Summer 2015

I use the term "summer" loosely.  This summer was quite cool in Denmark, with only a few days being over 75 degrees F (24 C).  Not much sun either.  It's your typical Seattle-like climate, a very coastal and sometimes very rainy place.  I don't really mind much when it isn't super warm, but the humidity can be trying at times.  I have the kind of hair that isn't quite curly and isn't quite straight so when it's humid it just goes....crazy.  Needless to say I have been donning a ponytail quite often lately.

This time of year (end of summer into fall) tends to be my favorite time of year when I'm back home in the midwest.  I especially love to ride along on the combine with my Dad and brother.  I love to gather up all the produce in my garden and start making pickles, salsa, jelly, etc. for the winter time.  After 3 summers of being overseas, my salsa supply has been completely depleted (I ate the last jar when I was home....nothing compares to homemade salsa).  I am itching to plant a garden next year when we move home.

We spent 7 weeks in the midwest visiting family this summer.  I love being back to enjoy a proper summer (aka, warm with thunderstorms) and of course visiting family is the #1 reason to go.

Amidst all of our time at home, we had some family visit us in Copenhagen.  We were able to go on some great sightseeing trips so I will include some pictures.

The pictures below are from the Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød, Denmark.  It's absolutely amazing.  I take all of my guests here as it's one of the best castles I've seen in Denmark.  The inside is as good as the outside :)  http://www.frederiksborgslot.dk/dk/uk_info.htm

Frederiksborg Slot

One day we ventured to Roskilde, Denmark.  It's a 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen.  There we went to the Viking Museum (my toddler wasn't in the mood that day so it could've been better, lol).  We also went to the Roskilde Domkirke which is a World Heritage Site. I had never been before and was absolutely stunned by it.  It's the burial place of many Danish kings and queens.  Do check it out if you're in the area.  http://visit.roskildedomkirke.dk/

Viking Museum

Roskilde Domkirke

We also fit in a short weekend visit to Edinburgh, Scotland.  Scotland is one of my favorite places to visit.  We've been there 3 times now and I would go again.  Most of my pictures are from Edinburgh Castle.

Last but not least I just found some pictures from a very cool park here in Copenhagen.  It's a miniature "city" for kids on their bikes.  It has working stoplights, bike lanes, sidewalks, bus stops, etc.  They designed it to help kids learn how to bike in the city (if you haven't figured out by now, Danes love to bike....so much so that many don't have cars as it's faster to bike).  My daughter has a balance bike which hopefully will help her learn how to ride a regular bike faster.  I wish they made parks in the US as cool as the ones here.

This year I decided to put my daughter into Danish "preschool".  It's very normal for women to get a year's worth of paid maternity leave after having a baby.  After the year is up, I'd guess nearly 95% of women go back to work.  It's a rare thing to find a Danish stay-at-home mom.  They can be very judgmental about it as well.  I've had several comments from people about how my child should be in daycare and I should be working.  But I stuck with our plan and waited until she was 3 to begin school.  It's a tough process.  The tears at drop-off still get me and I'm on week 4 of school.  I find myself wearing sunglasses to hide the tears as I walk home.  But when I pick her up she's the happiest kid in the world.  I think she's secretly enjoying it but cries to make mommy feel needed in the mornings, lol!  We don't have a car here and it is 1.1 miles each way to the school so I am walking almost 4.5 miles a day to bring her to and from school.  I'm thinking we'll be taking the bus more in the winter.  It's a great workout plan, though.  I need to get back into biking shape and start biking her to school.  I'll include a picture of my super cool cargo bike for your viewing pleasure :)  This bike is a beast.  It has a weight limit of 100kg (220lbs) and it's as tall as my chest (I'm a mere 5'4").  It's a great bike but is a bit hard to pedal and catches a wind like a sail.

Summer is coming to an end, sadly.  Soon we will be plunged into the long, dark days that are normal in Scandinavia.  The sun comes up around 8:30am and goes down at 4pm.  I burn a lot of candles during the winter and I find it helps a bit.  For now, though, I'm doing my best to enjoy every nice day we have left.  Hope you had a great summer!!

Oh and if you're interested, here's the link to my other blog, which is all about crafts.  http://theinternationalcraftychick.blogspot.dk/