November 2014

November started out with us visiting new areas on Fyn, checking out a few Christmas markets, and trying some Danish Christmas beers.  

Exploring the southern end of Fyn with Bella 
The area is referred to as "the Danish Alps" because it actually has hills

Seaside hike near the northern coast of Fyn

Christmas Market at Egeskov Castle 

N+H at Egeskov with H's new earmuffs

Christmas beer from Nick's favorite local microbrewery

In mid-November, for Heather's birthday, Nick took her to Cologne for a long weekend. The city is beautiful, especially the Cologne Cathedral.  

H's new birthday coat

Spaghetti Eis for birthday lunch

Cologne's Gothic cathedral, which was under construction for 7 centuries, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Construction on the cathedral began in 1248 and was finally completed in the 1880s. The church is home to the shrine of the Three Wise Men and has numerous important works of art, as well as several notable stained-glass windows.  

In addition to the breathtaking cathedral, we checked out the Old Town characterized by narrow alleys, traditional houses, and a beautiful Rhine River view. We also took in the Love locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge, Fischmarkt square, and the Rathuas.

Old Town with the Romaneaque Great Saint Martin Church in the background

Unfortunately, as our trip came to a close, Nick's dad passed away after battling cancer. He was an amazing man, so full of life, love, and passion. He found joy in the smallest things and was a constant reminder to be present and enjoy life for what it is.  

Heartbroken, we made gravy and meatballs in honor of Dad the following day. 

The rest of the month is a bit of a blur. We did have our first Thanksgiving in Denmark. Heather spent about 3 full days shopping and cooking. Of course, several common ingredients for the meal were not available at our stores. So, the pumpkin was baked (instead of canned) to make the pumpkin cheesecake and no cream-of-soups were used in the casseroles. Nick worked a half day and came home in time to rotisserie the turkey on the grill. After the meal, it was time for football!  

Nick's diggin' the homemade Thanksgiving dinner

Gotta love having the NFL Network when your missing home

At the end of the month, our friends from Sicily came over and gave us a lesson on how to make arrancini and some other delicious stuffed and seasoned risotto balls.