Mel wins a bet! And Jason usually wins those as it is beer that is granted to the winner. There were pheasants on Samsø island, NOT turkeys. There have been some tour casualties which include: Jason's left arm burning as he is driving most of the time, Mel's lost pajamas, many lost picks (plectrum), a speeding ticket where we were forced to pay cash, 1/2 a dozen felt markers used for signing CDs and posters have 'disappeared', the phone card bought in Denmark does not work in Germany, Mel's been stabbed by the safety pins she uses to tie her shirts to her bra strap in the middle of a concert, internet is costly in Germany and mostly free in Denmark so we don’t write home as much, Mel has fallen off her bed while trying to jump into it (the stronger Germany beer partly at fault) and sustained a few bruises, one night while singing the inside of Mel's cheek/mouth got so swollen her speech changed (no explanation, and it was gone in the morning!), most of Jason's clothes have turned blue as he mixed whites with leaking colors at an automated laundry place (tell him he looks good in blue!), Jason’s thumbs have developed calluses that ache from gripping the steering wheel while on the autobahn, the guitar cases are taking on serious wear and tear and Mel's favorite stickers are peeling off, and Mel’s camera died suddenly (fans SEND in your photos!). Truly though, everything is fantastic!
We visited a true Viking area just outside Ribe where tourists are more than welcome to check out the Vikings ways of thinking and doing things. Fables and beliefs had much to do with fate and destiny back then and most of their ways were guided by hunting, carving, and sitting together on sheep skins in a large log homes or white tents. We practiced our archery technique and Jason kicked ass.
Our next stop, Aalborg, was the place to have one big party. Not only was our concert well received and our opener a killer Danish rock songwriter (Chris Hayes) but THE STREET -otherwise called Jomfru- takes no prisoners. Free beer is offered at the doors of each pub or club and live music of all kinds is everywhere. We hung out with Chris and his groupies and learned that tipping is not done in bars and clubs & most walk or take their bicycles.The Kulturhus in Ebeltoft greeted us with an alarm sounding as we walked up to the stage. One of those loud ones that would make a dog cry. oops! Our hearts pumped all night and the buzz of the place & the people had us unwinding for a long time with 4 of the most intriguing, funny and fascinating Danish folks we now know & love! We learned that Christmas in DK is celebrated on Christmas eve and food focus is around a meat roast & a dessert with berries and flod (whipping cream). Actually, the sound of Danish always seems to amuse foreigners, including me, which gives the language a certain entertainment value. Many people say that Danes speak like they have a hot potato in their mouth. Of course, the Danes themselves find their language both charming and pretty though they are aware of the fact that Danish can be difficult to learn for people from other countries. Because of that, most Danes find it amusing to test foreigners with the sentence Rødgrød med fløde (A Danish dessert), because they know that foreigners are unable to pronounce it (Jason proudly is pretty good at this). "ø " is best learned with ones tongue sticking out & curled up slightly, or so it seems as this was clearly demonstrated all at once by an entire table of fans in Thisted at our following concert. The drive to Thisted (Northern Denmark) was one of the most beautiful so far; with its marshland & rolling hills & 100's of white swans. Up until this part of our tour Danish people who had seen the tour booklet raised their eyebrow when they saw Thisted on our tour schedule. Perhaps because it is remote or something else... We didn't sense anything odd. Just wonderful enthusiasm, charisma, vibrancy, hippy-like characters & YES! a standing ovation. I'd go back in heartbeat! And so would Jason!
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