It was just over 25 years ago that I arrived in Denmark as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. Little did I know that this small Scandinavian country and its people would capture my heart and play a major part in my future. I still remember bawling my eyes out at the airport when that magical year was over and I thought I might never come back.
But I did come back – in 1999 for a few months, then a year doing youth work in 2001, then 4 years to do my teacher training 2004-2008. Then month long visits in 2012, 2016 and now winter 2019-2020. As much as flying is not cool climate & waste-wise, I just can’t see myself NOT coming back to Denmark every few years to see my friends and ‘family’ here. I love their company too much and we have such great conversations and catch ups, despite not keeping in very good touch between times.
After a lovely time with friends on Tåsinge and rural Fyn over Christmas, then New Years with Maya and family in Jutland, we were collected at Odense Train Station by my former host parents Lone and Per on the first day of the new decade.
When I was an exchange student I had 3 wonderful host families – Lone and Per were the first. I caught up with the other two sets of host parents over in Copenhagen (more on that in Denmark Part 4 post out soon). We were lucky enough to have Lone and Per at our wedding and spend some time with them in NZ around that time so Antony has got to know them now as well. It was lovely catching up on their news and just spending time together, enjoying meals, going for a winter walk and staying at their house while we had our few days in Odense. One evening we had their daughter Jeanne over for a meal – when I was an exchange student she was my ‘little sister’ at just 9 years of age and now she has kids of her own! Lovely to see her family, catch up and get some podcast recommendations.
Although a number of my friends from Odense days have moved to other places around the country, there are still some in Odense and it was great to see them again. This meant lots of brunch, lunch and dinner dates… great food and great company! First it was to Thomas and Hannah’s place for an amazing brunch, topped off by the most delicious pear crumble I have ever had! We didn’t get to see each other on our last visit so this was the first time Antony had met them. He was most impressed with Carl, their 16 year old, who was able to join in adult conversation (in English)… such a change from when I first started hanging out with this family and he was still in kindergarten! It was great to catch up on each others news and spend time together. At the end of our visit we popped along to the kindergarten to meet the new addition to the family as well, before walking round to other friends’ place.
Anders and Pernille and their 3 kids are coming to New Zealand this month – so it was great to see them and give them some travel tips and help plan their time. They are taking in the North and South Island in under 3 weeks so they are going to be busy! Again here we had a yummy meal and met an articulate teenage guy (oldest son, Matthias) who was happy to chat away in English and who in Antony found a fellow map nerd. 🙂 We are looking forward to seeing them after they land in the country a week or so after we do!
The last time I lived in Denmark was for 4 years while I studied at teachers’ college. During this time I lived in Vollsmose – often described in Danish media as a ‘ghetto’ but for me it’s the best thing about Odense! People here are friendly, there’s lots of green space, nice bike trails and the smells of cooking you can waft when walking around the apartment buildings take you to all corners of the world!
When I first arrived in Vollsmose in 2004 I met my neighbour Sajida, a Palestinian woman from Lebanon who was married to Ali. Ali was also Palestinian and had lived in Denmark since he was a teengaer. He spoke Danish well, also English. Sajida spoke very little of either and I spoke no Arabic, but somehow we communicated; often with Ali’s help, by use of gesturing and simple Danish. Thanks to our basic communication, Sajida’s great cooking, lots of smiles and hugs, we became friends.
I was sad to hear that Sajida and her family had moved from Odense to Southern Jutland to live, a place we didn’t have time to go to on this trip. But then was super thrilled that they could come with two of their three children to meet us in Odense! We met at a cafe in town, which was actually our only time up in the city centre this trip… it was great to see them again, including the kids, one who wasn’t even born and the other just a baby when we were first neighours! Antony and I caught up with them last trip too but just the adults, so the kids had really grown up since the last time I’d seen them. We had a lovely lunch/ brunch together which they then sneakily paid for too! So kind. We look forward to our next trip where we’ll include their new home on the itinerary.
After lunch with Sajida and Ali, we biked to Else and Erik’s place for our next catch-up. It was great to have the loan of Per and Lone’s bikes and despite the cold it is always great to bike on the bike paths in Odense. In the park near the city centre Antony discovered some water installation that he quite liked…
Our time with Else and Erik and their family was lovely. Antony has met them a few times as they came to our wedding and we caught up last trip too. The oldest was super chatty and comfortable speaking English (that’s 3rd teenage boy in a row!) and the girls happily played and tried keeping the youngest from causing too much mischief! We had hot drinks then watched Moana with the kids (in Danish but with English subtitles for Ants) in the afternoon. Dinner was rather fun! We had Raclette which was basically hot plates on the table. We could choose from all sorts of goodies Else had prepared and cook them in mini pans on the hot plates. My favourite was the egg mix – a kind of omlette which you could also add cheese to and grill underneath the hot plate. So yummy (and I don’t usually like omlette!)… and given it was slow food, cook a bit at a time, there was less chance of overeating (which is something I’ve found difficult to avoid here in Denmark!). We caught up on each others news and then it was suddenly rather late and we headed home on our bikes to Lone and Per’s.
The next day we were up and away socialising again! We went to Church with Joanna and Roland, the church where Joanna and I first met and where I helped out in 2001 (but largely haven’t been since). It was nice to see a few familiar faces there and catch up briefly with people before we went to Joanna’s place for lunch.
Joanna and Roland and their 3 kids live in a very cool old Danish home with lovely thatched roof, on the outskirts of Odense. We had the most delicious of lunches (as always – Joanna makes excellent vegetarian meals!) then went for a walk before having tea and cake back at the house in the afternoon. It was altogether lovely to spend time together again and crazy that their son (my godson) is 15 already, driving a scooter and making pocket money via a little entrepreneurial online business!
Joanna dropped us off at friends not too far away for our dinner date. Lene & Olav are friends from the last time I lived in Denmark (2004-2008). We had yet another lovely meal here (burgers with pulled pork / yummy quinoa patties and coleslaw) but by the time dessert came out I simply couldn’t eat any more! Antony got talking with Olav while I caught up with Lene. So good to have time to spend together hearing about family, life, challenges, contentment etc. Ah I really am so blessed to know some truly lovely people and call them friends. It’s just so annoying that so many of them are in Denmark SO far away from New Zealand. Lene and I were so engrossed in conversation that I forgot all about taking a photo of them and their three kids! Next time!
It was home on the bus for our last night at Lone and Per’s… We really enjoyed having their place as our base and seeing them between our many visits with friends. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we’re back!
Before heading to Copenhagen to see friends there and take our next flight, I just had to have some more cuddles with those gorgeous boys on Taasinge and hang out with Lilian once more!
Lilian and I snuck in a really good walk and talk in the nearby countryside with the twins asleep in the pram. The older two were at school/ daycare and Mads and Antony were working in Svendborg. After school pick up I started making dinner while Lilian was occupied giving attention to all 4 children (no easy task!)
Both evenings we played Ticket to Ride – which we introduced to Lilian and Mads (after being introduced to it by other friends when we were last in Denmark in 2016). You can see one cutie pie thought it was more fun to play along than go to sleep!
It was a bit sad to say goodbye to Lilian (and everyone else we saw in Odense) but made easier by the fact we’re pretty sure we’ll be back in a couple of years again! Next it was on to a social few days in Copenhagen before leaving dejlig Danmark!