Kolding, Denmark

It sure is different here! The weather is in the 30-40 degree range. We don't go outside unless we have to! We have seen a lot of parents with young children here in stores and on walks and at parks. It's nice to not feel like the odd ones with 3 young children. They seem very family-oriented. Also, almost everyone speaks perfect English here. They learn it in school from the second grade on. Pretty amazing. The people here are the friendliest we have met in Europe.

We were excited to see a Mexican restaurant while driving around the other day (haven't seen any in Europe) and when we went there the next day and looked at the menu outside, we couldn't believe how expensive it was! It would've cost us $30 for one burrito. We got a pizza instead, which only cost us $20. Everything is SO expensive here! The restaurant at our hotel charges $20 for one dessert. They also have a different currency in Denmark than the rest of Europe, even though they are part of the European Union. It is called the Danish Krone, or DKK. Five kroner equal one US dollar.

Our hotel is the first one we've been to in Europe that has a pool and jacuzzi, so we spent some time there yesterday. The kids loved it. Lily is pretty fast in the water! Bella even joined in.

The best news is that Dann and Brian won their first-round match yesterday, which was super close! I stayed at the hotel this time, since these matches are indoor (on hard courts) and sounds are amplified, and there's really no place for the kids to play. They will play again tomorrow (Thursday). There is live scoring online if you go to the tournament's website. 

We celebrated the win with a nice dinner out! Thanks to Mark who watched Sam and Lily, Dann, Brian and I (and Bella) got to go to the player's party dinner, which was held at a castle, called Koldinghus, which was built for the Denmark royalty in the mid 13th century. The food was excellent and we had a great time! We took several pictures, but the lighting was quite dim, so most of them don't look great. Here are a few...

The Drive

Our drive to Denmark seemed like the longest we have ever been on. It took us 3 days and we drove through part of 5 different countries. Without our GPS or a good map, I (the supposed navigator) managed to get us lost 3 times. However, it was beautiful. The fall colors are in full-swing, and the views were breathtaking. They made it all worth it! 

The first night we stopped to sleep near Lyon, France. I was so excited that they had laundry facilities! We only had time for 1 load of laundry, but it was wonderful. I have realized what a blessing it is to have your own washer and dryer. I have gained an appreciation for this and many other things since we have been in Europe! 

The next day we drove through a lot of rain. We stayed on the highways, so didn't pass through many towns and had to pay a lot in tolls, but it was the fastest route. We didn't get as far as we had hoped with all the stops. The kids passed the time coloring and sleeping.

Our final day of driving was Saturday. We drove through the entire country of Germany and a few minutes of Switzerland (that was one of those lost times). The countryside was so beautiful. I had to thank our Heavenly Father and Jesus for the magnificent world we live on. The more I see of it, the more grateful I am. I took a lot of pictures, but none of them really do justice to what we were seeing. 

Lily had a few meltdowns that last day, but the kids did pretty well overall. Bella was the best! What a blessing!

We made it to Kolding, Denmark about 10:30 p.m. and were so excited to rest!

These are my little monkeys, hangin' around at the hotel in France!