Summer Solstice

For the first time since 1975 the summer solstice doesn't fall on June 21st. It falls on June 20th, and that ladies and gentlemen, is today.

Why is this significant to me? Well it usually isn't but for the 4th time in my life, it is. The summer solstice for most people marks the start of summer and the longest day of the year. (YEA SUN), but for me.... I usually feel sad because it means, the sun, will slowly start going back into hiding.(boooo) Actually it has kind of been in hiding for the past 2 weeks behind clouds off and on throughout the day already. Denmark holds their solestial celebration, "St. Hans Aften" in a couple days. If the weather is nice, maybe we'll go find a celebration and watch the witches burn in the bonfires.

So, I guess I'm ready.......bring on darker days Denmark...I can handle it!!

Broken Hearts Fixed

I am happy to report that Denmark and I are back in love.
*cue hearts falling from the sky*
As mentioned before, we had a rocky relationship over the winter. I mean, how can you love something that gives you "Seasonal Affective Disorder"?? The past four days, we have done some seriously strong bonding bringing us as close as we were before winter hit. The only thing that Denmark and I can't ever get past was established long ago. We can't seem come to a healthy agreement about the taxes. But that's ok, I respect it's differences, and it respects mine. So that leaves Denmark forever as a fun fling in the first decade of the 2000's and we can't ever commit to a longer relationship.

So, how did Denmark and I mend this broken relationship and find peace again? I'll tell you! Since Saturday we have had the most wonderful and beautiful spring days. The sun is rising at 5:45am-ish and setting at 8:45pm-ish and each passing day is noticeably longer than the last. We have finally been able to sleep with our bedroom door open allowing us to wake in the morning with the birds singing, the church bells ringing telling me what time it is and a cool breeze brushing against our faces. The trees and bushes are developing blooms and leaves at a rapid pace and Lyngby is turning green before our eyes. Michael and I were actually excited when last week our allergies both starting to act up from the blooms. It is the first time in history, neither of us really even care that we have allergies; a small price to pay to welcome spring. We spent the weekend laying on our balcony out in the sun. It was wonderful. There is still a cool breeze lingering so you can't really walk around without warm clothes, but when you stay in one spot you'll heat up nicely!! What prompted me to write this post was that I just got home from the grocery store. While I was walking home with the one item I purchased (dish washer tablets), I stopped at a phone booth, set my purse along with the tablets down and......took off my jacket leaving me in a short sleeve shirt for the remainder of the walk home.

*happy tears*

Sun Kissed Balcony

I am loving the fact that when we arrived back in Denmark, the sun was already staying out long enough to reach our balcony! I become giddy at the thought that our balcony dinners and weekends of reading and basking in the sun are growing close. I think sometime this week, I'll drag our outdoor furniture out of the sun room and back outside. Yippee!

A little more... a little more....

Look at all that sun!!

The Most Beautiful Thing in the World

Blue Skies and Sun!
It's about damn time.

Gloomy Days in Denmark

My Dearest Sun and Blue Sky,
I miss you guys.
Why do you spend your short hours alive in the sky, hiding behind thick clouds?
Why don't you ever show your bright shining faces to me?
My melatonin levels are suffering since you have left.
I'm so sorry I grew up saying summer was my least favorite season.
I take it back...
I didn't mean it...
I was young...
and naive...
Please come back soon.
I'm waiting for you...
Nichole :o)

This is pretty much what it looked like for all of the few hours of daytime today, and the day before and the day before and the day before and the day before and the day before and the day before and the day before.........................

Kortest Dag

Oh thank God!!!!!!!!!!

The shortest day of the year has passed!

Now, our days will start getting longer again....even if just by a minute or two each day at first. All that matters is we made it up the hill and now we can head back down it.

The few hours of sunlight we have here at this time of the year have been hidden behind low thick clouds and foggy days, which can really take a toll on a body that's not use to it (and even on those that ARE use to it).

These two pictures are taken at close to the brightest time of the day.

Stupid Clouds

This is our 3rd dark Danish Winter and has been by far the most difficult, so I am happy to know that we made it to the worst part of the year.

I can't imagine living up any further North than we are now. Especially in places with 24 hour darkness. I'm not certain I would survive that without becoming very depressed.

Enjoying Copenhagen and Lyngby

I love rain. I love fall. Most years I could do without summer. But what "they" say, seems true, when all you get is rain, you get tired of it, when all you get is cloudy days, you long for the sun. I don't know who "they" are, but "they" knew what they were talking about.

This weekend was nothing short of gorgeous days of sun, sun and more sun with a slight cool breeze that made the weekend simply perfect! The air feels like fall though, but one of those beautiful warm, fall days. So we took advantage of the weekend and played tourists in our own home!

First thing we did was head to Copenhagen climb the "Rundetaarn" (Round Tower) for a view of Copenhagen. We figured, we've seen Oslo,Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Istanbul and even a couple small German villages from way up high on towers and mountain/hilltop, it was probably about time we saw Copenhagen as well. The entrance was pretty cheap (for Copenhagen standards) at 25DKK a person (about $4.50) so we thought, why not!

"Rundetaarn"
Apparently the tower part of the Trinitatis complex, and included an astronomical observatory, a student church and a university library. It was built between 1588-1648We saw the church and the library which were a decent size and quite nice. It is also the oldest observatory in Europe and is still used! At night in the winter (which is practically all day long haha) people can go up and use the telescope to see the sky.

Climbing the tower was pretty simple. The entire climb looked like this until the very end where there were about 15 steps. Not too bad. Easiest tower climb we have ever done (worst one was in Freiburg Germany where we climbed just short of 1,000 stairs in the narrowest little stairwell, in a Cathedral to get to the top of a bell tower) I was actually a little surprised to see many people huffing and puffing on their way up.

Once at the top we had an amazing 360 degree view. Knowing so many of the buildings and streets made looking at wonderful Copenhagen that much better. We could see pretty far and could even see some really tall buildings in the distance which we immediately recognized as "Høj Gladsax" , which is basically where we lived last time we lived here.


After the tower we wondered around Copenhagen. Stopped at Nyhavn grabbed some soft ice, then hopped on a boat (one that is tied up and doesn't go anywhere) for a micro-brew style beer. The city was so very full of tourists, not many Americans though. Seemed like the streets were filled with Swedes and Brits. We both have an " Årskort" (year card) for Tivoli, so as long as we were in the city we hopped in there for another beer and sat right next to the little lake in there and had a really good time. After all this, we were starving so came home and ate and rested our feet. (We actually do tire ourselves out from walking, but no one has been brave enough to stick it out long enough to see that actually happen!)

Copenhagen Street

Tivoli

Tivoli

Sunday was just as lovely if not more so then Saturday. We hit the gym in the AM which was pretty much like an old abandon town. We were the only ones in there for about 45 minutes until 4 people came and hopped on treadmills. Then there were 6 of us. Danes love the sun, I'm sure they didn't want to waste any of the weather on being indoors. I can't blame them. We were doing abs and I told Michael that at that moment, I envied their freedom of not being so ridiculously dedicated. We got out of there as fast as we could and headed for a little walk. We stopped at a bakery on the way to grab some bread (and it was the first time Michael had ever witnessed me doing everything in Danish). We headed towards something called, "Lyngby Fort" I had seen it on a map and was just a little curious what it was, so we went. To be quite honest, I'm still not exactly sure what it is, but I know it was built in 1887 -1892. It was, "interesting" to say the least. Kinda hidden behind houses, and very overgrown with growth. We climbed up to the top and ate up there.

It once read, "LYNGBYFORTET" but now, there are letters missing

Along the side

Stairs to top
View From the Top

Top of the Fort

Walking back to our place we stumbled upon a hidden treasure. A "Møntvask"!!! It is a Laundromat!! For those of you who remember months and months ago I had to start doing our laundry by hand....again.... well. I am STILL doing it that way. Long story short...our landlord sucks and we do not want to spend the money to buy a washer that we can't take back with us because they are quite pricey. ANYWAYS, so we have searched every corner of Lyngby (or so we thought) looking for one and never could find one. On our way home, somehow we ended up on a hidden curve of a street, not too far from our place, and staring me in the face was the word, "Møntvask". I grabbed Michaels arm and pulled him across the street as he was laughing knowing my pleasure in seeing this word. I haven't minded doing our laundry by hand but the sheets and towels are quite the chore, because they are so big. I think that was the highlight of the day! Today, I'll be heading down there with towels and sheets to get those all washed and I am very excited about it, as I am sure my mom and a few of my close friends are very excited for me as well!! haha.

We got back to our place about 3:30 and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening on our balcony. Reading, drinking some wine, doing Danish homework, eating dinner....etc.

Today looks just as wonderful as the past couple days. Perhaps August will turn out to be ok after all. I'm not holding my breath just yet, but I'm closing my eyes and wishing really really hard that it keeps this nice.

I Hate You Sun...Go Away!

I spoke to soon. I WAS enjoying the sun. At this point, I'd be ok if I never saw it again. Ok, not really, but pretty close to it. Now, it has been in the upper 70's and flirting with the low 80's and we are both melting and miserable. The guy that owns the gym we go to asked us while we were talking about the heat "Aren't you guys from Texas?" yes, yes we are... But at least in Texas we have this wonderful thing called, AIR CONDITIONING, where we can escape the god awful 100+ weather. The other day we had to go hop over to the movie theater to watch a movie because it was cooler in there. They have a little air circulation in the theater. We saw Oceans 13. Good Movie.

Finally, I went to our next door neighbor, Johannas Fog, for a fan. Its a big store with almost anything you need for a house. Like Ikea, but 100 times pricier and nicer. Apparently I wasn't the only one with the idea to get a fan... they had hardly any left, at least of the smaller cheaper ones but i did get a really nice one and it works great. Yea for fans!!

I actually wrote thisSave Now yesterday and today the weather is much better. Its back down to about 64 and we finally have relief! YEA!!!

I Heart You Sun!

Oh, Sun, the wonderful beautiful sun.

This is such a fantastic change from the long cold dark winter. The sun has been out and doesn't seem to want to go away. Its great. We haven't had too many rainy days either. There has been a little rain at night, but the clouds seem to clear up pretty quick. Only problem is, it has become really hard to get tired at night. The sun gives me energy and my body just doesn't want to shut down when the sun is still up. Oh well, Makes up for the not wanting to get out of bed in the winter.

I put timestamps on these pictures so I would remember the time I took them at. I took these last night and this morning. In the night shots, there is no flash nor did I do anything fancy to keep my shutter open to get more light in. I think the pictures actually came out a little darker then true life. We have about 15ish more days till the longest day of the year, then the days will start getting shorter again *sniff*

10:49PM
At this point those colors have been in the sky for a while already

11:20PM
Look still colors in the sky 30 minutes later

6:32 AM (look how high in the sky the sun is already!)
6:32 AM
Lots of people ask us if its hard to sleep. No, and we don't wake up because of the sun either. It's just really hard to GET sleepy. But once we force ourselves to crawl in bed, we fall right to sleep.

Ok, now onto Video Number 5!

blah blah blah
(If you didn't see the first 4 videos, refer to the previous 4 posts to find out what these are all about and to watch the others, before you watch today's video) :)

"The Partney's in Denmark: Day 5 - Lyngby