Blog Day 20 Sunday July 6, 2014

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Copenhagen- to Møn

Up quite early, Dick still up and down with his stomach.  He is ready to end this siege, but so glad to be feeling much better.  He did a stellar job in packing up the suitcases.  We knew that we would  be putting all of our luggage , plus five people in a small Opal car.  Dick is a champ packer.  He did it.

It was with grateful and sad hearts that we said goodbye to Willy and Karin.  They have been the consummate kind and gracious hosts.  We feel that we came, having had fine interactions by email and SKYPE, and are leaving having some new good friends.  Our paths will surely cross again.  We did not in any way see everything there is to see in Denmark.  We’ll be back to Copenhagen again, for sure.

Lars, Gitte, and Kjeld arrived to pick us up, 15 minutes earlier than planned, as good Scandinavians ought to be.  We were nearly ready, just a couple more things tossed in the case, and then with goodbyes and greetings, we were off to the island of Møn.

It was a great day to drive, and quickly we were out of the large city of Copenhagen into countryside land that could have been Minnesota where Patti grew up.  We were so lucky to have lots of great commentary and guiding information in Danish and English.  So many of our family in Denmark have really excellent English, and do such a nice job of not only speaking to us, but translating both directions in a really easy way.  This made such a difference for communication.  Especially some of the older folks had less English skills, but people helped out all of the time, and we never felt left out of the conversations

We drove and heard stories, and then suddenly, there was the bridge that took us from the mainland over to the island of Møn.  Kjeld shared that it was built during WWII in 1943, and that on opening day, he was there and rode his bike across.  Oh, this is going to be quite a wonderful, very personal tour of the island. 

We stopped at Kristian’s parents (Anni and Mogens) home to drop off Gitte, and say a quick hello to many of the relatives, before hopping back into the car for a drive around before the larger group of family members met.  Warm greetings all of the way around.  The family has begun to assemble.

Kjeld had some great places that he really wanted to show us before the large gathering.  We drove by a number of houses in several of the little villages on the island.  Many houses had a story:  a family member lived there, a place that he rode his bike, a neighbor with an interesting tale, the house where he grew up and his grandparents who lived there.  Our heads were already spinning, but we were there!!! On the island of Møn, where Grandma Hilda grew up. Wow!!!!!

There was an especially beautiful church on the island that has frescos form the 1300’s (this is an OLD island).  Services were just getting out, and so we were able to go inside and see it.  Wonderful primitive drawings, but really lovely.  This church had had a lot of restoration work.  Very nice!

We ended this portion of time at the church that the family primarily attended in Borre.  It was there that Dad’s cousin’s daughter Birthe took her leadership role.  She had quite an agenda for the day, and also a check list of family members who were all meeting at this church at noon.  Most were early, but all were there by the time that the clock struck noon.  We met every one (and many of them met each other.  Hilda had 9 brothers and sister, and many of these descendants didn’t know one another, as well as meeting Dick and Patti.)  In all, we were a few over 20.  Patti’s original hope in going to Denmark was that she could find and meet 2 family members.  Success!!!  It was really amazing and moving, as each one introduced themselves and warmly received the greetings form the USA.   

Several shared that they brought old photos to look at.  Patti was in heaven.

Unfortunately, the family church was not open for us to go inside, but we had a nice walk through the garden, as well as through the cemetery.  There were some family members who had been buried here.  The church was lovely, and it was terrific to be here with family. 

Ulla, another of Patti’s dad’s cousins also arrived, with her husband Poul.  She also had stories to tell.  She remembered that when Hilda arrived in 1952, she had a huge suitcase that included a lot of used clothes.  After WWII, it was very difficult to get goods in Europe.  Ulla remembers that she got some of the clothes, and then would tell her friends that these were clothes from America.

The group then caravanned to a lovely park on the island:  Lislelind, a former summer place for a wealthy family.  It was the perfect summer day, with lots of sunshine and beautiful skies.  The women had brought coffee, water, and cookies and cakes, so we had a lovely time enjoying the scenery and company.  Patti was able to go through the photos from another section of the family, the Kaspers.  People not only remember and spoke of when Hilda came back, but also about the other large return 23 years ago when four of Patti’s dad’s sisters came to visit for 17 days.   Aunts Alice, Gladys, Jeanne, and Shirley had a terrific visit, and there was a huge party for them.  Many people who came to meet us were there then.  It is a bit daunting to now be the next generation of ambassadors returning “home” to be with family.  The photos were amazing, and this would continuing over the two days on Møn.  Some were given as gifts, and others we took digital photos of, or requested scanned copies.

Birthe especially has a grouping of all ten children in little oval professional photos.  Kjeld was quickly able to identify who is who.  This is so precious at this point.   We all agreed that these need to be scanned, labeled and shared.

The visiting was interrupted by a tour of one of the summer houses.  A lovely professional guide did a great job of giving a tour, and Kristian gave us the gift of translating  it for us.  We were especially interested in hearing the rest of the story that Kjeld had begun for us about a portrait of a monkey in the house.  As it turned out, the family who owned the house had once been living in Lisban, the husband being a political attaché.  While the parents were gone, the monkey, a pet of the children ages 2 and 4, started going berserk.  He would not settle down and so finally the governess took the monkey and the two children to go be seen by a doctor.  When they were out of the house, a horrible earthquake happened killing 32,000 people, including all who were still in the house.  The monkey saved the day!  Apparently there is an obelisk on the island also to the monkey  We didn’t get to see that.  Maybe next time.

Anyway, it was a cool tour, and a beautify property.  It also features guest outhouses camouflaged to look like woodpiles….who knew?

Some of the family had to leave, and so we did a large gourp photos which was great.  Then lots of hugs and promises to send photos and keep in touch.  All are invited to come to California for a visit.

Then it was on to the actual home where Hilda, her siblings (and also Ulla) were born.  It is no longer in the family, and we were not able to go inside, but could see it from the outside.  It was a nice and pretty large home.  There were stories about the property including the number of fruit trees there. Ulla told us that they put a bell in the cherry tree with a string to the kitchen.  When they would see birds in the tree, they would ring the bell.  Pretty clever. 

We went on and went to a Danish Dairy where the star attraction was watching the cows get milked, and eating the very good homemade ice cream.  They had some very young calves who were adorable.  It was a large operation and was quite interesting to view.

More of the group left, but a number of us wen to a lovely traditional Danish restaurant for dinner.  It was a buffet, but you choose your meat separately.  It was so nice to have cousins Lenna and Kim help us navigate.   The food was great and we all ate our fill and more.

Then Patti and Dick and cousins Birthe and Finn went back to the lovely B&B that Birthe had found for the four of us to stay in.  It was perfect, on an old Danish farmhouse.  Here is the website   http://www.tiendegaarden.dk/en/   We would highly recommend it.

We both fell into a dead sleep, so filled up with family and names and photos.  What a day!!!!  No blogging or working on photos tonight!!!

“Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed.”
― Mary Oliver