Eating out

Many people write food blogs that make your mouth water and take beautiful pictures, but this entry won't be like that.  Sorry.

We have been here for over three months and today was the first time we ate in a restaurant.  When people learn we are vegetarians they recommend Riz Raz, which is also recommended by several guide books.  Maybe this is why the wait staff greeted everybody in English.  It may be a tourist trap or a less than authentic Danish experience, but it had a fantastic buffet with fresh falafel and hummus, about ten salads, some hot pasta dishes, and a selection of pestos.  By most standards in Denmark it was inexpensive, which means less than $20 a person, but tap water costs 18 dkk (>$3) a liter, which was a surprise to me.  It was a treat and now I have something to write about for my Danish assignment, which is a presentation on, "What I did last weekend."

The restaurant was a bit off the beaten path near this very European street.

Eggs

Eggs do not appear to be sold in a standard quantity (sorry I am missing the ten-egg carton).  Egg sizes may be a bit random, which is why the label on the 15-egg carton shows that there are two sizes inside.  There is a chart inside the carton with the approximate size and weight of different eggs.

Very large (XL) - >73g
Large (L) - 63-73g
Medium (M) - 53-63g
Small (S) - <53g 

Most recipes list ingredients (e.g., flour, sugar) by weight and not volume so it wouldn't be a problem to weigh the eggs, too.

Field trip follow-up

A little belated, but here is a brief summary of Robin' field trip.

Despite reservations, Robin said the trip was pretty nice.  They did many games, mostly consisting of running around and tagging.  There was hanging around in the cabin chatting while the girls did make-up for each other and the boys barged in, causing the girls to shriek.  Robin would take out one of her books and read a passage that people found boring, which made everyone quiet (but annoyed).  It was a clear night, which was good for a hike under the stars.  The next day was more of the same.

No one got much sleep, but the food was tasty and the company was pleasant.

Legos

In the grocery store

More grocery store Legos

 I procrastinated over this post because I couldn't figure out how to spin it.  In the land where Lego was invented I went searching for something unusual or clever, but found only things that exist in the US.  It is true that Legos are sold along with the candy at the checkout line and even the grocery store has a decent selection.

In the toy store

I thought the toy store would have kits that were not sold in the US, but with writing entirely in English I knew this wasn't true.  I was excited to see a postman kit (not mailman), but it is already sold on websites back home.

We haven't visited Legoland yet (we'll wait for better weather), so I'll have to let you know if it is different from Legoland, California.  Will there be the international symbol of need, as seen in California and recently in New Zealand?

Christmas, part one

Christmas in Denmark may not be like the consumer frenzy in the US, but it is still a significant event based on the fact that the stores are filled with Christmas paraphernalia, but it is more endearing paraphernalia.

One difference is the variety of advent calendars.  There are the standard Christmas tree pictures, but there are also candy-filled calendars with pictures of Mickey Mouse, recent movie characters, and football/soccer logos.

I like the idea of having a candle that burns a little every day until Christmas.


I haven't quite figured out the stocking calendar.  Maybe a little something goes in each day until Christmas, when it is completely full and waiting to be emptied.  But does the kid have to wait and not peek for more than three weeks?  That seems unrealistic.

Tivoli, by Arlo

So at Tivoli it was Halloween.  There were more pumpkins than you thought there would be in all of Denmark.  There were these humongous loop-the-loop rides.  My favorite one was the dragon one, but I didn't go on any rides.  They are mostly for older kids.  There were more stores than rides.  There were more stores than anything, probably.  I went into most of them.  We saw this lollipop that was taller than my head and wider than two of my heads, also.  We also saw the biggest pumpkin in all of Denmark, but it wasn't that big but it weighed 260.9 kg.  There were lots of volunteers dressed up, mostly as witches.  Some of them were people from stories.  The food was basically all candy and lollipops.  We watched this weird vampire show.  It was basically these people dancing and the vampire was trying to get them, but it was mostly all dancing, but in a weird way.

This is what I got as a souvenir.  I chose it because everyone thought it was a really cool shirt and I thought so, too.  It lasts longer than a lollipop.

Efterårsferie, or fall break

The holiday got off to a great a start when David and Arlo went to Copenhagen for Culture Night.  Every train station had entertainment, museums were open and had special activities, and there was entertainment in the streets.

The next day Robin headed to Århus (to become Aarhus on 1/1/11) to visit Ruby, ARoS, and ride through the forest to Risskov.

This side is the bishop.

While she was away we enjoyed the King for a Day/Konge for en Dag activities, including minting a replica of a coin made in Roskilde in the 12th century.

This side is the king.

We also tried a new kind of tug-of-war, which uses a small rope and each player tries to pick up a bone (stick) just out of reach.

All week long there are activities sponsored by the city.  We spent a couple hours at the table tennis club, which is harder than it looks, especially using the automatic server.

Up next, another visit to Old Lejre (see birthday celebration) and Halloween at Tivoli, which closes this weekend!?!