A trip to Ørre and "Sky Mountain"

My co-workers are the best. I know I've said this before, but it's true. Last weekend, we celebrated the birthdays of two of my co-workers, Rune and Anil. Rune is from a small town in the middle of Jylland (the peninsula where I am living) called Ørre. His mother invited Anil (from India), Jonathan (from Italy), Purnima (Rune's girlfriend), and me to her home for a birthday lunch and celebration... Danish style. 


One quick cultural aside. In Denmark, everyone has a flag in the yard (well, not everyone, but if you live outside of the city, almost everyone does). When it is someone's birthday, you raise the flag in a way of recognition and celebration of the special day. The flag in Denmark is frequently used as a symbol of celebration and not just national pride. Interesting, no? See below ;)

 
While in Aarhus, I have not had the opportunity to experience a "traditional" Danish meal because the Danes rarely eat traditional cuisine and it's really expensive to eat out in Aarhus. Nonetheless, this was quite an adventure. As this was a birthday party, we started out with a sip of some Danish liquor called Gammel Danske. 

A quick sniff and this stuff instantly reminded me of cough syrup - though I have to say, in the end it tasted like a spicy, herbal jaegermeister. Rune explained the meal and how it would work. We started out with a first course of rugbrod and sweet Danish herring. I know what you're thinking... yuck... but it was surprisingly tasty. Next we moved on to frickadeller (or Danish meatballs) with more bread, sliced meats, cheeses, and creamy potato and vegetable salads. 

More beer and some continued sips of Danish schnapps or aquavit were enjoyed during the meal. Needless to say after this meal, we were all in need of a long walk to digest before opening gifts and enjoying birthday cake, coffee, and tea. The area surrounding Ørre is home to many dairy farms. On our walk around the town, the rolling hills and farmland reminded me a lot of the outskirts of Carrboro, NC.  

After our fill of desserts, we headed back towards Aarhus. But not without a stop at a main tourist attraction... Himmelbjeret or "Sky Mountain."

Yes, it is one of the "disputed" highest points in Jylland (a peninsula notorious for being as flat as a pancake). Apparently, another place in Jylland has added some sand to the highest point and may now be actually higher than Sky Mountain (haha). In any case, what the mountain lacked in altitude, it made up for in picturesque views of the lake and surrounding forest. We took a walk up to the top of the "mountain" and then took a hike down to the lake. 

 

After the nice walk, we piled back into the car and headed back to Aarhus. It was a fantastic Sunday... and really made me appreciate the kindness of my co-workers and the beauty of this lovely country!

Just another day on the bofællesskab

My most recent Danish adventure took me this past weekend to a co-worker's home. Lene lives in Overdrevet, a bofællesskab or commune (in English), in Hinnerup, Denmark, just about 45 minutes bus ride from the city center of Aarhus. 

For those of you who don't know a lot about the co-housing movement (because I didn't), modern communal living theory was developed in Denmark around the 1960's in reaction to the dissatisfaction of a number of families with their traditional community and living spaces. 

Overdrevet was initiated in 1981 and was originally a more politically radical offshoot of another local commune, as the founders wanted a more rural and socially/politically engaged lifestyle. The majority of individuals living at Overdrevet are associated with the university (or were at some point). 

 

The center of activity on the commune is the Common House where the >70 members eat dinner together 6 nights/week. I was lucky to join in on the Saturday evening dinner feast complete with stuffed chicken breast, roasted vegetables, rice, red wine, and white chocolate and strawberry mousse for dessert. It was awesome.

But, the meal was a reward for my hard work during the day! Ryan, another co-worker of mine from South Africa, and I offered to help at Lene's monthly "work weekend" at Overdrevet. 

During the day, we planted white and red onions, helped clear trees and chop wood for a fence, and played soccer and jumped on the trampoline with a bunch of little Danish kids. We took a tour of the grounds and met new and old members of the community. One of the most incredible aspects of the day was realizing that most of the members that were working with us were well over the age of 70! It's amazing to see how physically fit everyone here is.

 

All in all, it was an incredible experience. The people (similar to almost all of the Danes I have met) were incredibly warm and welcoming. My visit to Overdrevet was the perfect way to enjoy one of the first sunny days of spring in Aarhus! 

Until the next sunny day adventure!

xo (Kramme og kysse),

Jenny