What I like about Randers is Ida and the magic that surrounds her.
The morning after the dinner, Ida picked me up at my hotel. Then we visited three museums: Randers Kunstmuseum, Museum Østjylland and the Memphis Mansion.
I have to say that Memphis Mansion is worthy, as you don’t expect to have the most extensive collection of Elvis items in a humble city outside the United States.
I also had a fabulous experience at Randers Kunstmuseum. Even though it is a typical art museum of a small European city, Ida imprinted all her energy showing it to me as she works there.
The museum contains an extensive selection of arts from Denmark and abroad. They are chronologically placed from the late 18th Century (the Golden Age of Danish art) to our days showing how Denmark Art Scene has changed through the ages. As Ida did her master’s in Danish Gold Age Art, she was living the life of her dreams.
It was marvellous to see her explaining with great passion the works of names such as C. W. Eckersberg, J. Th. Lundbye, Vilhelm Kyhn that I never heard before. I got fascinated by Tróndur Patursson’s Koskisk Rum; it was the artistic highlight of the day.
So far, I haven’t expressed my interest to Ida because I feel so impure to even make her acknowledge my intentions. But I couldn’t resist admiring her at the Kosmik Rum dome.
She noticed it and smiled.
She invited me to have dinner at her place again, but I asked her to go to a restaurant. She accepted and suggested Café Jens Otto for beers. The night was going excellent until Jessica appeared.
“Come to Italy, Benjamin. I want to talk to you,” she texted.
Ida invited me to stay over a couple of days at her place so I would have the chance to relax the back and forth travelling and to experience living in a Danish neighbourhood.
“If you decide to stay one week until I am free of work at the museum, I can take you to Billund. There is a park there and also a very well connected airport.”
I couldn’t say no. My only problem was that I wanted to stay with her forever. I don’t know why I didn’t mention it.
“Where are you going after, Benjamin Gunst?”
“Maybe Italy,” my mouth said. But my mind wanted to stay in Randers. I don’t know why I needed to go to Italy, I don’t know why I bought that ticket from Billund.
“Let’s talk next week. I am flying to Rome, Jessica”.