Once again it is most interesting to see our island through the eyes of a stranger.
Wednesday morning at 8:45 the Danish West Indian Society congregated in Emancipation Park for a walking tour of town. The park itself, the synagogue, Camille Pissarro's home, etc., were all visited among the hordes of cruise ship tourists with six major ships in port, including two of the world’s largest.
What we consider a horde is simply not overwhelming to a resident of Copenhagen used to the packed streets of their major shopping/ dining/ hangout centers. On the other hand, our compact buildings are a thing of beauty.
Lunch was held in a historic home on the fringe of town and included a light punch, smoked turkey, plenty of sandwich fixings, salads and awesome desserts. The outdoor setting was picture perfect with the harbor in the background, plenty of sultry breezes and the cool shade of several trees supplemented by tents.
A highlight of this gathering was a peek at the hope chest being crafted by the chef for the Antilles Auction. Some lucky person is going to obtain a most beautiful and functional piece of furniture with many hours of love and attention spent on the design, crafting and finishing of this lovely piece.
The afternoon was spent at Palms Court in Harbor View Hotel. What a great job is being done to expand this facility into what has to be the leading hostelry in Charlotte Amalie. Here several Virgin Islanders spoke to the subject of Danish / Virgin Islander relationships while Danish visitors spoke concerning their quest for historical background material, with special emphasis on family ties.
All participants were given several opportunities to sample bush tea, both hot and cold, then presented with dried samples of this unique island product.
After a short rest and change of clothes, it was on to Government House and the Governor’s Reception. Given Dr. Charles W. Turnbull’s background as a professional historian, it was not suprising to find the Danish West Indian Society presenting him with an eight-volume set of rare books describing Danish life in the islands during colonial times. Such a thoughtful gift for the contemplative Gov. Turnbull.
Of course the evening would not have been complete without music. School children sang Danish songs taught by their Danish exchange teaching and the Kean High School Jazz Band provided the evening’s background music.
Finally, the University Caterers repeated their performance of two nights ago in Fort Christian, only on a much grander scale. The meat balls Svenska, seafood pate and banana fritters were particularly memorable.
Arriving home in the moonlight, the Danes were all most appreciative of such a blessed day.
