Glædelig Påske! Kylle Kylle!!!

The first bit is "Happy Easter" in Danish... the second bit (my fave) is apparently how one would "beckon over a chicken"... "Kylle Kylle...". There are even beers (pictured here) that are named after this bizarre chicken call. I will remember it next time I want to beckon over a Danish chicken! ;-)

I had a lovely weekend in Denmark visiting Sofie and Jean. I had to get up at silly o'clock on Good Friday morning (torrential rain, and freezing wind in the UK that morning - lovely for a drive down the M11 at 4:00 am...), but it was rather nice as arrived in Copenhagen nice and early in the morning. Sofie took me straight from the airport to a rather splendid brunch in a restaurant on the "wrong side of town", just behind the main train station. It kind of reminded me of Soho in London, a down beat but terribly fashionable area. The brunch was delicious as ever... and way way way too big. It makes the English breakfast look like a small starter, and is way more beautiful to look at! We caught up with each other for a couple of hours, got given some dead tulips by an Arab flower seller, and made our way back to Sofie's cosy flat by way of the off licence and bakers...

Good Friday evening was spent eating "Boller I Karry" with Sofie and Jean (the Danish meatballs in curry sauce that I love so much), drinking Kylle Kylle beer and Red Wine, eating Haribo sweeties, and watching the Danish (yet strangely understandable) X-Factor, followed by American Pop Idol - which in some ways was less understandable. I have decided that when slightly tipsy, I can understand more Danish than American. Perhaps there is Viking in my East Anglian blood after all! ;-)

On the Saturday, it snowed a little in the morning (nothing like the snow that Mark witnessed in Cambridge on Saturday and Sunday), and Sofie and I headed out to an out of town shopping centre called "Fields" (the Danish equivalent of Blue Water or Lakeside). This was great fun. We ate nachos in the food hall, and generally spent the entire day going from shop to shop, disagreeing mainly on clothes... apparently I favoured the "Russian Prostitute" looks (news to me!), and I thought that Sofie was in danger of reaching middle age before her time. I think that we managed to meet in the middle a handful of times, and I managed to buy a very Danish scarf that I was rather taken with and some lovely Pilgrim jewellery (a gorgeous coral coloured necklace and some earrings that Sofie managed to get me for free). Sofie also bought me a rather gorgeous blue and white plate for our Welsh Dresser - since this is going to be our new collection.

On Saturday evening, Jean took the three of us out for a wonderful and very 'posh' Italian meal at the Ristorante Firenze. I thought it was glorious, yet Jean and Sofie found it to be sub-standard to their usual Italian restaurant, which was closed for the Easter period. I had a delicious sausage and spinach ravioli to start, followed by a gorgeous roast rack of lamb with nice veggies, and delicious ice cream. All washed down by a good quality bottle of wine between the three of us, and a small glass of delicious dessert wine. Very civilised! However... rather lamely, none of us could move after the meal - and we abandoned a night of pubbing and clubbing in favour of going home, drinking a nice cup of tea and getting in bed with the cats... ahhhhh... its so nice to get old! ;-)

On the Sunday, Sofie and I got the bus across town to try and snaffle out a flea market - taking in a rather large brunch on the way. The flea market was fascinating (in an old warehouse) - I love seeing the history of another country laid bare! Its always so different to our own - even if that difference is quite subtle. We tried to pop in to see Sanne and Sebastian, but unfortunately she was out - would have loved to see what little Sebastian is like, since his imminent arrival was discovered when Sofie and Sanne came to visit me in Norwich more than two years ago now. Sofie and I then took a tube down to the harbour, and had delicious apple cake and hot chocolate in one of the eateries there... and then we made our way home for one last glass of wine and one last serving of meatballs (the leftovers from Friday). As usual, I was sad to be going home when they dropped me at the airport :-( and even sadder when I got home to the freezing cold UK weather that I had dressed for in Denmark!

Bank Holiday Monday seemed to come and go very fast. I did some cleaning in the morning and caught up with John (Mark was working all weekend - and in fact his Dad had stayed the entire time, spending time with Mark in the evenings). At lunch I headed over to the footie ground and worked the turnstiles until half time. Poor footballers had to play in snow storms - not pleasant, although we managed to get yet another draw out of it. After wards we had a couple of drinks in the bar, a couple in the Railway Vue pub, and then a couple more at home while I cooked Lentil Dahl for dinner. Paul and Alison popped in to watch a Cambridge Utd match on our Setanta Sports box, and John stayed the night. I didn't feel well, but put it down to too much beer/wine.

The next day I felt worse. My head was splitting all day, and found it difficult to be even vaguely pleasant to anyone. I ended up going to bed very early and watching a DVD ("Walk the Line" - fabulous!). As it has turned out, I was fighting a virus. I now have a rather beautiful rash, which is apparently a sign that the virus is in its last throes... lets hope I feel better for the weekend! Last night we went to the pub quiz with Lynn and John, and managed a rather splendid 26 and a half points out of appx. 40... which is really good for Mark and I, but a bit more disappointing for our Quiz experts Lynn and John! Heh...

I have a busy weekend lined up as ever! Mark is working again unfortunately (although he will start to come round to his off times soon), and I am heading to London tomorrow to work - with the intention of staying at John and Rich's house in Bexley for the night, and for the day on Saturday. Am really looking forward to it - a long held plan that keeps getting cancelled for one reason or another! On Sunday, I am planning breakfast with Jane and Jamie and little Benjamin, and then lunch with Nikki and Carlos - and I get to see their new 'bling' kitchen! Should all be good...

Anyway. Hope you are all well and had a good Easter,
Lots of love to you all
Hayls
xxxx