Fuld Effekt (my big boys' band) reaches no. 10 on Spotify's Danish viral chart!

VANDTÆT (Waterproof) 

Great to dance to even if you don't speak Danish!

click here to play

and help them on their way to no. 1 :o)

On safari at Bakken

OK I've been babysitting single-handedly most of the day, and now it's bedtime and Grandad's turn. So here are just a few photos from our trip to Bakken last week. More will follow at intervals.

This was the first ride we found that appealed to a range of ages.

Jake (13) and Petra (2) both clambered aboard all revved up and ready for fun. 

I climbed into the jeep behind and took photos with my flash.
This was literally a shot in the dark.

I still don't know if this was a real person stranded after
running off the tracks or part of the scenery. Jeepers creepers!

I thought this money mask had very pretty earrings.

And here's a cute lion playing with a bumble bee,

A huge spider - glad I didn't see that until I checked the photos afterwards!

And a monkey with her bra falling off...
hang on, they look a bit like targets...

And what's this gun for - Typical!

By the time I'd worked out I should have been shooting at the targets on the animals, there were no more animals left to shoot.

Just a smiley man.

Don't worry, he's still smiling.

That was one of the rides. There are plenty more and we took more photos, 

but right now it's storytime upstairs, so I'd better go for now...

Old cars and much more

Græsted veteran træf moves to Grønnessegaard Gods ved Hundested next year - 3-5 June 2017

Sadly, this year I was babysitting at short notice due to illness (bad colds) and had to delegate the pleasure of visiting Græsted Veteran Rally. The lucky photographer was my brother-in-law who lives ten minutes from the showground in Northern Zealand.   

Usually he is the guy pointing the camera at weddings, birthdays and other occasions when you should be looking your best but have caught the sun, have a mouth full of salad or are otherwise pigging out with least three chinny chin chins. This time he was taking photos of cars like this amazing specimen. As you can hear, I'm not entirely sure what type of dear little old cars they are. So I'm calling this one the E-type Bond Mobile. 

This sweet old jaloppy is clearly on its way to a picnic in the gorgeous sunny weather. 

These are DEFINITELY Morris Minors because I've had two myself, Esmeralda (red convertible with a black roof) and Josephine (pretty much the light blue or smoke of the spilt-windscreen Morris in the photo), My dad was a mechanic. A really good one. And for our 17th birthday's, he gave me and my brothers Morris Minors. I actually started out with a Mini because by the time I came along, most Morris Minors had rusted away and it took him an extra year to rebuild Esmeralda. Tragically, she went to live with a collector when it became clear the Danish winters and salt on the roads had taken her beyond the point of no return within the bounds of our bank balance. Josephine, on the other hand, was a flight of fancy. I bought her about five years ago, remembering how reliable Esmeralda was during my university years. Of course I didn't factor in that I was at university decades ago and that Josephine was an old lady too. We spent more time travelling with the equivalent of the AA (emergency call-out service) than we did driving Josephine. At least she was cheap on petrol, though. She was never on the road!    

Here's a Volkswagon and caravan beside a beetle. Sweet.

And here is a very clever photo of the ladies serving 1950s style in the refreshment tent.
What's clever about the photo is that you can't really see anyone's faces.  

More nice trucks with Danish flags.

And here's an adorable little car with a picnic basket almost larger than it is itself. I remember my mum having a Heinkel car called 'The Clockwork orange'. You can guess what colour it was. There was one seat in the front, the door opened out forwards and I lay on the back shelf. One day we spent the day on the beach near our wooden chalet on the sand and when we started driving home up the big hill near Lowestoft beach, I looked out of the back window and saw our dog pounding along behind us up the road. Mum had completely fogotten him. I guess he must have fitted in somewhere beside her in the front. Goodness knows where but we all got home in one piece!

English video night at Valby Kino!

Posed by 'grown-ups'

On 3 June at 18:00, Valby Kino is holding a good old-fashioned video night for youngsters with two films in English. 

Alice Through The Looking Glass, rated PG in the US will be followed by X-Men: Apocalypse (PG-13). So kids, grab your 'blanky' (quilt), pillow, pyjamas and friends (plus mum or dad) or dress up as Alice or an X-man, come and join in the fun and support this independent cinema known for its cosy atmosphere and events run by volunteers.

'Pizza snails' and Danish sausage rolls will be on sale along with sweets, snacks, crisps, popcorn and fizzy drinks. 

Buy one ticket at the link below for DKK 150 and enjoy both films, or see one film for DKK 75.   

buy tickets here

Address: Gammel Jernbanevej 40, 2500 VALBY, DanmarkTel.:+45 71 99 36 40

Laura's cup and saucer all glazed and finished

This is how Laura's beautiful cup and saucer turned out.

We thought they were extremely cool and totally unique.

She even did under the cup...

And under the saucer!
Can you see a moon, Danish church, pyramid, clock,
bumble bee, star and mystery animal - perhaps a kitty with a long neck and its eyes closed :o)

And this is what her lovely picture looked like when it was all finished. It transformed into Grandad
in a bra brushing his teeth in the bathroom. Don't worry. She has a lively imagination

Creative Space - take your time and do your prepping first

It was time for an outing somewhere intersting. 

We had seen the lovely plate my bonus daughter Julie had made for her dad for Christmas.

And Laura was raring to go too. She chose her colours.

Which wasn't easy!

And we checked out the walls for inspiration.

There were shelves of items to choose from and prices starting at DKK 150.
Not quite sure what these ones cost but some were fairy expensive.

All kids of shapes and patterns.

The price on the plate at the back is DKK 229 but remember that includes all the paint, glazing and firing. 

And it's not just for girls by any means.

Laura chose a little cup and saucer that cost DKK 149.

Julie knew the ropes and chose a vinegar bottle for about DKK 200.
She was clever enough to draw her picture on paper first.

If you're taking children, it's a good idea to draw things at home and
then visit the shop with picture to work from.   

By the time Julie had got this far...
Laura had lost interest and we were playing a doodle game.
I'll show you how in the next post.

We had booked the table in advance for two hours and had fun playing
the doodle game for 1.5 hours of them while Julie finished her new masterpiece.

The lady painted on the other side is a wee but raunchy...
Perhaps I'll pluck up the courage to post it when they are back from the kiln in a week or so's time!

In the meantime, here is a lady Laura drew who is brushing her teeth in her underwear.

Such aa shame she didn't make it onto a plate but by then Laura had finished her own cup and saucer
and was done painting,
Maybe next time.

Frederiksberg
Gammel Kongevej 154
1850 Frederiksberg C
Tel  +45 3379 0072
mail@creative-space.dk

Østerbro
Kastelsvej 1
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel  +45 3379 0071
mail@creative-space.dk

Call and book a table, especially at weekends.

Monday — Friday
11:00 — 19:00
Saturday, Sunday and holidays
10:00 — 18:00
First Thursday of the month
(only Frederiksberg)
11:00 — 22:00

HAVE FUN!

Esrum Abbey from the outside - because it was closed :(

Here's a perfect river for playing 'Pooh sticks'

And here are a lot of pooey sticks, waiting their turn to float under the bridge.

Though Esrum Abbey was closed when we got there - due to a glitch on their website,
it looked as if it could be interesting and educational and seems to invite a lot of classes to visit.  

This was a poster of the Mediaeval fair they hold in the summer. It says at the end
of June on the website but it also says 2014, so better give them a call before turning up
in your codpiece and moccasins!

This is outside the cafe, which judging by the website has ambitious food and holds culinary events.

This is a kind of cage in the river near the water mill where they help
raise the something small and squiggly you can see in the photo below,
ready to let them go and help populate the riverways. 

They look like fish to me. It impressed me at the time, anyway.

Ah yes, here we go...they are trout.

This is one of the outbuildings.

On a nice day, not like the horribly icy cold day we chose because of the looming deadline,
you can apparently see grebes, kingfishers and all sorts of things - though I expect they are all tucked up warm in Percy the Parkkeeper's house, right now, don't you.
The map in the top right-hand corner shows where Esrum is on Zealand.  

Well, well, well!

This is a photo of a lone wolf snapped close up as it searched for shelter.
Actually it's Jake's hood but believe me, he was looking for shelter.

This shows the inside of the Abbey. I'd have liked to see that!

Giddey Up! Well, giddy with hypothermia, anyway.

Looks like it could be fun jousting in warmer weather.

Look, mum, no hands! No gloves either.

And here's the shield you wack with the pole as you ride by on the horse.

There's a sophisticated herb garden and vegetable patch that supplies raw ingredients
for the cafe menu no doubt.

And this contraption has ropes hanging from it.
Guess the kids had better behave well while they're visiting :o).

Another out picturesque building.

Another horse, though this one was a Medieval torture instrument.
In the background there's a children's barn with dressing up clothes. 

And as we slithered across the icy car park, I snapped a couple of far more comfortable looking beasties.

This is her good side!