h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Pierce! Guess what? I went onboard the Danmark when she was in Boston last week and I snuck below where visitors weren't supposed to go just because I wanted to see what it is like out of fresh air. The few crew members milling about didn't say a word. I think I shocked them by just appearing like that (I climbed over a rope...silly Danes...if you want to keep me out you have to do better than that..okay...it was very wrong...if everyone broke the rules there would be hell to pay...I should have been a good follower...but it was innocent fun!). Anyways, I was seasick after a few minutes and rushed right out before I could try to engage a sailor in conversation If I don't find a job pretty soon, I may run away and find a sailor instead

Hi Ms Z!
Glad to hear from you again! Sorry it took me 5 days to answer but I've been away for a fortnite (vacation).
I thought about you and your interest in sailors (!) when I learned that Danmark was in Boston. Glad you could make it. You are right in assuming You were wrong - in climbing that rope, I mean. But you are hereby forgiven (by a danish sailor, nothing less!) since your nosiness was quite understandable and very innocent fun. And if the crewmembers were serious about that rope they could have said so. But I don't think they were. They just didn't want everybody below deck. After seeing your picture I understand why they made an exception... Aye, there's the old sailor in me again, he-he (I apologize in advance if I am making anybody jealous!)

Thank you Pierce and no one would be jealous, so no worries

My interest in sailors is longstanding...as is my love of the ocean. It is very sad that I can't swim. I've tried, but I get panicky when I go underwater. Probably because I don't like being enclosed.

DId you stay local for your holiday?

I first learnt swimming a few years ago and I am not doing well, but I do like to jump in whenever the weather is apropriate - which it has not been very often this summer (in fact is has been a lousy summer so far, even by danish standards!)

Yes, I stayed local. Had to. Wanted to fly south, but my bankmanager disagreed. But the kids stayed with me for the first week, which was very nice, and then left for a weeks vacation with their mother and her family (big reunion). In the meanwhile I borrowed my old house for 4 or 5 days (just to get a little away) and also saw a dear friend in Copenhagen for a couple of days - so no complaints!

On July 6 I finally got around to write to my american cousins (who you helped me to locate - thanks again!). Michael turned 50 on July 13 and the very same morning (danish time) he replied that he was indeed my cousin and had been very pleased to receive my letter. Only days before he had told his two sons about their danish heritage and yet again missed contact with us!

I had no idea that Michael was married and had children. I knew Steven married years ago, but it was good news that he has also become a father (three sons). So now I am all of a sudden uncle to 7 boys instead of 5!

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that their father is still alive and doing well. He is now 79 and lives in Texas (I thought he was older - and therefore dead).

I have not had any chances to write to Michael again (due to my vacation) but one of these days I will. We have a lot of catching up to do, as you can probably imagine, since we have not really been in touch for almost 30 years!

Salud!

Pierce (who is on his way to terrorise the countryside on his bicycle since it is to cold to go for a swim)

Yeah...it has been a miserable summer here, too. The lovely tan I acquired in Europe is faded and I am back to my usual pale self.

Glad the relative search proved fruitful. Maybe they will surprise you with a visit. I would love to "discover" European relatives

Oh! What an image I have in my head of a wild Dane weaving through cobblestone backroads on a bike. Hope you capture a pretty young thing on the handbars of your rolling steed!

It could indeed be fun to actually meet my relatives again. Wonder if they can afford it now with all those boys, LOL.

Wild dane? Hmm. Try middleaged, visibly overweight, four-eyed office-slave...

Have you written anything about your recent trip yet? If so, where can I read it?

So...why can't a wild Dane look as you described I bet some of the wildest people out there are those who others think are mild...just look at Clark Kent!

I have started a travel journal on h2g2 ( http://www.h2g2.com/A393950 ), and there are links there to my VirtualTourist pages that have photos. I hope to clean-up more of what I have written and get it posted this weekend. I have a Japanese visitor this week and I've been real busy trying to make sure she sees everything in a few short days

ROFL! You know, you are absolutely right. Reading the description again made me think that it perfectly suits all the wild danes I know! (except for some of the wild danish women - thank God)

Please do not give me away: Fact is, I AM Clark Kent!

I will go through you pages a.s.a.p. Say hi to your japanese visitor. I am sure she is in good hands!

Oooooh! I'll have to make sure to haunt telephone booths should I ever get to Denmark so I can catch you in your quick change act

I am heading out for a whale watch in a few minutes. I rather hope it gets cancelled because the weather is a bit iffy...and I am not real keen on spending 4 hours with a boatload of seasick tourists (me probably among them). My visitor leaves tomorrow. I will be driving her to the airport at 5 a.m. It has really been much more fun than I expected. Now I have to find other people to come visit so I can find more fun things to do

My problem is they are removing more and more telephone booths these days because no one uses them anymore. Everybody has her own cellphone... In the end I will have to sleep in the damned stupid suit!

Whale watch, hmmm! My colleague (who weighs way too much) told me he first discovered he was overweight when he was lying on the beach - and Greenpeace-people tried to push him into the sea...

I'm still looking forward to your visit to Denmark

The whale watch was great fun. We saw 1 minke and 6 humpbacks, including three generations...grandmother, mother and daughter. And this morning at 4 a.m. I brought my guest to the airport for her long journey home. I'm totally wiped out tonight. Too much sun yesterday! But...oh how I loved being out at sea.

I still have to talk my way into going to UK next May. *Then* I will think about how to get to Denmark and Sweden for another trip

I've made my mind up to win the lottery tonight. Then perhaps we could meet in my condo on Manhattan during my christmas-vacation? Either that or my Facenda on Mallorca. Girlfriend of mine would rather have a house in Tuscany, Italy. Hey, why not have both?

Hmmm...Manhattan in December...I think I'd prefer Majorca

Have I got news for you: I actually won! Now all I need to know is: How much Manhattan-condo can you buy for 6 dollars?

I think that gets you half a square inch of the basement storage unit.

Okay, Mallorca it is!

You can get something for $6 in Majorca?? Wow! I'd be rich there!

Probably not very much more than I could on Manhattan - but I believe you are right in assuming the december-weather is better there! BTW: Remember the old saying: Happiness is being rich while enjoying the pleasures of the poor? Now I all I need is to get rich...

I don't think I'd be happier richer...unless richer means having the means to make other people happy. And I definitely don't like the "pleasures of being poor"! I was there for too long as a child and I don't remember many pleasures.

The December weather in Majorca might let one be a beach bum and not have to worry about accomodations. Though...the info at http://www.mallorcaonline.com/malhomu.htm (wow! check out the "Beauty of the Month!) sorta discourages winter visits...

1. I know what you mean. 2. I never said anything about the "pleasures of BEING poor". 3. I know the decembers on Mallorca can be pretty harsh - but: there aren't many (other) tourists in december...

(I'll go check that beauty right away - I have this thing for beauty, You know?)