July 18, 2019 Münster, Germany

We enjoyed another wonderful breakfast at the hotel.

tried to get a picture of the outstanding breakfast without being too obvious

That morning, Alex Surminski and Mirjam joined us at the hotel.  Alex had been an exchange student in high school in 2005-06.  We have stayed in touch online, but we hadn’t seen him since 2007 when he and his family visited us in South Dakota.

Alex and Mirjam were on bicycles.  We rented bicycles and they gave us a beautiful tour of Münster.  Their old city wall that made a circle around the old city is now a bike/walking promenade.

underground parking garage for bicycles at the train station

 
 

palace in Münster

on the city promenade

St Lambert's church.  There are 3 iron baskets hanging from the church tower.  In1536, they were used to expose the corpses of the 3 leaders of the Münster rebellion

Catherdral St-Paulus-Dom

Alex also helped us find a SIM card that we could use throughout the mainland of Europe.

sitting outside for dinner

Mary, Dave, Mirjam, Alex

beer stop on our way home

July 17, 2019 Train from Denmark to Germany

We left for Germany this morning.  Torben drove us to the next village to catch the train.  We left at 6:30am and crossed into Germany by 8:00.  We arrived in Münster by 1:00 after 3 changes.

That's the way to Germany

Complimentary  coffee and bread in 1st class on the train

 We took a taxi to a hotel that we booked online.  The Hotel Münnich looked more German with an outdoor beergarden than your standard hotel.  We enjoyed a German dinner at the hotel.

beer garden in front of the hotel

this hotel provided a bottle opener in the room

first German beer

July 15-16, 2019 Torben's home and cabin

Monday
Dave and I cooked a Low Country Boil for the students.  It was new to all of them and they loved it. 
Neils had one more day on his hunting license and had shoot a deer.  He shot a deer after work. Then the guys all went out with a hunting dog to track it after dinner.  Proud hunters.


 

Lessa, Kirsten, Niels, dental students. I've always loved their dining room table with a marble center, therefore no need for hot pads

Tuesday
Today we cooked Mexican for everyone.  We made Chimichanga’s using my friend Nancy’s recipe.  We also made guacamole with fresh avocado.  That was a first for them. 

part of Torben's back yard

Torben's back yard

Torben bought electric scooters for his office.  Each week and employee will get to use it around town with his office name on it for advertising. 

We went to see a small cabin that Torben has bought near a canal off the ocean.   He plans to restore it and live there when he retires, at least part time.

Torben's project cabin

Torben's deck in front of his cabin

the brown cabin in the back is Torben's

Torben's dock at his cabin

the canal off of the ocean in front of Torben's cabin

looking out at the North Sea

July 14, 2019 from Æro to Skarø to Tjaereborg, Denmark

We all met for breakfast and were sailing by 10:00.  We stopped at another island, Skarø, to pick up AnneMarie’s son.  He was there for a bachelor’s party.  He sailed with us back to the mainland.

the view from our room in the morning

handsome bachelor party, even if they were hung over

coffee is served.  Torben is wearing a traditional sailing shirt for Denmark

 
 

a lobster trap as part of a playground

These maps zoom in with each photo.

All of Denmark.  We flew into Copenhagen.  AnneMarie lives in Odense.  And Torben lives in Tjaereborg by the blue dot

We drove to the southern coast of this island to sail

The biggest island was Æro

We visited this city on Æro

We stopped at Skarø on our way back on Sunday

These are a few pictures of AnneMarie's yard. Such beautiful gardens.


 

 

Torben, Dave and I headed to Torben’s home in Tjaereborg that afternoon.  At his home, we met 2 dental school classmates of his son, Lessa and Kirsten.  Along with Niels, they were on break from school, but were doing some on the job training at Torben’s office and others in the area.

July 13, 2019 Æro, Denmark

We spent the night at AnnMarie’s, then had a great breakfast before packing up for an overnight of sailing.
 
We drove to the southern coast of the Danish island that Odense is on, Fyn.  There we prepared a boat that AnneMarie races and sailed to the island of Æro.  It took us about 2 hours.  It was so invigorating to be sailing on a small boat again for fun.  

 



 
 
 
 

The channel markers had brush like material

The boats tie to a pole port and starboard and to the dock.  You step off the bow onto the dock

 

On the island, Torben and AnneMarie took us to all their favorite places.  The island had many houses dating back to the 1600’s and 1700’s. 
Torben found us a room in a house, similar to a B&B.  They two of them slept on the boat.

The photos downloaded in a mixed up order.  We stopped at several of their favorite places for the specialty of the house.  I was fascinated by the doors on the homes.

This is where Dave and I stayed

ferries brought the cars to the island

our room

fish market

the fish market lunch:smoked shrimp, mussels, escolar, fish frikadelle

dinner

Danish pancake with gooseberries

the hosts where we spent the night

another view of our room.  we had a sink, but the bathroom was down the hall

Monica's for cocktails in the back garden