This is the year to spend Christmas in Copenhagen. Patty and I started the trip today by flying from Tampa to Detroit and then from Detroit to Amsterdam. The final leg of the journey was from Amsterdam to Copenhagen. The legs lasted around 2 hours, around 8 hours and around 1.5 hours. Our luggage was on belt 3 in Copenhagen, and Kristie was at the airport waiting for us.
The first night here was kind of short, with us being tired from the trip. The next day we were up and out at about 11:00, headed for a Christmas tree farm about an hour from the house. We were treated to a ride in a horse-drawn wagon from the parking/store/food area to the actual tree farm, where Kristoffer found a tree that he liked and cut it down. The tree was enclosed in mesh for transport, and we got back on the wagon for the ride back to the main area, where we did a little shopping and got some food and hot drinks. Finally we headed home. The first video below shows some of the highlights of the day.
On Sunday, there were visits from several family members, and the tree was set up and decorated. Patty treated everyone to dinner at Bones.
Monday was a day of planning activities for the rest of the week. The weather today was typical for this time of year - mostly overcast, some sun, temperature in the mid 30's.
Tuesday was an early day for us. Kristoffer had to be at work early, so I was up around 7:00 to help get the kids ready for school. After some complaining, all were bundled up and off to school on time. The ladies are off to the mall, and I am at the house learning C#. Mostly overcast skies outside, light wind and a temperature around 40 F.
Wednesday was a calm day. The kids are off to school and the ladies are wrapping gifts. Kristoffer is not feeling well so no work today, except for phone calls. It is another overcast day with a mist in the air, temperature is around 40 F.
Thursday - the first day of winter - and everyone is off to school or to work except Kristie. She and Patty are off on another trip to the mall, and I'm still working on C#. We have the sun out today with clear skies, the temperature reached a balmy 42 F. I keep my eye on the clock so I can put away my laptop and other stuff before the kids get home - they seem to want to touch everything in sight. The ladies are back from the mall with more stuff to wrap. An electrician came by today to scope out a wiring job for tomorrow.
Friday - the electrician was back today, installing electric radiators and doing other wiring stuff. He was gone around lunchtime.
Saturday - the kids are a handful today, so Kristoffer has taken them to the zoo nearby.
Sunday - Christmas Eve - this is the day of the traditional Danish big meal, so there is a lot of activity in the kitchen. The kids have gone off to church, and the crowd will be arriving soon for gifts and the big meal. The meal was superb, and the gifts were soon opened and the kids were happy for a while until they weren't. Lots of wine was consumed today. The second video below shows some of the highlights of the evening.
Monday - Christmas Day - another big meal today, this one with a more American flavor. More wine was consumed today.
Tuesday - this is our last full day in Copenhagen, so packing up was on the agenda. I constructed two "marble runs" with the kit that Lukas got as a gift. Leftovers were tonight's meal.
Wednesday - our trip home started with a 9:00 AM ride to the airport. The CPH to AMS leg was a little late, but we had sufficient time in Amsterdam to make the connection. The airplane door was actually closed 10 minutes early for the 8-hour flight. Approaching Detroit, the pilot informed us that it was zero degrees at DTW, and it did feel pretty cold. The plane for our third leg was late arriving, so we had extra time in Detroit for a stop at Leo's Coney Island for a hot dog. The DTW to TPA flight was uneventful, except for being late. Our bags arrived and we finished the trip home.
Below, I present two videos - the first from the trip to the tree farm to get a Christmas tree, and the second from the family gathering on Christmas Eve for the big meal and the gifts.