Cook & Talk September 2013 - Slovenia, Iran, & Colombia

On Saturday, September 7th, 2013 Holstebro International held its 3rd Cook & Talk at Sønderlandsskolen.

The doors opened at 17:00, and after a brief introduction by Hans, our guests proceeded downstairs to the school's kitchen, where Laina was briefing our 3 volunteer cooks.

We had another incredible turnout for this event, with 50 guests, including children!

This time around, we tried something different; 4 cooking stations, instead of the usual 3. We added a 'Kids' Cooking Station', where the kids made their own pizzas. It was such a big hit that we will continue to have this 4th station at all of our Cook & Talk events. 

A special thanks to Yuka for volunteering to help out at the Kids' Station, and to Sheryl for stepping in to lend a helping hand.

Over at the Slovenian station Lea and her group worked quickly to prepare quick, simple dishes, that were utterly delicious.

Next, at the Iranian station, Ashkan and his team worked tirelessly to prepare his dishes, but unfortunately ran out of time with the roasted potatoes. Because his dessert took a long time to set, he prepared it the morning of the event, and had to quickly run home while everyone was eating to retrieve it.

The Colombian station led by Nancy and her friend Doris made a palate pleasing rice dish, that is similar to Spanish rice, and followed up with a refreshingly fruity dessert, which was perfect for the warm weather we were having.

After dishes were presented, we headed back upstairs to the dining area, where the eating began and the mingling continued. This was the first Cook & Talk where alcohol was served, and everyone enjoyed the 'hyggelige' atmosphere.

After a long, but wonderful evening, it was time to clean up, pack up, and head home. 

We are anxiously awaiting the next Cook & Talk, on November 9th, and hope to see you there! Also, there have been rumors that we will have Japanese, Russian, and Danish cuisine, but nothing is confirmed yet. 

P.S. Our Marketing and Media board member, Sheryl, took these pictures, and created that short video for us. We hope you enjoyed them!

Review: Strandingsmuseum St.George (by Demelza Endenburg)

Strandingsmuseum St. George is a museum in Thorsminde dedicated to the stranding of the English vessels HMS St. George and HMS Defence off the cost of Jutland in 1811, killing nearly 1400. Items from the ships and their crews are on display, though not the ships themselves. The main focus is on the St. George, of which most artifacts on display at the museum are salvaged from.

I went there not only to check the museum itself, but also to see how suited it is for foreigners who do not understand Danish.

Right after you cross the souvenir shop and into the actual museum, you will see a small video room on your right-hand side. In there you can watch a video on the story of the St. George in Danish, German and English. The video is on-going, so you might have to wait a bit for setting it in your preferred language.

To the left you can see the first room of the museum showing some of the biggest items salvaged from the wrecks, like the cannons seen in the picture. Not only the big and impressive things are on display, though. Attention is given to every aspect of life on-board of the vessels, from the sea biscuits eaten by the common sailor to the Captain’s private wine cellar, and from the surgeon’s medical instruments to the rifles used by the marines.

Main focus of the museum is on the St. George, but there is also a room partially dedicated to the famous Battle of Jutland. This was the biggest naval battle ever fought. It took place during the World War I and, as you probably already guessed, it was fought off the coast of Jutland. 

                                                            Original German naval uniform from World War I

                                     

The showcases all through the museum obviously have descriptions in Danish of the items displayed, but you can get a little folder with the texts in German or English from the souvenir shop/cash register. There is a special kids’corner, where children can try out things that are connected to naval life, like making knots. This corner has descriptions in English and German as well. Some of the bigger descriptions relating to a series of showcases are available in English.

Of course I had a look at some other practical things, too. The museum is easily accessible for disabled people. The toilet in the museum itself is a combined toilet for men and women, with what some people might not be happy about; however, it was clean. There is a second toilet in the souvenir shop; I forgot to check if that’s a combined one as well. At the time of my visit, there was only one employee visible in the entire museum, the woman at the cash register. It’s therefore hard to tell how good the language skills of the museum’s staff are.

The entry fee during the period of my visit now in July 2013 was 55 DKK for an adult, 45 DKK for the elderly and free admittance for children up to the age of 17. In my opinion, these were very reasonable prices by Danish standards.

All in all, I think this museum is worth visiting, not only for those interested in history in general or naval history in particular, but for everyone, including children, who want to broaden their horizons.

For more information, check the museums’ website http://www.strandingsmuseum.dk/. The site can also be viewed in English and German. 

Review: Spøttrup Borg and Medieval Market (by Demelza Endenburg)

Spøttrup Borg is Denmark’s best preserved medieval castle. It’s situated in Salling in the Skive Kommune. Certain architectural signs show the castle was finished somewhere in the 1520’s, but there is no documented proof of when it was actually built.  Around the castle is a big park, where one week during the summer period a medieval market is held, the so-called Bishop’s Market. It’s called the Bishop’s Market, because the castle was owned by the Bishop of Viborg for a period of time. He was presumably also responsible for the construction of the castle.

Normally, you would most likely walk directly through the park and head straight for the castle, but during my visit, on the 23^rd of July 2013, the annual Bishop’s Market was taking place, meaning it actually took me a couple of hours to reach the castle! This was because the market not only has stalls were you can buy an array of medieval inspired products that you would want to have a look at, from recipes for a medieval onion soup to actual swords, but also because of the demonstrations and entertainment you might encounter along the route.

Many forms of medieval-style entertainment are provided at the market. Obviously, there is a knights’ tournament, with jousting and a melee, but also jugglers and acrobats and a group of fire-jugglers. In other words, there’s entertainment for both young and old.

When you continue towards the castle, you will first encounter a beautiful rose garden. You’re allowed to bring your own food and drink here, so if the weather is good, you’ll be able to have a lovely picnic. In case the weather is not so great, there’s always a risk of that here in Denmark, you can eat or have a cup of coffee at the restaurant on the other (left) side of the path. For obvious reasons, you’re not allowed to bring your own food here.

Walking further down the path, you’ll come to Spøttrup Lake; the lake was probably one of the reasons why the castle was built here in the first place. Cannons, a new invention in the period the castle was built, couldn’t be aimed directly at the gate because the lake was in their way. A gate is always a castle’s weakest point, and at Spøttrup Borg the only point of entrance, due to the castle’s double moat system with ramparts in between. Luckily for us, the lake also provides an opportunity for taking some great photos.

After you’ve entered the courtyard, you’ll have several different doors to choose from to enter the castle. There doesn’t seem to be a standard route to follow, but once inside you’ll most likely just walk from one room to the next, eventually making your way through the entire castle. It is a good idea though, to keep track on which floor you’re on, to make certain that you get to see everything, as the stairs can give a bit of a labyrinth feel to the building.

Most rooms and halls are almost empty, like the ball room shown in the picture. It gives an idea of the size of the rooms, but it does make the rooms look a bit bare. Of course, not all rooms were fancily decorated back then. Only the rooms used by the Bishop and his guests would have had comfortable furniture and decorations. The guards and other staff didn’t need anything fancy.

The big exception, being the rooms renovated in Baroque style by the Rosenkrantz family in the 18^th century. Finely decorated wardrobes, like shown in the picture, and an indoor toilet were part of everyday luxuries in life for a noble family in this century. For instance, the amount of detail visible in the postern of the bed in the next picture is exquisite. Because nothing is fenced off, you can get really close to study the details. The only exceptions are the chairs; a piece of rope has been placed between the arm rests, to prevent people sitting on them.

As you probably already noticed, there’s focus on both the luxurious lifestyle of the upper-class, but also commoners. For instance, the storage rooms for food in the basements were also used as a prison in the days of the Bishop. There’s also focus on the room were the guards used to spend their time when off-duty. 

Now, for the more practical things. There is a bathroom in case you need to go, but it’s not in the castle itself (you’re obviously not allowed to use the 18^th century toilet!), it’s in the park to the left of the path when you walk towards the castle. There are also toilets inside the restaurant. Keep in mind, that there can be some queuing during the market period. In that case they may sometimes also allow use of the toilets at the sport’s canteen next to the parking lot.

Normally the entrance price for the castle is 75 DKK for an adult, while children up to 17 are free of charge. During the Market period, however, the price was 100 DKK for an adult and free for children. These prices were valid for the summer of 2013, but be certain to check the castle’s website http://www.spottrupborg.dk/ before going. In my opinion, this price is more than reasonable, especially during the market period, because it allows entertainment for the entire family from 10 o’clock when it opens (check the website for changes of the opening hours) until closing time at 6.

It takes approximately 55 minutes to drive to the castle from Holstebro (remember to always keep to the speed limits!). I would advise using a GPS to drive there, unless you’ve got an experienced navigator with a map on his/her lap sitting beside you. You have to drive there on country roads and there isn’t a sign for the castle until you’re only about a kilometre away from it. Parking is close to the entrance, so you shouldn’t have to worry about having to walk too far.

You’re allowed to bring your dog to the park, but keep in mind that cannons will be used during the ‘Storming of the Castle’ at the market. Something not all dogs will enjoy. This is at a field a bit away from the actual market, so it shouldn’t be difficult avoiding this area, just check in advance at what time the ‘storming’ takes place. Some of the stalls at the market had drinking bowls for dogs as well, making it quite a dog-friendly place.

Lastly and perhaps most important for those of us who do not understand Danish: the languages used. If you’re only going there to visit the castle, then there is no language issue. All the texts throughout the rooms and halls in the castle are in Danish, English and German. At the market however, things are a bit different. The entertainment is completely in Danish, like for instance the presenter at the jousting, but luckily many things don’t need translating. It doesn’t matter for a child if the juggler is only speaking Danish it just wants to see him juggle! Proof of this, was the number of tourists present, there were Germans and Swedes amongst the crowd and they all seemed to have a great time, despite understanding little of what was being said. Languages shouldn’t be a problem at the market stalls either, the people selling there are just as likely to speak English or German as in any other shop you might enter in Denmark.

All in all, I would definitely recommend visiting this castle. The things displayed might not always be the most interesting for small children, but the entire family (including the dog) will have a great time if you chose to visit during the annual market!

Photos owned by Demelza Endenburg