The title of this Blog may sound like a play list but it pretty well sums up the last 5 days of our trip. I have been deficient in my blogging but with a bit of a very blustery, rainy and cold day her in Gothenburg Sweden it’s time to get everyone caught up in what’s been happening.
February 16 Herning and Jelling
After the game in Herning Gordie had a team meeting and then came back to join us on a trip out to Jelling and see the Jelling Mounds, Runic Stone and Church. This UNESCO world heritage site has been preserved showing two huge mounds that the Vikings created to bury King Gorm of Denmark in about the mid 800’s. Considering how flat Denmark is these two huge mounds were the highest elevation in the area. About 100 years later King Harold Bluetooth had carved into a large stone that his parents we’re buried in theses mounds. Excavations of the site in the early 1900’s discovered the burial chambers and and artifacts buried in the site. A tour of an excellent museum and a drive back to Gordie’s place and then out for an excellent diner in Sunds.
On Top of the Jelling Mound
Denmark is just so chill and has such a relaxed vibe about everything I wish more of this culture would make it back to North America. Very little poverty everyone has a job and their economy is very prosperous.
Feb 17 Elvis and Game day in Aalborg
Today is game day and first game of the Metal Cup Championship in Aalborg a city about 1.5 hours north of Herning. Karen and myself got off to a early start and decided to see a few sights along the way. Not really expecting to see Elvis on our trip we came across a replica of his Memphis Mansion in Randers, it was actually really well done. Elvis had a huge following Denmark and one of his fans in conjunction with Elvis’s estate recreated a replica of his mansion and a museum.
Not to be outdone a following of Johnny Cash fans decided Elvis should have all the glory so a small Johnny Cash museum was built on the corner of the Elvis grounds.
After see the king himself and the man in black we headed north towards Aalborg and stopped in a the Thingbaek chalk mine for a tour of the mine and the Regan Vest underground bunkers that Denmark prepared in case of a Nuclear war. We walked through part of the mine and it various displays and now used a venue of weddings and other social events.
Getting ready in case of Nuclear Blast
With all of the excitement of Elvis and preparations for a Nuclear war we arrived at our Hotel along the harbour in Aalborg.
As is our usual way we arrived a couple of hours before game time, this tournament is a huge deal in the Danish Hockey League it’s the top four teams after the first 16 games and the top four after 32 games in the league regular season this year it was the same top four teams from the 16th and 32nd it’s a single elimination event so if you lose one game your done. If you win two games your the champs.
The tournament is held in a huge rec centre that contains a 7,000 seat arena a 6,000 seat handball court a large aquatics centre and a large hall to host party’s and concerts. There were beer gardens and concerts going on along with the tournament.
I cannot say how much fun it is at these events the fans are rabid and cheering waving flags and banners and bang drums constantly from the moment the puck drops. We sat next to the cheer section and you can’t help getting caught up with all the fans cheering on the Blue Foxes. It was very tight game with the boys winning 2-1 in overtime against the Odense Bulldogs.
Two Blue Foxes
After the game we came out to a major storm Hurricane Otto hit the city and shut down the trains in and out of Aalborg and blew over and knocked down numerous small buildings and things not affixed to the ground. We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.
Feb 18 Game Day
Tonight we face the home town Aalborg pirates for the championship game. Before the game we hopped in the car and headed out of the city to see some sites.We drove through some small towns and looked at some old churches and then headed to the coast line of the North Sea.We walked beautiful fine sandy beaches and shorelines that seem deserted.
Along the North Sea
Since the home team the Aalborg pirates were in the final the arena was bumping before game time, a concert was being held before the game with non over than the famed Danish DJ Slash hosting the event, we got there prior to DJ Slash’s appearance and it was a chill atmosphere to have a drink and hang out, then DJ Slash came on and the heavy bass and light show hit us with the same force as Hurricane Otto. I was amazed Karen’s head didn’t explode with all the lights and large volume stimulation of the Euro Techno beat. I swear from 200’ away the bass was so loud I might of been getting CPR performed on me, but we both survived none worse for wear.
One game time arrived the rink was standing room only and the fans were into it Herning Fans at one side and end and the Aalborg fans at the other. I would estimate about a 1,500 Herning fans showed up and cheered non stop for the two hours. Herning got off to a quick start and seemed to take the wind out of the Aalborg fans and we never gave up the lead. At the end it was the Blue Fox winning 4-2
So much fun in Aalborg but we drove back to Herning to Gordie’s place while he enjoyed the trip back on the team bus which was greeted by hundreds of fans where the team bus bus dropped them off in the town centre and they celebrated until dawn, racking up a very large bar tab happily covered off by the team. Gordie was able to make it back before we left for Sweden by rail on our way to Gothenburg.
We wish Karlee was with us to take in the festivities but she was back home to attend a friends wedding.
Gordie has settled into this community and they have embraced this team it’s such a nice community.
Feb 19-20 Gothenburg Closed???
We left Herning about noon and arrived into Gothenburg about 7:30 after taking the Swedish milk run that stop about 15 times between Copenhagen and Gothenburg. Needless to say it was a long day, our hotel was located within the train station and is very nice and convenient to everything like museums and all the attractions except everything for a tourist to see is closed on a Monday. With the wind blowing about 100 miles and hour we still walked around and saw some sights from the street. We went to the Haga district (old town) and visited some neat little shops, Karen was very happy to find a store that sold only black licorice (yuk). I found my favourite coffe shop.
After about five hours of walking around in the wind and cold we wish we could have seen more of the this city but considering all of our travels todays weather was probably the worst we had and the least we got to see. Tomorrow we head to Norway and see what’s happening there.
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