Saturday at the Center...Weren't We Just Here?

We slept in today and it felt glorious!  After two intense days and long nights, I needed sleep and I slept pretty soundly.  The only trouble with sleeping in is that half of our P-day was over before we got up!

I was able to do a few things that needed to be done....run a load of washing, clean the kitchen and bathroom, etc.  We walked over to the train station where a bus/train pass can be purchased.  We each had purchased a 3-month pass the week we got here and both had expired.  Today, I am officially a "pensionist" and as such can now purchase the pass for about 125 dollars....which gives me the ability to hop on a bus or a train at will.  I mention this because three months ago I was 64 and it cost 375 dollars!  See, getting older has a few perks.

We got cleaned up and went to the center (yes...it seems like we spend a lot of time there), but this time it was to be with people our own age!  The ward in which we live had a high priest party.  We don't attend that ward because we have been assigned to a little branch outside our suburb.  But the high priests nevertheless invite us to their socials.  There were the 8 senior missionaries who attend our branch, and then 2 temple missionaries, as well as the temple president and the matron.  It amounted to close to 50 people, which is too many to feed in the church building they attend.  So we were back to the center.

They had set the tables beautifully and gotten everything set up for a feast.  This is an annual tradition.  Every January when all the normal celebrating is done, they have the high priest get together where they have a  lovely feast. We have had some absolutely marvelous meals since we got here....but this truly was a FEAST.

We started with open-faced sandwiches on rich dark dense rye bread which we put together ourselves.  The first course was seafood....everything from fish fillets to smoked salmon to shrimp to pickled herring.  I loved everything I tried...which was everything.  Also, I am learning to eat like the Danes eat which is much more sensible.  You eat with your left hand...using the fork, and you keep your knife in your right hand to scoop everything onto the fork with.  It is highly efficient...once you become accustomed to eating with your left hand.

The next course was fleskestai...I know I misspelled that, which is a delicious pork roast, and beef tenderloins with caramelized onions and mushrooms.  And then there were several other dishes to choose from.  I followed a Danish woman around so that I knew how to combine foods and sauces.  One lady told me that she had fixed this feast for some Americans, who piled everything up their plates and kind of mixed it all together.  What a waste, because there are so many different flavors etc that it would be a shame to miss it.  For dessert, platters of bread, crackers and cheese, fresh fruit and fruit salad with chocolate sprinkled on top.  Just when we thought the meal was over, a big bowl of chocolates was brought out, then a platter of tangerines, and finally hot chocolate!  It was amazing ... everything was soooooo good!

Do you recognize the pool/CRUD table with a cover?

We spent about 45 minutes playing a fun gift exchange.  We were assigned to take a gift from each of us that would cost about 2 dollars.  That was a lot of fun.

I helped to clean up, but didn't do nearly enough.  SK and the others were ready to leave, and I hated to leave the little band of people who were left.  They had all kinds of leftovers and so many dishes to do.  I stayed as long as I could and then we left.

Now we are home, and I am about to fall over in a deep sleep, so I will leave before that happens!