Lucky to Be in Denmark
Blue skies over Fjellerup Beach in Denmark
Great to Be Back in Denmark
July 1, 2018
There are plenty of reasons why we keep coming back to Denmark. Family, friends, great weather, and last but not least, our daughter Emma is in Denmark again with her boyfriend Simon after traveling in Asia, India, the Middle East, and Europe for the past 5-6 months.
Our connecting flight to Billund Denmark was delayed in Reykjavik, Iceland for 3 and a half hours. On account of the delay, we were offered a free meal and later attempted a nap at the quiet end of the airport. The constant flight announcements made it tough to get any rest though.
Copenhagen colors
Our original plan was to drive from Billund to Copenhagen but decided Copenhagen was too long of a drive after the long flight and delay. Simon's parents, Kristian and Karen in Assentoft came to the rescue and we stayed there the first night.
This also meant we could drop off four large suitcases we brought along for Emma and Simon. We had a warm welcome dinner, a glass of red, and then off to an early night.
Getting Sick While Traveling
July 13, 2018
The first two weeks in Denmark were nothing short of stellar. Lots of visits with friends and family in Copenhagen, Assentoft, Alslev, and Aarhus. See the photos below. We were on a roll and getting ready to head to my hometown of Lemvig.
A Major Speed Bump
Di had developed a bit of an earache and had trouble swallowing food and drinks. We saw a doctor in Aarhus Monday morning but were quickly dismissed with a; It's nothing really.
As we arrived in my hometown of Lemvig, Di was going downhill fast. She stayed in bed and we thought she had an ear infection. My cousin Vibeke, a physician, was incredibly kind and made a house call during her vacation break.
A reminiscent walk by Simon and Emma's old apartment in "Nyboder", Copenhagen
Painkillers and antibiotics were prescribed. Wednesday things got worse and Vibeke suggested we go to the hospital to see an emergency doctor.
At this point, Di had even more trouble swallowing and was developing paralysis on the right side of her face. She could only blink one eye properly and had a crooked smile. At this point, we were seriously worried.
This was the start of a weeklong stay in the hospital where they had trouble diagnosing her. It was scary, to say the least, and a painful time for her.
Emma enjoying the obligatory hot dog at Nyhavn
She is out of the hospital now and we are recuperating north of Aarhus with our friends Hanne and Jesper. We were at the hospital in Holstebro for five nights and later moved to the hospital in Aarhus for the last two nights.
A stroke was ruled out early on and they were almost certain it was Lyme disease as a result of a tick bite. The final diagnosis however was Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (herpes zoster oticus) which occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears. In addition to the painful shingles rash, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear.
And out came the sun at "Strøget", Copenhagen's famous pedestrian shopping street
We saw a hearing specialist yesterday, and luckily Di’s hearing is not impacted. More good news; the facial paralysis is slowly subsiding and a full recovery is anticipated. Di is still tired and it will take several weeks to get back in top shape. We are glad to be out of the hospital and lucky to have friends nearby who take such good care of us.
We are bummed we have had to cancel all further travel plans but right now it is not a priority, as you can imagine. Di loves Denmark and it appears she will do almost anything to stay here a bit longer :)
Don't drink and drive. Cycle to the pub
The plan right now is to stick around as we have a follow-up appointment on August 10th. We will be in the Aarhus area, probably for a couple of weeks while Hanne and Jesper are away on vacation. A huge thanks to Alice and Henning for hosting us and helping out during those difficult days in Lemvig.
We are crossing our fingers and surely our next blog post will be more uplifting. Stay tuned.
A Copenhagen feeling
Welcome back to Copenhagen, hugs from Nikolai and Malene
Meet up with Nikolai and Malene and introduction to new baby girl. We also had a first introduction to Jonas and Maja's new baby girl, Victoria.
Midsummer nights in Denmark with sunset after 10 pm. Simon's grandmother, Aase, and mother, Karen, take in the flag at the end of the day
Master Barista, Kristian (Simon's dad), roasts his own coffee beans and serves wickedly good cappuccinos, lattes, and americanos
A small market along the pedestrian shopping streets in Randers
Nature hike in Randers
We were all in awe over the skies at Fjellerup Beach
Søren preparing for Sofie's graduation party in Alslev
Laura and Emilie celebrate Sofie's graduation day
A day of ecological sight seeing with Hanne and Jesper south of Aarhus
Great to see my uncle and aunt, Oluf and Birthe in Studstrup, North of Aarhus
For about a week we enjoyed dinners outside every night. Here with the Byskov families in Studstrup, North of Aarhus
Selfie time with my cousin Uffe
Degnebadet, Silkeborg, Denmark
As a kid, I visited Lars, Michael, and Charlotte in Silkeborg almost every summer. We would visit this favorite spot of mine (Degnebadet). It is a private club, so I had to swim along the lake in order to see it again.
Di handed me the camera over the fence so that I could take this quick snap. Definitely one of those spots which are huge in your memory but in reality small in scale. We had such good times here.
Di is thrilled with her choice of lunch during a brief stop in Silkeborg
Another stellar summer day in my hometown, Lemvig
We stayed with Henning and Alice (my uncle and aunt) outside my hometown of Lemvig. They have their own windmill and stunning views of the west coast.
I will wrap up this post with a sunset shot over the North Sea in one of the most western parts of Denmark. I estimate the time to be around 10:20 pm.
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