very ornate, first of all because they all date back to catholic times and secondly because whenever the church needed work done, the local gentry generally footed the bill. But of course, they liked to see their sponsorship advertised which is why their names and insignias always pop up on the various works of art.

Come to think of it, some things obviously never change.

Sunday afternoon, 31 May

2009-06-14T04:14:00.001-07:00

ll aboard please, says Louis, we are leaving in 5 minutes.

At first we drive along the fjord for a while then turn towards Randers, where we get to visit the rainforests under these domes.

There are an acquarium and three different rainforests from different parts of the world. The weather has become quite hot by now, but inside the rainforest it is almost unbearable.

It is very beautiful, however, and we get to meet some cute residents.

Luckily they also sell ice cream in there so we can all recover a little before we go outside again. We find, that the weather has not cooled down at all and we just about drag ourselves when a guide takes us to the nearby wetlands. The area used to be all reclaimed for farming but is now mostly given back to nature.

According to the guide, an enthusiastic young man who just wants to save the world, a lot more work needs to be done. The area is to be expanded as well.

Lots of birds, particularly water birds and also migratory birds have now discovered the new wetlands and are beginning to make use of it.

The most interesting part about this national park is the fact that some farming is to be left within it. Also some older species of domestic animals as well as some introduced plant species are to be left.

This novel way of making a new national park creates a very diversified, harmonious 'feel-good' atmosphere, a landscape where push bikes and dogs are welcome, rather than just a wilderness.

After all, who is to say that it really was a wilderness once and what species did live there.

Incidentally, dogs are allowed everywhere in Denmark, including in some Hotels/Motels etc. A very friendly land indeed!

After the visit to the wetlands we walk up town for dinner at the masonic lodge where the Randers Rotarians meet.

As we traipse through the little streets we understand why we are not taken there by bus.

Dinner is roast pork, new potatoes and red cabbage prepared in that special European way.

We are handed some songbooks with songs in three languages and are encouraged to not only sing ourselves but to sing along with the Danes.

So much fun and so much hygge. Hygge is a frequently used expression in Danish that can be translated to 'Gemuetlichkeit' in German but not into English at all. It takes a couple of English words to describe it: fun, cosyness, togetherness.... something like that.

We can't be sure how much fun Louis thinks it is having to drive us all the way back to Grenaa.

Sunday, 31 May

2009-06-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

It is a merry crowd that gathers in the parking lot to get on the bus for our first day tour. Some of us have already been offered a shot of schnaps for breakfast. Since this is in many cases Dr Nielsens, we soon call it medicine which seems to amuse the Danes.

Today we are heading out to the country side northwest of Grenaa to see a large diverse farming enterprise partly on reclaimed land. It is called Overgaard Estate.

There are 5 Million people in Denmark and 20 Million pigs.

30 years ago there were 160'000 farmers in Denmark, now there are only 40'000.

Most of the cattle we see in the paddocks are dairy breeds. With so much yummy cheese produced in Denmark this stands to reason.

The crops are mostly winterwheat, some barley, some canola and of course rye for the wonderful rye bread. This was all sown last August and is now nearly ready for harvest.

We also see frequent potato fields at various stages of growth. Needless to say that we also get to eat lots of beautiful new potatoes.

Maize, being a summer grower, has only recently been planted and is hanging out for a shower of rain.

The upcoming wheat harvest should bring approximately 7 tons per hectare at a price of around A$200 per ton. All being well some might harvest up to 10 t/ha which would make very proud farmers indeed.

All the fields are neat and square and flanked by tall windbreaks, a very necessary thing in a flat country with so much wind as otherwise the crops would all be flat on the ground come harvest time. Most windbreaks consist of something that looks a bit like a very tall growing Maybush and most of them are in full flower at the moment. There are poppies, daisies, cornflowers, lupins and other wildflowers growing on the headlands. It is indeed a sight to behold, a sight that makes the artist's heart beat faster and flower loving Jenny Post take hundreds of photos from the moving bus.

These hedge roses in pink or white, yellow laburnum, white maybush, lilacs in all colours as well as azaleas and rhododendrons are also out in full flower everywhere. The country is truly awash with colour.

On arrival at the farm we are greeted by Rotarians from the Randers Rotary Club who are in charge of the day's events.

This is the'homestead' by the way! A castle, no less.

The Randers Rotarians get on the bus with us and we are taken over the property.

We are amazed to learn of all the things they produce here and what new ventures they have been tackling for years. One of those ventures is the production of energy by burning methane gas.

There are dams everywhere and irrigation is in place for all the cropping fields. We stop up here on this wall, looking out to the open sea and in one direction towards a fjord.

Here we are offered some beer and soft drink for morning tea. Apart from a cool sea breeze, the day is wonderfully warm.

After tis little surprise we slowly head back to the castle for lunch. How is that for a treat?

The luncheon consists of sumptuous smorrebrod

Saturday, 30 May

2009-06-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

The day has arrived, we are all packed up and waiting in the lobby of the hotel for the bus to pick us up. After this photo of our rainbow coloured shirts was taken, we were all quick to put jumpers and jackets back on as it was the bleakest day we had seen so far. The weather forecast speaks of rain as well.

At last, the yellow bus arrives, loaded with a welcoming committee. So many of the Friendship Exchange from last November made the way to Copenhagen, including the indefatigable Kristian Kaptain all the way from Aalborg.

With a little difficulty our driver and mobile host for the next two weeks, Louis Ludvigsen, gets us all aboard and the journey begins. Our hosts from Grenaa assure us that their weather will be better. And sure enough, as we drive along through the beautiful country side, it gets better by the minute.

We get to drive over the incredible 17km long bridge to the next island.

One end is higher and suspended for ships to pass under. On this section the train goes through a tunnel under the water. For the other end the train runs alongside the road on top of the bridge. Quite awesome.

We stop on the island of Funen in the town of Odense. In the beautiful old part of this town we walk through the weekly market to the Hans Christian Andersen birth house where we get to see a wonderful and very comprehensive exhibition on the writer's interesting life.

On the way out of Odense the bus stops briefly at a shopping centre where the host Rotarians pick up boxes of picnic lunch which we later enjoy at a roadside stop. The picnic consists of the biggest sandwich buns we have ever seen and cans of beer and soft drink. Already we get the feeling that we are going to be very well looked after.

After more beautiful country side and yet another bridge we soon arrive in Horsens which is Louis' hometown. His wife has prepared an afternoon tea in a scout hall for us. How incredible is that. Horsens is in District 1450, not 1440 that we are visiting. Our driver, himself a Rotarian, has volunteered to drive his boss' coach for us, giving up two weeks of his annual holiday.

The welcoming committee leave us in Horsens and drive on in their own cars which they had driven down to there very early in the morning to catch the bus. We are quite overwhelmed by how far out of their way these people go for us.

Entering our first host town Grenaa an unexpected sight greets us in the form of an attractive young lady in a bikini sitting on her window sill dangling the legs outside. The shouts of cheer wake all those who have been asleep and everybody is wide awake when a few moments later we see a group of people waving Australian flags. They are our first hosts picking us up.

On this first night with our hosts we find out that there is plenty of fresh ground water delivered from council bores and that in Grenaa the hot water is produced by hotwater coils which run around the water pipes. The water in the coils gets heated by burning of garbage in the waste management center. The under floor heating works on the same principle.

Twentyeight happy little vegemites are guzzling tapwater and enjoying leisurely showers.

We're well into it

2009-06-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

While waiting in Copenhagen for everyone to arrive, those of us who were already there were busy sightseeing. The weather was so awfully cold and windy that some were seen shopping for warmer jackets. However, Steve and Sue Wines were brave enough to hire push bikes to go round and see the sights. Hats off to them!

By Friday evening we finally had the whole group together. Most of us went to the famous Tivoli Gardens that night. There we met up with Steve Pickering and his family whom Nola and Ken Tyson knew from Steve's Shelterbox visit to Australia.
Unfortunately, there was a lot happening at the Tivoli that night and we had great difficulty finding somewhere to sit all together. We had lots of fun and laughter together but soon had to make our way to the exit again as we all needed to go back to the hotel to get packed for the start of our adventure the next morning.
Getting through the crowds and out the front gate where hordes were still queueing to come inside was easier said than done.

First Impressions - Wednesday, 27 May

2009-05-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

After the long flight from Australia and a 3 hour wait at London Heathrow I was finally on the plane to Copenhagen. Thanks to the window seat, I was able to get my first impressions from the air.

Denmark is all islands with lots of farming country. What a pretty and neat sight from above. All those little fields in various shades of green, some in shades of brown where the crops had not yet started to grow and a couple of bright yellow ones that looked like crops of canola, with pale coloured tracks between were really a sight to behold. One thing that intrigued me were the tracks (headlands) right on the edges of the land where tractors would have to be careful to turn around and not drop into the water.

Lots of wind generators (also known as wind mills or wind turbines) were clearly visible and in more populated areas lots of dark shiny surfaces looked very much like solar panels.

Then of course, there was this incredibly long bridge between islands. Such a very graceful construction too.

Thick fluffy clouds were hanging around and the pilot mentioned there would be unavoidable turbulences. The approach to the airport started with a loop towards Sweden. That's where I spotted this other long bridge starting in Sweden and petering out in the middle of the water.

Luckily, the wind was stronger than the pilot had bargained on and he had to climb again and do another loop which gave me a closer look at this bridge. It peters out in the water because it goes into a tunnel which, as I later learned, surfaces at Copenhagen Airport. How very European. You want to go across the water? Just build a bridge. Simple as that.

My delight continued right on landing: The tarmac was flanked by meadows with wildflowers rather than close cropped barely green strips.

And where was my camera during all this? You guessed. In the overhead locker - and a tower of a man with a laptop sitting between me and it!

As I entered the Airport Terminal my jaw really dropped with amazement for the floor in there is the most beautiful genuine parquetry!

Ignoring the friendly advice of trainrides and 10 minute walks to the hotel, I headed for the other door, found the taxi rank and happily spent my first 200 Danish Kronen (about $50) on getting to the Copenhagen Island Hotel comfortably, quickly and most important of all, without having to lug the luggage. The freeway too, was flanked by meadows with little daisies, red poppies and other wildflowers. It is definitely Spring time in Denmark.

Checking into the Hotel at last. The room has the same parquetry floor as the Airport Terminal and there is a personalized welcome on the television screen. It is a welcome for both, my husband and myself because I had forgotten to tell them he wasn't coming. A little later on, the message was changed to my name only. These people are on the ball.

The first handful of Friendship Exchangers are already here, all out sightseeing already. Others are due to come in later tonight.

A few of us went out for dinner together. If the fun we had is any indication, we have a truly terrific two weeks ahead of us.

Wednesday morning, 22/05/09

2009-05-21T19:00:00.001-07:00

Despite a disastrous experience last night I'm still alive and slowly recovering.
What happened? I suddenly found that the music I had so carefully inserted into the presentation had not stuck in there at all. The only reason why it was always playing it for me was because it could find it on my computer.
To find that after all the night shifts I had put into the job nearly sent me over the edge.
However, we can't let computers beat us! I'm still packing on the weekend and flying out on Tuesday. The music will come as a separate file. We'll see how it works.
By the way, you can find the music on this website
http://www.relaxationmusicaustralia.com/

Tuesday evening

2009-05-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

Another day gone. The DVDs are ready and labelled.

Monday

2009-05-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

The presentation is definitely finished now. It is 20 minutes long and fully automatic, that means no delays caused by commentators.
Just heard that James and Diana are now in mid-air on their way to UK. Safe travelling.

Nearly there

2009-05-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

The presentation is finished at last! It works, it's beautiful and it even has music.
Thank you, James, for the initial framework. That gave me a good start. Then I gave it 100% plus GST and I'm proud of the result.

Only nine sleeps for me now. Well, eight and a half anyhow. Given the time now.

Monday, May 12

2009-05-11T02:58:00.002-07:00

Still working on the presentation - time permitting.

That's us at the last meeting.

In a couple of weeks we'll all begin to arrive in Copenhagen.

And Princess Mary won't be available for a chat. What a shame. Her Royal Highness doesn't know what she's missing.

Not many sleeps now

2009-05-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

Time is moving fast. We have received the host lists for three stays. It is all getting very exciting now.
Claudia is frantically working on the presentation.
Some couples have already left Australia.
Watch out Denmark, here we come
Hilsner fra Australia.

2009-03-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

This blog of the Rotary Friendship Exchange group from District 9650 to District 1440 in Denmark will be started shortly