Wednesday, 13 May 2009

• Copenhagen, Denmark: 1 - 4 May, 2009

  The plane flies north as the sun sets. If I crane my neck I can just see the brilliant reds and golds fading away on the horizon. As we lose altitude I make out the spindly silhouette of the Middelgrunden, the windfarm just off the coast of Copenhagen. I love flying into cities at dusk and twilight, when day and night interchanges and the time is that magical place between shadow and light. 

   
  Soren, Lauren's housemate, teaching me how to say his name properly

  I'm crashing with Lauren, who's very generously let me stay with her for the weekend. First impressions - the city is much like any other West European capital - cleaner, a little more orderly than Rome, perhaps, but otherwise nothing stands out too much in the spring night I land in. We head to her apartment to catch up, then I crash early - it's been a long day at work and I need a good long rest.
  
  The next day we start with a late morning and brunch, the perfect preamble to my city break in Cope. The Danes do a mean breakfast. We order the everything-included brekky and it comes laden with chorizo, grilled peppers, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, two delicious slabs of cheese, an American pancake, dark rye bread, fruit and coffee. After filling up Lauren takes me around the city.

  
  The atelier where designer headbands are made - a business venture run by Soren and
  his business partner Signe Muusmann, who designs and makes these beautiful pieces.
  
  

  Copenhagen is a very walkable city - the attractions are located close to each other, and the landscape is flat. We head to Radhusapladsen, the main square where Town Hall is located. It's a beautiful, sunny day and a flea market is busily set up in the middle of the square. I wander around happily, trailing inquisitive fingers across antiques and other people's trash and treasures. I love flea markets - there is a history and uniqueness from age and association that comes with second hand goods that the flat, shiny, new-smelling products from high street stores just can't replicate.

  
  Corners are clipped off in Copenhagen - this was because in medieval times, the fire trucks
  couldn't get around the tight, narrow corners fast enough and the city burned. Clever, no?

  
  Roadtesting the very expensive egg chair; Brunch in Copenhagen
  
  

  We take a very very long walk along Stroget, the main shopping street of Copenhagen, and check out the incredible Danish design for sale at Ilium Borghaus. The iconic egg chair, retailing at EUR9,000 is well out of my budget, but I eye a Georg Jensen candelabra going for 50% off - tempting! (I come back on my last day after some hemming and hawing and finally buy it)

  
  Beautiful Nyhavn

  Nyhavn is very picturesque, and buzzing on such a beautiful day. This used to the be unsavoury part of old Copenhagen, where the sailors would find land based entertainment - whores, drink, drugs. Hans Christian Anderson, the poet and writer, lived in an apartment in Nyhavn, no doubt drawing inspiration for his stories from the real life drama happening outside his windows and revelling in his poverty-stricken artists' existence.
  
  We also drop by Marmorkirken, or Marble Church. Emulating the great blue dome of St Peter's in Rome, this is Copenhagen's biggest domed church. Originally laid out with expensive imported marble from Norway, the city ran out of money and finished the building with cheaper local Danish marble instead. At Amalianborg Palace, the flags aren't flying which means the royals are probably out and about somewhere else. Lauren tells me interesting little snippets and stories about the Palace - it used to be some rich burgher's apartments, then the royal residence burned down and they moved into these rooms. The royals liked them so much they never gave it back to the merchants who once owned them. It's good to be the king, huh?

  
  The guards at Amalianborg Palace; Marmorkirken 

  No trip to Copenhagen is complete without a walk to see the Little Mermaid. She is overrated, tiny and really not worth the long walk, but it's one of those things that have to be done, so after a refreshing ice cream pit stop at St Alban's Church, we head along the dock. We catch the ferry back over to Christiana, which completely trips me out. It's a completely unexpected side of law abiding, clean and orderly Copenhagen. No photos are allowed, but Christiana is definitely worth a visit.

  
   
  Rosenborg Slot, where the Danish crown jewels are kept, guarded by the world's friendliest lion;
  timbered house in Roskilde 

  Originally an army barracks, squatters moved in when the army moved out. They set up shop and soon had a nice plant sideline going on. This continued for years, and Christiana attracted (and still does) hippies, free spirits and anarchists. The community at Christiana is not legally part of Copenhagen, and there is no running water or electricity, no paved roads and no taxes. When Lauren and I were there we saw some men playing golf on the roof, and while the hard drugs of Pusher Street is no longer in existence, there was still the very distinctive smell of weed wafting by us.
  
  Trippin!
  
  A weekend in Denmark must be spent eating Danish pastries, and after all that walking, a recharge is definitely in order. Lagkegehuset is a franchise bakery recommended by Lauren, full of delicious delights, and I sit on the banks of a canal happily dropping crumbs on myself in the sunshine. I Heart Copenhagen! An example of how orderly this city is: you take a number and wait to be served for everything, even bakeries. None of this pushing, shoving and yelling that you do in a typical cafe say in, Italy.

  
  
  

   
  Roskilde Cathedral; the Sea Stallion, a perfectly reconstructed Viking longship

  The next day we head to Roskilde, the ancient capital of the Danish Vikings to see old ships and eat herring. Archaeologists found the remains of five wooden boats, sunk one on top of the other at a strategic crossing point in the Roskile fjord. They built a wall around the site, drained all the water out and started digging. After two years of preservation and restoration, these five ships now rest in the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. There is a longboat, all sleek lines and deadly intent, and a bottom bellied merchant's scow, amongst the five. The bones of the ships arch gracefully, silhouetted against the light.

  
  
  At the Viking Ship Museum

  The food in Copenhagen is as expensive as they say, but uniformly good, though I might have had an advantage as I had the benefit of Lauren as my local guide. I have to try herring while here, so in Roskilde, I order a starter of three different kinds - curried, pickled and cured. The fish come with sides like red onion, hard boiled eggs and capers. You're supposed to build your own open sandwich, or smorrebrod from these ingredients, on the thin rye bread that accompanies the dish. I actually really liked the curried herring, and the cured isn't so bad either, but the pickled takes a bit of getting used to. 
  
  

   
  Danish pastries; herring
  

  Top Five Copenhagen Moments:
  
  1. Eating pastries in the sunshine, sitting by the canals
  2. Re-entering the EU and normalcy after leaving crazy Christiana
  3. Finally having a smorrebrod in a little cafe along Vesterbrograd on my last day - yum!
  4. Getting up close and personal with a Viking ship
  5. Buying a Georg Jensen piece

   
  We're supposed to be Viking maidens, I think.

  • 11:35 PM
  • 20 Views
  • 2 eProps
  • 1 Comment