Denmark. Danmark på Dansk.

We've been in Denmark more than three weeks and I am just getting to writing. Somehow I still feel in a bit of a daze. Jet lag hit us, Django especially, quite hard and coupled with very short nights here (gets dark around 11pm, starts to get light at 3am) it made for a hellish first week.

After Simon met us we went to the lovely hotel called Kong Arthur (King Arthur) in the center of Copenhagen. We got to see Simon for 21 hours (much of that spent sleeping) before he went off to Greenland for 3 days.

Here he is with Django on that first day.



There are a series of shallow man made lakes in the center of Copenhagen. Great to bike or jog around. Lots of ducks and swans (which apparently I'm leaving to your imagination)



While Simon was in Greenland, Django and I stayed with friends of friends, the lovely Lisbeth and her husband Ulrik in a fantastic (and huge) old Copenhagen apartment.
I spent the next few days wandering about the city with Django, having a wonderful time and enduring really harsh nights of unrelenting jet lag.

Django thought this was really cool, and so did I. I don't know the name of this contraption but tunes played out through little pipes. Boy if this guy had a little red and blue in his outfit he'd look awfully Uncle Sam-like.



Django and I wandered down to the lakes one evening hearing that there was a gathering for the midsummer celebration called Sankt Hans aften (St John's Eve). It's a melding of a traditional pagan solstice celebration and a religious holiday (as the church was wont to do). There is a big bonfire with a symbol of a witch (warding off evil) which is then burned. The bonfire dates back to Viking times, whereas the witch was added in the 1920s as a remembrance of the good ol' days of witch burning. Hmmm... I'm not sure about that part. But a traditional hymn is sung, much alcohol is consumed and at this particular celebration a quartet of old guys played some pretty smokin' New Orleans style jazz. Given that you can drink alcohol anywhere in Denmark, it guarantees a good time for all down by the lakes on a midsummer's eve.



The Scandinavian Rhythm Brothers making some good sounds.
Check out how many people with bicycles walk by during this 20 second video.
That's one thing I love about Denmark, it is set up for bicycles just as well as for cars.



We went to see a puppet show at King's Garden, a lovely park with lots of lawn, some well kept gardens and an appropriate amount of trees.
The puppet show was very cool, kind of a 'cycle of life' thing. Through the seasons, on the farm (you even get to see the sheep being coerced into a truck, evidently on their way to the slaughter house). Django thought it was fun and the the tractor was his favorite character.



Climbing trees in King's Garden.



Stopping for a pizza on one of the walking (shopping) streets.



We really made the tourist rounds and didn't miss out on a canal tour.

Django was wearing his complimentary backpack and holding his complimentary canal tour gift cup.



You can see the Royal Palace in the background.



A huge gathering of football (soccer) fans in boats and on a lawn by the water for the World Cup game of Denmark vs... ummm...oh shit, I don't know. I wasn't paying attention. Well, Denmark lost.



A really lovely part of the canals, kind of reminiscent of Amsterdam, which they were actually modeled after when built by King Christian the IV in the 1600s.
(well I suppose he didn't actually build it, he just commissioned it, but he gets the credit!)





Returning to Nyhavn (say new-hown and you're pretty close). Havn means port, as in a ship's port or Lufthavn, airport.



SIMON IN GREENLAND

Simon had an intense 3 day trip to Greenland where he was accompanied by a journalist, photographer, videographer and Allison co-owner of LoMax Records. He did a radio interview, a filmed interview, shot 3 music videos, and interviewed for 2 publications (I may have even forgotten something). He got to visit briefly with his dad at home in Qaqortoq, a town where Simon lived as a teenager. They also visit the tiny village of Alluitsoq where he lived as a child, and which has only two remaining residents.

Simon's father Karl in the middle.



Simon in Alluitsoq



SIMON RETURNS

So, we returned to the King Arthur hotel and this time we got really lucky with a 5th floor room, and the only one in the whole hotel with it's own balcony terrace.



We had two lovely evenings there and enjoyed some great sunsets and moon rises.



Note from Django: When traveling, it's best to bring along as many friends as possible



Having a good time. Suddenly Django starts to POSE for pictures in an entirely new way (I think he learned a little something from his cousin Grace)





ciao!