First class trip to Hamburg and Wismar! (June 1-3)

This past week was marked by the visit of my fabulous sister, Theresa. Unfortunately, Theresa arrived in Aarhus after the summer weather passed (see the last post about kayaking in 80 degree weather). However, a little chill in the air wouldn’t stop the two of us from having an excellent time together. Theresa and I started out her visit by making pizza, drinking wine, and just catching up about the last few wild months in both of our lives. It was exactly what I needed… a little sister time. 

Theresa spent her few days in Aarhus walking around town, checking out museums, and enjoying the city’s cafes and cobblestone streets. One evening, we tried out a cute tapas restaurant on my favorite street in the city (Jægergårdsgade) and were entirely smitten with the place. The décor was darling, the service – spectacular, and our food was delicious. I will hopefully be visiting Forlaens & Baglaens (Forwards and Backwards) with other visitors over the coming months.  On Thursday morning, Theresa and I bought some bread to work to share with my co-workers. She was able to check out my office and work digs and meet some of the fantastic people at KEA (the Dept of Clinical Epidemiology). 

 

On Friday morning, Theresa and I made a bee-line for Germany (in the first class train car), her spiritual home, as I like to call it. We spent an afternoon strolling along the water in Hamburg and dining on Mexican food (which is noticeably absent in Aarhus – and I was in dire need) and then hopped on the train again to make it to Wismar by the early evening.

Words cannot describe how beautiful and charming the town of Wismar is. We walked around the cobblestone streets, ate pastries and sipped coffee, watched some traditional dancers and singers perform by the harbor, and retraced her steps when she lived and worked here at the local gymnasium more than 10 years ago.

We dined on some of the most spectacular food I think I have ever experienced. The hotel breakfast was second to none and the wild boar goulash I had at Brouhaus was flavorful and just melted in my mouth.

All in all, our Germany vacation was awesome. It was sad to see Theresa go, but I am just so happy that we were able to share a fun week long adventure together! Thanks for visiting!! 

Oh, and here are a few pictures of the pig bridge. I mean honestly, how cute are these little guys?! 

Conquering the Red Eskimo (May 27-28)

I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend to learn how to kayak. Believe it or not, it was 80 degrees and sunny in Aarhus and I had a two day course planned (each day from 9:00am-5:00pm). Perfect! On the first day, Anil, a co-worker of mine from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, and I met the 8 other students in our class. Claus, the chairmen of the Aarhus Kano and Kajak Club, and his assistant, Robert (pictured below), were in charge of preparing our group of 10 individuals ranging from their mid-20’s to mid-50’s in kayak technique and safety and in the values of the club. 

We started inside with some basic information about kayak gear and technique, but before we knew it, we were out on the water and paddling away. One of the first things we learned was to how to rescue ourselves, if we fell into the water alone. This maneuver basically consisted of tipping yourself upside down, pulling a strap which releases you from the kayak, and swimming out from underneath the boat. Because it was so warm outside, it was actually nice to get into the water with a wetsuit. Normally, I think people dread this portion of the course. 

The second safety rescue we learned was coined the “Red Eskimo”. Something tells me that this name is not entirely p.c., but I’m not exactly sure where it comes from. In any case, this rescue is a partner rescue where you tip yourself over in your kayak, but remained strapped in. While you are holding your breath under the water, you slap the side of your boat at the surface of water three times. At this point, your partner situates their kayak perpendicular to where your hands are located, so that you can feel the nose of their kayak on your hands, grab on, and flip yourself back upright, while remaining strapped into your kayak. Needless to say, I was terrified of the Red Eskimo, but after multiple warm-ups and half-dips under the water, I successfully completed the move. I wish I had a video! 

As usual, the best parts of most of my Danish excursions include meal times. During lunch, Claus, Robert, and my classmates and I all sat down at one lunch table in the club house, sunburned and sore, and shared stories and food. One of my favorite quotes from the week was from Claus during lunch time. We were all sitting eating our own pre-prepared lunches and he entered into the room and simply stated, “This is not an egoist club.” He had wished we would have taken out some food, plates, glasses, and drinks for everyone to share. Again, this sense of community and sharing with others is one of the most unique and wonderful aspects of Danish culture that I have come across so far.   

 

After close to 10 hours on the water over a span of two days, my classmates and I paddled over 20km and learned a lot about kayak technique, safety and each other. It was an incredible weekend and I can’t wait to get back out on the water next week. Now, if only we could get a few more of those 80 degree days!

Kys fra Danmark!