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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesST. THOMAS SAYS 'VELKOMMEN' TO DANES

ST. THOMAS SAYS 'VELKOMMEN' TO DANES

Saturday afternoon 54 Danes associated with the Dansk Vestindisk Selskab deplaned at Cyril E. King Airport for the continuation of a longstanding relationship with the Virgin Islands Friends of Denmark Society. Some 27 V.I. hosts were on hand to greet their guests and take them home for a week’s action-packed program.
The Dansk Vestindisk Selskab / St. Thomas Friends of Denmark / St. Croix Friends of Denmark is a group that serves to maintain interpersonal channels of communication between Denmark and the U.S. Virgin Islands and educate the participants as to the actuality of each others' lives.
Every four years Virgin Islanders travel to Denmark and are feted in private homes for at least two weeks. Similarly, every four years their Danish counterparts travel to the Virgin Islands to spend one week with St. Thomas hosts and another week with Cruzian hosts.
Many Danes take advantage of the situation to practice their language skills, while most Virgin Islanders do what they do best -– socialize and party.
This year the program began with a search for the right gate at the airport. After a year of serious planning by society president Corinne Lockhart and her merry men and women, the society met at Gate 9 to greet their incoming guests. Following an enjoyable social hour, they were informed their guests would be deplaning at Gate 1.
The bad news for the day included the illness of the original pilot on the American Airlines New York flight, the relief pilot’s difficulty finding a parking space at the airport and the gate change. The good news was the fact everyone made the flight in good spirits, our terminal is not so far from end to end, and the deliverance of all luggage direct to Gate 9 made life most enjoyable -– good show, airport staff.
The best news of the day was that the doctor has encouraged Paul Dall to travel. He and his charming wife, Solvig, are expected to join friends on St. Croix next week.
Barbara Rickets, airport manager, had prepared a most delightful reception at the gate with fruit punch, salmon balls and saltfish. The Danes seemed most appreciative as they sampled the fare, and returned for more until it was all most happily consumed.
After an hour or so of meeting, greeting, socializingand nibbling, the group dispersed to the respective hosts’ homes for an afternoon and evening of getting acquainted with each other and the island, or, for some, getting reacquainted following their visit two years ago when Virgin Islanders visited Denmark.
The week's activities: Sunday, church and beach party; Monday, island tour and governor’s reception; Tuesday, St. John tour; Wednesday, walking tour, yard party, lecture and party; Thursday, trip to Virgin Gorda; Friday, banquet; and Saturday, departure to St. Croix via Hydroplane.

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