The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark. The name Odense comes from the Norse god Odin. Odense city has a population of 158,678 (as of January 1, 2009 and is the main city of the island of Funen. It is the seat of Odense Municipality and was the seat of Odense County until 1970, and Funen County from 1970 until January 1, 2007 when the county became part of Region Syddanmark. Odense (from Odins Vé, meaning “Odin’s shrine”, referring to the god Odin of Denmark’s indigenous Norse mythology), is one of the oldest cities of Denmark and had its 1000th anniversary in 1988. To celebrate this, a forest named “the Thousand Year Forest” (Danish: Tusindårsskoven) was cultivated. The shrine of Saint Canute (Danish: Sankt Knud / Knud den Hellige) in Saint Canute’s Cathedral held great attraction for pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages. In the 16th century the town was the meeting-place of several parliaments, and down to 1805 it was the seat of the provincial assembly of Funen. Odense’s most famous landmark was Odinstårnet (The Odin Tower) constructed in 1935, as the second-tallest tower in Europe, only surpassed by the Eiffel Tower. Odinstårnet was blown up by a Danish Nazi group in 1944 and has never been rebuilt. However, a miniature model of it now stands in the residential area Odinsparken in the area where the original tower was. Until the beginning of the Danish industrial revolution, Odense was also the 2nd largest city in modern Denmark, but has in recent times been overtaken by Aarhus.
Tourist attractions: Saint Canute’s Cathedral (Danish: Sankt Knuds Kirke) was formerly connected with the great Benedictine monastery of the same name, and is one of the largest and finest buildings of its kind in Denmark. It is constructed of brick in a pure Gothic style. Originally dating from 1081–1093, it was rebuilt in the 13th century. Under the altar lies Canute (Danish: Knud), the patron saint of Denmark, who had planned to conquer England from William of Normandy. He was slain in an insurrection at Odense in 1086. Odense is also the see of the bishop of Funen. * The cathedral has the skeletons of both the Saint/King and his brother on public display, it also boasts of one of Denmark’s finest altarpieces, a magnificent triptych by Claus Berg. A large fragment of Byzantine cloth is displayed next to the two skeletons. Kings John (Danish: Hans) and Christian II are buried in the city. Our Lady’s Church, built in the 13th century and restored in 1851–1852 and again in 1864, contains a carved 16th century altarpiece by Claus Berg of Lübeck. Odense Palace was erected by King Frederick IV, who died there in 1730. There is a theatre as well as a symphony orchestra, a zoo, and the Funen Village (Den Fynske Landsby) which is an open air museum with old houses typical for Funen. The City Hall has a small scar from a battle between Germans and members of the Danish Resistance on 5 May 1945. The city’s coat of arms - located above the main entrance to City Hall - is damaged. On close inspection, the kneecap of Saint Canute is penetrated by a bullet.
He sees you when you’re sleeping - by Mary & Carol Higgins Clark
Sterling Brooks has been cooling his heels in the Celestial Waiting Room for forty-six years, waiting for admission to heaven. Finally, just days before Christmas, he’s summoned before the Heavenly Council and found unworthy; throughout his life he had been hopelessly self-absorbed. To redeem himself, he is given the chance to go back to Earth and find someone to help. At New York’s Rockefeller Center skating rink, Sterling encounters Marissa, a heartbroken seven-year-old whose father and grandmother have been forced into the Witness Protection Program; they had overheard two gangsters hatch a sinister plot to collect money from a debtor. Able to travel through time and space, Sterling devises a master plan to reunite little Marissa with her family in time for Christmas. Along the way, he discovers within himself what it takes to earn his wings.
Thanks to Cindy for hosting again our weekly appointment of Show & Tell! Join the fun visiting her site to see other interesting entries.
Today I’m showing you a porcelain vase I have on the bureau in my bedroom.
(sorry the first pic is very bad, I know, the following are better)
Like my mare plate, and my little Christmas plate, this is also from Royal Copenaghen, still in their catalogue. It was a wedding present from my mother, but I choose it among many others.
I’ve always loved this deep blue fading into a pale grey
and the delicacy of the decoration
Thanks for taking a look at my post today, I can’t wait to see yours!
This writing was covering all the walls some time ago, see here why.
Yesterday it was the last day of a month full of all things related to Verdi. My hometown will soon be back to its usual look (at least till next year), no more like this
and the shops windows will be again without these decorations
the only place in town remembering Verdi for a whole year, will be his monument
So, you have one year to think about a possible trip to Italy, to Parma, to attend to at least one of the many musical/opera events held here, and to breath some Verdi-ish air…………..
Me and daughter M prefer to eat white meat (or fish). So I’m always searching for new appetizing recipes to cook it.
I found this on the web some time ago, last week I did it, very good. Chicken breast, filled with herbs - you name it, there’s in - and wrappen in bacon, cooked with lemon and dry white wine. Delicious.
Saturday night we (me, daughter M and her friend V) had a date with the musical Hairspray.
(the show poster)
It’ wasn’t a professionals show, just a local bunch of people who enjoy to spend their free time doing musicals. They are the “Artisti Senza Nome” (artists with no names - sorry, the site is in italian only, but you might have a glimpse of their previous shows, Notre-Dame de Paris and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and the cast includes students, employees, teachers, workmen.
(the empty theater before the show)
Among them there’s also the guy (son of one of my colleague) I’ve told you about before here, this little company is where he started out.
(at the rehearsal - Gimmo on the right)
The show was sooooo very nice, very enjoyable, all the cast gave their best, the theatre was almost full, and two hours were just too short. It was really a success for a premiere!
I can’t wait for their tour to begin, because I want to see it at least one more time. Bravo to all!
On sunday we met with our friends E & L and the ones from Modena, we had lunch together at “Pippo” a very friendly place in the hills. The day was warm and sunny, a walk after lunch was very much needed……..
…..especially after this………..
While in Odense in 2005, we payed tribute to the greatest children (and not just that) novelist Hans Christian Andersen visiting the museum dedicated to him and his works. Thousands of books of his novels translated in all the world languages, lots of his own drawings to embellish his novels, personal belongings and other memorabilia, all of those very interesting. It was nice also a visit to the souvenirs shop, lots of little things from his novels to hang on the Christmas tree!
The year 2005 was also the 200th anniversary of his birth and in Odense there were lots of exhibitions around town, every restaurant had at least one menu referring to him, all in the pure danish tradition. We had a terrific buffet lunch at Den Grimme AEling (The Ugly Duck) near to the museum, so very good!
Cheers to you Vale, a old hen, but I’m sure you have stored for us victory number 10!
Buddhism - A very short introduction - by Damien Keown
This accessible volume covers both the teachings of the Buddha and the integration of Buddhism into daily life. What are the distinctive features of Buddhism? What or who is the Buddha, and what are his teachings? How has Buddhist thought developed over the centuries, and how can contemporary dilemmas be faced from a Buddhist perspective? Words such as “karma” and “nirvana” have entered our vocabulary, but what do they really mean? Keown has taught Buddhism at an introductory level for many years, and in this book he provides a lively, challenging response to these frequently asked questions.
(this photo is from Flickr)
As many of you might know, there’s this kind, nice, generous, loving and caring young lady living on the other side of the planet from me in real life, but just a click away on the net. Her name is Kelli, and among her many good qualities, she’s very talented.
Starting from November 1, she will launch her online boutique. For the ones who, like me, has followed her over the years, this is not really a surprise, but a natural evolution of her many skills.
Anyway I placed an order for a bag I saw among her previous projects, and finally yesterday it arrived! Isn’t it beautiful? Ans you see? there’s a matching little boxy bag!
Thank you Kelli for your amazing artcraft.
