Itinery for Oct 7th

The iternery for the Big day will be:





13:00 Bus Pick-up at Rewentlovsgade (the back exit of Central Station) The Bus will have a sign from "Kuoni" in the Window. (see map on "Bus Pick-up" link) My Aunt Tove and Uncle Sture will co-ordinate that everybody is on the bus, so if you can not find it or you are delayed please give them a call +45 25774800 or +45 41434136
14:15 Cermony starts.
15:00 Bus from Church to Sonnerupgaard
15:30 Arrival at Sonnerupgaard. If you have a room there Morten will give you the key (please pay Morten when you recieve the key - sorry only cash).







The bar is open and there will be music and a few nibbles, so please come join us as quickly as you can after unpacking.

We plan to serve dinner roughly 18

Sunday
Breakfast will be served from 9 am to 10:30 and the bus leaves at 11am... You will be dropped off same place as you boarded the bus.








If you are going to the Airpot there are trains from Central station at:
11:43
11:55
12:03
12:15
12:23

The journey is 12 min...

What to do in Copenhagen

Most of the guest traveling in to Copenhagen will arrive on the Friday, so here is a few things I can recommend you guy to spend the time on.



What to see

Copenhagen is not a big city and everything is actually quite close by. If you feel fit you can borrow a “city bike”.. They works like a supermarked trolley you put 20 kroner in and when you park the bike back in one of the designated areas you get your 20 kroner back (just remember do not bike too far if the bike is outside the inner city you could get fined). But to see most with the least hassle take the “Tourbus”, like every other Capital you can jump on and off during 24 hours and if you take the complete round you will have seen most of the big tourist attractions.
From the City Hall Square to The Little Mermaid. From the Copenhagen Cruise Ship's Harbour to Rosenborg Castle. From The Zoo, on to Carlsberg Breweries & Royal Copenhagen Porcelain factory and shop. More than 25 stops at Copenhagen's most popular sights, where you are free to leave/board the bus at any of the bus stops. Departure every hour between 10:15 am - 1:15 pm.

There is also quite a few canals in Copenhagen and I can highly recommend taking a Canal tour. If you take the “Netto boats” by Holmens Kirke you get a good round trip. These hour-long low-budget sightseeing tours around the harbor and canals use open boats, so just make sure it won't rain or that you have emergency wet weather gear just in case. Cost: 25 kroner - one of the city's great bargains.

Great sights

Vor Frelsers Kirke
Sankt Annæ Gade 29.
It will take you 400 steps to get to the top of this corkscrew church spire form where you can enjoy a stunning view from 90 meters up.

Christiania
Bådsmandsstræde 43, Christianshavn.
In the early Seventies a group of Copenhageners illegally occupied some disused army barracks and turned them into a "Free State". Today 1,000 people live here.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Dantes Plads 7. Built with beer money, this beautiful museum houses Scandinavia's finest collection of antique busts and statues, plus a great courtyard cafe. Free entrance on Wednesdays and Sundays. After undergoing some serious renovations the museum in its entirety reopened in June, so be prepared for some new surprises.

What to eat.

Well there is two things we do really well Smørrebrød (open faced sandwich) and Wienerbrød (Danish) if you taste the latter you will see what a big difference compared to the ones we get abroad. Just go to any bakery and they will have a wide selection to choose from…
Smørrebrød well that is a science in itself, I can highly highly recommend going to a “lunch restaurant” and order a “platte” ask the waitress what to eat with what (it does taste a lot better if you eat the right bread with the right toppings). When we have time for a proper sit down lunch, we always try to go and eat “platte”. Some of my favorite places are:
Domhuskælderen http://www.domhuskaelderen.dk/
Ida Davidsen http://www.idadavidsen.dk/

If you are more ”on the go” try a ”hotdog” from one of the many ”pølsemænd” (Hotdog stands) all over the town, be adventurous and ask for one “med det hele” with everything. A “French hotdog” is very popular and somewhat less messy – but I prefer the “real thing”.
There are loads of cafes all over town where you can have a coffee, sandwich or cake whilst you rest your legs.

Dinner:
Les Trois Cochons http://www.cofoco.dk/les_menu.asp
Leading the revival of Copenhagen's former 'food Street' is this superb-value rustic French place, based in a former butchers and serving brasserie classics like moules and steak. Three courses come in at just 225 kr . This is also just round the corner from where I used to live, so I am a bit sentimental about this area.
Lê Lê
Vesterbrogade 56, Vesterbro. Tel: +45 33 22 71 35.
A sensational and sensationally cheap Vietnamese restaurant in the middle of funky Vesterbro that is regularly voted one of the best cheap eats in town by the Danish press. Serves noodles, soups and curries - their milkshakes are especially good.
Nørrebro Bryghus http://www.noerrebrobryghus.dk
This contemporary micro brewery in the heart of groovy Nørrebro also serves competent food. You can eat a decent and creative three-course meal here for under 300 kroner, with perfectly matched ales, of course.

Shopping

It is probably not a surprise that the Danes really like design, sometimes I do thing they are “over designing” things but it does look cool. On the longest pedestrian street in Europe you will find Illums Bolighus side by side with Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen. Really a fantastic place. http://www.royalshopping.com/
The “Fashion Street” is Kronprinsensgade, the really cool shops are there and you can probably not get a bargain but for sure it is VERY trendy cool and lovely stuff (see Bruuns Barzar www.bruunsbazaar.com/ ). On Kronprinsensgade is also “Café Sommersko” one of the first cafes in Copenhagen and still a place to see and be seen. http://www.sommersko.dk/
“Magasin” on Kongens Nytorv is the best department store in Copenhagen and have everything (even the metro station in the basement. http://www.magasin.dk/

Treating yourself:

Go to DGI-Byen http://www.dgi-byen.com/ A most lovely SPA just next to the main station (and where the bus will pick up and drop off. Book a treatment Saturday morning or maybe it is much more needed on the Sunday J There is also a very nice swimmingpool there.

October 7th countdown

In less than 4 weeks we will be in rural Denmark in front of the priest to say "I do" actually I think we have to say "ja" or nod encouragingly. Not being very religious -- although what religion I had was of the catholic flavour -- I thought a female priest would be perfect and my wish was granted. We meet her for the first time on Thursday the 5th so she can see if we look serious. I think 10 years together and a 7 year old son means we'll probably pass this test.

Anyway, no panic, but I have no suit yet and me and the mother are off into Brussels tomorrow to get something nice. I was hoping Armani would sponsor my suit in conjunction with the "Hello" shoot but neither came off - aw shucks -

It would be nice to meet somewhere on the Friday in Copenhagen for drinks. I'll be staying somewhere in Copenhagen to keep up with the tradition of not being with the bride to be the night before. I have a strict curfew of 02.00am though. More details to follow on location for these drinks but it will be very central.

Simon

What is in a name???

OK now filling out all the form in connection with the cermony - this is not a case of just declaring your never-ending love for one another and say "I do" - Birth cert must be provided, form must be filled in, Simon had to prove he is not already married. And on one of these forms we must write what shall we be called after the wedding...
As Simon under no circumstances want to change to Andersen the real question is really do I want to become McDermott or do I keep Andersen.
Andersen is one of the most common names in Denmark, and I have never thought much of it, however sitting with the form in my hand I am not really sure. I have afterall been called Andersen all my life...

So weighing up the Pros and Cons.
I think it would be nice if we Oz, Si and I are going to be called the same name.
"The McDermotts" is really my Mother and Father in-law, suddenly it will also be us.
It will be odd to change name as Belgium anyway do not recognise the change - officially I will still be Andersen.
Oskars teacher will have an easier life, she never knows what to call me...
Am I giving up some of my "roots" if I am no more Andersen?
Does Helle McDermott not sound odd?
On the other hand there are probably only very few - if any other Helle McDermott "out there", and it could be kind of cool to have a unusual combination of names wouldn't it?

I think that the top and bottom is the quenchers so I will after the wedding be: Helle Kristine Juhl McDermott

That is if Simon will sign the form.......................... :-)

Bridal outfit

DRESS
Unlike most brides, my dress is still not ready. But I have talked to the lady who hopefully will create a masterpiece that will make me look tall, slim and 23. I assume this will be no issue :-)


SHOES
But like any other girl the shoes..... All through the summer I have been looking at a lovely pair of Nathan shoes, but being me I refused to pay exorbitant prices for a pair of shoes, so I was waiting for the sales to start. And true enough during the sales the price was halved. However no more in my size - that should teach me I know and I do feel rather foolish. But the truth of the matter is that now I have no shoes and it is not the right time for buying light coulored shoes. So all you Girls please help and send me a link to your favorite internet shoeshop. And if everything else goes wrong, I have loads of Wellies (shows I am a dedicated rugby girl friend) so I will not have to go barefooted.

Wish list, gift traditions

Obviously it goes without saying that we do not expect anyone to bring gifts; we know that a lot of you have come a long way and that is the best gift ever. We are so excited to see so many family and friends (Simon is sitting next to me smirking ....). However a number of people have requested a wish-list so here it goes:


Waterford John Rocha "Geo" wine glasses, caraf, vase and centerpiece.
Global kitchenknives (all types)
Dualit toaster (no wedding list complete without a toaster).
We would really like to buy a big flatscreen TV so contributions towards this.
Magicmix foodprocessor
Amazone vouchers
lastminute.com vouchers
Royal Copenhagen "Mega" (we have enough Dinner and Lunch plates so everything else except coffee cups -we would really like some mid or large sized thermo cups)
Gas Terasse heater
Barbecue tools (Grill starter,tongs ...)
Suitcase, mid/large size trolly (60-70 cm)
Le Creuset pot oval (iceblue or white)
Menu hurricane candleholder with "fairy tale"on glass.
IIttala Origo beige plates, mugs, bowls.
A Ipod "system" so we can listen to our ipod like a HiFi ie Bose have one, but we are sure there are others we just do not know them.

We will add to this list when we thinks of other things we would like.
My fantastic sister Lene have promised to "take care of the list" and you can reach her on lene(use the @ sign)lja.dk

At a Danish wedding there will be a "gift-table" and during the coffee we will open the present, I know it might not be in "international- taste" but this is the tradition.

Speeches

Apparently I have a problem where I speak too long when I get the chance, therefore it is only right that people try and steal the show from me at the wedding. I fully expect a frenzied attempt to embarrass Helle and I and given my ability to forget my most of my previous indiscretions, it will seem like new material to me!

In Ireland the speeches are nicely structured in a way, a clear start and finish with normally the same 5 people talking - Groom, Bride, Father of the Bride, Best man and Father of the groom. This makes it easy to gamble on (Helle and I have part-financed the wedding by winnings from guessing the right lengths of speeches).

In Denmark it's not that way. Speeches can come at any time and indeed the more creative types even make songs and poems (I even saw actual sketches at a Swiss/Danish wedding). The only planning for this is through the Toastmaster who will be the lovely Lars (brother of the bride). He coordinates to make sure the speeches come in between courses and are spread carefully to maximise entertainment :)

HOWEVER, so we don't take away too much responsibility from the best man (Dr. Frankie, my beautiful brother), we will have a section that respects the Irish tradition where Frankie, I, Helle, Palle (Father of the bride) and Denis (father of me) will do our piece. This will avoid any demarcation disputes which of course would be unpleasant, we don't want the police to be called after all. Isn't that right Katia :)

Simon