“Biarritz, I will be back. I will be back when the sea rages, the whales pass by, and the lighthouse beam sweeps over the foaming water. I will let the wind work my hair into a new style and then sneak in to Hotel du Palais, bury myself into the corner of a couch, and sip hot chocolate in silence with a good book. Until then, you have a tiny piece of my heart.”
In July 2016 I made the acquaintance of lovely Biarritz. The days were either white-hot or moody. In November 2019 I returned, because I always keep my promises. There was a raging sea. The lighthouse beam swept over the foaming waters that even invaded the pavement. I hid my hair in my windbreaker – and forgot to look out for whales!
Hotel du Palais was in wraps. Alas, no liquid chocolate in a cup, toes buried into the furry carpet. But my cozy hotel served up a steaming pan of mussels in wine, and I did have a good book. Dear Biarritz, I do love it when you are mightily upset.
(Biarritz, France; November 2019)
Lovely ones, something quite different for a change: my favorite yin yoga sequence. Why? Because yin yoga complements both daily stress as well as most types of workout, including ashtanga yoga. Yin poses first stretch the muscles open and then go to work on the connective tissue: the fascia, tendons, and ligaments. Not only are knotted muscles relieved, but blood flow into joints increases, as does overall flexibility.
Every second Sunday a big box arrives on my doorstep. Inside are the ingredients for three days of fresh, vegan, organic, unconventional meals, ready within 10-15 minutes each. Not only are the meals green and fast, they are also interesting: Indian curries, Levantese falafel pitas, and Mediterranean goodness. The salads, dressings and toppings that provide detail are often combinations I have never even thought of.
The gorgeous forest trails around the house are all unlit at night (oh why? Same thing in Brande!). So on winter’s working days I resort to running a paved route which takes me to the top of Vejle. And the way down is steep. Christian Wintersvej is claimed to be the steepest road in Denmark. Unfortunately I have no photos but trust me, there is a descent so steep in this flat country that it requires the pedestrian section to be made as a looong stairway. While I choose to tackle this one downward it is nearly impossible to cover by running without knee pain at the bottom of the descent.
(Vejle, Denmark; October 2019)
Today’s view from the living room. A cloud chose to hang out with us here in Vejle. Unfortunately that means we can’t see anything…
What’s the deal with deer parks in Denmark? Sofar I have run into deer parks in my both hometowns Brande and Vejle, as well as in Aarhus. And I know there are several around Copenhagen. The Danes sure seem to love deer.
(Marselisborg Deer Park, Aarhus; October 2019)
Sometimes the airplane flies nearly above our house while making its approach to Billund airport. This time we flew further North, following Vejle Fjord inland to where it meets the harbor and city center. And yes, Denmark really is that flat (save for the few hills inland on Jutland and all the way North of Zealand).
Here in Vejle nature is just outside of the door: a kilometers long uphill slope overgrown with beech and birch trees which abruptly plateaus into grazing fields with horses and cows, and meadows with views all over the city. From the dining table floor-to-ceiling windows I can see trees covering the tall, lush slope right outside. Sparkly blue jays make a ruckus in the trees. Now that the branches are bare I have spotted deer more than once, as well as birds I have only seen in bird books before, back in Finland. And late into October the air outside was swarming with bats.
(Vejle, Denmark; October 2019)
It is late. But I have chamomile tea and a flashlight by the bed. My sister’s tea cups are the size of buckets, just the way I like it.
This blue marble 