This film is based on the tale.  This site gives a more factual account of the dog’s loyalty after his master’s death and here there is another guide telling the story.

Can’t tell you who the joggers are.

While she was presenting I took a north-boun train to Helsingor this morning to see Kronborg Castle where Shakespeare’s Hamlet is set.  Hamlet is older than the castle but Shakespeare thought the story was worth telling.

I won’t bore you with endless castle shots but this courtyard scene indicates some of the splendour of the place.  It was also used for tax collection on ships going through the straits.  The castle was overtaken by the Swedes in 1658, when they took all the works of art back to Sweden.  Sweden returned them when the place became a museum.

Helsingor is a colourful seaside town that makes you want to retire there.Note the ever-present Danish flags.

(Above) This shows part of what appears to be the main square in town. Copenhagen has about 1.5million people.

This is to show the thiving cafe life in Copenhagen. Bicycles are everywhere with dedicated tracks on most roads.

I can’t remember if I’ve shown backgammon shots from Baku and Istanbul but it’s a very Azeri/Turkish thing for old men especially.  It seems like it’s a Copenhagen thing as well.  I think it’s a substitute for a shed.

Tonight I’ve going with Tanya to a banquet and cultural sharing.  I’m wondering should I take a bush hat and gum trees?  No, I’m singing Search Me O God, and Give Me a Home Among the Gum Trees.

There are endless streets of ancient buildings all of the same height .

Then there are rows of terraced homes and shops,

and on the end of this row was this advertisement for a local bank:

Here’s some surviving city wall:

and here’s some bleak reminders of Soviet occupation:

Sadly, it was a public holiday and the museums were closed.

Maybe even this is Soviet self-worship:

The following St Peter’s Church gives a hint of the unordered streets in the old city:

and this is possibly my favourite fable.  I had it on 3D binoculars and viewed it countless times.

The Musicans of Bremen.  Considering that Bremen is in Germany, I wonder what the connection with Riga is? I have arrived in Copenhagen but only to get to my b+b.  Still no sign of Tanya after two hours however.

Mine this last week was:  verb root + a/ə/ya/yə + bilər__. e.g. götüra bilərəm - Can İ take____?

Mən ala bilərəm? - Can I buy?

Danışa bilərəm? - Can I talk?

Verə bilərəm? - Can İ give?

Mən gələ bilərəm. - I can come.

I’m wondering about learning using the Total Physical Response method which has been shown to help learning. Anyone experienced that in groups?  It’s based upon immersion and experience rather than learning lists etc.

Azerbaycanca öyrənirəm.  I’m learning Azeri.

Başa düşürsünüz?                Do you understand?

Lankarana gedirsən?        When are you going to Lankaran?

Məktəbdə işləyirəm.        I work at school.

Mənə maşın lazımdır.     I need a car.

Maşını istəyirəm.          I want the car.

Bir maşın istəyirəm.      I want a car.

Nə vaxt gəlirsən?        When are you coming?

O bilir?                       Does he know?

O mənə it verir.          She is giving me a dog.

I’d welcome corrections.  Any Azeri speakers out there?
(Post already corrected twice, thanks to Jonathon.)

some graffiti engraved by a Roman soldier (Azerbaijan was the outer reaches of the Roman Empire) and the mud volcanoes.  The mud volcanoes quietly burp cold mud and methane.  Over the generations they have thrown up thousands of tons of mud but each opening is from a few cms to a metre wide. The larger openings are atop 2 or 3 metre mounds. One story is that many years ago the mud volcano did explode killing a shepherd.

Self-restraint is not a strong trait of 13/14y.o. boys as two of them decided to jump into a mud volcano with one of the school’s GPS hand-held devices. They were up to their shoulders in mud, the GPS was lost but thankfully, they were able to get out.  Needless to say the staff were beside themselves with disbelief, frustration and anger.  The boys apparently had no sense of how dangerous their action was, and probably figured that if they were suspended their school year would simply end earlier.  On returning to school the boys and girls went in separate buses with those in question down to their jocks.  It remains to be seen what action will be taken.

In addition two girls lost another GPS but wouldn’t own up to it.  It seems like the whole year will bear the cost.

I have some time today so I’m determined to memorise a few lists.

Tanya is in Copenhagen and is four hours drive south of where there is 24 hours light (is it ‘daylight’ if it’s night time? Could it be ‘nightlight’?).

Today in Copenhagen Sunrise 4.26am, sunset 9.57pm.  Dawn 3.24am  dusk 22.59pm.

I leave tomorrow morn, via Riga, and will see her early evening.  Copenhagen is 3 hours behind Baku.

After school I chose to walk to Azal Airlines on a street 28th May to buy a ticket from Dubai to Baku for August.  The women at the counters all looked busy so I waited close by waiting to be called over.  After a few minutes of seeing other people walk up and ask questions and get redirected I finally asked my question and was pointed to the next woman, presumably because of English.  When I asked if I could buy a ticket from Dubai to Baku she explained that she only does Baku to Dubai, and that I should go to the woman two counters along who does Dubai to Baku.  I guess they have their logic.

Last night was a party at Marta’s who is starting in Tanzania at an international school in August.  I asked if I could bring my guitar as I had been practising Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over.  Having played one they didn’t want me to stop so we sang for a few more hours.

It’s amazing how you can squeeze 20 people into a small apartment.  We had a large burnt moon rise on the Caspian behind a building topped with a dome.  Greg (Maths teacher) knows the artist who uses the dome as his studio and has spent many hours drinking the nights away there.

Tanya has arrived in Copenhagen and I fly out Monday to meet up with her.