Last day in Denmark

Well, today was another wonderful day. Shocking I know, as I seem to be having so many awful ones while over here. We all met up for breakfast, after which Joan, Mormor, and I decided to go to the Royal Copenhagen Museum/Outlet store. Guess which part of this it was which I was truly looking forward to? That's right, the shopping. I have wanted a Royal Copenhagen tea set for quite some time now.
Our cab driver to the store was incredible. He took it upon himself to tell us the history of every building we drove past and explained how the city evolved into what it is today. His sister even used to be one of the R.C. hand-painters a number of years ago. Talk about an amazing talent! We made sure we gave him a good tip afterward, because he gave us such a fantastic experience.
When I started looking around, at first I thought I must be translating the signs incorrectly. Some R.C. tea cups alone are up toward 40 euros. With the discounts, I was finding cup and saucer sets for 7. I was amazed! Yes, these were the "flawed" pieces, but they consider a 2nd hand piece to be ones which had one drop of paint in the wrong spot, or had a glaze come out slightly the wrong shade. In the end, I found a set of eight cups and saucers which I then had shipped to my mom's house in Spokane. I am so excited to receive them! I will now just have to keep an eye out for matching sugar and cream dishes that I like. No big deal, there is no rush. But I am very pleased with the ones I selected.
After this we rushed back to the hotel, where we were to meet the other part of our Danish family. These we had never met before, though Joan has been emailing with one of them for quite some time. Tova, her son Lars, and her daughter Hannah were an absolute pleasure to meet. They drove 3 1/2 hours to Copenhagen to meet us and spend the day with us, and brought pictures of the family, as well as newspaper cutouts about us that they had saved from all the years. Tova spoke very little English, Hannah some, and Lars spoke it very well. They brought presents for all of us too, which was very sweet of them.
After socializing for some time, we headed out for some lunch. Delicious, once again. We had open-face sandwiches once more, a signature Danish dish. I had their special salted pork, cooked in a way you cannot find in the states, and another one which was roast beef with a horseradish tartar sauce and a mango chutney. Sounded strange, but it was so delicious I cannot begin to tell you. What a combination of flavors I would never have thought to combine!
After lunch, we all headed for the Harbor tour of the city, which our relatives joined us for. Such an interesting way to see the city. I can see why all the locals recommend it as a must see. The tide was really high though, so we had to stop the boat at every bridge and check the depth to see if we would make it under. There were several close calls, and the last bridge the captain was not willing to risk.
After the boat ride, we stopped at a local cafe for drinks and pastries. I had tea, and shared a chocolate cake and a sort of raspberry tart with a vanilla cream with Mormor. Once again...delicious. I can't even begin to tell you how many pastries I have eaten in the last 48 hours. At least I enjoy them though. The best part here though, was that one of the waiters, a younger guy came up and asked if we were from the states, as he was about to travel there for the first time. He was going to be in Washington, so I was chatting with him about places worth seeing and what to do with his interests. After he left, I looked over and Tova just gave me a look and waggled her finger. This was because earlier in the day I had told them my mom's statement that I was not even allowed to make eye contact with boys, much less talk to them while traveling. Tova said something in Danish which Lars translated as being "You looked him in the eye!" It was hilarious! The whole lot of them had such an incredible sense of humor, and we greatly enjoyed conversing with them.
Unfortunately, they had a long drive ahead of them, so we exchanged emails and addresses and said our goodbyes. It had been so wonderful to meet them, and realize what wonderful family we have, even if they are so far away. After seeing them off, Mormor and I went on one final walk to take a last set of pictures. Along the way the wind picked up, and we were sand blasted for a block or so. Mormor decided this was enough for her and headed back to the hotel, while I went to one last spot to see the large anchor and then to a bakery to pick up some pastries for breakfast in the morning. I look forward to eating them, and am very proud of myself for not sampling them yet.
Still, I am packed and ready for the next leg, though I wish I had more time here. I suppose I feel that way about every place I have left though. Hopefully I can stay in touch with this part of the family, and maybe I will have another opportunity to come and visit them in the future. Tomorrow morning we head for Dublin though, bright and early. So be ready Ireland, cause I'm coming to visit!