Copenhagen

We made it. We're in Copenhagen. After a frantic final hours on Friday morning pulling things together (while Jim and Tillie *so* generously kept the boys so Jesse and I could FOCUS), we headed off to the airport, arriving just after noon. We had a tiny hop-flight to Washington, D.C., then on to Denmark. A few delays, nothing too awful. We landed around 1:45 a.m. body-clock time, i.e., 7:45 a.m. local time...collected our bags...navigated multiple trains getting to our accommodations...and spent a while wandering the streets trying to figure out where the heck the apartment was (heavy bags, exhausted kids, not fun).

But! We found it eventually, and Sarah (our host) ushered us up. And I do mean up. Up 90+ steps to the top of the 6-story building where we're staying. No elevator. Sarah, her husband Michael, and their little daughter are off on a 3-week trip to Greece compliments of the money we've paid them to vacate their home. (Thank you, airbnb.com—we couldn't afford staying in the city any other way, even with the hefty stipend F&M allotted me for housing!) After a super quick tour, Sarah was off. We were somewhat very grimy, exhausted, and travel-worn, so I hope she didn't have too many misgivings about these scrubby American guests she was entrusting with her home as she headed out...

We all napped for a couple of hours until early afternoon then headed off, baseball gear in tow (yes, we brought it) to find an open enough place for our Very American Boys to play their Very American Sport which they Very Desperately Couldn't Wait Another Minute to Play. We made it to a park which was packed (it was a gorgeous Saturday!) but had one relatively empty, enclosed dirt area where kids were playing soccer on one end. It was good enough for our purposes. We got a few stares and points from other kids!

Then we found a grocery store and loaded up with as much as we thought we could conceivably carry the mile walk home in our haggard states. Jesse made much of the journey home not only with heavy bags but with a pooped and super-grumpy 4-year-old on his shoulders! I made a chicken and veggie dinner, which we brought up and we ate on the roof of the building, looking over the rooftops of Copenhagen—just gorgeous. Then showers for the kids and to bed for them. It's now about 9:30, still reasonably light out, and Jesse's off on a bike ride to explore a bit.

I'll attach a bunch of pictures here from the day...er, I guess the last two days. It's my hope to stay sort of up-to-date on the blog during the trip, although I have a feeling that once class starts (on Monday; my students arrive tomorrow!) it'll take most of what I've got to keep up with work. At least I'm starting with good intentions.   :)

Getting dropped off at the curb at the airport. Thank you, Jim and Tillie, for the ride, for the boys' little suitcases, and for everything!

 On our first tiny flight to D.C.   How happy and rested we look!

 Disembarking in D.C.

 The thrill of a train to get between terminals in Dulles airport. (William obviously was demonstrating that he did *not* need to hold on.)

On the overnight flight to Copenhagen, the boys were utterly thrilled with the TV screens in the seat backs, the pillows, the bottled water (Scandinavian Air is generous!). The also loved the blankets. William spent the first several minutes trying to decide whether to wear his as a scarf or whether to be a ghost. He eventually rejected both options and decided to try to capture Josiah and me with it, net style over the head. 

 Playin' ball. (Jim, these pics are for you!)

Rooftop dinner. We'll be doing this as often as weather allows, I think!