The big day

Tony...Most days at the beach house are like each other, so for a few days there has been nothing notable to trouble the journal. I have had time to finish Hilary Mantel's second volume in the imaginary revelations of the mind of Thomas Cromwell "Bring up the Bodies". I felt breathless with excitement even to see the familiar list of dramatis personae and the book lived up to its promise of constructing a credible Cromwellian view of the downfall of the House of Boleyn. Then a dash through an airport paperback Grisham-type plotalike, before embarking on a delightful voyage into Middlemarch. Wendy has been reading about Hemingway and his first wife.
On Saturday several family groups arrived at the beach house while Jeremy and family decamped to J&U's home for 2 nights. On Sunday morning we were charged with transporting the beach house multitude to Vestermarie church.
Jonas' baptism was of course done in accordance with the rites of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, a State-established institution since about 1525. The young female priest wore a black neck to toe gown of ancient type and a wide white ruff to make a plate for her head.
Photos: Like many DELK churches, the interior of Vestermarie includes a prominent symbolical ship, but unlike Bornholm's best known church architecture the form is basilica rather than round. Vestermarie Kirke has also preserved some ancient tombstones inscribed in runic.
The ceremony, part of the normal Sunday order with 6 long mainly traditional hymns, and sermon, began with a procession, led by the priest, of parents, both children and 5 godparents, the principal of whom was H's brother. Ulla later remarked what a joy it was to see her family coming down the aisle.
Afterwards delicious morning coffee and homemade mini pizzas at J&U's home, then a walk in the forest culminating at lunch for 35 guests in a shooting lodge.

Wendy...We'd been over to the hunting lodge on Saturday night to set up for today so it was a pleasure to arrive and see flowers on white clothed tables. The presents also piled up on a separate table and each child was given a bubble pipe to help occupy them.
Lunch started with a small speech of welcome from H and a description of the proceedings and then it was time to go for it.
First course was salmon marinated in lime juice and "chilli". It's in inverted commas because chilli in Denmark has nothing to do with heat! There were also small fresh water crayfish (yabbies to us) and it was served with salad.
This was followed by venison (we were warned to chew carefully as the venison may have shot in it, as it was hunted locally!). It was served with a plum sauce, creamy potatoes and salad. Dessert was poached pineapple with capsicum (yes you are reading correctly!) and an aniseed cream which was mild and beautiful even for me who doesn't greatly like aniseed. There was plenty of fluid of various kinds to wash this wonderful meal down with (including an impressive dessert wine) but since it was a fairly warm day (about 25) there was a roaring demand for soft drinks, at our table at least.
Another walk to help the digestion was followed by afternoon tea at J&U's which consisted of a couple of traditional cakes both with a pastry base. The first was called a cake man (inscribed as Baptism-day Jonas) because of the shape, and Xanthe asked for and received the head. The rest of us had to settle for bits of the body. This was iced in various colours to denote its clothing. The second cake was a prune tart on a rich puff pastry base, absolutely delicious as you will see from the photo. The afternoon ended by returning staying people to the summer house and others to ferry and airport for the homeward journey.

Our policy for this blog is to exclude people photos, so no family snaps.