Irene opens her home and garden on Køge Bay for an afternoon of coffee, cake, and conversation.

Her house is unlike any other in Denmark. Built like a wooden Swiss ski chalet, with a vast garden that comes alive with flowers in spring, and walls filled with photographs and memories from a life lived across continents. It is the kind of home that tells you who someone is before they've said a word.

Born in Quebec, Irene moved to Denmark in her twenties after meeting her Danish husband in London. She built a career as a nurse for over 45 years across Canada, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands, before training as a travel guide. She has entertained diplomats, raised three sons, and grown a garden that stops people in their tracks. She is sharp, warm, and completely alive to the world around her.

Irene particularly loves meeting internationals — people who have found themselves in Denmark and are figuring out what that means. She wants to share how she built her life here, answer your questions, and remind you not to take it all too seriously.

"Growing old is a privilege. I feel so alive. “