Copenhagen, Denmark

I love autumn. It's my favourite season for so many reasons.  But this past year I had a different fall experience than what I'm usually used to.  I spent a few weeks in October visiting Copenhagen, Denmark and while my heart belongs to the orange leaves and crisp air in Canada, I'm happy I got to witness a Danish autumn this year.

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.

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...

I still dream of this croissant. 

As we walked further into the heart of Copenhagen, there was lots to see....

bike traffic. It's a thing there.

Strøget -  one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world

Strøget by night.  Lit stars in the ground :)

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.  

One lonely chair overlooking the water. How lovely.

And by the chair is a mysterious book...

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.  

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??

Heaven in cookie form.

The grandest tourist adventure I went on was to see the Little Mermaid statue.  Hans Christian Anderson, known to us as the author of many fairy tales, modernly presented as Disney movies, lived and died in Copenhagen.  The statue is found by the waterside of the Langelinie promenade, which in itself is a nice walk.

Me and Wilma being all touristy.

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.

this was hard for me...

Here, on a bright, sunny and warm day, I ventured off to see the Royal Danish Library.  

amazing

Just outside the library, I discovered my new favourite reading spot...

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.

these smiles are fake.

Next day, Liam and I came across a very, very random set of swings.  We couldn't not...

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

Oslo, Norway

At the end of January I was lucky enough to travel to the magnificent city of Oslo, Norway to attend an audition.  It was a short trip - maybe about three days long - but I really tried to make the most of my stay there and absorb what I could in this short amount of time.  

I got off my plane and like any explorer in a new place, made my way on the train which took me straight into the heart of the city.  I fell in love with the Norwegian scenery instantly.  

here are some fields...

here are some trees...

here are some homes...

As you can see, lots and lots of snow in Norway.  The temperature wasn't much different from Toronto's - frosty, but no more than what I'm used to.  But I left a green Toronto, so I was quite appreciative of this Nordic snowy winter view.

I stayed in what was by far the coolest hotel my student budget could ever afford. The Comfort Hotel Xpress Youngstorget.  The hotel had the vibe of an ultra hip youth hostel.  It was decorated with pop-art and graffiti on the walls and even had arcade machines upon entry.  The staff were incredibly friendly.  I can only say good things about this place.

cutest twin beds I've ever seen

how about this super Nordic bathroom

Isabelle was meeting me in Oslo but since my plane arrived a few hours before hers, I had some time to go off and explore...

mountains of mystery

the Oslo Opera House (also where my audition was)

cute cafe I found (one of the few places open on a Sunday aka I was starving)

When Isabelle arrived, we went out to explore some more and out for dinner.  Staying outside in the fresh air and tiring ourselves out was the best way to fight off the jet lag, especially considering we had to be perky, bright-eyed ballerinas the next day.  Isabelle thought it would be neat to document Norway in panoramas, so she took these cool photos:

1. A restaurant not too far from our hotel.  We think it was Italian because I ordered a pizza but they did also serve fish so...we never found out for sure.  Our waitress was telling us about this one white fish that's similar to cod, that they hang up to dry out for some time before serving it.  Apparently, it's a big thing in Norway.
2. This was the neighbourhood where our hotel was.  Youngstorget, it was called.  Very hip and trendy. Lots of cool restaurants and bars and only minutes away from the shopping street and other known parts of Oslo.  The only difficulty was that we had to walk up and down these hills to get out of the hotel, which in any other season would be fine except that in winter, all of Oslo turns into an ice rink.  Not even kidding.  We were slipping and sliding all over the place.  So yeah...these hills were basically a death sentence.
3. Here is a view of the opera house and city at night.  Very beautiful and lit up.  Could you imagine going to see an opera or a ballet in such a striking structure?
4. Ah Joe & the Juice.  Joe and I first met upon my travels to Copenhagen in October.  It's this incredible juice place where they're known to hire really hot guys...sort of sexist, I know.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it somehow makes the juice taste even better.

The audition went well.  I mean, I didn't get a job so obviously it could have been better, but I had a good class and a lot of fun.  Optimism is the only thing I can hold onto for now.  And if I know that I did my personal best, then I know they just didn't want me.  Yeah, that sucks, but at least it's not my talent that's in question.  It's going to be a long road of rejections, so if I let myself break this early on in the game, I'll never make it.  Anyways, the view outside the studio was something else.  I made sure to get a barre spot right at the window, which could be distracting/inspiring, all at the same time.  Windows are very important to me.  

Isabelle and I after our audition

My friend Ida who lives in Norway was kind enough to take us around the city and give us a tour.  It was so lovely seeing her again since it's been a handful of years since I last saw her.  We walked for hours in the cold but I felt that after her personal tour, I properly got a taste of Oslo.  

Over all, Oslo is a visually remarkable city.  The architecture is puzzling, yet memorizing.  Many of the buildings, including the Opera House, resemble Arctic glaciers or icebergs, fitting the winter reputation this country has.  I'm happy I got to experience Norway in this season.  Hopefully I can come back and see it in the summer.  The one thing about Oslo that I would change is that it seemed to die down by the nighttime.  I mean nobody wants to be out in a temperature below zero, but it seemed that were hardly any people on the street.  And stores closed quite early.  I think if I lived there, I would get a little bit bored, but at the same time, with the nature and beauty of the city, I think I would find other ways to stay in awe.  

farvel Oslo!

Pleasantly yours in Oslo,
Bart