under another sun

Up and after eating scrambled eggs on toast Romy had made, we packed as the others went for a short walk over the dunes. Later we drove in a convoy slightly southeast Henne Kirkeby Cro (Cro translates as Inn in Danish). A beautiful place in its own grounds, with a big garden at the back where many of the  fruits and herbs and so on were grown. A lovely restaurant room, tasteful minimal decoration, crisp white tablecloths, artfully selected flowers, and interesting Danish recent art on the walls. I was looking at two pictures of the backs of heads. A meal of many little courses, all exquisite sweetbread, mackerel, cod, little crumpets served with cream and caviare, sauces with wonderful delicate flavours, lemon and herbs for example, all served with style. As we were three drivers we drank kombucha in different flavours (mine a lovely cherry flavour. A cheery meal and good to get to know Nori and Verna better. Romy and Toby treated us to it, to say goodbye to us, and hello to Nori a...

Up early expecting an empty black house, but Gillian surprised me. Her flight had been cancelled in the middle of the night and bumped till the next morning. Another goodbye to Gillian, who I'd really enjoyed meeting again. Still she had to travel to Copenhagen today, so Toby drove her there and back with Romy.  Lorraine and I drove up to Hvide Sande, and had a look many shops although bought nothing other than a wee pressie for baby Enzo. I was tempted for myself by a teeshirt with a seagull version of The Scream by Edvard Munch. Then we went to look at the people fishing on the harbour walls in the water that links the Rinkøbing Fjord to the North Sea, then to the nearby Akvarium and fishing museum. Many tanks of drab looking North Sea fish, but I was happy. Then north to the next town where there was a more upmarket food store called Meny, where we bought a chicken and some provisions. Home again, and after a spot of a late and sausagey lunch I went for a walk over the dune, and...

A pleasant flight, despite my misapprehensions and nervousness. I was looking at my phone at some of my recent poem during takeoff and this, along with Lorraine next to me, made me feel strangely calm. At Billund the Brexit dividend of a long slow queue. Lorraine talking to people in the queue and several going to weddings. Once through, we got a first 'tak' from a man. We collected our hire car from a very pleasant Somali origin guy. The car hire building set apart and nice and calm.  The landscape seemed to be very open and rural, with excellent roads, with hardly any cars on them. A big difference to southern England. Once Lorraine installed in the car -- a new automatic Audi -- and had become a little more confident as she had never driven an automatic before, she really liked it. The trip to the west coast of Jutland incredibly easy with very few other cars. Farmland, hedges and the odd wood, and the occasional small village or town. All very lovely, like an unspoilt Engla...