My U.S. trip to Denmark …

In 1952 my sister and her Danish born husband were living in Ventura, California and my friend Gayle and I spent the summer with them. It was our College break and we’d saved enough money to be able to take a Greyhound bus from Boston to get there.

We were very low on funds so we were happy to get jobs as waitresses at the Pierpont Inn, a posh restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The tips were good and we managed to save up enough for a plane ticket home and to visit a few special places.

One of those places was the small town of Solvang (“Little Denmark”) established in 1911 by Danish immigrants. This picturesque city is set against gently sloping hills and is dedicated to the architecture, crafts and values of their ancestors.

My sister and her husband were our guides to this lovely town and it gave him a chance to speak his native language, which, of course, was Danish. They were also thrilled to introduce us to their favorite bakery and its special treats, such as Aebleskivers, a waffle-like delicacy pictured here:

I though maybe I could find a picture on the internet of the original Bakery that we visited but none of the ones shown there were in existence in 1952. However, since they all look pretty much alike I chose this one, Olsen’s Bakery.

My memory of that day is that it was a delightful way to visit Denmark while still remaining on our own continent. A lot less expensive too !!