Souvenir Shopping....and Other Adventures

We set out from home this morning determined to cross several things off our list, which we did.  It required walking, something I haven't been doing so much of lately.  I love walking around here, but our schedule has been a little crazy and we have been only too happy to drive and park....expensive as it is.

One last stop in Church of Our Lady proved to be a disappointment.  The Christus was as beautiful as ever, but there were busloads of tourists inside, crawling all over the place, and someone was playing the big organ.  It was not majestic music, not gentle contemplative music, it was not reverent.  It was deafeningly loud, blaring, obnoxious, discordant, inharmonious, and unsettling.  We did not stay long.

Next to the church is a law school where we stood gazing at the artwork on the ceilings and walls....beautiful....magnificent.

A walk down Stroget (certainly will be our last) netted us each a tee-shirt from a souvenir shop with something typically Danish on it.  (Racketball for SK and pajamas for me.)  We also got some cute little dessert spoons from a Danish maker.....a reminder of the wonderful desserts we have had here (although the extra weight hanging on my hips may be the strongest reminder).

By then, my feet were complaining, and it was hot....75 degrees....which here is just too hot to be out walking.  We came home and I collapsed and slept for  awhile.

I have been working on a sharing website so that I can make the recipes I have used for the last couple of years available to our YSAs.  Several have asked for them and rather than printing up a bunch, I thought it might be a good idea to put it online for all of the very technically savvy young people.  If I get everything figured out, I should be able to share it with them on Thursday evening.

In the evening, we had dinner with Sister Hamblin, and Elder and Sister Warnsdorff...our dynamic Danish office couple.  Their apartment is not far from here, and it is lovely.  It is in a stately old building that must have built around 1900.  It has one of the oldest elevators in the city.....and honestly....when we got in it....I felt like doing a tap dance!  For those of you who are not familiar with that reference...it is from "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - an old movie from 50 years ago.

Their apartment was magnificent.  She is a collector and has some lovely figurines, paintings, blown-glass vases and beautiful things.

We enjoyed a wonderful evening with them.  They fixed the quintessential Danish meal...a pork roast called "flaeskesteg" which has the best crispy crust on it.  It was served with small boiled white potatoes and brown potatoes (small new potatoes cooked in a caramel sauce.  Other accompaniments were red cabbage, pickled cucumbers (like no pickle you have ever had!), rich brown gravy and current jelly.

That pretty much filled us up, but of course when she brought out the strawberry dessert with whipped cream, we found room.  We talked over that wonderful dish and then talked some more.  I love this Danish custom of eating leisurely....taking 3 hours from the beginning of the meal to the end.  And that wasn't the end.

An hour later, she brought out hot chocolate and herbal tea and little cakes and cookies.  We talked for another hour and sipped our drinks and nibbled on the cookies.  All set in those beautiful surroundings.

They are a wonderful couple who are diligent with all of their assignments, as well as keeping active in all of the other things they do with family, their ward, their work and their many interests.  He is a self-taught pianist and is excellent.

We talked at length about the missionary apartment inspections we have recently completed.  Sister Warnsdorff has already been out shopping for some of the items that are needed.  She is delightful.

On the way home, we commiserated with Sister Hamblin, who is doing the same thing we are doing....trying to pack, to clean and organize the apartment for the next people to live here, and trying to stay up with her responsibilities at the office.  She has been very diligent and even though it has worn her out, I think she will miss the many dear friends she has made, as well as all the missionaries she has associated with.

We three will all fly out next Saturday, on our way to Paris, then SLC, then we'll say goodbye before departing for our homes.  Our adventure together started September 30, 2013 in the MTC.

And what an adventure it has been!