This was my first time in Denmark (lots of firsts for me this year, travel-wise) and thankfully I had two good friends who had just recently moved there to join the Royal Danish Ballet. I stayed with one of those friends in the most charming apartment. This was the moment I was introduced the the perfection that is Danish design. I eventually learned that lots of Danish apartments look similar to this. Very simplistic. Minimalist. Geometric. Matte, light, wood finish. Very light and white. I adored it.
Every morning, to get into the city's centre, we had to walk along this gorgeous canal. Boats parked all along the sides, cobblestone pathways beneath my feet and the sun's definitive glow - it was picturesque to say the least.
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| beauty, ain't it? |
My first morning there, Wilma and I stopped at the cutest cafe by her place. Little did I know, I was about to taste the most drool-worthy croissant of my life...
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| I still dream of this croissant. |
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| bike traffic. It's a thing there. |
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| Strøget - one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world |
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| Strøget by night. Lit stars in the ground :) |
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| Torvehallen - a food/super market. Think Chelsea Market in New York or St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. |
Here we began to cross the bridge to get into the neighbourhood known as Nørrebro. It's the northern district of Copenhagen and currently regarded as the trendy destination. It's likely the most multicultural part of the city and filled with lots of amazing restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.
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| One lonely chair overlooking the water. How lovely. |
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| And by the chair is a mysterious book... |
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| The view from the bridge. |
Here's another canal. You really can't walk for more than ten minutes without seeing a canal in Copenhagen.
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| t'was a gloomy day |
This is the infamous Nyhavn. It is a 17th century waterfront but to the plain jane eye, it is yet another canal. It's loaded with restaurants and cafes. Very lively and entertaining. Personally, my favourite part about Nyhavn would be the bright colours of the buildings. Visually, it's a lovely portrait.
When I had some alone time to wander and get lost, naturally I happened to stumble upon what I believe to be the world's best cookie (so far). The place was called Foodshop No. 26 and because wifi is like an endangered species when you're travelling, I was initially inclined to enter because of that. Or maybe it was the fresh pastries and danishes sitting at the window, beckoning me, completely aware of my vulnerability to sweets. Blasted Danes...why must your food be so good??
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| Heaven in cookie form. |
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| Me and Wilma being all touristy. |
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| And there she is! |
Lucky for us, this very same night was also KulturNight in Copenhagen. On this night, for a fixed rate of maybe about $25, every museum, gallery, church, political building, castle, etc. was opened to the public. First we visited the Museum of Danish Design but I didn't get any pictures. Sorry.
We moved onto the building of trade. We got a really thorough tour, thankfully in English.
Outside, we ran into a series of tents that had different activities within them. This is me sawing of a piece of wood, which I later turned into a candle.
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| this was hard for me... |
Here, on a bright, sunny and warm day, I ventured off to see the Royal Danish Library.
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| amazing |
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| leave me here forever? |
Then of course came Saturday night. Universally known as a late night. We visited Christiania, which is a self-proclaimed neighbourhood in the city that seems to have no rules except for NO PICTURES. So yeah..didn't get any pictures. But imagine a charming hippie-village.
As bikes are the best way to get by in Copenhagen, I couldn't leave without riding one. Only problem was, I didn't have one. So I hopped on the back seat of Liam's. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life.
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| these smiles are fake. |
I don't think I've ever seen fashion so impeccable as the fashion I've seen in Denmark. The stores are out of this world. Such quality. Expensive, but...worth every penny. I treated myself to some black jeans from Cheap Monday and two basic t shirts (softer than a baby's bottom) from Samsoe Samsoe.
But I must admit, the best thing I bought in Copenhagen was my new haircut. Funny story with that - after months of debate, whether or not I should cut my hair, Liam convinced me it was the right thing to do. My long hair, despite my efforts to grow it longer, was damaged beyond repair. It was a Sunday that I came to this decision, and I tell you, everything is shut down on Sunday. Except one magical hair salon that told me this was my fate. Short hair is blissful. It's light, it's easy. I feel that I look older (thankfully because I'm a cursed babyface). I had no regrets. And yes, occasionally I'll look back and miss the way my long hair looked, but I think I'm gonna hang onto this bob, just for a little longer.
To summarize the trip, it was memorable. The city itself was perfect in all the right ways. The people were friendly, the air clean. I was so grateful to have had my friends there and to have made new friends as well.
I'm very excited because I get to go back there next month. The scary part is I'll be living there for half a year... Working at the one place I very remorsefully didn't get to visit: Tivoli Gardens. I have dozens of thoughts and feelings about this right now, but I think I'm at a place in my life where I need to start a new adventure. I've aged a lot this year from experience and I feel ready to do this, despite the uncertainty one always feels when starting something new.
So starting late April, this blog will be coming to you from Copenhagen, Denmark!
Pleasantly yours,
Bart
