XVII. An Internet Odyssey

Foreword

When someone sees art on my site and requests information on a particular piece I send them a "form" email explaining how I prefer to function.

<<Hello ,

Thanks for your interest in the X (ex : Delgado Collection, Canary Islands; Prof. Sigmund J. Kardas, Jr. Collection, New Jersey) from my personal Collection.

If you read my main art page you will have learned that most of the fine arts pieces were from the Delgado Collection. Evelio did not keep as exacting records as I always attempt to. When he did leave some notes, they might list the provenance, but in many works this was not the case. He told me several times that some people did not want their name associated with a certain item, for whatever reason.

The medium and size is already posted on my site for most, if not all, of the art works. I am sorry but I do not have other or better photos which I can offer you, not do I have the time do take same.

I do not quote "prices" for any of the innumerable things in my Collection. I assume that the interested party has some idea of who did what and when, their style and characteristics. I do ask for a "reasoned" offer on a particular piece or items, and am somewhat flexible, after taking into account what was paid for the art work many years ago. I do NOT rely on auction prices listed in various books-- in any case, they are "dealer" quotes, and the actual item would cost several times the stated figure at any gallery.

I hope that I have been able to answer at least some of your questions and that your search for reasonably priced fine art works will be a successful venture.

I am

Most cordially yours,

Sigmund J. Kardas, Jr.>>

I do get several emails/week and always answer in the exact same way. An example of an unusual reply came from a California "dealer" :

In a message dated 13/10/98 14:15:58, you wrote:<<Regarding our email about not quoting prices, giving better photos, more information etc., frankly is about the stupidest thing I have ever heard from a someone who claims to want to sell something. The question is twofold. Do you want to sell the item? And if so, the for how much? You must have an idea what you want for the thing, No? Prices range all over the place. As for everything being so clear and well laid out on your site, I would beg to differ. Numerous links failed, and the info was very incomplete, and a number of the images were very fuzzy and unclear.

I have been in the art business for almost 30 years, and I find the tongue and cheek attitude of your email insulting and belittling. I am a serious art buyer, dealer and collector. I do not have time for guessing games. If you want to sell the piece (Dubuffet) then quote a price, if not, then that is fine too, just keep it your "collection". But please, don't waste my time and spare me the condescension and attitude. >>

I did not even bother replying to this one!! I AM NOT an art dealer nor an "expert", rather an eclectic collector of many things for over 30 years. I have NEVER acquired anything with the idea of eventually selling it, even remotely. I unfortunately can offer NO guarantee of any kind, NOR do I accept returns for any reason (incidentally, I have never had anyone ask for a return or refund!!). I doubt that I wrote anything on my site about "wanting to sell" an art work-- I am perfectly happy with enjoying what I have, hanging what I can on the walls, sitting in my display cases or stacked in my closets!! I had NO idea that I was "belittling", "insulting" nor condescending, and I certainly DO NOT have any kind of "attitude" whatsoever (at least that I am conscious of)!!

A somewhat different reply was also received, on the exact same day as the above :

In a message dated 13/10/98 07:34:24, you wrote: <<Thanks for your prompt response. As I told you I am NOT an expert. And the only person I know who knows at least something about these things is working with one of the auction houses here in Copenhagen. He was however somewhat hesitant. He said, that the price of a Picabia on an auction here would be very hard to guess, and maybe it wouldn't sell at all, if the price was too high. But he finally came up with an estimate in the price range US$ X. The Dali, he said, would go for US$ X here,

As mentioned in my former e-mail to you I have sold a few paintings and I have exactly US$ X to spend. I don't know if that would be a sufficient amount for the Picabia + the Dali. But that is what I have at my disposal. - all the best regards from Denmark>>

An exchange of dozens of thoroughly delightful emails followed, we agreed on a price (about $80 above what Evelio paid for the pieces many years ago), 3/4 of the amount was cabled to me here in Trenton. Quite "off the cuff" I suggested that I would prefer delivering the painting personally-- I had not been out of the country for over 4 years and, as with my Sphynx kittens, I suggest to a potential adopter that instead of sending the poor thing as freight, that I could deliver the critter in person (have not done this yet though).

I was VERY hesitant at first because I had NEVER done anything like this before. One painting was relatively large and the question was how to pack it adequately, and what it would cost as excess baggage-- NOT TO MENTION the possible insurance coverage. I called several courier services and discovered that they would either NOT insure because the artists were dead and the items could not be "replaced", or that they refused to do it because they do NOT insure over about $1,000.

A round trip ticket to Copenhagen was forwarded to me by courier.

Preparations

Bernar came over the morning of Thursday, 5 November 1998 with his Cherokee, I showed him where the cat food and all was. He took my Festiva to work and left me his Jeep for the trip to the airport.

Four hours before I was to leave for the Newark, New Jersey airport I went to a local lumber yard, bought 2 wood 4x8 foot panels, some strips of wood to use for the sides of my "made-to-fit" crate and some special spiral-grooved nails which hold extremely tightly. In about 45 minutes I constructed the most beautiful box for my Picabia-- and I did not even make my usual mistakes in measurements!! I was happy with the result, and still had to shower and decide what I would wear on my trip.

Should I wear a suit and take something more casual for over there (how I have traveled by plane in the past)?? Should I remove the gold earing from my left (that spacial detail added just in case you have an evil mind!) ear in case they profile males with earrings at customs?? Throwing my customary way of doing things aside I went casual, with a black leather jacket (NO, I am not "into" the "leather scene"-- it was the ONLY warmish jacket I have, aside from an overcoat!!)-- WITH earing, one of those carry-on bags with a retractable handle and wheels, the Dalí in a cardboard box loaded with those plastic "peanuts" and the crated Picabia. Went to the other house (the one with the Koi ponds). Bernie, Bernar's friend, was waiting to take me to the airport-- I was already 30 minutes behind schedule! I took eight Beanies, 2 Attic mice, Colby, as well as 2 copies of a Beanie book and signed copies of a friend's book on Attic critters (The Attic Treasure Trove) for his daughters.

The trip to the airport went rather quickly. Even had some time to talk to Bernie, who I do not see that frequently.

We arrived 30 minutes BEFORE Scandinavian Airlines flight 912 was scheduled to leave!! I forgot my usual cane, but always keep a ratty one in Bernar's car, so I had no option other than to take that one with me; it is the MOST uncomfortable one I have!! I was the last to sign in. They took them the longest time to figure out what they should charge me for all the stuff I had with me. The carry-on was OK. They finally said that the cardboard box with the Dalí could go as luggage, and I would have to pay for the larger crate. Fine! It was almost too easy!!

After running all over looking to see if there were any shops with Beanies (there were NONE), I approached the boarding gate and was met by the plane's Captain who asked if I was me. Of course I was (and still am)!! Went through the electronic thingy, passing my digital camera to the man saying I think the magnetic storage card might be affected by the radiation-- and he said OK. Got on the plane, which was almost completely filled. Got a nice aisle seat in the forward section, right behind the cockpit-- Euro Class, I think it was.

The flight was delayed about an hour due to traffic. I did not care that much-- here I was, on the start of a new adventure!!

The Flight

OK, we are in the air.

At about 20h the steward came over, opened up a double length folding table, and placed a cloth cover over the thing!!

Then came the tray with real porcelain dishes, glass drinking vessels, a pair of glass salt and pepper shakers, metal utensils and a cloth napkin!! GAWD, I am NOT used to this sort of thing!!

Check out the menu [PIC]. For starters there were tiger prawns with thinly sliced veggies in vinaigrette, and I also asked for Aquavit!! I chose the entre selection of salmon with Teriyaki sauce, and there were several cheeses included!! From the wine list I picked Chateau La Joya, a delightful Chilean red wine, Gran Reserva 1996. Afterward I had a generous glass of Remy Martin XO Special [PIC], a cognac for those who may not be familiar with these delights (was my first time-- and as they say, "You always remember your 'first time'"!!).

Desert included coffee, DANISH (GAWD, it was totally UNLIKE the stuff having the same name that I have eaten at home!!) and some spectacular chocolates similar to Belgian chocolates.

I probably had another 4 glasses of the wine and several of cognac over the next few hours, and probably twice that many cups of coffee.

Altitude : 10,500m. Outside temperature : -44 C.

They had a really great 10 channel stereo headphone program. I listened to the "show tune" channel. WOW, Madonna and the theme from Evita, Bogart from Casablanca, James Bond theme from Tomorrow Never Dies, The Boss and one of my favorites (probably because I was born there) The Streets of Philadelphia!!

I did not watch the on board movie-- can not even remember what it was. They also offered a selection of about 15 other movies on small laptop viewers-- I passed this option up also. According to my on board survey, about 20 people did opt to use this interesting service.

My seat partner was Arvydas, a kewl youngish Lithuanian who does programming for European web sites; the name is Latvian. Across from me was an American constantly working on his laptop computer. The last time I flew, laptops were virtually unknown. So I decided to do a check of the entire plane to see how many passengers were using their computers-- he was the only one. I asked the steward, Henrik, if laptops were a common item on flights. He said that normally MANY passengers would have them, but they are less common on night flights.

GAWD, then I noticed an on-screen notice to the effect that telephone service was available to anywhere in the world!! Never let it be said that I did not try something technologically new, at least once!!

So I went over to Henrik and asked for another glass of cognac and inquired about using the phone thing. Each seat had one in the control panel section. He had not yet used it so I dragged him over to my seat to make sure I did it right and to give him the opportunity to see how it works. Apparently they have a satellite link. OK, so we dialed according to the instructions, 3 times, passed my trusty American Express card through the slot-- BUT got a message that "the operation could not be completed as dialed"!! That sounded, at least, like something I hear normally when I dial long distance from home! The fourth time we were successful. I had called Bernar as a surprise, to tell him that I was in the air (DUH!!) and that I was having great fun. Apparently Bernie was on the other end of the line and could hear me perfectly, but I could not hear a word, only some muffled sounds!! Shit, just when I was really enthused at how advanced telecommunications had become!!

OK, more music, watching the neat computer graphics of the flight path of the plane through different countries from various vantage points, loads of altitude, km traveled/left to go, estimated time of arrival, and piles of other stuff. Breakfast time comes around. Fruit, yoghurt, ham and cheeses, 2 kinds of rolls, croissants and butter (which I had to get more of), orange marmalade, and, of course, more coffee. Another schnapps and more red wine completed my gourmet munchies before we finally landed.

It was light outside and I could see a rather flat countryside, lots of water and what seemed like many islands. Somewhat different than the usual overpowering, out-of-natural landscape context onr views upon arriving in New York, for example!!

The Landing

Arrival in Copenhagen was about 07:55h, very close to the scheduled hour, despite the late start. This does happen frequently on trans Atlantic flights due to favorable winds.

I went immediately to the baggage pick-up thingy and waited and waited BUT my 2 art works did not appear. I was getting somewhat nervous!! Upon asking, I was told that the larger things were over in a corner-- went there and found the stuff. Piled it all on a FREE baggage cart, unlike the shittin things at Kennedy and other places that you have to put some $$ in before you can use it. GAWD, the paintings looked big!! I tried not to sweat on my way to customs. The guy looked at me briefly, asked what I will be doing in Copenhagen--"visiting friends" was my answer. What do I have in the packages-- "some gifts for my friends"-- and I was through and on my way to the waiting room. GAWD, after all my worries about actually getting the things there, I did it and with not a problem!!

Peter met me outside. We tried to get a taxi on one side of the building, but no one wanted to take the large packages. So we went to the other side and found a driver with a van-sort-of-vehicle, and we were off. It was drizzling, BUT the temperature was warmer than Trenton was when I left!! I had imagined that Denmark would have an eternal ice cap in the vicinity and that moose/reindeer would be foraging around the airport. Although I sort of consider myself a tad more informed than most people I know, the ONLY thing that I could remember even remotely connected with Copenhagen was Danny Kaye (I think it was him??) singing "Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen"!!

Day One - Friday, 6 November 1998

WOW, what a house in Frederiksborg, a sort of "suburb" of Copenhagen. I am not an architecture expert but I labeled it as Italianate style [PIC]. The family does not own a car, and uses bicycles to get to wherever they want to go-- which was a rather strange idea to me at the time-- but now I see the logic of it.

A spacious two-story home, high ceilings, ornate ceiling medallions and crown molding, as well as those sculptured plaster ornaments along parts of the walls.

The upstairs has neat ceiling beams in the kitchen, and some skylights above the sink and stove area, which their cat loved to check out, just waiting for that moment when he could go to explore the roof!! Large French doors everywhere, and windows with views of the garden. Very tastefully furnished, minimally-- entirely functional, which is the characteristic of the Scandinavian style.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in were the Dalí limited edition graphics all over the walls!! One room, off of the main dining room has the complete Diners Of Gala suite. Several woodcuts from his Divine Comedy are strategically on view, and he has the entire 6 volume set of that rare art work, complete with the over 100 colored woodcuts!! OMG, I almost croaked!! It was the third complete set I had ever held in my very own hands-- unfortunately, none of them belonged to me!!

Peter owns a Classical CD Club (Classico-Klubben), sort of similar to the Columbia House Music Club in the States, and a delightful CD shop in town where friends gather on Friday afternoons for what might be called Tertulia (in Spanish) sessions, where they discuss the weeks happenings and enjoy some Danish beer-- the sort of discussion groups which I enjoyed so much in Spain. I suppose it may be somewhat similar to the "readings" and other activities at some of the larger book chains (Daltons, etc.) in the States-- BUT I am sure they lack that special European "gusto". In the room adjacent to his office there are shelves lining the walls with zillions of CDs, and two young active workers, Jesper and Casper, busily sorting out the incoming orders and getting them ready to mail out.

Peter and his wife unpacked the Dalí Crucifixion and the Picabia I brought with me. The latter he hung on a wall of his office, where he has a Power MAC computer setup-- which really surprised me as I think they are not that common in Europe, and probably are VERY expensive. He seems to have wonderful learned "taste" in everything he does!

His Japanese wife, Sachiyo, of some 24 years greeted us, along with his 3 daughters, Aja, aged 7, Lulu aged 13 and Emelia, 17. They also have a cute nicely striped/marked cat, whose name I forgot to write down. The feline was very "distant" when we first met, but gradually got to know me and I could hold her for a while and all. She loves the space of the house, and runs wildly from room to room, just like mine sometimes do.

I was housed in Emelia's rooms, in the basement, during my stay. Very nice, with the usual posters, TV, stereo setup, computer and things of many teenagers anywhere in the world. First thing I did was open my carry-on and get the Beanie stuff I brought for the girls, and gave them to the three. They had to figure out which ones they wanted. The 2 older girls picked one each and all the rest went to Aja. They had never seen Beanies before, as they are NOT sold in Denmark. You can find Pooh, and loads of Disney plush all over the place, even at the airports. The youngest girl does not speak English yet, and I was afraid that she did not like the Beanies. The whole family looked through the pictures in the books I gave them, and I tried to explain about the "retired" thing, and the hang-tag protectors and that sort of stuff.

After a quick tour of the house, chats with Jesper and Casper, coffee and honest-to-goodness Danish, I took a nap until about 13h or so. Peter and I then went out, took a taxi (the driver was Pakistani, and spoke English, as well as, I assume, Dansk) to see downtown, and the "walking streets", those pedestrian parts of town devoid of cars. Checked out a large department store, toy section. They had never heard of Beanies nor Furbys, but they did have lots of cute plush at around 120 Krona (1 Krona or Crown = about 6-6.5 U.S.dollars). The Dansk-style kitchen stuff had the most fantastic designs and colors! I looked for a shirt because the one I wore had awfully short arms-- and my arms are sort of longish (most of my clothes are many years old!). Did not get one because I thought they were sort of expensive, on the order of $40 or so. Apparently there are no "outlet"-type shops there. Now I understand why most foreign tourists make a beeline to all the outlets in the U.S. and return home with suitcases full of new, cheaper "name brand" and "designer" things!!

Looked in a couple wine merchants for my favorite vodka, Polish, with a sprig of herb that the bisons munch on-- has a distinctive herbal flavour. The last time I found it was in Brussels over 10 years ago, and it is not sold in the U.S.. I did not see any relatively inexpensive wines, similar to the good 750ml bottles I can find here for about $5. They have loads of taxes there on many things, including a 25% VAT (Value Added Tax). Their welfare/health system is one of the best in the world though, largely funded through the various taxes, and their Royal Family does NOT have the enormous personal budget that Lizzy's does!! He then left me on my own to wander around to see things.

I was really fed up with that ratty cane I brought with me, so I went into a pharmacy and found the flat handled ones I like best. The girl did not have the really small rubber tip for the one I had, so I got one of the others for about $10. She cut off a couple cm, added a new rubber tip, and I was all set again.

It was coolish, but NOBODY wore a hat or cap. This gave me the psychological "warmth" I needed to stay comfortable, I guess. Found a Dansk glass shop, and they had some really neat smallish sculpture-like things, in many colours. They were unfortunately way too expensive to get even 1 for myself or as gifts for a friend or two back home. Curiously, the airport "Duty Free" shops had similar things at MUCH HIGHER prices. I had made this same observation years ago and wondered just what the tourist attraction of these very popular shops really is??

Wandered into a small alley with the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain sign (founded in 1775) on the walls. The kewl patio has some flaming torches, and two large porcelain panels in the garden area [PIC], as well as a ceramic statue of somebody or other [PIC] (it was already dark and I could not read the sign!). And just when it occurred to me that I did not bring a cap with me in case it would get colder, as I left the alley I found a NEW knit POLO hat with an American flag on it!! Thank you God!! I always sort of knew that He had "designs" for His Universe, but never imagined that they would be "designer brands"!! Keeping with local tradition I did not wear it, rather put it in one of the several plastic carry bags among with my bottles of schnapps and all.

Loads of Baltic amber in the shops, BUT looking at the price tags turned me completely off. I have some pieces made into pendants and pins that I take to the flea market, and they are less than 1/2 those prices! They did have some very creative carved pieces though.

Also passed the Georg Jensen Silversmiths shop, with their simple modern lines of Sterling, prized throughout the world, and often bringing prices higher than Tiffany at auction.

Bang & Olufsen stereo equipment was found in many stores. I have always liked their designs but have never been able to afford the sleek modern components. I was told that the actual electronic works are made by Philips, which is considerably less expensive. Dansk designs, be it furniture, glass or electronic marks are notable for their basic "elemental" form and absolute functionality. Sachiyo served coffee at home from the simplest electric coffee maker in a yellow green colour, the type of which I had never seen before.

I bought four guides to Denmark at a bookshop, and some of the reference information contained in this chapter was found in these little tourist tomes. Also got some cute postcards with stylized animals by the Dansk artist Bo Bendixen [PIC].

Along the streets there were several musicians playing various instruments, a "homeless" accordion player sitting in a doorway with some cute dog wrapped in a blanket beside him. I went over and petted the poor thing (NO, NOT the accordion player, the dog!), and asked him what kind of half-asleep canine it was. He did not understand me, and spoke some foreign language. It was the first person I had met thus far who DID NOT speak English. It is a required language course in Danish schools.

It was now nearing 20h, and I had to find my way back to Peter's for dinner. I stopped in one last wine merchants and again asked if they carried Zubrowka Bison Vodka (40% by volume). The man looked at me sort of strange and asked how I knew about it. Apparently it is only known in connoisseur circles or something-- not that I consider myself any kind of knowledgeable spirits enthusiast-- I simple find things by accident, and like them-- than I can usually NOT find them again!! Since this particular one has a bison on the label, and I like animals in art or on vodka labels, I probably tried it for the first time due to this animalophilia! HE HAD THE STUFF!! So I got two 70cl (= 700ml) bottles.

As I also wanted something typical of Denmark, he also suggested that I get Aalborg Jule Akvavit 98 (47% by volume), the limited edition Danish schnapps in the collector bottle, which only appears near the Christmas season. This happens to be the 17th edition, and he says they usually sell out in about 2 weeks. I got 2 of those (0.7L = 700 ml) also.

He also suggested that I try Gammel Dansk Bitter Dram (38% by volume), which he said was popular as an all around liquor. "Gor godt om morgenen, efter dagens dont, under jagten, på fisketuren, eller som apértif", whatever that means.

Took a taxi back home-- the driver was from Macedonia this time, but spoke NO English-- it was beginning to remind me of the taxi drivers in Manhattan!! He had to check his handy map for the address in Frederiksborg, somewhat NW of central Copenhagen.

Back home dinner was almost ready, and the other guests had arrived. Peter (a second one)- an art critic for a newspaper, now working on a book about Royal tapestries, with a TV edition planned as well as a potential CD about them. Lance, a book collector, working in the secretariat of a political party. And Karsten, a publisher of technical books.

Dinner was spread out in the large formal dining room on one of the largest dining tables I had ever seen.

L-R: Peter #2, Peter, Sachiyo, Karsten, Lance & Emelia

Before dinner I had already been savoring the special Carlsberg beer, the Christmas edition, delightfully somewhat more flavourfull than the "normal" brew. Red wine was served with the meal which included (I did not take notes, unfortunately-- this list is what my taste buds can remember!!) : small potatoes; also small, almost bean-sized sweet potato-type spuds; rotkohl (red cabbage), which I love and had not eaten in years!!; salad; pork chops with fried onions; I think there was also fish, some other meats and cheese. All of these delectables surrounded by Dalí prints and an animated [PIC] exchange of conversation [PIC], all in fluent English.[PIC]

After dinner the adults gathered in the adjacent room, the one with Dalí's Dinners Of Gala along the walls, and sat at a centuries old table with a slate top. [PIC] Now there were candies, cream filled Danish and the variety of cognac I prefer, Armagnac-- as well as a supply of Carlsberg. Maybe I missed something in looking through all the tourist info folders that I brought back with me, BUT I CAN NOT FIND EVEN ONE BEER OR LIQUOR AD in any of them!! I was trying to find the correct spelling for that popular beer Carlsberg!! I wonder whether there is a Danish law/rule which prohibits such ads?? I love the idea-- although for a researcher such as myself, it certainly limits my finding something along those lines!!

Conversation ranged from Peter's (#2) work on the tapestries and his dislike for the new wing of the Danish National Gallery which opened the day before, if I remember correctly, to many topics including taxes, art, a little politics, and simply personal things. It was probably 2 or 3 am when we broke up, and the other guests went home on their bicycles.

After writing out my postcards I crawled into bed, covered by a very warm comforter-- the house was comfortably heated with some sort of central heating via radiators. Oh, yes, and I saw a couple of those kewl European ceramic/iron/marble wood/coal burning stoves in various rooms.

Day 2 - Saturday, 7 November 1998

After breakfast Peter's youngest daughter communicated with me by bringing me the family cat! WOW, I really loved the gesture. Peter also told me that she read the Beanie birthdays on the tags and discovered that Ants, the Anteater, celebrated his on the 7th of November. So she had a Beanie birthday party for him and all!!

I almost cried to see that she enjoyed the critters so much-- and did not keep them smothered in plastic baggies hoping they would be "worth" a million dollars when they retire in 5 months!! Rocket already had his own little woven nest, and she carried Ants around in a colored cloth, hobo-style, on the end of a branch she found in the garden. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen!! She even slept with them. I sort of always knew that some child, somewhere, would discover what these toys were meant to be!! [PIC]

The whole family and I went walking to see something of the town-- and to look for Beanies-- and to go to a cat show in the nearby town of Glostrup. His daughters were excited at getting to see all the cats. The toy stores had tons of VERY creative Lego toys-- I had no idea there was such a wide selection of Lego construction sets, nor did it occur to me that the company was Danish! Stupid me!!

We passed by the Tycho Brahe Planetarium [PIC]--OMG, now I remember, he was the one who was Galileo's buddy, and the queen at the time set him up on an island with an observatory and all. Went by Tivoli Park-- that amusement center that is world famous-- it is only open during the summer. I noticed that there was a Hard Rock Cafe in the center of town and suggested that I might like to see it while I was there. When I was in Dallas I went to Planet Hollywood (probably because it had an enormous dinosaur in front of it!!)-- just to see what it was like, and found loads of interesting movie props and memorabilia-- and now this other American export might be sort of interesting to see at least once. I had to buy batteries for my digital camera. The shop actually took out individual batteries from a drawer and tested them in a "normal" battery tester-- loved it!!

Caught the train to near Glostrup, SW of Copenhagen. Clean and fast. One of the poster ads on the train depicted a nude male from behind-- something which the psychotic sexually repressed Yankee culture would find repulsive!! Then we boarded a bus to the show site.

Glostrup is a kewl small town, with rows of neatly kept apartment buildings, as well as many others. At the train station I mailed the 8 postcards to friends and family back home. We walked to the Gostruphallen [PIC] where the Dansk Racekatte Klub (DARAK- founded in 1931 as the first Scandinavian cat club) held its International Katteudstilling. It was here that I met the first breeder of Sphynx in Denmark, Susanne Sonne.

She is a very pleasant woman who clearly loves her cats. We looked at her album of photos and she explained each one for me. Her International Champion oriental shorthair (O Toyo's Spotted Sir Taby) was waiting to be judged for a top award in the show. I did write down the breeds which she raises and the name of her cattery, but can not find the paper!!

There were many Siamese, Maine Coon, Oriental Shorthair, Persian, Somali, Russian Blue and many other breeds present, as well as the usual vendors of cat foods (some of which I recognized the names of), toys, cat motif jewelry and all the standard cat show trimmings. We had to leave after about 2 hours because Peter had gotten a surprise call from Niels-Ole Bo Johansen, a musician ("Basunisten") friend, that morning offering him tickets to an opera he performed with. On the way out, the admission price got us some free cat food sample coupons, which we redeemed for 8 bags of food.

After a few minutes wait, we boarded the bus back to the train station. Peter and I got out near the Court Theatre in the south wing of the Christianborg Castle, a floor above the Royal Stables. Its designer was the French architect, Nicolas-Henri Jardin, who was commissioned the work in 1766, during the reign of Christian VII. It was renovated in 1842 by order of Christian VIII. In 1881 it was closed for fear of another fire similar to that in Vienna (Christianborg burnt down in 1794, leaving only the riding ground intact). Once again, in 1884, Christianborg burned, leaving only the church and riding complex remaining.

In 1922 the Court Theatre reopened as a Theatre Museum. At the end of extensive restoration over several years, the present Theatre Museum/Court Theatre reopened to the public in 1991 and houses a vast collection of historical theatre memorabilia.

I had never seen a nicer, almost miniature theatre before. [PIC] Decorated inside by paintings and plaster busts of stars tastefully lining the walls, draped in velvet throughout, and with an almost "family sized" auditorium with many simple chairs for the spectators, who may have numbered about 100.[PIC] Peter and I went to the balcony and sat toward the stage on cushioned seats which folded up to get to them, right along the edge of the balcony.

The opera [PIC] was about to begin when some people entered the boxes right across from us. A woman sat alone in the front box, a man in a military uniform with numerous medals and his wife (I assume) sat in the neighboring box, and two males sat in "normal" balcony seats beside them. The lady who sat alone was Queen Margrethe II, who appeared to be a slender woman with an avid interest in the presentation!! She is a VERY "artistic" person herself, having translated literary works, done illustrations for books, is a painter and designer of postage stamps, and a set designer for Danish Theatre and TV productions. WOW, and there she was, probably not more than 40 feet from where I was sitting!! I observed her laughing at some obviously funny parts of the opera.

The operetta was about a traveling theatre company, the director of which had the hots for the female starlet. The stage props were assembled from a low trailer sort-of-thing. VERY original!! Of course I did not understand any of the Dansk, although I did seem to pick out certain phrases that sort of sounded like German. Niels-Ole was superb at his solo musical accents, either on the horn or the electronic keyboard. It lasted perhaps slightly over an hour. I attempted to take 2 pictures at the end, [PIC] when the main characters took their bows, BUT they turned out much too dark due to the distance and dim lighting. [PIC] I even tried to get one of the Queen as she left her box, BUT she exited from another door and I missed it.

We went to get our coats at the "self-service" coat check area-- which was simply a couple metal racks with hangers!!

Once outside we discovered that it was drizzling lightly, and we stood near one of the stone columns in the portico. I wondered whether the Queen would pass that way, and perhaps I could finally take her photo. My camera was poised for any eventuality. Unfortunately when she did appear I somehow froze in my tracks, and she actually brushed by me in her fur coat and said "hello" to me!! WOW!! On the way to her car, with a #2 on the license plate, she stopped briefly to speak with a woman who was waiting nearby, they did the usual European full kissy thing (on both cheeks-- which I LOVE!!) and she got into the vehicle on the far side-- another pic lost!!

Peter and I walked some distance to have dinner-- at the Hard Rock Cafe!! He had never been there, and I did not have the "political incorrectness" to ask him if he was just going because of me (many Europeans would consider such a place as just another American intrusion in their culture and an example of Yankee tasteless business endeavours abroad). I really did NOT think that he thought this, but did not want to bring up the subject, just in case.

Our male waiter's name was René. After ordering, I went to the souvenir counter and bought 3 HRC t-shirts for friends, a denim shirt and jacket, both embroidered with the HRC emblem with Copenhagen below it [PIC], and 8 HRC Copenhagen pins. I then wandered around to check out some of the rock memorabilia around the rooms. Was "sort of" impressed at a framed jacket once worn by John Lennon [PIC], and another formerly belonging to Sting [PIC]-- some eight years ago I went, at about 3am, to a 7-11 all-night food store (I was surprised to also see that same chain in Copenhagen!!) right in Trenton, New Jersey. I got there and outside was this EXTRA LONG limo, with a purple acoustic guitar on the front right seat. A slim youngish guy wearing leopard tights got in while I was staring in the car window. I knocked at the window, which he opened, and I asked him, "Are you a musician"? He replied in the positive, and we chatted briefly about I do not remember what. I got my coffee inside the store, and he was still sitting in the limo drinking his coffee when I came out. As I passed the back of his car I noticed the license plate-- it had STING on it!!

OK, I always seem to get slightly "off track" somehow!!

I ordered the HRC special "Pig Sandwich" and draft Carlsberg. I do remember that Peter also had the same beer, but for some reason I can not remember what my dinner was like, nor what he had!! I do remember the desert though-- we both ordered a hormongous piece of New York style cheesecake and coffee, the typical expresso in a small cup, so I think I had 2!! Without my coffee "fix" throughout the day I could never function "normally"!!

I remembered that a friend asked me to check into the gay bar scene while I was there, because he and his lover travel abroad frequently. How do I find out? So I asked René!! He returned with about 5-6 names of places which he said were close to there, and he also gave me 3 different menus from the place to take with me. Before leaving I took his pic for the almost all-inclusive photo file of my trip. [PIC] He stood next to the guy at the t-shirt counter.

Peter then said we could go to the Bastof Café, a sort of coffee house owned by another musician friend of his, Joakim. He saw in the morning paper that the Stor Irsk Folkaften would be performing there that evening, [PIC] a folk duo consisting of Dave Swarbrick, a violinist (formerly of the British group, the Fairport Convention) and Lars Kjædegaard, a guitarist.

He ordered coffee for me-- a double expresso, which fills up half a glass, and the rest just plain water-- what they call "Cafe Americano" in Spain. He naturally had some Irish beer, which I also had when I finished the coffee.

The place was kewl as hell!!, with a full sized Dunlop tire fitted with a clock, many old radios, pics of musicians on shelves and an atmosphere that reminded me of Philadelphia coffee houses of the 60's. A small "stage" and perhaps 20 tables which I could see, as well as the bar, at which we sat. Probably about 80-100 people were there. They both played solos as well as duets [PIC], some of them with folk songs in English. There was an intermission of some 10 minutes, then a second actuation. I could see that Peter was really enjoying himself because I noticed at least 3 people in the audience moving with the music : Peter, some guy sitting along the wall at a table, and myself!! And the music was the kind you would want to keep the beat with!! I was VERY impressed.

I took a photo of them playing, and at the end of the recital, Peter took one of me with the musicians and the owner.

I had been taking notes about the cafe and things, being a pest and asking how to spell names and all, with my little spiral-bound notebook and pen out frequently. A slightly enebriated woman next to the guy on my right at the bar probably noticed this and asked me for a pen, then for a piece of paper to write on. Then he started chatting about Denmark, asked where I was from and all. And I really love to talk (for some reason I always do more of it in Europe though-- in the good old U.S.A. I really never found anybody here "at home" who enjoys discussing things other than gpssip or how much something costs or is worth!! Evelio was and Bernar is exceptions to this general observation, BUT they are both were/are European!!)

I unfortunately did NOT even ask the guy's or girl's names, for some reason-- maybe I did not find them interesting enough?? In any case, the guy goes on and on about how small a country Denmark is (it has some 5 million inhabitants), and other ramblings, none of which I can recall. He did mention that he married an Indian woman, BUT the one clutching onto him did not look Indian to me.The girl was babbling about something or other BUT I really did not understand much of anything. Peter just sat and watched the "happening"! Curiously the guy DID NOT mention anything about the show we had just had the pleasure of enjoying-- guess they just popped in to have a couple drinks or something. I was getting somewhat annoyed (not really, but I sort of have an aversion to people who drink too much!) and I looked at Peter with my "is it time to leave" expression, and he agreed. The girl was still babbling something or other as we left, and she even kept my pen!! I did not want to ask for it just in case it would lead to her latching onto me and chatting endlessly.

[You may have noticed that I use certain colors for selected words. Blue is usually for a person or some word that is more or less positive; I did use "Royal Violet" for references to the Queen. Red is for some word, normally in a less positive context, but I also used it here for "Dansk" simply because the Danish flag is red and white. Green may be used for something neutral or having to do with money. Brown may be used for animals or names which I want to highlight. I frequently do this to make the "normal" black text a tad less boring. Variations of these general rules may be observed because I just want to change a color to make it more interesting, at least to me.]

We left and Peter suggested that I might want to check out the gay bars that the waiter had given me the names of-- I really WAS NOT all that awake for any more exploring that night, so we went home. He mentioned where the key was in case I decided to go out-- this was about midnight already!!

Day 3 - Sunday, 8 November 1998

After I crawled into bed, my right foot swollen from so much walking, I could NOT sleep. I thought about how I could easily avoid a new experience, as many people seem to, wondering if the letter I gave to someone to mail for me containing payment for some classes in Teddy Bear making that I had been interested in for years (they start on Friday, 13 November) would get mailed-- or would I find it on the car floor among the fast food junk that always litters it, OR would the cats have enough food and water when I get back. It is so easy to say, "I can do that tomorrow"!! BUT the problem was that TODAY I would be leaving this marvelous city and GAWD knows when I might return. There appeared a "sense of urgency" to do as much as I could in the little time I had left.

So I went out, walking right, down the street. I walked and walked before I discovered that I was going in the opposite direction than I wanted to go. So I got a taxi back to the house and started in the other direction. I then started out in the opposite direction. Passed loads of neat book shops, antique stores, and saw this window with the words "Internet" or something similar on it-- and people were going in. In I went, and saw rooms filled with computers and relatively young males all playing video games-- and this was like 1am!! I asked the guy at the counter if they were set up to access the internet-- it occurred to me that I could see if any of my usual contacts were online and we could email back and forth for a while. Nopers!! They had NOT connected, or the connection was down or something-- finally I met someone who could not do too well with English. A younger kid, probably no more than 14 came over to try to translate BUT he too did not do too well!! I would have imagined that playing video games with instructions in English might have been a teaching guide, but I guess it does not necessarily follow.

OK, I decided to take a taxi to any of the names that René had written for me. The driver did not seem to recognize any of them and simply left me off in the center of town near the "walking streets". I was amazed at the long lines in front of numerous clubs in town-- and this was like at least 2am already. The Hard Rock Cafe was closing.

So I totally gave up and started back, hopeing to recognize some landmarks to get me back home. Many people on bikes in the streets, some walking-- mostly young people. Not a whole lot of cars passing-- many taxis. Not all that cold.

I even passed by some stores that sold art plasters, brackets and ceiling medallions similar to the ones that I used to make-- and have to begin doing again. Then I recognized a bar (Los Amigos) on a side street that Peter told me that a friend of his goes to because it is one of the last one to close-- not too far from the house. So I went in. It was packed!! They had a couple TVs with those music videos having the words along the bottom that you sing to. There is a name for it, but I can not remember what it is. This was the first time I had actually seen it. The crowd was mostly young, largely male with a sprinkling of females literally hanging on their boy friends-- and some older people of both sexes also. Most of the females were cute, but there were a clump of them who looked like something out of an Ultraviolet movie!!

Various patrons would take the microphone and sing to the music video. A couple males even stood on the bar to sing one at a time!)-- ALL of the songs were in English, except one during the time I was there!! So I ordered a Carlsberg and tried to find some place to sit before I simply fall over. Animated conversations all over the place-- BUT no where to sit. Some dude in leather took up 3 chairs and half a table as he lounged along a wall just looking at everybody. I tried to sit on one of the stools but he pointed his finger like "NO WAY!!"-- so I simply stood, in pain, constantly watching the words appear on the monitors. I actually knew a couple of the songs and sang along under my breath.

A chair finally became available at a table, so I dived for it!! A guy, probably in his late 20s was sitting there and almost immediately began talking to me, at first in Dansk, then in English. His name was Jesper-- it must be a rather common name in Denmark because I think I had met 2-3 different ones already. I found his DEEP GAZE VERY unusual. It was as if he were looking straight into me soul or something!! Curiously enough I was noted for that while I was in Spain and people would comment on it. For some reason I had gotten out of that direct looking at someone since my return to the States. Well, he finally started speaking Spanish!! He has spent over a year living with a Spanish girl in Andalucia, in the South of Spain. He had the exact same comments about Spanish women as I always did-- that they are absolutely the best looking females anywhere in the world, and usually go out so perfectly "done up" that they look like fashion models!! He was studying International Relations, but I never found out where. He thought that the Hard Rock Cafe was just a typical American intrusion-- which I, unfortunately, had to agree with. I am NOT all that in favor of "my" countries foreign business practices, among other things.

We talked seemingly endlessly about all kinds of things, mostly in Spanish-- which I found VERY unusual!! He got me another Carlsberg. I tried to give him some Kroner for the beer BUT he would not accept it. Some old coot sitting along the wall at our table said something to him in Danish-- he told me he said that I was an American and would cost him too much!! Whatever that meant!! GAWD!!

Jesper had come there for a few beers, obviously, because he was somewhat groggy already-- BUT still was able to converse intelligently in fluent and unaffected Spanish, sometimes lapsing into English and even German. He mentioned that the only people that the Danes dislike are the Germans-- which no one else had told me thus far. That was in a part of the conversation related to the EURO currency of the European Common Market, which was to take effect in the year 2000, I believe. Denmark has NOT agreed to this new pan-European currency. I also do NOT think that it will pass easily, due very simply to the totally different socio-economic situations in the different European countries. I also believe that it is a VERY ideal thing (and certainly not an entirely new concept), the European Union, BUT that there are too many details that would be extremely difficult to unify before it might possibly function as it should.

At one point he looked at the clock on the wall, and it was almost 5am. He bid "adios" and wished me a good stay in his country. I stayed on for about 20 minutes more and finally left for home. This time I surprised myself and found my way back without much trouble, although my hip was killing me and I walked sort of slowly.

This time I was absolutely dead tired, and it took me only a short while to fall asleep-- which is RARE for me!! I have had some kind of sleep disorder since my accident in 1992 and find it extremely difficult to sleep at a "normal" time. Thats why I am usually sitting at my computer until the wee hours of the morning, waiting for my eyes to start closing!!

Peter woke me up about 11h, I showered, and went up for breakfast. WOW, there was wurst, bacon, pomme frits, home fries, a baked bean and pea mixture, really great rolls and croissants, scrambled eggs and coffee, of course. Aja brought me the cat again, and was still carrying her Beanie Ants in the napsack at the end of a branch! The skylight was slightly open and the cat kept looking up to see if it would open slightly more so she could do out for a stroll on the slate roof.

Peter decided that we should go to the once-a-year flea market thay hold in town-- GREAT!! And we would do it by bike!! OMG, I have a bike at home and have ridden it maybe twice in 10 years!! I wore my new HRC jacket, put the hat in the pocket just in case it got cold, and headed out to get the bikes.

Peter, Aja and I went, his daughter riding in the child's seat on the back of his bike. They have bike lanes on the main streets, wide enough for 2-3 bikes side-by-side. I was amazed that I was able to do it!! Fortunately I got his wife's bike, so I could get on and off of it easier.

We parked the bikes at the usual bike stands that are common along all the streets. The lock on the bikes was totally unlike anything I had seen in the U.S.-- sort of seems to be attached to the top back wheel frame, U-shaped, with a locking mechanism that you push down by way of a lever. I have to get one for my bike now!!

We arrived at the 38th annual flea market, which was held in a street of antique shops with tables of cheapy stuff along the sidewalk.[PIC] Loads of people checking out the treasures. [PIC]

I spotted an old ceramic plaque depicting NIGHT [PIC] by Thorvaldsen, a famous Danish sculptor who did many classical allegorical things. He was a favorite of Evelio (who delighted in any "classical" themes), and I must have about 20 of his designs which I make into plasters for decorating. Now I had the one which was missing!! It was a bit chipped along the edges of the small round medallion, BUT the image was totally intact. If and when I make a rubber mold of it, I can use plasteline to "repair" the border. Got it for 10 Kroner!! I later saw several others in a shop and they were 120 Kroner.

Quite by chance we met Lance at the flea market, and he accompanied us for the rest of the day. After an hour or so, we got back to the bikes and Lance was to meet us at Peter's CD shop in about 30 minutes. The day was not very cold or windy, so I did not wear that knit cap that the gods provided for me.

The shop is kewl!! Bins and bins of CDs all over the place, some as inexpensive as 21 Kroner!! (about $3.50) As we were riding along I noticed MANY well-known performing artists who were scheduled to give recitals in Copenhagen : Chick Correa, Hanne Boel, The Juilliard Quartet, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Snoop Dogg, Hootie and the Blowfish, among others.

Aja and I across the street from Peter's CD shop

Lance arrived and we were off to the Rosenborg Castle [PIC], where the crown jewels are kept. Luckily the landscape has been sort of flat up till now, and it was a delight riding the bike once again.

I had to put my plastic carry bag with the Thorvaldsen ceramic in a locker type thing. Then we started off to see the castle, built by Christian IV in the 17th century. Four generations of Kings lived there, until Frederik IV constructed Fredericksborg.

It was sort of late in the afternoon already and the castle, with its ornate copper roof and tower adorments so common throughout Denmark, now covered by a timeless green patina, [PIC] was only open for about another hour. I was surprised to find that no electricical lighting had been installed anywhere in the innumerable castle rooms, making it sort of difficult to see many of the treasures housed there. Room after room replete with paintings, gold and silver objects, military and other insignias, and a real hoard of ivory pieces. I was somewhat surprised because I have an avid interest in ivory, and it occurred to me that denmark may have had African territories at one time in the past, although I had never heard of them. So I asked Lance, and he said they once had possession of some lands on the Gold Coast of Africa.

The Long Hall, which was the throne room, I imagine, was absolutely amazing!! It was "long", and filled with Flemish tapestries from 1685, a painted ceiling from 1709 depicting political events of the period, two enormous, ivory, gold and silver encrusted thrones, and 3 almost life-sized silver lions dating to 1670. [PIC]

Our last stop was the cellars, which still held a wine storage area and some really huge casks, some of the original marble statues from the gardens, and a virtual walk-in safe where the storage rooms for the crown jewels are kept. I had never seen so much gold and precious stones and really creative adornments as I did there!! The original crown is kept here, as well as sceptors and other royal regalia-- which I understand are no longer used. The rooms were packed-- I even noticed several Japanese tourists among the visitors.

Each item, all behind glass in cases, had an item number on a rectangular label, and Peter said, "Is that the price in Krona or Dollars"-- which I thought was funny as hell! (most shops display the price of jewelry in a similar manner). On my way out I wanted to ask one of the guards that question, just to see how they replied-- BUT we did not meet anyone on the way out, which was a sliding steel vault door which opened by electric eye!!

Outside we saw the remains of the moat which surrounded the castle, and Peter said there were some very large carp in it-- they must have been at the bottom where the temperature was warmer than near the surface. On our way back to the bikes we passed one of the sentinels, which I had to get a pic of. [PIC]

OK, back on the bikes, this time to get to the coast. This ride was a bit more tiring because we went on and on, seemingly forever, and there were a couple small hills at bridges, which almost stopped me-- but I peddled onward!!

WOW, we arrived at the Hans Christian Anderson MERMAID, the perhaps best known tourist attraction in Denmark-- as well as the source of the Disney movie of a similar name. At dinner on Friday I was told that it is a very small statue, and I sort of imagined it to be similar to the "Manikin Piss" in Brussels, the one they dress in clothes for various occasions, which was a total disappointment because it was VERY small. Well, this bronze Little Mermaid was sitting on a rock, with smaller ones around it, and was what I would call "life-sized"-- although I actually have NO idea what size a normal mermaid might be. All the visitors had to have their picture taken with the statue in the background. I really wanted to sit beside it on the rock for my photo, BUT the water was probably cold and with my luck, I would have fallen in trying to get there!!

Back to the bikes once more. We went in one direction, heading for a place to have lunch, but the road was being reconstructed and we had to go down a flight of wooden stairs with flat boards to roll the bike along. Dumb me could NOT keep the bike on that flat surface and I felt like a klutz!! It was getting somewhat chillier, so I put my knit hat on.

We passed the Royal Residences, some palaces along a nice square. The guards here wore a more formal uniform, with feathers in the hat-- much more colorful thah the ones we saw at the castle. We were going to go to the Bertel Thorvaldsen Museum, but it was too late already and we were all starving. The first couple places we went to were not open-- apparently some close on Sundays. We finally arrived at the Opera Caféen, one of the typical cafes which may be found in any city near the Opera House or Theatres. It had the usual theatre posters and photos of stars along the walls.

We picked a nice pair of tables in the back, complete with real tulips, NOT plastic ones, in a vase, and a lit candle. Lance suggested that I try the "sampler" plate, which was one of the "typical" menu items there. A basket of REAL dark rye bread, the kind with the large grains in it, red and white pickled herring (which was NOT as bitter or strong tasting as what my grandfather used to let me try) with the delightful dill sprigs as an adornment, chicken salad, 2 cheeses, and a large piece of fried sole (I think). This is what is known as "smorrebred", or open sandwiches. Of course, we had some Carlsberg to accompany the meal, which I thoroughly enjoyed. You take each of the delicacies on the plate and put it on the bread and munch away!! One of the cheeses had that whitish outer crust, which I had always cut away before eating. Lance ate it crust and all-- the next time I will know!!

Since neither Peter nor I remembered what time my plane would leave, we decided to return directly home for coffee, stopping along the way to get some Danish. Lance came with us. I still had to pack my carry-on, and see what I could pack the bottles of goodies I bought in. Peter selected 26 of his CD Klubbben disks for me, including the complete organ works of Buxtehude, Carl Nielsen Wind Quartet, 6 Sonatas for Flute & Piano by Johann Baptist Vanhal, Concerts for Trombone and Organ featuring Niels-Ole Bo Johannsen (the one who played at the opera we went to, Insektarium and Other Piano Works composed by Rued Langgard, one with works by Hildegard von Bingen (one of my favorites), and songs from Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" played by The Tolkien Ensemble, among many others.

The cover for the Tolkien CD was designed by Queen Margrethe II [PIC], and several others depict some of the art work which Peter has in his collection!! I love the idea for its originality!!

Sachiyo helped me pack the goodies which did not fit in my carry-on into a cardboard box-- my leather jacket (decided to wear the one I got at the HRC on the plane, the CDs and my dirty clothes. After the usual kissy-kissy thing, Peter and I got into a taxi, headed for the airport. Our driver was, according to him, a 200% Dane-- one 100% because he was born in the East of Denmark (I think), and the other 100% because he actually lived in Copenhagen!! GAWD, I forgot to get his name for my report!! He first stopped at the train station to change some money-- in front were a couple clumps of "homeless" people with the usual baby carriages full of whatever, AND a large St.Bernard!! The dog looked familiar from my wanderings on those "walking streets" the night before. My question is, why do homeless people burden themselves with a dog-- and one THAT SIZE!!

The Return Home

We arrived at the airport with more than an hour to spare. Since he could not go up to the boarding area, we said our adieus, bear hug and all, and I slowly started toward the escalator. The woman at the electronic check-in thing said I had to pass my digital camera through the X-Rays or whatever, and I did so with reluctance because I imagined that the radiation would really mess up all my pics.They place left about on schedule at about 19:30h. I had a seat behind the wings this time, on the side, an aisle seat.

There seemed to be a lot of Indians, this time, some wearing black, others crimson and one with a white turban (he looked like the youngest of the group), those symbols of caste = inequality that they seem to relish even when living in the U.S.!! Sitting next to me, at least at the start of the flight, was a youngish Indian pediatrician-- no turban. He was going to visit his sister and go to some medical meeting. I had never noticed it before, but the Indians seem to nod their heads a lot when talking to each other. With the turbans on it seems almost "aggressive". The doctor also nodded his head when talking with his friends, all "business men", so I assume that he also used to wear one of those stupid-looking medieval head dresses. Many people spread themselves out over 2 or 3 seats-- there were many empty-- and my seatmate changed to the empty ones behind me and slept there.

The stewardess on my side was almost obnoxious towards the Indians-- one asked for only vegetables for dinner, and she simply said, "I don't cater to vegetarians!" They did seem sort of like gypsies to me, in a way-- and they kept moving around and changing seats. I had to be content with my very narrow double seat, and tried at least 8 different positions and still could not sleep!!

The meal came on plastic trays, dishes and cups-- none of the almost luxurious things from the first flight. I can not even remember what they gave us!! I even asked the nice lady why there was such a big difference and she said that maybe they upgraded me on the other flight. But, since I said "tak" to her when she brought me stuff-- like several bottles of French wine and Danish schnapps-- she was pleasant to me-- and I perhaps can get to be a real pain in the ass sometimes!!

I probably dozed off for a couple hours, after reading 2 of the tourist books I bought in Copenhagen. So I finally learned new things about Denmark: with the baptism of King Harold Bluetooth in 961, Denmark became a Catholic country; in 1016 Canute (Knud) because King of England; Bishop Absalon fortified the area of Copenhagen and founded the city in 1167; the university was founded in 1479 by Christian I; Christian III established himself as the Head of the Church, which was now Lutheran due to the protesting of Martin Luther; that well- traveled Admiral Lord Nelson attacked the Danish fleet in 1801-- GAWD, that guy got around!! In Tenerife they have the famous canon, "El Tigre", that blew Nelson's arm off when he tried to take over the island; Hitler invaded in 1940; and Denmark joined NATO in 1949. Visions of returning someday soon danced in my head, and I was really sorry that I could not have stayed another 2 or 3 days, at least, to be able to savout a continued sense of that special Danish word, HYGGE- somewhat difficult to translate, BUT experienced quite naturally during my all-to-brief stay.

Breakfast arrived in a box-like package. Whatever it was, I ate it as I usually do with any food that is put in front of me. Another 2 bottles (those little ones) of red wine before landing in Newark.

My legs were so tired that I sort of doubted that I would make it through the labyrinthian passageways to customs. I did though, somehow!! And all the guy asked me is what I had in the box-- my leather jacket, of course-- and all the CDs that Peter had given me!!

Bernar was waiting for me outside already, and helped me with my stuff into his Jeep. I related bits and pieces of the trip to him on the way back to Trenton. He took me directly home, leaving my Festiva at the place he stays at-- I really was much too tired to drive anywhere. The cats were all at the door when I arrived, looking at me with that, "where have you been" look!! I gave Bernar a bottle of the Polish vodka, one of the special Christmas edition schnapps, a bottle of the red wine and schnapps from the plane (you did not really think that I actually drank it all-- did you??), and he picked out one of the 3 HRC t-shirts I brought back.

Summing It All Up

Many people have a tendency to say, "Life is Short". Not that I really want to be different or anything, but I usually reply, "Life is Long"!! Long, and sometimes tedious, making it seem. perhaps, "short". Anything is very simply what you make of it. Curiously, I have discovered that my most memorable memories have been related to events which unfolded "at the spur of the moment", one thing leading to another. That is not the same thing, though, as sitting back in an easy chair "waiting" for things to happen, because they rarely seem to!!

Reality is spontaneous-- things constantly happen all around us. We must be alert enough to "CARPE DIEM" -- seize the moment. As the Classical Spanish writer Calderon de la Barca once wrote, "Quien no se ventura, no se aventura" = He who does not venture has no adventures!! (or something similar!)

The above three days were chock filled with all kinds of kewl stuff, each one unfolding with some relationship with that which came before it. I could have opted to say "NO" at any point, I can not do any more or walk any more or even attempt to ride a bike after so many years, plus my bad hip-- and I almost did fall into this "easy way out", and would have somehow broken the synchronous chain of events which The Fates were weaving for my new friends and I.

Peter's daughters found the trip to the cat show, and the flea market exciting-- possibly because he does not have the opportunity to do that sort of thing very often, with his business obligations and all. We are all seemingly "trapped" in this sort of web in some way or another.

IT IS ONLY WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO REVERT TO A MORE SIMPLE TIME, A TIME OF YOUTH, OF WANTING TO ACTIVELY EXPLORE, OF HOPING FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE, AND YES, OF DREAMING SEEMINGLY UNATAINABLE DREAMS THAT THE DOORS OF DESTINY OPEN TO ANY OF US!!

Try NOT TO BE AFRAID of passing through the Timeless Portals which open before you, for real adventure may await once you have walked or ridden your bicycle through them!

This is an unedited text and it will probably be reworked, as will the other chapters of Remembrances of Skies Past. I still have many previous chapters to write, and hopefully this will NOT BE the last entry I am excited enough to write as relatively rapidly as I did this one. I seem to have caught a nasty cold here, and really feel ratty. My Teddy Bear making classes begin on Friday and I will drag myself to them no matter how I feel-- or at least I hope I can!! Wednesday, 11 November 1998

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