That simply cannot be more appropriate considering that our Marie has been promoting Danish "Gold-age art" in France and dealt with these same Danish artists earlier today.
And now visiting Skagen, THE home of the Danish classical painters.
The (not sure what you call it in English) see-saw light (not a lighthouse, but a (ancient) navigation beacon, the vippe-fyr at Skagen.
It looks like this:
https://www.toppenafdanmark.dk/sites...7-DSC01784.jpg
This is a modern replica of a beacon from 1627.
This tradition with the midsummer bonfires also took place 130 years ago when the painters lived and worked in Skagen town, as is evident from this very well known painting:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Institute.jpg
Here with Marie in front of the painting:
https://cdn.herognu.dk/wp-content/up...m-1392x890.jpg
I have talked many times about the midsummer bonfires here in DK.
In fact we have just returned from a local bonfire, the weather is perfect tonight!
Called Sankt Hans (after John/Johannes/Johan the Baptist) here in DK, the tradition is ancient.
Today most bonfires are adorned with a "witch" - a reminiscent of the witch-burnings of the 1600's, a terror that over time has has faded into a cozy midsummer tradition. Anyway, many witches contain wheezers , so that the "witch" howl when she flies off to Bloksbjerg on her broom. = Brocken mountain in Germany where there seems to be an annual witch-gathering.
Before that happens it's a common tradition to have someone give a speech, before lighting the bonfire. Sometimes it's a local dignitary or a mayor or a politician, in other cases it's a more prominent person, like Marie.
While the fire burns the beautiful and evocative "midsummer ballad" is song by all present.
Keep in mind that at 22.20 right now, dusk has only started to set in.
https://www.scandinaviastandard.com/...n-Denmark.jpeg
The Midsummer ballad, in a classic interpretation. Albeit a bit too fast for my taste.
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