The packing up of our suitcases was smoother than I thought it would be. I had gone to sleep just before 2 a.m. and had no strength to do any of it then, and I worried that leaving it to the morning would breed chaos -- but no. I packed Snowdrop's case, then took the girl down to breakfast with her cousins. (I understand the boys are relly sleeping in today!)
And after, I came back and attacked my own packing. Gifts had been removed but new ones were added. Thankfully the additions weighed less than the subtractions. [I came in at 23.3 kilo. The allowance is 23. One third of a kilo is cause for a shrug, not a penalty.]
And I made some executive decisions: get rid of the candy the kids had bagged that first evening here. Pack one nephew painting, carry on the second. My sister offered to take all that I did not need and in truly helpful mode, she, my nephew and his S.O. were waiting for me, for us really, downstairs -- to say good bye and to be generally helpful. Which they were in the extreme throughout the trip. Above and way beyond.
(going down in the elevator: it looks worse than it is: the bags are ones with stuff to handover to various people and places.)
(one last group photo)
Why is Juniper pouting?
She was very sad to find out that the flowers she had picked in the meadow could not be transported with their jar of water first to Estonia, then Finland, then home.
I return Snowdrop to her parents, put her suitcase in their room and climb into the transport van along with my younger daughter and her family. To Chopin airport.
Maybe you remember - I wrote about this at the start of the trip -- after Warsaw, one family is heading to Estonia (I pass on that segment) and the other is heading to Copenhagen. I had promised each of them a week in Europe and I intend to deliver! I'll be spending three days with these guys in Denmark, then I will fly over to Helsinki, where I will meet up with the Estonia-visiting group. We were to do three nights in Finland, but scheduling issues caused a hick-up in that plan, so actually I'll be alone in Helsinki for a day. They'll come and join me there on Monday. For two nights. And then we fly home. On different flights, but still, home, where our dogs are waiting.
* * *
There are no lines at the airport. Not for check in, not for security. We breeze through quickly. They search for lunch foods, I search for my second (well okay, third) coffee of the day. Never have I needed it more. (And still I doze off in flight!)
(as close as I could get to a jagodzianka)
And just like that, we are in Copenhagen!
(Taking the train to town center)
It's my third time in three years to this city -- each trip here has been with grandkids. Small wonder -- they all love Tivoli (the old amusement park that has splendid gardens for me to enjoy). And I love watching them bounce around from one ride to the next. Besides, they have good pastries in Denmark. The kind I love -- not too sweet, with a hint of spice.
I chose for these guys a hotel right inside the gardens. It's a magical place, where you can look out for ages at the comings and goings of people in the park. Too, you can enter early, before opening time, and you can pop out for an evening stroll, should you want to see the light show, for instance.
For me -- I picked the Villa Copenhagen again for my overnights. I've done the Tivoli hotel once and I don't need to splurge again. Mostly, I need a place to rest a bit. To not worry about schedules and meetups and weather and food. To process!
I unpack, have a cup of tea and soon after, they pick me up for a walk...
... to a familiar place in the meat packing district (Warpigs Brewpub).
Grilled meats, chicken, fried cauliflower. Beans, cole slaw, spicy pickles. All good!
The young family is... young. Their enthusiasm is boundless. Mine is boundless too, but some of it has to rest inside me. I know when I need to start hanging back. My voice is telling me that I strained it too much. My step counter is sweating from all the activity these past few weeks. I tell the young ones (and this includes the really young ones!) to have fun tonight and I walk back to my hotel.
Of course, part of me regrets this. How many June evenings am I going to get with these guys in Copenhagen after all? I'm sure they're doing a late walk through Tivoli as I write this. It's beautiful to see the kids' excitement when they step into this very special park. And beg for a ride. Or a delicious ice cream. Or both. And yet, I remind myself that I have a move in a week. I have a garden waiting for me -- one that will require care and oversight. I have a pup who still goes out many times a day. Like it or not, I really do need to slow down and get some rest.
with so much love...
