Dear Friends,
In the midst of studying for exams, writing term essays, work, and unfortunate family circumstances, B[ZU] set off to Copenhagen for a weekend. Being in Warsaw, a European capital, has many perks, among which are relatively inexpensive flights to European destinations. B and I felt disappointed with ourselves for not really exploring much of Europe outside of Poland and since Copenhagen was a city that has been on my list of places to visit for a while, we figured why not?!
We flew into Malmo, Sweden and took a bus from there to Copenhagen. The ride was less than an hour long and gave us a chance to see some Scandinavian landscapes along with a view from the super long bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark. Having done some research in wind power for an earlier position, it was really neat to see off-shore turbines as well as some on land. There was even a very small old-fashioned windmill, the kind that Don Quixote picked a fight with, right next to a couple sleek, modern wind turbines. I loved it.
When we got into the centre of Copenhagen, it was cold, grey, but thankfully not raining. We had planned to visit some of Vesterbro, the “hipster” district, filled with boutiques, restaurants, and is home to the Copenhagen museum. B and I shopped a little, acquired some Danish-designed objects: a Samsoe & Samsoe dress for me and a pair of Hay scissors for B which didn’t make it home (they were confiscated at the airport….) What did make the trip were little copper cauldrons that we picked up at an antique shop. The bran muffins that we baked earlier only fueled us for so long and soon we were cold and very hungry. We rushed through our meal hoping to get to the museum before it closed, but alas, we only were allowed to spend 10 minutes there. I guess we will see it next time.
We then decided to slowly make our way towards our hotel which would require walking through the center of town. We passed by Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, strolled through City Hall Square to Stroget street, the longest and oldest pedestrian street in the world. It was lined with shops, both luxury brands and affordable chains, as well as some restaurants, bars, and cafes. Finally we got to our hotel and after checking in, we quickly hopped into our suits and made our way to the sauna like real Scandinavians. OK, perhaps like fake ones because we didn’t last that long in there. By this point we were both feeling a little sick, with sore throats, runny noses, and slight fevers, thanks to Jurek’s parents*. The night was pretty terrible and we woke up feeling like feces but determined to fill our one full day in Copenhagen with adventures.
We rented bikes at the hotel and set out to say hello to the Little Mermaid in the harbour before cruising through the center of the Kastellet fortress that was shaped like a star, all while navigating through the throngs of crazed runners. Seriously, how cold does it have to be to stop you Danes from running outside? Our cute white bikes carried us right through to the Royal Palaces, Amalienborg, which is actually a complex of four very similar looking buildings all facing the statue of Fredrick the V that is present in the middle of the square. From there we could see the Marble Church and the modern Royal Opera House across the harbour. After a near miss on a one way street with a stylish Mercedes (of course it’s stylish, it’s Denmark), we parked our bikes for a minute to see Nyhavn, that inland harbour with colourful buildings that all the postcards feature. It was pretty empty in the morning but still very nice. After a quick breakfast, we walked our bikes along Stroget towards the meeting place of the walking tour that we hoped to join but got pulled into Hay House, the flagship store of the Danish company. Here we bought some accessories to our little nest and some tiny gifts for some loved ones. We both really liked this store as it was all about simplicity with a little “oomph”. Slim gold-tone pens, plain wooden rulers with subtle mint stripes, pretty binders, etc. All types of wooden brushes with natural bristles. It almost makes me want to clean…almost.
We both really loved the free walking tours that we attended. The first one made such an impression on us that we left a little early to make the second one that started at 14:00. Tour books can only tell you so much while the tour guides were really knowledgeable and funny. The first tour was of the centre of Copenhagen and the second was of Christianshavn and Christiania, the city within the city. I’m not going to spoil all the fun, so if you want to know what went on, you’ll have to book a flight…
The last day we left from the train station but not without strolling along the complex of man-made lakes. It was really calm and peaceful and I’m sure that if we lived in Copenhagen, we would regularly hang out and spend time in this area.
Now B and I have some observations that a tour book might or might not tell you.
B[ZU] really liked Copenhagen overall and can really see why it is consistently rated as one of the best places to live. Great social benefits, clean and well-maintained, avant-garde architecture alongside very unified and harmonious neighborhoods that all seem to have their own identities.
Check out the Steller that B put together for some photo evidence.
B’s disclaimer: weather was not good for photography, do not judge too harshly.
ZU’s disclaimer: Taking hands out of pockets and gloves to take photos was painful. The man is a hero
Bisouxx from our very warm apartment in our beloved Warsaw,
B[ZU]
*Jurek is a pupil at the preschool with a fever this week whose parents refused to take him home until his temperature reached 38C. The poor kid spent most of the day curled up in a ball in the corner of the room whilst infecting every student and staff member
In the midst of studying for exams, writing term essays, work, and unfortunate family circumstances, B[ZU] set off to Copenhagen for a weekend. Being in Warsaw, a European capital, has many perks, among which are relatively inexpensive flights to European destinations. B and I felt disappointed with ourselves for not really exploring much of Europe outside of Poland and since Copenhagen was a city that has been on my list of places to visit for a while, we figured why not?!
We flew into Malmo, Sweden and took a bus from there to Copenhagen. The ride was less than an hour long and gave us a chance to see some Scandinavian landscapes along with a view from the super long bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark. Having done some research in wind power for an earlier position, it was really neat to see off-shore turbines as well as some on land. There was even a very small old-fashioned windmill, the kind that Don Quixote picked a fight with, right next to a couple sleek, modern wind turbines. I loved it.
When we got into the centre of Copenhagen, it was cold, grey, but thankfully not raining. We had planned to visit some of Vesterbro, the “hipster” district, filled with boutiques, restaurants, and is home to the Copenhagen museum. B and I shopped a little, acquired some Danish-designed objects: a Samsoe & Samsoe dress for me and a pair of Hay scissors for B which didn’t make it home (they were confiscated at the airport….) What did make the trip were little copper cauldrons that we picked up at an antique shop. The bran muffins that we baked earlier only fueled us for so long and soon we were cold and very hungry. We rushed through our meal hoping to get to the museum before it closed, but alas, we only were allowed to spend 10 minutes there. I guess we will see it next time.
We then decided to slowly make our way towards our hotel which would require walking through the center of town. We passed by Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, strolled through City Hall Square to Stroget street, the longest and oldest pedestrian street in the world. It was lined with shops, both luxury brands and affordable chains, as well as some restaurants, bars, and cafes. Finally we got to our hotel and after checking in, we quickly hopped into our suits and made our way to the sauna like real Scandinavians. OK, perhaps like fake ones because we didn’t last that long in there. By this point we were both feeling a little sick, with sore throats, runny noses, and slight fevers, thanks to Jurek’s parents*. The night was pretty terrible and we woke up feeling like feces but determined to fill our one full day in Copenhagen with adventures.
We rented bikes at the hotel and set out to say hello to the Little Mermaid in the harbour before cruising through the center of the Kastellet fortress that was shaped like a star, all while navigating through the throngs of crazed runners. Seriously, how cold does it have to be to stop you Danes from running outside? Our cute white bikes carried us right through to the Royal Palaces, Amalienborg, which is actually a complex of four very similar looking buildings all facing the statue of Fredrick the V that is present in the middle of the square. From there we could see the Marble Church and the modern Royal Opera House across the harbour. After a near miss on a one way street with a stylish Mercedes (of course it’s stylish, it’s Denmark), we parked our bikes for a minute to see Nyhavn, that inland harbour with colourful buildings that all the postcards feature. It was pretty empty in the morning but still very nice. After a quick breakfast, we walked our bikes along Stroget towards the meeting place of the walking tour that we hoped to join but got pulled into Hay House, the flagship store of the Danish company. Here we bought some accessories to our little nest and some tiny gifts for some loved ones. We both really liked this store as it was all about simplicity with a little “oomph”. Slim gold-tone pens, plain wooden rulers with subtle mint stripes, pretty binders, etc. All types of wooden brushes with natural bristles. It almost makes me want to clean…almost.
We both really loved the free walking tours that we attended. The first one made such an impression on us that we left a little early to make the second one that started at 14:00. Tour books can only tell you so much while the tour guides were really knowledgeable and funny. The first tour was of the centre of Copenhagen and the second was of Christianshavn and Christiania, the city within the city. I’m not going to spoil all the fun, so if you want to know what went on, you’ll have to book a flight…
The last day we left from the train station but not without strolling along the complex of man-made lakes. It was really calm and peaceful and I’m sure that if we lived in Copenhagen, we would regularly hang out and spend time in this area.
Now B and I have some observations that a tour book might or might not tell you.
- Bike culture: Copenhagen is known for its bike culture and I am guessing there must be more bikes in the city than people. Bike infrastructure is really developed, examples being raised wide bike lanes with curbs, bike parking structures, etc. To the point where bikes are treated more like vehicles than pedestrians. I can see why mixing of modes on sidewalks and streets are not a good idea. Because Denmark is relatively flat, it is really easy to pick up speed when biking here. If you wander into a bike lane, you will get hurt. I also really like the locking systems that most people have on their bikes. They don’t necessarily chain their bikes to racks or trees but have a lock with a key on the back wheel to make it difficult to roll a bike away. Very minimalist and you don’t have to carry a bike lock all the time and look for things to chain it around.
- Urban engagement: Copenhagen is really ahead of the curb when it comes to urban spaces and engagement of the community. Already years ago the city council was making smart decisions and this legacy has continued until today. I have to admit that Copenhagen didn’t look as good as I though it would, mostly because of the multiple construction sites in major public squares. I excused it however, because it is all in the name of the new metro line coming in. An interesting initiative that we really enjoyed was the one site at King’s New Square. Though there is cladding around the site for safety measures, there is a chance for people to get up and see the hole in the ground and see progress. This gives Copenhageners a chance to say “our metro” and feel connected and informed on the project and not maintain an “us” vs. “them” mentality that I see in Warsaw regarding the delayed line that was supposed to open and no one seems to know any details about. Even the cladding around the site was full of art and interactive exhibits. Look up “Happy wall.” So cool.
- Sustainable: Copenhagen is striving to be carbon neutral by 2025 and this is not just in policy but even evident on the streets. Copenhagen had the most electric car charging stations that I have ever seen. The bicycle culture is also immediately in public view.
- Danish style: Fashion is the 4th largest export in Denmark. I would define the look that most ladies are sporting as “natural goth”. It’s a nation of Gwyneth Paltrow look-a-likes with minimal makeup and wearing all black. Black on black on black. Big sweaters and dresses, tights and black runners with a black trench coat.
- Cost: Most expensive place I have ever been to. Let me illustrate: 20 CDN for 2 bagels and 2 coffees at McDonalds. More than 4 CDN for a tea at 7/11. Yes. Save your pennies.
B[ZU] really liked Copenhagen overall and can really see why it is consistently rated as one of the best places to live. Great social benefits, clean and well-maintained, avant-garde architecture alongside very unified and harmonious neighborhoods that all seem to have their own identities.
Check out the Steller that B put together for some photo evidence.
B’s disclaimer: weather was not good for photography, do not judge too harshly.
ZU’s disclaimer: Taking hands out of pockets and gloves to take photos was painful. The man is a hero
Bisouxx from our very warm apartment in our beloved Warsaw,
B[ZU]
*Jurek is a pupil at the preschool with a fever this week whose parents refused to take him home until his temperature reached 38C. The poor kid spent most of the day curled up in a ball in the corner of the room whilst infecting every student and staff member