Diary of a flying pig: Danish Tour 11/4-6

Three Day Special!

A great weekend in Denmark! After our Friday night show, which went well, if not a little quiet (although another commednation goes to Frank Mortenson, who was our laugh leader once again), we met up with Alan, Frank, Michael Mansdotter, and other friends after the show for libations in the lobby. We had the weekend open, so we were all making plans for our last private adventures in Denmark! Joan was planning a trip to Samsø to visit friends, Matt was planning on plans with his Merete, the owner of the Anarchist Cafe, Oliver's plans were up in the air, and I was headed to visit my family in Vejle! So, forgetting the fact that this is supposed to be a blog solely about the Peer Gynt Tour, I'm going to divulge a little about that experience, for all the friends and family who are reading!

Saturday, 11/4
I hopped on the train to Vejle at 9am Saturday, and enjoyed a completely relaxing and eventless ride (although at one point even I had to avert my eyes at a teenage couple who were trying to perform an appendectomy on each other with their tongues- as said before- teenagers are the same everywhere!). I arrived in Vejle at 11:30am, and was met there by my third cousins, Stine Jacobsen & Sarah Dedeiu. They are both cousins I have met before, and have visited my family in Minnesota, accompanying us on all sorts of adventures, Stine & her family in '95, and Sarah this past summer. After a brief trip to the grocery store for lunch supplies, we headed to the DeDeiu for lunch! There we met up with Sarah's dad, Hugues (pronounced Oog) and enjoyed shrimp & egg Smorbrød while catching up on some of the past 10 years, since my family was in Denmark last. Afterwards, we went for a driving tour around Denmark, first stopping at the Gymasiem School (a sort of junior college that most Danish 16-19 year-olds go to) to watch Sarah's younger sister Stephanie rehearse for a musical the school was doing- none other than MOULIN ROUGE. After watching 2 Danish boys and a chorus of Danish girls sing "Like a Virgin" and another couple of dancers tango to "Roxanne," we hopped back in the car to do a little more sightseeing.

Vejle is a beautiful city on a huge fjord, known for its amazing bridge that spans the fjord, and for the beautiful natural environment that surrounds it. We ventured up into the hills around Vejle and out into the farmland, stopping off at another set of cousins' home to visit, but they weren't home. So I left a note stuck to their door with gum saying: "Dear cousins, I come all the away from America to visit and you're not home! If you'd like to see me before I leave for another 12 years, give me a call." Communication posted, we headed off to pick up Sarah's boyfriend Claus, and then on a hunt to find the elusive "Pancake House," which we did eventually find, although it was closed. Ah well, something for next time. We then dropped off Stine, as she was in town for her high school reunion (she normally lives in Copenhagen), picked up Stephanie at her rehearsal, and headed back to the DeDeiu house for dinner!

Sarah & Steph's mom, Elsebeth, had prepared a DELICIOUS meal of a pork roast, complete with crackling skin (which she dutifully watched from the oven window to ensure it would not burn), cabbage salad, carrots & potatoes, and gravy, and then an ice cream cake for dessert. It's amazing I don't weigh 6,000 pounds, I've eaten so much good food on this trip. We ate, talked, laughed, and then were paid a visit from Anders, Jesper, and Louise Olsen, more cousins! Jesper and Stine had both been to Minnesota as well, and were now living in Copenhagen. They just happened to be in town because it was their mother's birthday, so it seems to have been a very serendipitous time for a visit! We talked, drank, ate, and laughed some more, and at midnight, the third cousins (Jesper, Louise, Sarah (& Claus), Stephanie, and I) headed back into town to meet up with Stine. We went to the Mississippi Cafe, and continued conversations over the din of Danish folk music and drunken teenagers singing along. At 2am we parted ways, and went home to collapse into bed.

Sunday, 11/5
We got to sleep in after our night of revelry, and then headed over to Stine's parents (John and Lizzy Jacobsen), home for a lunch! We had more rolls, coffee, cheese, hot chocolate, tea, meat, and of course coffee while continuing to visit, and were joined my Anders, Birthe, and Jesper Olsen, as well as Greta & her son Martin. A HUGE impromptu gathering of Danes, all of whom were familiar faces, which were good to reconnect with after 12 years. The group slowly thinned out, with goodbyes and "come to visit soons" issued from Americans and Danes alike. After all had left but the Jacobsens and the Dedeius (and of course this Olsen), Stine, Stephanie, and I walked in a drizzling rain over to the farm/home of Greta and Martin, walking past the Vejle "mini-zoo" and visiting with the llamas (or maybe Alpacas?) that lived there, and then meeting my second cousin once-removed, John, his two Danish Farm Dogs Sigurd and Buster, their chickens, and their flock of sheep. A Danish wildlife experience! We walked back to the Jacobsens' said goodbyes to Lizzy, John, Elsebeth, Hugues, and another 3rd cousin, Mattias, and then Stine, Sarah, and Steph drove me back to the train station, we hugged our goodbyes, and I headed back to Aalborg. A wonderful, whirlwind trip with relatives, and one that I hope to repeat again soon.

Arriving back in Aalborg, a ran to the theatre, fired off a couple of emails and a phone call to Smoochville, and then headed back to the train station to meet up with Dell'Arte Alum (and great friend) Anna Svensson, and her friend Majken, who had come from Stockholm to visit and see the show! We walked into town, had a great meal at my favorite Thai restaurant, and then walked back to Oliver, Matt, and my place for a good night's sleep.

Monday, 11/6
After a simple breakfast at my place, Anna, Majken & I headed back into town, as I had a very important 1pm meeting at Jomfru Ane. With my pig outfit. And an electric winch on the third story of the building. And a harness. Yes, it's true. Now, thanks to modern technology, I have flow on both sides of the Atlantic. The photo says it all. The Danes have asked for a repeat performance on Tuesday. Who am I to deny them? With everyone sufficiently awestruck, I changed back into my civilian clothes, and Anna, Majken and I went out for lunch and shopping. We met up with Annette, and she had us over to her apartment for buns, cheese, and cake before the show.
The show went fine- the audience was entirely high-schoolers, so there was a constant underscoring of giggling, tapping feet, and candy wrappers. AFterwards, the Americans, Pia, and the Swedes drank beers & soda in the lobby, and then Joan, Anna, Majken & I walked out to Jomfru Ane Gade to a bar for Irish coffees more beer, and talk of feminism, Peer Gynt, and Christina Aguilera. We said goodbyes, and were off to our respective homes.

LESSONS FOR THE DAYS
Nothing will give you a sense of history and roots like meeting the daughter of your great grandfather's brother's grandchildren (figure that one out).
Danes sing when they're drunk. It's great.


Only 3 shows and one week to go!
PIG