Hygge

When we arrived in Denmark for our three-week plus house and pet sit, we were a bit more worn out than we had imagined. The farm was the home to a couple who taught us a lot about Danish Hygge. One who worked part-time as a butcher and the other a foot and physical therapy (not to be mixed!). Their farm-house was nearly 140 years old, had two floors and easily six bedrooms. Wonderous views from each direction through windows and skylights showed us the ever-changing sky. 

Our charges were one cat named Merlot who brought gifts of hard-fought birds and mice and a three-year old fluffy, playful Irish Terrier named Rusty who exhibited the habits of the cutest cartoon dog you could imagine. 

Additionally, we cared for over a dozen chickens including five roosters, three of which became dinner…more on that later. 

When we landed after a literal round the globe journey lasting five days I fell ill with the Danish flu. Or at least the flu that I heard was running around Europe and the rest of the Western world.

For the next two weeks I struggled with fevers, malaise as well as a heavy chest cold. Of all the places to fall ill, this warm home proved to be very soothing recovery haven indeed. I was exceedingly grateful for this space.  I went to a Danish Doctor to see what I should do to help feel better. I asked for something akin to Nyquil. This may have been the first time in my life I wanted Nyquil. He looked up it up online and said the Danes don’t have anything like that but, recommended that I go drink tea, rest and watch Netflix. The modern Hygge.

After months of being in tropical weather and convinced we would not have a ‘regular’ winter we were treated to several winter storms, snow flurries and downright blizzards. We were overjoyed to make snowmen, slide on some ice and have snowball fights. I was more an observer but, we all very much enjoyed it. 

The kitchen we were occupying had all the supplies one (mainly my husband) would need to create sumptuous home cooked meals. Kelvin was in his element as he made stews, soups, roast chickens, cassoulets, braised meats and salads all washed down with hearty wines and cold, clear water.

We consumed cup after cup of coffee or tea several times a day and often pared them with Danish baked goods found in neighboring villages. We had farm fresh eggs (up to 12 a day!) as well as dark, thick bread that after toasted only needed a smear of butter to become a slice of heaven. 

I now know why Danes are known for their baked goods. The danishes we have in the States are a very poor representation of what the Danes actually make. When we made our way into the nearby town of Svendborg we inevitably visited Brod – A Danish Baking Studio which quickly became our new haunt.

Kelvin make plans with Ib (our host) to ‘take care of’ three chickens that were harassing many of the hens in the pen. He made a list to prepare for the slaughter and to process the meat.

I found this list and had to double take as Kelvin had forgotten the ‘e’ on humane as I read his list that looked like a serial killer prep list. Maybe too many Law and Order episodes from my past? In any case, the whole event was another life skill world school moment for the boys. 

We had been away from a fully supplied kitchen and we relished in having the ability to make breakfast, lunch and dinner on site, warm ourselves by the fireside while wearing the handmade wooly socks made by our host. Can you say Hygge? Ib and Ann offered up all their coats, boots, gloves, hats, scarves (even a Gryffindor one much to Oakley’s delight) and overalls as well as their car to supply us with the tools to journey around the property and the Island of Fyn. 

We did make a couple of excursions to round out our Danish experience. We had whimsical world school day in Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen and followed big red foot prints on the cobble stones to trace his roots around town. All while enjoying street art, warm drinks and Hans skill as a paper cut out artist.

The boys were also invited to talk to a local school. We visited a class of 8-10 year olds as they were learning English. Canyon was very brave and presented at the beginning of class and conducted questions in his forward fashion. We continued to experience a humble awareness of the language aptitude of the Danes. Most people already knowing more than two languages by the age of 10 years old. 

No visit to Denmark would be complete without involvement in a Lego activity. We went to the Lego House in Billund for a day of Lego. Billund is the birthplace of Lego. I was undoubtedly surprised to be so entertained. I knew the boys would be, however, I was childlike as I went room to room to see the interactive activities set up around Lego pieces. My favorite was a live Sim City-like interactive play of making a city. I had to work that evening so we regretfully had to leave before we were all ready to go. 

In the mainstream media, there has been a liberal use of the term Hygge. Admittedly, I did not know about this term until I arrived but, a friend commented on our experience and said it looked very Hygge. It is hard to translate into English as we don’t have an exact equivalent. 

I found this New Yorker article  Hygge – A form of Cozy which helped inform my experience. We found this word to be a true representation of our experience.

We found our experiences steeped in warm, cozy, pleasant surroundings and, at times, lit in a low-light glow all while enjoying simple pleasures such as a tasty cup of coffee while watching the snow fall from a fire warmed room. I dug into crosswords, some books, cozy blankets and sweet Danish bread after walking Rusty in the brisk, clean air. It did feel like a calming elixir. 

Our experience with the Danes as a people was also warming. They won’t walk up to you to introduce themselves in grocery store, however, once introduced they proved to be some of the warmest, friendliest people I’ve ever met.

The daughter of our host, Line, brought food and family over for an afternoon of Hygglick activities including cuddling the pets and playing chess all while eating homemade Brunsviger, a kind of celebratory brown sugar bread, liver paste, cheese, chocolate for bread slices and endless cups of tea and coffee.

Line also provided Kelvin and I with our first night and honestly, our first several hour stretch while awake as she took care of the boys and sent us off on a night alone (gasp!) in a nearby hotel. The first time in 200 days which we had a night of sleep and a hot meal without the kids with us. We barely knew what to do but, found ourselves happily experiencing Hygge with some tasty beer and snacks at a pub and a super snooze in a cozy bed.

Our hosts came back and we stayed on for a few days to celebrate Kelvin’s birthday with them. Some alcohol was consumed and we only had to totter upstairs and curl up in extra fluffy duvets. They were kind, generous and very pleasant.

So, we wrapped up our time in Denmark a bit heavier around the waist but, happily rested and well connected with our new friends as we left feeling like family. 

Street Art and Oakley in Odense