Fulham Wins
I was quite anxious as I approached Craven Cottage for Fulham’s match against the Hull Tigers. This was to be my last trip to the Cottage, as my time in London grew shorter. It was a typical day for Autumn football in London. It sprinkled rain, it was sunny, it got cloudy, it got sunny. And best of all Fulham won!
The Esoterik Gallery’s Permanent Collection
I love the Esoterik, a small, but important gallery of Modern Italian Art. So, I returned to visit the permanent collection. Here are a few favorites.
These pieces show so much – color, movement, the incredible talent that some are blessed with. My knees complain as I climb the stairs of the old house that is the gallery. Once I make it to the top and visit the four permanent gallery spaces, though, it is always worth it.
The Joy of a Reunion in Allerød, Denmark
Once again, into the breach of travel within Europe. I was off to see “forever friends,” Barbara and Kuhrt and their family in delightful Allerød, about 30 minutes North of Copenhagen. They are wonderful hosts and after so many visits over the 40-some years since they moved to Denmark (or back to Denmark, for Kuhrt), I very much at home when I enter their house. This year there was a new member of the family to greet me, Miss Lulu, the Shih Tzu, who was not too cooperative in her photo session.
But on to the tourism. Our first adventure was a visit to Tegner Statue Park which is adjacent to the Tegner Museum that had just closed for the season. Luckily, for us the sculpture garden was open, and we got to enjoy the art and the sheep who wander through the rolling hills. The museum and park are set in the middle of a protected area just south of Dronningmølle on Zealand’s north coast, some 50 km north of Copenhagen. This was a really cool experience. The first two sculptures below are against the wall of the museum. Then you turn around and see the first of the sculptures in the park, and you notice the natural setting, the sheep among the heather, and the trees.
As we wandered further into the park, we met a charming couple from Sweden who extolled the virtues of ‘Google Lens’ to us. Then we continued to view more of the statues.
Then, it was on to Rusland, another protected nature area near Dronningmølle. We found some more outdoor sculpture and some lovely views of the body of water separating Denmark and Sweden.
Rusland, literally means ‘Russia.’ This small area had, at one time, a settlement of Russians, but it is also known for its isolation. It is a charming place that must be delightful in the summer.
On Friday, Kuhrt and I had a boy’s day out, visiting Frederiksborg Castle, a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II and becoming the largest Renaissance residence in Scandinavia. It is huge and Kuhrt put me through my paces climbing the circular stairways inside.
And there were paintings, of the new King, the former Queen, and a gallery dedicated to war art.
And a sculpture and painting gallery that included a sculpture Niels Bor, a theoretical physicist, and painting a man who had the same name as (and looked a bit like) one of my college roommates.
That evening, we had a joyful family dinner with Barbara and Kuhrt’s daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. Kuhrt, a professional chef, cooked us traditional Danish dishes and there was plenty of food and fun. It was another memorable trip to the beautiful land of Denmark.
A final thought on my flights to and from Denmark
SAS airlines provided a great flight service to and from Denmark. Heathrow Terminal 2 was an excellent starting point. There is much to commend Copenhagen Airport. Unfortunately, SAS return flights to London are at a great distance from the nearest area of shops and restaurants. The gate where my flight left from a gate with completely inadequate seating for customers leaving from the several gates near mine. This was completely unacceptable and I hope Copenhagen Airport corrects this.
