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Additional Text for the 07/25/06 Alumni Sandstorm 
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>>From: Dick Harris ('49)

TRIP TO DENMARK AND SWEDEN, JUNE, 2006

We just returned from attending the Rotary International Convention in Copenhagen, DK and
Malmo, Sweden and then traveling in Denmark and Sweden, following that! What an experience! The
cities of Copenhagen and Malmo are connected by a tunnel and bridge. Since shuttle bus service
was provided from all Rotary hotels in both cities, people traveled back and forth. We stayed
in a hotel, very close to the train depot in downtown, Copenhagen. It wasn't the finest hotel,
but was very convenient and the shuttle bus stopped at a hotel within a half block of our
hotel. 

The convention was wonderfully organized and carried out. The attendance was down from recent
years (Chicago, last year was an aberration for the 100th Anniversary of Rotary Convention and
the numbers were overwhelming!), probably because of the costs involved, but the enthusiasm of
those attending and our hosts, more than made up for it. 

We had arranged for a friend, Past District Governor, Birgitta Nordenman, who lives in Uppsala,
Sweden (About 67 Km. from Stockholm) to meet us in Copenhagen. I'll tell about that later! The
opening and closing sessions had to be repeated, because of the numbers of attendees and
limitations of the facilities at Bella Center, convention facility, we took in a number of
smaller sessions, visited many booths in the "House of 'Friendship" and were inspired by many
speakers, entertainers, and current and future officers of Rotary. Carl Wilhelm Stenhammer did
a magnificent job this year as President and represented Rotary and Sweden, very well at the
Conference. We will be led admirably this current Rotary Year (Jul thru Jun) by Bill Boyd from
Auckland, N.Z. You couldn't run a corporation with changing officers every year, but it seems
to work in Rotary. 

We had arranged for a number of events, from the many offered as Host City Events. We went to
famous Tivoli Gardens for a long evening, with dinner served in one of 36 restaurants in this
amazing place. The flowers and trees were beautiful and the activities, going on all around,
were very fascinating. We didn't even try to go to the amusement park, other than to walk
around and see some of the amazing rides. All one had to do was stand in one place and listen
and watch and one was entertained. We took in a couple of shows and went to our assigned
restaurant, The Groften, where we sat with two Danish couples and were able to talk and get
very well acquainted. One Rotarian, had been in charge of all the home hosting arrangements, so
he had been very busy and was called away a couple of times during our dinner. He and his wife
were from Copenhagen and were very delightful, the type that you want to come to visit you! The
other couple were a bit more reserved, but very delightful. They live in Jutland (sp?), on the
mainland of Denmark, some distance away. This was a very special time and event for us! 

We participated in Home Hosting Event, which was most interesting and enjoyable. We were
instructed to meet at the Rotary Meeting Spot in the Train Central Station, which was plainly
marked to meet our Rotary Club of Espergaerde-Humlebaek. We were escorted about 30 Km. north on
the train, for which our transportation passes were valid, and were let off at Humlebaek
station. There, our host Rotarian for the evening met us and took us by car to his home, to
meet his wife, see a Danish home, and have a little social time around their pool. After some
fun time, we were taken back to the station, where we and our hosts boarded the train for
Helsingor, where their Rotary Club meets in an old hunting club (established in the 1600's).
Here other members brought their guests and we had a wonderful dinner and evening. We
eventually walked to the train stop and boarded the train for Copenhagen and our hotel. We
valued the closeness of our hotel, even more when we returned late! 

We spent time with Rotary friends from Australia, that we always enjoy seeing as visitors to
our home, in Australia, or at these types of meetings! They are a fun-loving group and we
celebrated the birthday of Bob Aitken, who is Editor of Rotary Down Under, the regional Rotary
magazine for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinia, East Timor, etc. We subjected our
Swedish friend, Birgitta, to meet and socialize with our crazy Aussie friends. She spent a
couple of days in Copenhagen/Malmo, even if she didn't attend the convention, probably because
of the cost and personal dislike for her countryman, and fellow Rotarian, the President of
Rotary International, Carl. Obviously, he didn't support her, when she became the first woman
District Governor in Sweden, in 2001-2002. She enjoyed herself and our friends, immensely. We
also had lunch with a group from all over, that gets together at each convention. It is loosely
held together by a couple from Hollister, California, but includes Canadian, Aussies,
Americans, etc. We enjoyed seeing David and Carolyn Cook, parents of Richard Cook, an Youth
Exchange Student to Wenatchee from Canberra, Au. 

One of the most enjoyable parts for us, is meeting many new friends from all over the world. On
a bus one day, I met a man from California, who was the son of a man, now deceased, who had
managed a department store in Wenatchee in the '50's, '60's, and '70's. He had been an
inseparable friend of a fellow Rotarian, and Past District Governor, now also deceased. This
guy had the same name as his father and looks very much like him. He was happy to meet somebody
from Wenatchee, where he was born and raised. I gave him a Washington Apple pin, which we do
with most persons we meet! One the train back to Copenhagen from Malmo, one evening, we met a
young Rotarian from Borundi in Africa. He had joined Rotary last Nov. and this was his first
convention. He was so excited about the potential for service in Rotary and will be looking
forward to being in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, next year. He is director of a non-profit
association trying to encourage economic development in his country. Those are just examples of
the contacts made. 

Tuesday evening, we had signed-up for An Evening In Malmo (Sweden). We took the shuttle bus
from the Convention Center to Malmo through the tunnel and over the bridge into Sweden. We were
dropped off at a convention facility in Malmo. They had the crowd divided up into two venues,
because of the numbers. One group entered an auditorium, where they were entertained and part
of the entertainment was eating a Swedish meal. One wasn't to eat any part of the meal, until
told, as that was part of the entertainment. The dinner was served in a carton, with dividers
and it was placed on the armrests of the seats as we entered. It took some maneuvering to be
seated and hold the carton, which wasn't small, and then sit down with crashing into the
adjacent person or hitting the head of a person in front of you. Anyway, we made it work and
had a glorious time. Two emcees controlled the crowd and gave instructions for eating the
Swedish meal. one corner contained a can of Swedish beer, another a bottle of snapse, a liquor,
a bottle of water in another corner and a soft drink in the fourth corner. There was a dish of
new, small, potatoes, which are eaten with everything in Sweden. The first entre, was pickled
herring with some kind of purple cabbage alongside. Our host asked us, "What do you eat in
Sweden with pickled herring?" The answer was "Potatoes!" He taught us to answer "potatoes,"
when he asked "What do you eat with "anything" in Sweden?" The answer, always, was "potatoes,"
yelled in unison. It was a lot of fun! We also had crayfish, goose meat, and a beautiful
pastry. Oh yes, there was a cookie, included. We then left that venue, soon to be replaced by a
different group of Rotarians, and headed for another, where we were entertained with a
wonderful exposure to Swedish culture, music, and other entertainment. There was the raising of
the Maypole, little kids herding ducks and geese, choirs, orchestra, soloists, etc. It was
outstanding! We met our friend, Birgitta, following this event for coffee, and eventually
returned to our hotel in Copenhagen via train, back over the bridge and through the tunnel. The
closing session was done in three shifts, again, on Wednesday afternoon and evening. We went to
the 4:30 session and sat with the Cooks, our friends from Glenbrook, Australia, about an hour
west of Sydney. It was very well done and contained some very entertaining and innovative
productions. 

Our friend, Birgitta, picked us up, after we checked-out from the hotel on Thursday morning..
She had arranged for us to spend the next two nights in two bed and breakfast hotels, one in
Roskilde and one in Fredensborg, Denmark. 

We visited the Viking Museum in Roskilde and went to an organ concert in the Roskilde Domkirch
(church). It was a beautiful concert in a magnificent cathedral of the Lutheran faith. We went
to the Karen Blixen Museum in Rungstedlund, DK. She was a famous Danish writer and published 7
books. She became a coffee farmer in Kenya (East Africa) and in 1937, her book, "Out of
Africa," was published and chosen "Book of the Month" in the USA in 1938. The movie "Out of
Africa" was based on this book. One evening after dinner, we went to see a housing project for
older citizens, which is of a wonderful design, and while in the social hall, we chanced on the
evening dinner "Change-Over" meeting of the Humlebaek-Niva Rotary Club. They had a past-
president of the club come out to meet us. He invited us to join them for the festivities, but
we weren't dressed for the occasion, so we accepted their hospitality of a drink and some quick
conversation and exchanging of business cards and were on our way. We visited Louisiana Museum
of Art in Humblebaek. Dick went to a Technical Museum, which was beautifully designed and
organized, while Bonnie and Birgitta went shopping. The displays had many automobiles,
including evolution of the Volvo, old Fords to Bentleys, modern Swedish Saab fighter jet, a
Swedish Airlines DC-3, which was the epitome of travel in its day. Reciprocating and gas
turbine engines were displayed and much automotive and aviation history was available,
including a Danish automobile, the Christiansen, built in 1899, which had an infinitely
variable gear ratio transmission. This was similar to that built by my father and I, in a motor
scooter that we built when I was a kid. This system was also used on the Orient Buckboard,
built in the U.S. a number of years later. 

We went to a number of Danish museums and cultural sights before leaving Denmark at Helsingor
by ferry and crossing over the sound to Helsingborg, Sweden. We visited the Hoganes Pottery
factory before heading up the West coast of Sweden, staying in Halmstad and two days in
Goteborg. Goteborg is the home of Carl Wilhelm Stenhammer, who just completed his year of
serving as President of Rotary International. In this city, we saw a tree and plaque denoting
the event, that Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, had planted in 1932. This must have been an
historic event, because that was a year after I was born! We saw the winning yacht from Brazil,
which had just pulled into Goteborg, the end of the World Cup Race, in the harbor area, during
a boat tour of the city. We had to duck our heads under many bridges as the tidal water was
unusually high. We visited a number of museums, the meeting of the Goteborg Frolunda Rotary
club, art and other cultural sites, and generally had a great time! Prior to going to Goteborg,
we visited Bastad, the Tennis Mecca of Sweden. 

We drove northeasterly from Trollhattan, and followed the westerly and northern shore of Lake
Vallern for many Km to Karlstad. Near Trollhattan, we visited the Trollhatte Kanal, a canal
with locks/hydro-plant/aqua duct/tourist site. This canal allows navigation between Goteborg
and Lake Vallern This was very scenic and seeing the navigable water transferred in the aqua
duct over a canyon was most interesting. Nearby, we visited the Saab Automotive Museum, which
was very intriguing. Their new convertible is very stunning! 

From Karlstad, we drove to Marbacka, where we visited the home of Selma Lagerlof at Marbacka,
Sweden. She was known as Sweden's greatest storyteller. It was beautiful and one could see what
inspired many of her writings. We drove to Klassbols Linen Factory for some serious looking and
some purchasing. New high tech looms have replaced the ancient looms that were used over the
years. We stayed two nights at Karlstad. 

We arrived in Birgitta's city of Uppsala on Thursday, June 22nd and checked into the First
Hotel Linne. It is a beautiful, very convenient to bus, train, and downtown, Uppsala. The
beautiful State Church (Lutheran) the Domekirch or cathedral was very evident from most any
part of the city and beautiful river meanders through the city. They have made the most of the
river, with walkways, suspended board walks, and restaurants and shops along the way. Birgitta
had expected another Rotarian guest, a lady from Anacortes, WA, to stay with her in her home,
and arrive just in time for Mid-Sommer celebration, the observing of the longest daylight of
the year. This is a very big thing in Sweden and I guess in other parts of Scandinavia, as
well. However, the friend was injured in a fall on an escalator with her luggage, in trying to
leave Malmo, Sweden for northern Sweden to research her family history. She broke several ribs
and lost quite a bit of blood in her injury and had to be hospitalized. Fortunately, they were
able to catch her husband, before he left Copenhagen. He took her home, following dismissal
from the hospital. So, we had Birgitta all to ourselves. 

On June 23rd, we went to Hammorskeg for "Mid-Sommer," celebration and the raising of the
Maypole, folk dancing, choir singing, crowd singing and dancing, etc. It is normally held on
the Saturday closest to June 24, the Summer Solstice. It was great! 

After putting some clothes in Birgitta's washing machine, we drove to Skoklosters Slot (castle)
in Uppland (where Uppsala also is located). This is located on beautiful Lake Malaren, which is
the also the lake that the Stockholm archipelago is located. Bonnie and Birgitta visited a
nearby church, while Dick visited an automotive and aviation museum. It was stuffed with
automotive, motorcycle, and bicycle exhibits, with some aviation related displays. There was a
Drakken Fighter and an old Douglas DC-3 on display, outside. The man in charge was very
interested in learning about the "Early Ford V-8 Club of America." We visited the Medieval city
of Sigtuna on Lake Malaren. It was the first capital of Sweden.

One day, Birgitta escorted us to Stockholm, where we visited Gamal Stan, the "Old City." Here,
we viewed the "Changing of the Guard," around the Palace, a band concert by the Guard Band, had
a wonderful lunch with Birgitta, in an open air cafe, while listening to the band. We had
visited this special place with our kids, in 2003. We visited the Nobel Museum, which was most
interesting!. We took a small ocean ferry to the Vasa museum, which is specially designed
building built around the resurrected "Vasa," wooden ship, that was sunk with 1500 Meters from
its launching site. Its location was lost over several hundred years, but an entrepreneur found
her and brought her to the surface. She has been preserved by impregnating with a special
compound of ethylene glycol and kept in a building, where the light and atmosphere is
controlled. What a sight! The designer goofed, while including the first ship with a double
deck of cannon. She was top-heavy and without the ballast of a army of men in the hold,
capsized and immediately sunk with loss of many lives and a total embarrassment to the King and
the Navy fleet! The Dutch designer was nowhere to be found and never prosecuted. 

We took the bus to the home of Prince Eugene, one of Sweden's most famous painters. His home,
now a museum, wasn't open, but this new view of the harbor was stunning. Prince Eugene's works
adorn the "Gallery of the Prince" in City Hall, which is used for important receptions, etc.
After dinner in another outside restaurant, we returned to Uppsala on the train. 

The next day, after I attended the Uppsala Linne Rotary Club's breakfast meeting in our hotel,
we felt confident to take the train back to Stockholm, where we utilized previously purchase
tickets on the metro and bus system and did some exploring on our own. Birgitta had given us
some suggestions! So, we shopped Gamal Stan, had lunch at the Cantina, where the Italian owner
and help swore that they didn't speak Italian, and toured City Hall. Why would anybody want to
tour City Hall? Well, we were certainly glad Birgitta had suggested this treasure. We took a
tour, in which we were escorted through the great hall, where the Nobel Prizes (all but the
Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo) are awarded annually at a December grand dinner and
presentation, involving the royalty, the honored guests, and other invited guests. Prince
Eugene's paintings adorn the Gallery of the Prince, where his lively frescoes portray the
Stockholm shoreline. This room is used for receptions. The tower (106 meters tall) offers one
of the most impressive views of Stockholm, available. 

We were taken up an elevator halfway. We then walked stairways and ramps the rest of the way.
The Council Room is very impressive with gorgeous furniture and furnishings. Eight million
bricks from local clays were used in the construction and they were roughed-up to give the
structure a different texture, than otherwise. The gardens and terraces that lie toward the
waterfront are most impressive. A whole page could be written to describe the many breathtaking
things to see. It is quite a wonderful experience, which we would never have considered,
without a suggestion by Birgitta! 

After our return to Uppsala on the train and walk to our hotel, we had dinner at the Lingon
Restaurant, known for its lingen berries. On Tuesday, June 27th, we had the only rain of our
trip. It wasn't too bad and didn't keep us from driving to Dannemora iron ore mine area. This
area is now a tourist attraction with a huge open pit. Displays of old forges and forging
hammers are still available to see and the history is very interesting. This was a major
production area for what we call wrought iron. There is talk of mines being opened back up,
because of new techniques in mining and efficiency of extraction. We also had a walking tour of
Uppsala, with a visit to the State Church (Lutheran) Dom Kirche. It is still the seat of the
Archbishop of Sweden. It was built in the XII century and consecrated in 1435. This is where
kings were crowned. The University of Uppsala was founded in 1477 and is a national monument.
It is a major cultural institution and the oldest university in Scandinavia. They have had some
leading programs in research and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which interested us with our
history of this dreaded disease in both of our families. Upon return to the city, we had dinner
with Birgitta's eldest daughter, Ulricka, husband, Thomas and their two young boys. 

The next morning, Birgitta picked us up at 4:30 for a quick run to Stockholm Arlanda Airport,
which is closer to Uppsala, than Stockholm, and we boarded the first flight out to London on
British Airways. We were flying standby, but had no problem getting on the first flight.
However, we learned in London Heathrow, that things weren't so rosy in getting on one of two
747 flights to Seattle. Both flights were sold out and a helpful BA representative suggested
that we might want to take the next flight to Chicago and then we could see what we could do
from there. The next day there would be only one B.A. flight to Seattle and it was sold out
too. So, we decided that we should fly to Chicago. We flew first class over the Atlantic and a
Arctic Circle route and arrived in Chicago in the evening. We had no ticket to Seattle, because
we had used the ticket to Seattle for the London-Chicago leg. We had no idea if Scott was
working, was in some city, like Anchorage, or was home. However, an American Airlines
representative took pity on us and helped us arrange for another ticket, which would get us on
the next flight in the morning to Seattle, if there was room. We got a hotel near O'Hare and
got a night's sleep and reported to American Ticketing in time to get processed for the 0830
flight. Unfortunately, we didn't get on, so we waited for the 1131 flight, which left with
standby's of higher priority, such as crew members, etc. The 12:30 flight left from the same
gate and we were successful in boarding that one. We arrived in Seattle and our friend, Joyce
Chandler, picked us up in our car and we had lunch at her home and headed for home. We had
dinner at Applebee's as we had forgotten how to use the kitchen and besides the food available
wasn't too enticing. 

The Convention was very worthwhile. Carl Wilhelm Stenhammer, the President did a good job of
keeping things moving and many formal presentations of the past were eliminated, which seemed
to be welcome by most. Incoming President Bill Boyd from the Rotary Club of Auckland, N.Z.
presented his program, with his theme of "Lead the Way." He emphasizes need for clean water,
encouraging good health and combating hunger, and literacy. He puts heavy emphasis on the
family of Rotary, that includes Rotaractors, Interactors, Rotary Youth Exchange, Inner Wheel
members, Rotary Foundation alumni, and Rotarians' families. 

Denmark- We saw only a small portion of Denmark, from Copenhagen to Roskilde, to Fredensborg,
to Helsingor. However, what we saw was green and very beautiful. The people were very friendly
and helpful. 

Sweden - We saw much more of Sweden on this trip, much more than our previous visit. It was
beautifully green and the grain crops looked very healthy! We saw wheat, barley, oats, grass
and some rape seed or kanola. The farms generally are small, but you see some with many
hectares. It appeared that all depended on rain water, with no evidence of need for irrigation.
There is lots of history to enjoy and try to absorb and we would recommend visiting this
fascinating country and friendly people to anyone! 

We are still trying to catch-up on correspondence, mail, papers, yard work, meeting our new
senior lady minister, obligations for the new Rotary year, that started July 1st, etc. So,
another adventure is completed and we have many great memories to dwell on and share! Our good
friend, Birgitta, made this trip very special and we hope we will get to return just a bit of
the great hospitality and caring when she comes to visit us, very soon. 


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