copenhagen

Of the northern places that we’ve recently visited, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, Copenhagen is my favorite. Not much bigger than Oslo, it’s vibrant and full of activity. Part of this may be the close and easy travel connection to Sweden where taxes are higher resulting in Swedes doing a lot of shopping in Copenhagen, and part of it may be the people themselves. I’d have to spend more time there to be sure. The prices were not as high as we’d expected, so we were able to enjoy the wonderful food. Everything was fresh and the amounts and varieties of fish were endless. I didn’t eat much of it because I’m supposed to avoid smoked things while I’m pregnant, but everything that Paul ordered looked and smelled fantastic. The sauces are the real treat combining spices that are familiar but in exotic ways. I enjoyed their danishes immensely; the pastry is like flaked butter.
a canal street in the nyhaven neighborhood

We took the advice of our friends Gabe and Mark and rented bicycles on our second day, which allowed us to cover a large portion of the city centre in detail. We even re-visited places like the statue of the little mermaid, trying to catch the light just right. The city has bikes available for free use. They are locked up like grocery carts. You put in 20 kroner and the lock opens. There are racks all over to replace them and retrieve your 20 kroner. The downside is that the bikes are pretty primitive and must stay within the city centre. We originally planned to take them up the coast about 12 km, so we rented two from our hotel for only 10 pounds each. These bikes were still fairly basic, but by the end of the day we really appreciated the small benefits such as three speeds and rubber hand grips. Other than Amsterdam, I’ve never seen a city so bike friendly. Most of the roads have wide bike lanes and the busier intersections have lights especially for the bikes.
the little mermaid

On our first day, we walked into Christiania, a hippy community where no one owns any of the flats and no one pays rent. It’s a controversial area as it’s in the center of Copenhagen on prime real estate, and the rest of the Danes pay exorbitant taxes and rent. We returned the next day on the bikes and cycled all over it. The homes range from nice waterside holiday cottages to boxcars and tin sheds.
christiania

On our last day, we took a train out of the city to the Louisiana Modern Art Museum. It sits on the coast, and there are sculptures scattered all over the lush garden. Once outside the city, trees and large homes dominate the flat countryside.
louisiana art museum

I’ve started back to work, and time is moving swiftly again. I have a class of eighth graders this year, a new experience for me. I have to shift my timelines with them drastically. What I can teach to ninth graders in a lesson, I must plan for three lessons for them. They aren’t dumb; they are just used to having every step mapped out for them. I’ll be holding a lot of hands this semester. Good practice!

I can feel the baby move on the inside every night now and sometimes during the day. We go in for a scan on Monday, and if the baby is facing the right way, we’ll learn the gender. Then begins the discussion of names, which we’ve hardly addressed. I continue to feel great with only a little issue with my food allergies. I so hope the baby doesn’t inherit this. Paul is the perfect father-to-be. He takes good care of me without being smothering or condescending. My happiness continues to grow as does my belly.

a beach and a castle

Taking advantage of the sunny weather, we drove south to Birling Gap on the fourth and stopped at Hever Castle on the way home. It seems the rain has finally stopped.

Walking the beach in England isn’t like walking the beach in other places – no sand. It’s nice not to have the grit in my shoes but the stones don’t create a tranquil atmosphere. The stones are the size of a child’s fist and smooth like the kind that people use for boarders in their gardens. The tide was low and children were finding all kinds of treasures in the pools.

We didn’t stay on the beach long but drove a little up the coast, waked to the edge of the white cliffs just like in Dover, viewed a picturesque lighthouse at Beachy Head, then walked inland a short distance to a great pub where we enjoyed lunch with a view of the sea.


Hever Castle is the ancestral home of Anne Boleyn. It has a section built in the 1200’s that looks like a castle with a moat and portcullis, and a newer section built in the Tudor style around the 1500’s. It was purchased by the Astor family in the 19th century and furbished luxuriantly.



The grounds are particularly nice with hedge and water mazes, an Italian garden, and a lake. It’s located close to Gatwick airport and about an hour from home.

colorado

I’m back in London after a three week luxury holiday at my parents’ place with just a little over a week to go before work starts again. Paul came over for the first two weeks, and I stayed for an extra week of pampering and indulgence. Staying at Mom and Dad’s is better than a five star resort because it comes with a choice of cars, a stocked fridge, a beautiful garden, and cocktail hour with people with whom we don’t have to engage in small talk but can have lively conversation instead. This was Paul’s first trip to Colorado in the summer, and the heat wave gave him a good taste of high plains desert living.

Just one of our automobile choices. This is Dad's latest toy.

First on the list was flying lessons for Paul. He did an hour in a Cessna and then an hour in Dad’s Bonanza. It was gratifying to see him return from his flights with his shirt soaked in sweat because this is how I return from every flight lesson. It’s exciting and wonderful, but intense. I opted out of lessons for this trip as my pregnancy has me feeling a strong aversion to stress, even if it’s good.


On 2 July, Paul and I ran some errands around Fort Collins, including a stop at the municipal building to get married. The clerk was friendly and the whole process blissfully easy. Within an hour, we were married and had the license to prove it. We looked into getting married in the UK but found too many obstacles. The wedding will be in four or five years, in Cape Town, so start planning now. We’ll let you know well in advance.


Dad flew the four of us to Yellowstone for two nights. When I was there two summers ago in July, I woke every morning to frost on the ground. Not this time. The heat was surprising, especially bad when added to the steam around the thermal stuff. That just gave us an excuse to indulge in ice cream. We watched a small black bear stroll out of the woods, across the parking lot, and to some berry bushes near Tower Falls. It wasn’t interested in the people at all.

The park is majestic and glorious. We visited most of the highlights in our short stay, and I look forward to going back for more.



Our next stop was the Eagle’s Roost, my parents’ cabin in the Colorado Rockies. Finally, I was home, and I did all the things that I love: fishing, napping, sitting on the porch, fishing, driving around the association looking for wild life in the ‘Thang,’ walking, sitting on the porch… Of all the places I’ve traveled, this is the one place I want to re-visit again and again. We were able to escape from the extreme heat. Mom and Dad still spend most of their time up there working, and it shows. The flowers are artfully arranged on the hillside, the grass is kept cut for easier walking, and the trail along the creek is well covered in wood chips and free of overhanging limbs. We stayed four nights, and then went up for one more night after Paul returned to the UK.




Dad surprised us with a train ride through the Royal Gorge. We flew down to Canyon City, rode the train up and back down the Gorge, and were back in Fort Collins by 15:00. What a life!