Lørdag 06/08/2016 kl 1630 til søndag 07/08/2016 kl 1629

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn: flere episoder af Big Bang Theory (den ottende serie).

21:00 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om den berømte hollandske maler, Vincent Van Gogh, og den underlige historie om Vincents øre, som han angiveligt skar af i Arles, en lille by i det sydlige Frankrig, efter en skænderi med sin kollega, Paul Gaugin. Efter han havde skåret sin øre af, gik han angiveligt et smut i det lokale bordel og gave øret til en pige, ved navnet ”Rachel”, der arbejdede i bordellet.  

Mange detaljer af historien er uklare, og eksperterne har ikke været enige om dem. Nu for første gang har en amatør engelske forsker, Bernadette Murphy, opdaget mange overraskende detaljer om denne historie, der hidtil ikke var kendt. For eksempel hun har fundet i USA en notat, skrevet af Vincents læge, der beskriver de nøjagtige detaljer af såret: Vincent skar faktisk de meste del af øret af, bortset fra øreflippen.  

Bernadette Murphy, en amatør engelsk forsker

Bernadette har også fundet ud af identitet af ”Rachel”, og talt med Rachels efterkommere, der stadig bor i området. Det er klar, at Rachel ikke var prostitueret: hun arbejdede i bordellet som rengøringsassistent, og Vincent havde måske først mødt hende i Paris og kendte hende meget godt. Vincent og Rachel havde begge to boet i et par år samtidigt i Paris.

Van Gogh-museet i Amsterdam er meget begejstret over Bernadettes forskning og planlægger en ny udstilling med lægens notat som det centrale element.

Husk, at det var en amatør forsker, Philippa Langley, der opdagede, hvor Kong Richard III blev begravet. Det 21. århundrede er guldalderen af amatøre forskere – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!

Philippa Langley, den amatøre forsker, med sin helt, Kong Richard III

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzz!!!

06:00 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtester.

08:00 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg bringer teen op på vores soveværelse, men jeg opdager, at Lois desværre har en dårlig mave. Hun vil ikke i kirke i dag.

09:00 Jeg går ud i baghaven og luger lidt omkring ét af vores 2 æbletræer.

10:00 Lois står op og vi snakker lidt med Sarah, vores yngre datter, der bor i Perth, Australien. Jeg troede, at hun og Francis, hendes mand, fik nøglerne til familiens nye hus i fredags, men Sarah siger, at det er næste fredag, at dette sker. Francis overvejer at leje en lille flyttevogn og en assistent, for at hjælpe ham med at transportere familiens møbler og ejendele.

Sarah har for en kort periode mindre travlt på sin arbejde, fordi den australske financielle år er sluttet. Hun kan for tiden arbejde standard timer (dvs 7,5 timer om dagen). Hun arbejder som revisor for den australske datterselskab af Burger King, der i Australien hedder Hungry Jack’s.

Sarah foran sin arbejdsplads i Perth, Australien - maj 2016

12:30 Lois har det lidt bedre. Vi spiser frokost og derefter går jeg i seng og tager mig en lang lur – zzzzz !!!!

14:00 Jeg står op og vi slapper af på terrassen med en kop te, og brød med hjemmelavet marmelade – nam-nam!

15:00 Jeg kigger lidt på internettet. Jeg ser, at mange mennesker i dag i Danmark rejser tilbage fra ferie. Vores tre børnebørn i København, Josie (9 – hun fylder 10 år i september), Rosalind(8) og Isaac (6) skal tilbage i skolen i morgen (mandag). Jeg kan forestille mig, at der må være en masse aktivitet i dag i deres hus – det er jeg ikke i tvivl om!

Jeg ser også, at jeg har fået en email fra min veninde i Budapest, der hedder Tünde. Hun og vi er fælles om at alle vores børn og børnebørn bor i udlandet. Hans eneste søn, Gábor, er for nylig flyttet til Nürnberg i Tyskland, hvor han arbejder for et tyske bilfirma. Han bor der for tiden alene i en lille ét-værelses lejlighed, men han prøver at købe en større lejlighed, så hans kone og deres to børn også kan flytte til Nürnberg. Stakkels Tünde!

English translation

Saturday, 08.06.2016 at 1630 till Sunday, 08.07.2016 at 1629

18:00 We eat dinner and then spend the evening watching TV: several episodes of Big Bang Theory (the eighth series).

21:00 We continue to watch TV. They show an interesting documentary about the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, and the strange story of Vincent's ear, which he allegedly cut off in Arles, a small town in southern France, after a quarrel with his colleague, Paul Gaugin. After he had cut his ear off, he allegedly headed for the local brothel and gave the ear to a girl by the name of "Rachel" who worked in the brothel.

Many details of the story are unclear, and experts have not been agreed on them. Now for the first time an amateur English researcher, Bernadette Murphy, has discovered many surprising details about this story, which were previously unknown. For example, she has found in America a note written by Vincent's doctor describing the exact details of the injury: Vincent cut off actually the greater part of the ear other than the earlobe.

Bernadette Murphy, an amateur English researcher

Bernadette has also found out the identity of "Rachel" and talked to Rachel's descendants who still live in the area. It is clear that Rachel was not a prostitute: she worked in the brothel as a cleaner, and Vincent had perhaps first met her in Paris and knew her very well. The two had both lived in Paris for a few years at the same time.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is very excited about Bernadette's research and are planning a new exhibition with the doctor's note as the central element.

Remember, it was an amateur researcher, Philippa Langley, who discovered where King Richard III was buried. The 21st century is the golden age of amateur researchers - that I know for sure!

Philippa Langley, the amateur researcher, with her hero King Richard III

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzz !!!

06:00 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

08:00 I hurry into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I bring the tea up to our bedroom, but I find that Lois unfortunately has a bad stomach. She will not go to church today.

09:00 I go out in the backyard and weed a little around one of our two apple trees.

10:00 Lois gets up and we talk a bit on the phone with Sarah, our younger daughter, who lives in Perth, Australia. I thought she and Francis, her husband, got the keys to the family's new house on Friday, but Sarah says it is next Friday that this happens. Francis is thinking of renting a small removal- van and an assistant to help him carry the family's furniture and belongings.

Sarah is for a short period less busy in her work because the Australian financial year has finished. She can currently work standard hours (ie 7.5 hours per day). She works as an accountant for the Australian subsidiary of Burger King, which in Australia is called Hungry Jack's.

Sarah outside her workplace in Perth, Australia - May 2016

12:30 Lois is feeling a bit better. We eat lunch and then I go to bed and take a long nap - zzzzz !!!!

14:00 I get up and we relax on the terrace with a cup of tea and bread with homemade jam - yum-yum!

15:00 I look a bit at the Internet. I see that many people today in Denmark are traveling back from vacation. Our three grandchildren in Copenhagen, Josie (9 - she turns 10 in September), Rosalind (8) and Isaac (6) have to be back in school tomorrow (Monday). I can imagine that there must be a lot of activity today in their house - of that, I am in no doubt!

I also see that I have received an email from my friend in Budapest, called Tünde. She and we share the fact that all our children and grandchildren live abroad. Her only son, Gábor, has recently moved to Nuremberg in Germany, where he works for a German car company. He lives currently alone in a small one-bedroom apartment, but he is trying to buy a bigger apartment, so his wife and their two children also can move to Nuremberg. Poor Tünde!

Fredag 05/08/2016 kl 1630 til lørdag 06/08/2016 kl 1629

 18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm (tredje del af 6), der handler om den lynhurtige udvikling af damptoge og dampdrevne maskiner i det 19. århundrede. For første gang kunne mennesker i byerne spise frisk mad fra alle dele af landet – hurra!

Jeg holder meget af rabarber, og det var især interessant at få at vide, at rabarber bedst  vokser i Yorkshire. Gårdejerer i Yorkshire begyndte at specialisere sig i at dyrke rabarber og takket være de nye damptoge kunne de sende deres produkter over hele landet. Også begyndte landmænd at bruge damp-drevene plove, og damp-drevende biler for at transportere deres produkter til markeder og banegårde. Det må have været en spændende periode at leve ind – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!

21:30 Jeg kigger lidt på internettet. Det var i dag, at vores yngre datter, Sarah, og hendes mand, Francis, skulle modtage nøglerne til deres nye hus i Yanchep, en lille by, der ligger nord for Perth, Australien. Vi skal tale med Sarah på telefon på søndag, og måske vil hun kunne fortælle os, om de er begyndt at flytte ind eller ej!

Sarah og Francis’s nye hus ligger ikke ret langt fra stranden – hurra!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzz!!!!

07:00 Lois står op og laver to kopper te. Hun bringer dem op på vores soveværelse. Vi ligger inde i sengen og drikker téen. Jeg læser 7 sider af min sengetidbog, , ”1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow” af Adam Zamoyski. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

09:00 Vi går ude i baghaven og luger lidt. Vores have blev en sand jungle, da vi i 3 måneder boede i Australien – det er der ikke nogen tvivl om!

10:30 Vi går hen til landsbyen og går et smut i Bakery Stores, en gammel nærbutik. Vi køber kattemad og frugt. Vi kommer hjem og slapper af med en kop kaffe på terrassen.

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og derefter går jeg i seng og tager mig en kort lur – zzzz!!!!

15:00 Lois skal af sted. Hun besøger vores nabo, Mary. Bill, Marys mand, er ikke hjemme. Han ser på en fodboldkamp på Whaddonvej. Mens Lois e rude, slapper jeg af med en kop te på sofaen.

English translation

Friday, 05/08/2016 at 1630 till Saturday, 06/08/2016 at 1629

18:00 We eat dinner and then spend the evening watching TV. They show an interesting documentary (Part 3 of 6), which deals with the dramatic development of steam trains and steam-powered machines in the 19th century. For the first time people in urban areas were able to eat fresh food from all parts of the country - hurrah!

I love rhubarb, and it was especially interesting to be told that rhubarb grows best in Yorkshire. Farm owners in Yorkshire began to specialize in growing rhubarb and thanks to the new steam trains they could send their products across the country. Also farmers began to use steam-powered plows, and steam-powered cars to transport their products to markets and railway stations. It must have been an exciting time to live in - that, I know for sure!

21:30 I look a bit at the Internet. It was today that our younger daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Francis, were to receive the keys to their new house in Yanchep, a small town located north of Perth, Australia. We need to talk to Sarah by phone on Sunday, and maybe she will be able to tell us whether they are starting to move in or not!

Sarah and Francis's new house is located not far from the beach - hurrah!

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzz !!!!

07:00 Lois gets up and makes two cups of tea. She brings them up to our bedroom. We lie in bed and drink the tea. I read seven pages of my bedtime-book, "1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow" by Adam Zamoyski. We get up and eat breakfast.

09:00 We go out in the backyard and weed a little. Our garden became a true jungle when we were living in Australia - of that, there is no doubt!

10:30 We go to the village and pop into the Bakery Stores, an old convenience store. We buy cat food and fruit. We get home and relax with a cup of coffee on the terrace.

12:30 We eat lunch and then I go to bed and take a short nap - zzzz !!!!

15:00 Lois has to be off. She wants to visit our neighbor, Mary.

Bill, Mary's husband is not home. He is watching a football game on Whaddonvej. While Lois is out, I relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.

Fredag 05/08/2016 kl 1630 til lørdag 06/08/2016 kl 1629

 18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm (tredje del af 6), der handler om den lynhurtige udvikling af damptoge og dampdrevne maskiner i det 19. århundrede. For første gang kunne mennesker i byerne spise frisk mad fra alle dele af landet – hurra!

Jeg holder meget af rabarber, og det var især interessant at få at vide, at rabarber bedst  vokser i Yorkshire. Gårdejerer i Yorkshire begyndte at specialisere sig i at dyrke rabarber og takket være de nye damptoge kunne de sende deres produkter over hele landet. Også begyndte landmænd at bruge damp-drevene plove, og damp-drevende biler for at transportere deres produkter til markeder og banegårde. Det må have været en spændende periode at leve ind – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!

21:30 Jeg kigger lidt på internettet. Det var i dag, at vores yngre datter, Sarah, og hendes mand, Francis, skulle modtage nøglerne til deres nye hus i Yanchep, en lille by, der ligger nord for Perth, Australien. Vi skal tale med Sarah på telefon på søndag, og måske vil hun kunne fortælle os, om de er begyndt at flytte ind eller ej!

Sarah og Francis’s nye hus ligger ikke ret langt fra stranden – hurra!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzz!!!!

07:00 Lois står op og laver to kopper te. Hun bringer dem op på vores soveværelse. Vi ligger inde i sengen og drikker téen. Jeg læser 7 sider af min sengetidbog, , ”1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow” af Adam Zamoyski. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

09:00 Vi går ude i baghaven og luger lidt. Vores have blev en sand jungle, da vi i 3 måneder boede i Australien – det er der ikke nogen tvivl om!

10:30 Vi går hen til landsbyen og går et smut i Bakery Stores, en gammel nærbutik. Vi køber kattemad og frugt. Vi kommer hjem og slapper af med en kop kaffe på terrassen.

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og derefter går jeg i seng og tager mig en kort lur – zzzz!!!!

15:00 Lois skal af sted. Hun besøger vores nabo, Mary. Bill, Marys mand, er ikke hjemme. Han ser på en fodboldkamp på Whaddonvej. Mens Lois e rude, slapper jeg af med en kop te på sofaen.

English translation

Friday, 05/08/2016 at 1630 till Saturday, 06/08/2016 at 1629

18:00 We eat dinner and then spend the evening watching TV. They show an interesting documentary (Part 3 of 6), which deals with the dramatic development of steam trains and steam-powered machines in the 19th century. For the first time people in urban areas were able to eat fresh food from all parts of the country - hurrah!

I love rhubarb, and it was especially interesting to be told that rhubarb grows best in Yorkshire. Farm owners in Yorkshire began to specialize in growing rhubarb and thanks to the new steam trains they could send their products across the country. Also farmers began to use steam-powered plows, and steam-powered cars to transport their products to markets and railway stations. It must have been an exciting time to live in - that, I know for sure!

21:30 I look a bit at the Internet. It was today that our younger daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Francis, were to receive the keys to their new house in Yanchep, a small town located north of Perth, Australia. We need to talk to Sarah by phone on Sunday, and maybe she will be able to tell us whether they are starting to move in or not!

Sarah and Francis's new house is located not far from the beach - hurrah!

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzz !!!!

07:00 Lois gets up and makes two cups of tea. She brings them up to our bedroom. We lie in bed and drink the tea. I read seven pages of my bedtime-book, "1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow" by Adam Zamoyski. We get up and eat breakfast.

09:00 We go out in the backyard and weed a little. Our garden became a true jungle when we were living in Australia - of that, there is no doubt!

10:30 We go to the village and pop into the Bakery Stores, an old convenience store. We buy cat food and fruit. We get home and relax with a cup of coffee on the terrace.

12:30 We eat lunch and then I go to bed and take a short nap - zzzz !!!!

15:00 Lois has to be off. She wants to visit our neighbor, Mary.

Bill, Mary's husband is not home. He is watching a football game on Whaddonvej. While Lois is out, I relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.

Torsdag 04/08/2016 kl 1630 til fredag 05/08/2016 kl 1629

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn.  Vi ser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om udviklingen af jernbaner i Storbritannien i det 19. århundrede.  Denne udvikling var meget hurtig, og dermed blev udviklingen af andre industrier også hurtig: der var en stor efterspørgelsen efter metalkomponenter og mange andre ting, der i århundreder var blevet fremstillet i hånden, og dermed måtte denne fremstilling nu blive mekaniseret.

21:00 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en ander interessant dokumentarfilm , der handler om projekter for at integrere huse med deres baghaver.

Denne slags integration blev moderigtig i Californien i 1960’erne. Huses bagsider bliver revet ned og erstattet af enorme vinduer og skydedøre med udsigt over terrasser (med borde, stole, jacuzzier osv), og baghaven, så huset og haven bliver fuldstændigt integreret. De fleste af husets indvendige vægge bliver også revet ned, for at skabe et stor rum, et enormt stue-spisestue-køkken område.

Det er klar, at denne slags integration af hus og have passer mere til klimaet i Californien, end i England. Men Zac Monro, den berømte arkitekt, har gjort denne slags integration til sit varemærke, og han tøver med at opgive den!

Med alle de huse, som Zac designer, er det vigtigste at se smukt ud, og husets funktionalitet er sekundær. Gardiner og persienner er ikke smukke, synes han, så de er forbudt in hans huse, men hvem vil vågner kl 4 om sommeren?

De enorme møbler i Zacs stuer ser smukke ud: sofaer er meget dybe og lage, hvilket ser godt ud, men beboerne begynder snart at have ondt i ryggen. Stolene er store, lange og tunge: ideelle til middagsselskaber, men for store til en familie på 4, når de ikke holder en fest. Du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

en typisk ”Zac Monro” stue

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzz !!!!!

06:00 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtester.

08:00 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg bringer teen op på vores soveværelse. Vi ligger inde i sengen og drikker teen.

08:30 Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

10:00 Jeg går i gang med at rydde op og støvsuge overalt i huset, fordi vi har inviteret vores ven Michael til frokost.

11:00 Michael ringer på døren, og vi slapper af med en kop kaffe på terrassen. Vi har kendt ham i over 40 år. Hans kone, Tina, døde desværre for nylig. Snart efter Tinas død havde Michael en hjerne-blødning, og han blev indlagt på hospitalet i et par måneder. Han har det meget bedre nu.

Michael og Tinas bryllupsfest i januar 1966. Tina døde i december 2015

13:00 Vi spiser frokost på terrassen og fortsætter med at snakke med Michael. Vi talte med ham om vores ferie i Australien mellem april og slutningen af juni. Michael kender godt Australien. Han og Tina besøgte landet flere gange, da de gjorde lidt forskning i Michaels familietræ. Deres datter, Suzanne, boede i mange år i New Zealand, så han forstår, hvor meget vi savner vores to døtre Alison, der bor i Danmark, og Sarah, der bor i Australien.

16:00 Michael skal af sted. Lois og jeg er lidt trætte efter 5 timers snak, så vi går i seng i et par timer – du godeste!

English translation

Thursday, 08/04/2016 at 1630 till Friday, 05/08/2016 at 1629

18:00 We eat dinner and then spend the evening watching TV. We see an interesting documentary about the development of railways in Britain in the 19th century. This development was very fast, and thus the development of other industries too became fast: there was a great demand for metal components and many other things that for centuries had been made by hand, and thus this production now had to be mechanized.

21:00 We continue to watch TV. They show another interesting documentary that deals with projects for integrating houses with their back yards.

This kind of integration became fashionable in California in the 1960s. The backs of houses are demolished and replaced by huge windows and sliding doors overlooking the terraces (with tables and chairs, jacuzzis etc.), and the backyard, so the house and garden are fully integrated.

It is clear that this kind of integration fits more the climate in California than in England. But Zac Munro, the famous architect, has made this kind of integration his trademark, and he is unwilling to give it up!

With all the houses that Zac designs, it is important to look beautiful, and the house's functionality is secondary. Curtains and blinds are not beautiful, he thinks, so they are banned in his houses, but who wants to wake up at 4 in the summer?

The huge furniture in Zac's living rooms looks beautiful - sofas are very deep and low, which looks good, but the residents will soon begin to have back pain. The tables are large, long and heavy, ideal for dinner parties, but too big for a family of 4, when not having a party. My goodness, what a crazy world we live in !!!!

a typical "Zac Monro" living-room

22:00 We go to bed – zzzzz!!!!

06:00 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

08:00 I hurry into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I bring the tea up to our bedroom. We lie in bed and drink tea.

08:30 We get up and eat breakfast.

10:00 I begin to clean up and vacuum everywhere in the house, because we have invited our friend Michael for lunch.

11:00 Michael rings the doorbell , and we relax with a cup of coffee on the terrace. We've known him for over 40 years. His wife, Tina, sadly passed away recently. Soon after Tina's death, Michael had a brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized for a few months. He's much better now.

Michael and Tina's wedding reception in January 1966. Tina died in December 2015.

13:00 We have lunch on the terrace and continue to talk with Michael. We talk to him about our holiday in Australia between April and late June. Michael knows Australia. well. He and Tina visited the country several times when they did a little research on Michael's family tree. Their daughter, Suzanne, lived for many years in New Zealand, so he understands how much we miss our two daughters Alison, who lives in Denmark, and Sarah, who lives in Australia.

16:00 Michael has to be off. Lois and I are a bit tired after 5 hours of talk, so we go to bed for a few hours - my goodness! We are growing old - that is both certain and sure!

Onsdag 03/08/2016 kl 1630 til torsdag 04/08/2016 kl 1629

16:30 Lois og jeg går en kort tur i nabolaget. Vores rute: Borgergade, Møllegade og tilbage igen via Højgade og Dybegade. På vej kommer vi forbi  den mysteriøse dør, som vi altid har været nysgerrige om. Døren er indbygget i en gammel mur. Man kan se en masse træ på den anden side af døren, som altid er låst.

Lois står foran den mysteriøse dør, vi altid har været nysgerrige om!

For nylig købte vi en ny bog, ”Prestbury Past and Present (Volume 1)”, skrevet af Michael Cole og udgivet af Prestbury Local History Society. Bogen forklarer, at denne dør fra sidst i det XVIII. århundrede, førte ind til en ”Grotto”, dengang en moderigtig form for forlystelse. Grottoen bestod af en lille bygning pyntet indenfor med skaller, fossiler, og vinduer af malet glas. Bag dette bygning var en kinesisk tempel, der var brugt som en lille tehus, og et tårn med en smuk udsigt over landsbyen. 

Det er svært at tro, men Kong George III og Dronning Charlotte kørte forbi i hestevogn i 1788 og drak te på Grottoens tehus.

Disse bygninger blev alle revet ned i midten af det XIX. århundrede. I dag er kun døren og muren tilbage fra den.

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad: øksekød-karry og ris, med jordbær og fløde til dessert – mums!

21:00 Vi bruger aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om de indfødte amerikanske stammer, der bor på kysten mellem Washington State og Alaska.

Disse stammer var heldige ikke at blive fundet af europæiske bosættere eller købmænd før sidst i det XVIII. århundrede. Dermed var der ikke noget folkedrab, som andetsteds i Nord- og Sydamerika. De kunne sælge hav-odder pelse (verdens tykkeste pelse og meget eftertragtede) til de europæiske købmænd og så undgå at blive dræbt!

22:00 Vi går i seng. Jeg læser 8 sider fa min sengetidbog, ”1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow” af Adam Zamoyski, før jeg glider over i søvnen – zzzzz!!!!

08:00 Vi står op og går i bad. Vi spiser morgenmad og bagefter går ud i baghaven for at luge lidt og rydde op.

11:00 Lois skal af sted. Hun kører over til den lokale Sainsburys-supermarked for at købe et par ting. Vi har inviteret vores ven Michael til frokost i morgen, og hun vil gøre lidt madindkøb.

13:00 Vi spiser frokost: ost og broccoli suppe, boller, tomat og salat – nam-nam!

15:00 Jeg går i seng og tager mig en kort lur – zzzz !!!

16:00 Jeg står op og kigger lidt på nettet. Jeg læser, at det var for nøjagtig 100 år siden, at danskerne holdt op med at være en kolonimagt, da de solgte til USA deres 3 kolonier, alle tre vestindiske øer: Sankt Thomas (besat siden 1672), Sankt Jan (1718) og Sankt Croix (1733 – oprindeligt en fransk koloni). Øerne i dag hedder US Virgin Islands.

Danish West Indies

Danskerne havde prøvet i 50-60 år at sælge øerne. Afskaffelsen af slaveriet og faldet i prisen på sukker havde gjort øerne urentable. Du godeste, sikke en verden!

English translation

Wednesday, 03.08.2016 1630 till Thursday, 04.08.2016 1629

16:30 Lois and I go for a short walk in the neighborhood. Our route: Borgergade, Møllegade and back again via Højgade and Deep Street. On the way we pass the mysterious door that we have always been curious about. The door is built in an old brick wall. You can see a lot of trees on the other side of the door, which is always locked.

Lois standing in front of the mysterious door, we've always been curious about!

Recently we bought a new book, "Prestbury Past and Present (Volume 1)", written by Michael Cole and published by Prestbury Local History Society. The book explains that at the end of the 18th century, this door led into the "Grotto", then a fashionable form of amusement. The Grotto consisted of a small building decorated inside with shells, fossils, and windows of painted glass. Behind this building was a Chinese temple that was used as a small teahouse, and a tower with a beautiful view of the village.

It's hard to believe, but King George III and Queen Charlotte drove past in a carriage in 1788 and drank tea at the Grotto's teahouse.

These buildings were all demolished in the middle of the 19th century. Today only the door and the wall are left from it.

18:00 We eat dinner: beef curry and rice, with strawberries and cream for dessert - yum!

21:00 We spend the evening on watching TV. They show an interesting documentary about the Native American tribes who live on the coast between Washington State and Alaska.

These tribes were lucky not to be found by European settlers or merchants before the end of the 18th century. Thus there was no genocide, as elsewhere in the Americas. They were able to sell sea-otter furs (the world's thickest furs and much sought after) to European merchants and so avoid being killed!

22:00 We go to bed. I read 8 pages from my bedtime-book, "1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow" by Adam Zamoyski, before I drift into sleep - zzzzz !!!!

08:00 We get up and take a shower. We eat breakfast and then go out in the backyard to weed a little and clean up.

11:00 Lois has to be off. She drives over to the local Sainsbury's supermarket to buy a few things. We have invited our friend Michael to lunch tomorrow, and she wants to do some food shopping.

13:00 We eat lunch: cheese and broccoli soup, buns, tomato and lettuce - yum-yum!

15:00 I go to bed and take a short nap - zzzz !!!

16:00 I get up and take a look at the web. I read that it was exactly 100 years ago that the Danes stopped being a colonial power, when they sold to the United States their 3 colonies, all three Caribbean islands: St. Thomas (occupied since 1672), St. John (1718) and St. Croix (1733 - originally a French colony). The islands are now called the US Virgin Islands.

Danish West Indies

The Danes had tried for 50-60 years to sell the islands. The abolition of slavery and the fall in the price of sugar had made the islands unprofitable. My goodness, what a world!

Tirsdag 02/08/2016 kl 1630 til onsdag 03/08/2016 kl 1629

16:30 Vi lytter lidt til radio. Vi hører en interessant program, der handler om kontorlandskaber.

Det viser sig, at de fleste arbejdere ikke holder meget af kontorlandskaber, fordi det resulterende miljø er meget lydt og det bliver umuligt at koncentrere sig. Arbejdsgivere elsker dem, fordi det er meget billigere end at bygge en masse små mere intime værelser og kontorer. Arkitekter elsker at designe dem, fordi de se smukke ud og de kan indbygge masser af beton, som ser godt ud, men ikke absorberer lyd.

Det forfærdelige kontorlandskab på min tidligere arbejdsplads var én af de vigtigste grunde, jeg blev glad for at kunne gå på pension til i 2006 !!!

en typisk dag på min arbejdsplads – marts 2004

21:00 Vi ser lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om en lille landsby i Cambridgeshire, der for 3.000 år siden brændte ned. Landsbyen bestod af 5 ”rundhuse” (huse med en cirkulær plan), der lå i en flod og blev bygget på pæle. Da huse blev brændt ned, faldt de inde i vandet og dette opbevarede mange genstande fra husene, herunder tøj og ting lavet af træ.

Desværre gled både Lois og jeg i søvn i løbet af programmet. Du godeste! Vi var meget trætte! Vi  må se programmet igen i de næste få dage – det  ved jeg med sikkerhed!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzz!!!!!

07:00 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine sædvanlige danske ordforrådtester.

09:00 Vi spiser morgenmad og gå ud i haven for at rydde op og luge lidt. Vores have blev til en sand jungle mellem april og juli, da vi var i Australien – du godeste!

12:30 Vi spiser frokost på terrassen: boller med gedeost, salat, tomat, agurk osv, med appelsin til dessert – uhm!!!!

13:30 Jeg går i seng og tager mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur  - zzzzz!!!!

14:30 Jeg står op. Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og jeg cykler 6 miles (10 km).

 English translation

Tuesday, 08/01/2016 at 1630 till Wednesday, 03.08.2016 1629

16:30 We listen a little to the radio. We hear an interesting program, which deals with open-plan offices.

It turns out that most workers are not very fond of open plan offices, because the resulting environment is very loud and it becomes impossible to concentrate. Employers love them because it is much cheaper than building a lot of little more intimate rooms and offices. Architects love designing them because they look beautiful and they can build in lots of concrete that looks good but does not absorb sound.The terrible open plan office space at my previous workplace was one of the main reasons I was happy to retire in 2006 !!!

a typical day at my workplace - March 2004

21:00 We see little television. They show an interesting documentary that is about a small village in Cambridgeshire, who 3,000 years ago burned down. The village consisted of five "round houses" (houses with a circular plan), which were situated in a river and were built on stilts. When the houses were burned down, they fell into the water and this preserved many objects from the houses, including clothes and things made of wood.Unfortunately both Lois and I drifted off into sleep during the program. My Goodness! We were very tired! We must see the program again in the next few days - I know that for sure!

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzz !!!!!

07:00 I get up early and do one of my usual Danish vocabulary tests.

09:00 We eat breakfast and go out into the garden to clean up and weed a little. Our garden became a real jungle between April and July, when we were in Australia - my goodness!

12:30 We eat lunch on the terrace: rolls with goat's cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc., with orange for dessert - yummy !!!!

13:30 I go to bed and take a giant nap - zzzzz !!!!

14:30 I get up. I jump up on my exercise bike and I ride 6 miles (10 km).

Mandag 01/08/2016 kl 1630 til tirsdag 02/08/2016 kl 1629

18:00 Det regner igen og det er koldt, så vi beslutter os for at tilbringe aftenen indenfor og se lidt fjernsyn. Hvor er sommeren blevet af?

Vi spiser aftensmad: spidsbryst, kartofler og grøntsager – mums!!! Vi ser lidt fjernsyn: Big Bang Theory og derefter to af de få tv-programmer, der ikke er egnede til dumme mennesker ha ha ha – University Challenge og Only Connect.

21:00 De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm (tredje del af 3), der handler om Slaget ved Somme. Værten er Peter Barton.

Ifølge Barton var alt, hvad den britiske hær under slaget gjorde, uklogt, dumt og mislykket, og alt hvad den tyske hær gjorde var klogt og succesfuldt – du godeste! Måske har han ret, men jeg ville gerne have hørt mere om Verdun. Den britiske hær startede slaget ved Somme fordi de var bange for, at den franske var ved at blive ødelagt omkring Verdun. Måske var den britiske kampagne succesfuld ved at forhindre den franske hær i at kollapsere: en fransk kollaps ville have endet krigen efter kun 2 år! Barton skildrede slaget som en tysk sejr, selvom det resulterede i, at tyskerne trak sig flere miles tilbage mod den tyske grænse.

08:00 Vi er et hurtigt smut under bruseren og bagefter står vi op.

09:00 Vi går hen til Waghornes, de lokale slagter. Vi køber brød, ost og kød. Vi kommer hjem og slapper af med en kop kaffe på sofaen. Det regner igen – uha!

11:00 Jeg kigger lidt på Facebook. Vores ældre datter, Alison, og hendes familie er kommet hjem efter 4 ugers ferie i England, Sverige og Finland. Desværre opdagede de at Alisons bil, som ikke er blevet brugt i 4 uger, har et problem. Du godeste! Bilen blev fjernet af en stor kranvogn. Lad os håbe, bilen kan repareres før skolerne starter igen (på mandag)!

 

Alisons bil bliver fjernet af en stor kranvogn – uha!

12:30 Vi spiser frokost: boller med avocado, salat, agurk, rødbede og tomat – nam-nam!

13:30 Jeg går i seng og tager mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzz!!!

14:30 Jeg står op og hopper op på min kondicykel. Jeg cykler 6 miles (10 km). Hurra! Seks miles er min sædvanlige afstand. Efter to dage er jeg allerede kommet op på mærkene!

15:30 Vi slapper af med en kop te på terrassen.

English translation

Monday, 08.01.2016 at 1630 on Tuesday, 02/08/2016 at 1629

18:00 It's raining again and it's cold, so we decide to spend the evening in and watch a little television. Where has the summer gone?

We eat dinner: brisket, potatoes and vegetables - yum !!! We see a little television: Big Bang Theory and then two of the few television programs that are not suitable for stupid people ha ha ha - University Challenge and Only Connect.

21:00 They show an interesting documentary (third part of 3), which is about the Battle of the Somme. The host is Peter Barton.

According to Barton everything the British army did during the battle was unwise, stupid and unsuccessful, and everything the German army did was wise and successful - my goodness! Perhaps he is right, but I would have liked to hear more about Verdun. The British Army started the Battle of the Somme because they were afraid that the French were about to be destroyed around Verdun. Perhaps the British campaign was successful by preventing the French army collapsing: a French collapse would have ended the war after only 2 years! Barton described the battle as a German victory, even though it resulted in the Germans withdrawing several miles back toward the German frontier.

08:00 We pop in under the shower and then eat breakfast.

09:00 We go along to Waghornes, the local butcher. We buy bread, cheese and meat. We get home and relax with a cup of coffee on the couch. It's raining again - oh dear!

11:00 I look a little on Facebook. Our elder daughter, Alison, and her family have returned home after 4 weeks vacation in England, Sweden and Finland. Unfortunately, they discovered that Alison's car, which has not been used for 4 weeks, has a problem. My Goodness! The car was removed by a large breakdown-truck. Let's hope the car can be repaired before school starts again (on Monday)!

Alison's car being removed by a large breakdown-truck - oh dear!

12:30 We eat lunch: rolls with avocado, lettuce, cucumber, beetroot and tomato - yum-yum! 13:30 I go to bed and have me a giant nap - zzzzz !!!

14:30 I get up and jump up on my exercise bike. I ride 6 miles (10 km). Hooray! Six miles is my usual distance. After two days I am already up to the mark!

15:30 We relax with a cup of tea on the terrace.

Mandag 01/08/2016 kl 08:01 til mandag 01/08/2016 kl 16:29

09:00 Jeg bruger 2 timer på at udfylde  et skema, fordi vi vil have skattekontoret til at tilbagebetale den skat (på £77), som Lois betalte på de renter, hun modtog i løbet af det sidste skatteår. Og jeg bruger endnu 30 minutter på at finder ud af den adresse, jeg skal sende skemaet til – du godeste! For enden af de 2,5 timer er jeg i meget dårligt humør! Jeg synes, at skattekontoret ikke vil tilbagebetale noget skat, hvis dette overhovedet er muligt!

12:30 Vi spiser frokost: boller med haslet, salat og tomat, med æble til dessert – mums!

13:30 Jeg går i seng og tager mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzz!!! Mens jeg sover, leverer postbudet mine spritnye Audiotechnika hovedtelefoner – hurra!

15:00 Jeg står op og hopper op på min kondicykel og jeg cykler 3 miles.

15:30 Vi går en kort tur i nabolaget, ned til Kroningsvej og tilbage igen. Vi sender vores skema af til skattekontoret: vi lægger det i postkassen på hjørnet af Kroningsvej og Prestburyvej. Det regner lidt og det er temmelig koldt oven i købet: sommeren er tilsyneladende forsvundet – du godeste!

English translation

Monday, 08/01/2016 at 08:01 to Monday, 08.01.2016 at 16:29

09:00 I spend two hours on filling out a form, because we want the tax-office to repay the tax (£ 77), which Lois paid on the interest she received during the last fiscal year. And I spend another 30 minutes on finding out the address I should send the form to - my goodness! At the end of the 2.5 hours I am in a very bad mood! I think that the tax-office does not want to refund any tax if at all possible!

12:30 We eat lunch: buns with haslet, lettuce and tomato, with apple for dessert - yum!

13:30 I go to bed and have me a giant afternoon-nap - zzzzz !!! While I sleep, the postman delivers my brand new Audiotechnika headphones - hurrah!

15:00 I get up and jump up on my exercise bike and I ride 3 miles.

15:30 We go for a short walk in the neighborhood, down to Kroningsvej and back again. We send our form off to the tax office: we put it in the mailbox on the corner of Kroningsvej and Prestburyvej. It rains a little and it's pretty cold even: Summer has apparently disappeared - my goodness!

Søndag 31/07/2016 til mandag 01/08/2016 kl 08:00

Søndag 31/07/2016 til mandag 01/08/2016 kl 08:00

06:30 Jeg står tidligt op. Jeg går stille og roligt ned ad trappen, så jeg ikke forstyrrer Lois, der ligger og sover. Jeg laver endnu én af mine sædvanlige online danske ordforrådtester. Jeg er meget rusten, fordi jeg forsømte mine danske studier, mens vi i tre måneder var i Australien.

07:00 Sarah sender mig en sms. Hun siger, at hun kan tale med os i telefon mellem kl 9 og kl 10:30.

08:00 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem op på vores soveværelse. Vi ligger inde i sengen og drikker teen. Vi tager et brusebad, kommer ned ad trappen og spiser morgenmad.

10:00 Sarah ringer til os og vi snakker med hende. Familien skal flytte ind til et nyt hus senere på næste måneden – de skal få nøglerne den 12. august. Det nye hus har en fantastisk udsigt over havet og de vil kunne se og høre bølgerne på stranden. Bag huset ligger en sikker have, som tvillingerne og familiens hund kan bruge. Huset er et par minutters kørsel væk fra Butler banegård, så Sarah kan tage toget ind på arbejde, som før. Francis, Sarahs mand, har endelig skrevet sit cv: han håber, han kan finde en deltidsjob, så tvillingerne kan gå i vuggestue måske to dage om ugen.

Familiens nye hus i Yanchep

Fem dage om ugen skal Sarah rejse fra Butler til Glendalough, hvor hun arbejder

10:45 Lois skal af sted. Der er to gudstjenester, der i dag finder plads i Tewksbury, hun vil deltage i. Hun kører med sin veninde, Maggie.

11:00 Jeg går i gang med at støvsuge i hele huset. Derefter rydder jeg lidt op i haven. Siden vi fløj tilbage fra Australien for 5 uger siden, har jeg fyldt 25 store sorte sækker med ukrudt og grene, som jeg har beskåret. Disse sækker ligger for tiden på kryds og tværs på grøntsagshaven, hvilket ser ikke ret pænt ud. Jeg beslutter at gemme sækkerne bag det skur, der ligger i bunden af haven, indtil jeg kan finde plads i vores genbrugspand.

13:00 Jeg spiser frokost på terrassen, og derefter går jeg i seng og tager mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzz!!!!

15:00 Jeg står op og kigger lidt på Facebook. Vores ældre datter, Alison og hendes familie, er for tiden på ferie på en finsk ø, Åland, der ligger i Østersøen mellem Finland og Sverige.

Åland, hvor Alison og hendes familier er på ferie

Desværre har en lokal slange bidt familiens hund, Sika – stakkels hund! Det var formentlig en giftig slange, der var skyld i det, og Sika har det for tiden ikke ret godt.

Stakkels Sika – en lokal slange har bidt ham!

16:00 Lois kommer tilbage fra Tewkesbury og vi drikker en kop te på terrassen.

17:30 Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og jeg cykler 3 miles. Jeg har i 5 måneder ikke brugt min kondicykel! Hurra - jeg ved, jeg kan blive rask igen!

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad: omelette, kogte kartofler og broccoli, med kirsebær og yoghurt til dessert – mums, nam-nam!  Mens vi spiser, ser vi lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om det private liv af Henry VIII, den berømte engelske konge, der regerede i det XVI. århundrede. Det viser sig, at han havde en sjofel tankegang og en enorme appetit på kvinder. Du godeste – sikke en redelighed! Programmets værn er Tracy Borman

Tracy Borman taler om det private liv af Henry VIII

20:00 Vi lytter lidt til radio.

Matthew Bannister fortæller os om en række mennesker, der for nylig døde, for eksempel:

(i)                Thomas Sutherland, den skotsk-fødte amerikanske professor, der var én af de vestlige gidsler i Iran for ca. 25 år siden.

(ii)              Garry S. Paxton, den amerikanske sangskriver, der skrev ”Monster Mash” for Bobby ”Boris” Pickett. I denne sang synger de kvindelige backingsangere i én uendelighed ”Tennis Shoe wah-ooh” – hurra!

(iii)             Marnie Nixon, den amerikanske sangerinde, hvis stemme den amerikanske pladebranche brugte, når en kvindelig filmstjerne ikke kunne synge, for eksempel Audrey Hepburn i My Fair Lady, Natalie Wood i West Side Story osv.

(iv)             Sally Beauman, den engelske forfatterinde, der skrev den berømte roman, ”Destiny” og mange andre bøger.

(v)              Frank Dickens, den engelske tegner, der skrev om den berømte ”Bristow” tegneseriefigur, der var baseret på livet af en doven kontormand.

en typisk ”Bristow” tegneserie

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzz!!!!

05:30 Jeg står tidligt op og laver endnu én af mine online danske ordforrådtester. Du godeste, jeg er meget rusten!

English translation:

Sunday, 31.07.2016 till Monday, 08/01/2016 at 08:00

06:30 I get up early. I walk quietly down the stairs, so I do not disturb Lois, who is asleep. I do another of my usual online Danish vocabulary tests. I am very rusty because I neglected my Danish studies while we were in Australia for 3 months.

07:00 Sarah sends me a text message. She says she can talk to us on the phone between the hours of 9 and at 10:30 am.

08:00 I hurry out to the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to our bedroom. We lie in bed and drink the tea. We take a shower, come down the stairs and have breakfast.

10:00 Sarah calls us and we talk with her. The family is to move into a new house later next month - they are to get the keys on August 12th. The new house has a spectacular view of the sea and they will be able to see and hear the waves on the beach. Behind the house is a secure garden that the twins and the family dog ​​can use. The house is a few minutes drive away from Butler Station, so Sarah can take the train in to work as before. Francis, Sarah's husband, has finally written his cv: he hopes he can find a part-time job, so the twins can go to a nursery maybe two days a week.

the family’s new house in Yanchep

Five days a week Sarah will travel from Butler to Glendalough where she works

10:45 Lois has to be off. There are two services that take place today in Tewksbury, that she wants to participate in. She is riding with her friend, Maggie.

11:00 I begin to vacuum throughout the house. Then I clear up a bit in the garden. Since we flew back from Australia 5 weeks ago, I have filled 25 large black sacks with weeds and branches that I have pruned. These sacks are currently crisscrossing the vegetable garden, which does not look very pretty. I decide to store the sacks behind the shed, located in the bottom of the garden, until I can find room in our recycling bin.

13:00 I eat lunch on the terrace, and then I go to bed and have a giant nap - zzzzz !!!!

15:00 I get up and take a look at Facebook. Our elder daughter, Alison and her family, are currently on holiday on a Finnish island of Åland, located in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden.

Unfortunately, a local snake has bitten the family dog, Sika - poor dog! It was probably a poisonous snake that was to blame, and Sika is currently not well.

  

Poor Sika – a local snake has bitten him!

16:00 Lois comes back from Tewkesbury and we drink a cup of tea on the terrace.

17:30 I jump up on my exercise bike and I ride 3 miles. I have not used my exercise bike in 5 months ! Hurray - I know I can get fit again!

18:00 We eat dinner: omelette, boiled potatoes and broccoli, cherry and yogurt for dessert - yum yum! While we eat, we see a little television. They show an interesting documentary that is about the private life of Henry VIII, the famous English king who ruled in the XVI. century. It turns out that he had a dirty mind and a huge appetite for women. My goodness – such goings-on!The presenter is Tracy Borman.

Tracy Borman talks about the private life of Henry VIII

20:00 We listen a little to the radio.

Matthew Bannister tells us about a number of people who recently died, for example:

(i)                Thomas Sutherland, the Scottish-born American professor who was one of the Western hostages in Iran about 25 years ago.

(ii)              Garry S. Paxton, the American songwriter who wrote "Monster Mash" for Bobby "Boris" Pickett. In this song the female backing singers sing endlessly "Tennis Shoe wah-ooh" - hurrah!

(iii)             Marnie Nixon, the American singer whose voice the American record industry used when a female movie star could not sing, for example Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Natalie Wood in West Side Story, etc.

(iv)             Sally Beauman, the British author who wrote the famous novel, "Destiny" and many other books.

(v)              Frank Dickens, the English artist who wrote about the famous "Bristow" cartoon character, based on the life of a lazy office worker.

a typical Bristow cartoon strip

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzz !!!!

05:30 I get up early and do another one of my online Danish vocabulary tests. My goodness, I'm very rusty!