Wherever did we find
This simple
Dishonesty
That says
We are islands?
Not in the
Blood that
Burns with
Longing for
Touch.
Not in the
Mind that
Pines for
Intermingled
Thought and word.
Not in the
Chest that
Aches for
Echoed pain
We witness.
Only in the
Ego, which
Begs for
Undivided
Attention
From hands
And heart
And mind
And never yields
To trust
To truth
To love.
BW 7/30/16
On our last full day in Copenhagen we wandered from spectacle to spectacle. We climbed the Roundtower of Charles IV. We saw Rosenberg Castle and played on its grounds. Then we went to the train station and secured passage to Stockholm NOT at the last possible second. (Look at us go! Strugglefest has taught us things!) We even walked through the intentional community known as Christiania. That is a plot of land in central Copenhagen claimed by squatters that became a commune separate from the EU in the ’70s. Wild!
This video is dedicated to Jamie Davis! Rosenberg Castle is visible behind us.
Later we walked over to Alex and Michael’s apartment to drop in on them like they invited us to. We relaxed for a bit then walked through the parks beside their house. One part of the park was wild-looking (mostly) and the other half was perfectly manicured and topped with a bright yellow mansion. We learned that the yellow building was the King’s summer palace and the wild park was historically the hunting grounds. The park borders the Copenhagen Zoo. We got a glimpse of some rare Danish zebra and elephants. Then we played some music as the sun set on the palace yard. There were swans and children wandering about, funny-shaped trees, and a 15 foot fountain to complete the scene. Alex and Michael relaxed on my cello case to listen while Wormwood conversed for a bit. Afterwards Alex said, “That backdrop was almost a little too perfect.” 🙂
Speaking of old friends, this video is dedicated to the lovely Simone Dietzler!
The group of us then returned to their apartment and Michael fixed up a splendid dinner, complete with red wine and Danish Cadbury-egg-type candies for dessert. The company was fantastic and we laughed well into the night. We don’t know Danish culture too well, but Ben and I were pretty sure the night was full of Hygge. We walked back to our hostel that night talking about how much we both miss hosting people at our own apartments. It’s something we’ve both always enjoyed, but lacking a base of operations for so many weeks really drives home the blessing that is company. We’re incredibly grateful to Alex and Michael for sharing their night with us and making us feel so welcome! Skål, you two!
Now we are in Stockholm, enjoying the sights and doing a little island hopping to boot. We’ll update y’all soon with tales of Sweden, but we want to take this moment to share some dedication videos.
This one goes out to Katie Grier and Paul Goudreault! We found this outdoor amphitheater in a Stockholm park and decided to imagine an audience of our favorite people.
This video is for Andrea Galdames and her lovely family! Note that there is a tiny, white dog scuttling around our feet halfway through this set, but the camera was too high to see her. Adorable! Wish we could share the visual.
This last one is dedicated to Kate Connors, her husband, and her 22 children! 😉 The buildings across the water behind us belong to Stockholm’s city center. Beautiful, eh?
Wormwood 
I’m so glad to hear you two are enjoying Copenhagen and Stockholm! I was hoping you would visit that path/spot with the great view of the city as well as Rosenberg castle. I visited both cities in June, and I agree that the sense of hygge is strong in both spots! In my positive psychology course I teach about how (and why) Denmark (and other Scandinavian countries) consistently come out on top on world indices of happiness / well-being. North American culture can learn a lot from these places. I get a similar hygge vibe from locals in Prague – there is an appreciation here about life being about more than just work (and this appreciation typically involves beer :-)). Speaking of Prague, last week I wrote a blog inspired by conversations that I had with you guys when you were here. Enjoy and safe travels for the rest of your journey! http://www.bethanybutzer.com/apps/blog/show/44096644-reclaiming-your-imagination
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Yes! Both cities are really great. Yesterday we got out on a ferry to enjoy views of the islands. Stockholm is full of great sights. I saw you blog post. Very earnest and well-spoken. Marketh and Molie are wondering how your pixie spirit guide is getting along. 🙂
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hahahaha my pixie spirit guide is in full effect! Her name is Raven and I hang out with her every time I walk in Petrin 🙂 Hopefully Marketh and Molie continue to share wisdom with both of you as you make your return to “real life.”
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Hygge, that’s great ! About the end of the poem. I believe when the heart “brain” takes the lead that the mental mind will yield. The heart has a nervous system and makes some decisions according to what I’ve read. Need to grow into a different balance.
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