There's a naming pattern in Edinburgh.
When we saw some jazz last night, it was at The Jazz Club.
There's a restaurant with a beautiful dome called The Dome.
The national museum of Scotland is The National Museum of Scotland.
Where do you drink whisky? The Whisky Bar!
That big castle? Edinburgh Castle.
So the name of this bar?:
Yep. Under The Stairs.
I love it.
After Kate's smashing success presenting to the Scottish Arts Club about What is the Point?, we needed to do three things:
1. Toast our successful afternoon
2. Try a dram or two of Scottish whisky
3. Chill TF out.
The bar Under the Stairs was such a good place to conquer item number one. It was full of an eclectic mix of tables and chairs, set up for groups and gatherings of any size. Kate and I reclined into two vintage arm chairs with an adorable view of the front window seat to toast our success — an afternoon spent getting to know members of the Scottish Arts Club, who were amazingly warm and welcoming to us, as well as very interested in and supportive of all that WITP is trying to accomplish. Cheers!
Having thus accomplished item one, and by default item three, we set our sights on finding some whisky. When in Scotland, am I right?
Oh, I'm right.
We did a bit of internetting and settled on a quick trek halfway up the hill to The Bow Bar, which sadly didn't sell bows. Just booze.
I know very little about whisky. Mainly that it burns a little and I drink it like a 1970s disney cartoon character might: poorly and with a lot of coughing and face flushing, mixed with occasional hiccups.
Luckily, the staff at The Bow Bar are patient and knowledgeable. And while I didn't love my first dram, I definitely didn't hate it. And there was very little sputtering involved in consuming it. But for the second round, the bartender nailed it. She knew what she'd served us for the first round and was able to adapt to our feedback for what we'd like in Round Two. She let us smell the bottles before pouring, and I daresay she would have let us set up an optometrist operation if we'd requested it. "Do you prefer waft one? Or Two? One... or Two..."
And once satisfied with our liquids, we just. chilled. out. And chatted and watched the bar patrons, almost all of who appeared to be locals. Kate noticed they were ordering beer with their whisky, and one poor sap even let me commandeer his evening long enough to take a photo.
And as I'm sipping my whisky (and water!) my eyes drift to the beer board, where they've listed their international bottles by country. See anything you might recognize, KC-ites?!
What the heck is Boulevard Tank 7 doing in a cooler in Edinburgh?! I don't know, because it cost £12 ($17) so I wasn't about to find out. But Kate can attest to how distracted I was by that bit of home staring me right in the face!
To end our evening, we ate our way through five antipasti plates at a nearby Italian restaurant. Because a) we're cheeky and b) balsamic vinegar is delicious.
Sunday, March 20
Friday, March 4
Serendipitous Edinburgh
Serendipitous Edinburgh. You saucy minx.
First, you surprise us with a beautiful afternoon. Sunshine and blue skies from 4pm on.
Then that staircase, which I thought was rather randomly placed, was a secret passage to the Golden Mile and Edinburg Castle.
And those clouds this evening? *fancy whistle* Lookin' good.
Then, an excellent cocktail bar, where we were joined by a random but hilarious group of engineers who were out for a cheeky beverage. They weren't suave — they bright-eyed and tipsy — but they were certainly interested in my American accent. ("So, what do you DO in Missouri?" as if I speak for the whole state... Psh!)
(Fun fact, sugar that far down the glass is not convenient, and trying to lick it off is not attractive.)
Next? You found a great restaurant where we could linger over small plates of salmon and chicken liver parfait (yes, parfait) and a bottle of white while the room filled up around us. Nice touch!
And then, the best little nugget of tonight, The Jazz Bar. Aptly named, as that's exactly what it is. Standing room only, so Kate and I were bar flies, but that meant that when the saxophonist ordered his beer, Kate could offer a compliment, which was rewarded with good conversation surrounding jazz, music and improvisation.
And then, as if the "best night ever" gods were watching over me, we found amazingly satisfying chips (er, fries...) at a pizza shop slash kebab shop slash whatever-we're-only-open-this-late-because-we-know-you're-drunk shop.
Edinburgh. You saucy, saucy minx.
First, you surprise us with a beautiful afternoon. Sunshine and blue skies from 4pm on.
Then that staircase, which I thought was rather randomly placed, was a secret passage to the Golden Mile and Edinburg Castle.
And those clouds this evening? *fancy whistle* Lookin' good.
Then, an excellent cocktail bar, where we were joined by a random but hilarious group of engineers who were out for a cheeky beverage. They weren't suave — they bright-eyed and tipsy — but they were certainly interested in my American accent. ("So, what do you DO in Missouri?" as if I speak for the whole state... Psh!)
(Fun fact, sugar that far down the glass is not convenient, and trying to lick it off is not attractive.)
Next? You found a great restaurant where we could linger over small plates of salmon and chicken liver parfait (yes, parfait) and a bottle of white while the room filled up around us. Nice touch!
And then, the best little nugget of tonight, The Jazz Bar. Aptly named, as that's exactly what it is. Standing room only, so Kate and I were bar flies, but that meant that when the saxophonist ordered his beer, Kate could offer a compliment, which was rewarded with good conversation surrounding jazz, music and improvisation.
And then, as if the "best night ever" gods were watching over me, we found amazingly satisfying chips (er, fries...) at a pizza shop slash kebab shop slash whatever-we're-only-open-this-late-because-we-know-you're-drunk shop.
Edinburgh. You saucy, saucy minx.
Tuesday, March 1
Five joys of cycling in Copenhagen
...especially if you’ve lived in a less-bikey city.
One: It's easier to find a street with a dedicated bike lane than it is to find the Little Mermaid statue. Seriously.
People often quote lack of bike infrastructure in their city as a reason not to ride. I absolutely empathise, especially in an aggressive traffic town like London. Knowing where to ride among the many lanes or how to merge, turn, or even stop, can be tricky and downright dangerous without experience or training or both. (BTW, did you know TfL offers free cycling lessons?) But in CPH it's a relief how easy it is. I honestly kept forgetting that streets had dedicated bike lanes, and would start to turn into traffic before realizing there is a beautiful, wide path literally right in front of me! Every time, there they are — situated perfectly between traffic and sidewalks. And wide enough that you can pass or be passed by other cyclists riding at different speeds.
Two: Everyone knows to look for everyone.
It's considered every road user's responsibility to look out for other road users. Pedestrians look around when crossing the bike lanes same as they would when crossing the street. Cyclists and drivers obey traffic signals (and both are fined equally if they're caught disobeying) but more than that, they watch for each other's behaviors. A car turning right knows to check first for cyclists who might continue straight through the same intersection. When it’s all around you, everyone is aware.
Three: Copenhagen is flat!
Pretty self-explanatory, but the lack of hills is especially helpful when creating a cycling-centric city. I know from my work and experience in KC that a mid-size hill can deter people from riding — even an avid cyclist might be self-conscious about arriving to work extra sweaty or out of breath. And if you’re hauling a kid or cargo, those extra 40-plus pounds feel heavier with even a slight incline! Copenhagen’s flat geography is beautiful for riding uninhibited to almost any location. The highest point is a whopping 19m above sea level, so you’re never going to have to work too hard on a climb. You can leave your polka-dot jersey in France.
Four: Cycling is fast!
At least according to Google Maps, cycling from point A to point B was faster than walking (duh), public transit, or even than driving in most cases. And the plethora of bike parking wherever you looked meant that you’d never have to walk much more than half a block between a bike rack and the front door. I hate parking a car almost more than I hate driving one, so this is a big bonus for me!
Five: Copenhagen isn’t hot!
I may have overstated how cold it was on our Copenhagen bike tour with Bike Mike (no I didn’t), but the biting winter cold shifts mercifully into a very tame summer — on average just two weeks per year reach temps above 77℉ / 25℃, and the average is at or above 50F for seven months out of the year. No sweat (literally)! As for the winter, Copenhageners say, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” Bundle up properly and you’ll be just fine!
How do I love cycling in Copenhagen? Let me count the ways! Nearly 7 out of 10 people don't own a car in Copenhagen, because it's so darn easy to ride a bike. Here's why.
One: It's easier to find a street with a dedicated bike lane than it is to find the Little Mermaid statue. Seriously.
People often quote lack of bike infrastructure in their city as a reason not to ride. I absolutely empathise, especially in an aggressive traffic town like London. Knowing where to ride among the many lanes or how to merge, turn, or even stop, can be tricky and downright dangerous without experience or training or both. (BTW, did you know TfL offers free cycling lessons?) But in CPH it's a relief how easy it is. I honestly kept forgetting that streets had dedicated bike lanes, and would start to turn into traffic before realizing there is a beautiful, wide path literally right in front of me! Every time, there they are — situated perfectly between traffic and sidewalks. And wide enough that you can pass or be passed by other cyclists riding at different speeds.
Two: Everyone knows to look for everyone.
It's considered every road user's responsibility to look out for other road users. Pedestrians look around when crossing the bike lanes same as they would when crossing the street. Cyclists and drivers obey traffic signals (and both are fined equally if they're caught disobeying) but more than that, they watch for each other's behaviors. A car turning right knows to check first for cyclists who might continue straight through the same intersection. When it’s all around you, everyone is aware.
Three: Copenhagen is flat!
Pretty self-explanatory, but the lack of hills is especially helpful when creating a cycling-centric city. I know from my work and experience in KC that a mid-size hill can deter people from riding — even an avid cyclist might be self-conscious about arriving to work extra sweaty or out of breath. And if you’re hauling a kid or cargo, those extra 40-plus pounds feel heavier with even a slight incline! Copenhagen’s flat geography is beautiful for riding uninhibited to almost any location. The highest point is a whopping 19m above sea level, so you’re never going to have to work too hard on a climb. You can leave your polka-dot jersey in France.
Four: Cycling is fast!
At least according to Google Maps, cycling from point A to point B was faster than walking (duh), public transit, or even than driving in most cases. And the plethora of bike parking wherever you looked meant that you’d never have to walk much more than half a block between a bike rack and the front door. I hate parking a car almost more than I hate driving one, so this is a big bonus for me!
Five: Copenhagen isn’t hot!
I may have overstated how cold it was on our Copenhagen bike tour with Bike Mike (no I didn’t), but the biting winter cold shifts mercifully into a very tame summer — on average just two weeks per year reach temps above 77℉ / 25℃, and the average is at or above 50F for seven months out of the year. No sweat (literally)! As for the winter, Copenhageners say, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” Bundle up properly and you’ll be just fine!
Copenhagen: Day 4 with Bike Mike and The Fog
"Bike Mike and the Fog" would make such a good band name, don't you think? Hmm, no... it would just remind me of how frickin' cold it was on a foggy day in Copenhagen!
The tour itself was excellent. Check out Bike Mike's website and you'll get a very accurate idea of who he is and how he runs his tours: no-nonsense and unapologetic, but full of history and pride for his native Denmark. He rides a bright pink and green cycle, and on our day he was decked out in orange, from his sweater to his shoes.
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| Ready to ride! We think we are bundled up! We are mistaken! |
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| Bike Mike |
On Bike Mike's City Tour we saw most everything there is to see on the north side of the big canal: Copenhagen city center, the Round Tower, Torvenhaller, the Old Royal Palace, Nyhavn, King's Plaza, Amalienborg, Kastellet, and the Little Mermaid statue, all the while hearing Bike Mike's stories from history and personal experience. You can see sunny photos of those places from our walking tour with Sandeman’s.
But the day we took the tour, it was SO. COLD. Foggy Copenhagen's misty chill sank into your bones, numbing your fingers and toes despite two layers of socks shoved in the same boots that had been warm enough for the first three days. My face was cold. I think my hair felt cold? It was hard to walk around because I my feet were numb. Or maybe they ached. Or maybe both or maybe neither.
It was cold.
Okay okay, you get it.
And through all of this, Bike Mike claimed we had beautiful weather, on account that it wasn't raining and wasn't windy. I suppose he had a point. Perhaps London's mild winter has already made me a wimp. Whatever the cause of my freezing mindset, the shot of mystery licorice-flavored liquor that Mike provided toward the end of the tour worked as promised — I felt warmer for a good five minutes!
Needless to say, the warm atmosphere of one of Copenhagen's many cafes was very welcome after three hours on the bike. Britton and I both decided that the reason behind Ryanair's amazing fare (£2 round-trip!) was because it's rather difficult to enjoy CPH in the winter. Don't be deterred if that's what your options are — we still enjoyed ourselves! But "being cold" is definitely going to be a memory of this trip. (It was so cold that Britton didn't complain when I insisted on stopping for an over-priced latte, because that meant he could warm up, too.)
We're already talking about trying to get back to Copenhagen in the summer, where we learned that it only gets above 25C for about two weeks. That would be much more appreciated, and way easier to enjoy the cycling infrastructure, parks, monuments and walks.
But the day we took the tour, it was SO. COLD. Foggy Copenhagen's misty chill sank into your bones, numbing your fingers and toes despite two layers of socks shoved in the same boots that had been warm enough for the first three days. My face was cold. I think my hair felt cold? It was hard to walk around because I my feet were numb. Or maybe they ached. Or maybe both or maybe neither.
It was cold.
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| We were cold on bikes. |
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| Our bikes were cold in foggy Copenhagen-town. |
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| We were cold while Bike Mike took our photo. |
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| We were cold while we watched the changing of the guard at Amalienborg. |
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| Even the fish were on ice! (BADUM-Chhhhh) |
Okay okay, you get it.
And through all of this, Bike Mike claimed we had beautiful weather, on account that it wasn't raining and wasn't windy. I suppose he had a point. Perhaps London's mild winter has already made me a wimp. Whatever the cause of my freezing mindset, the shot of mystery licorice-flavored liquor that Mike provided toward the end of the tour worked as promised — I felt warmer for a good five minutes!
Needless to say, the warm atmosphere of one of Copenhagen's many cafes was very welcome after three hours on the bike. Britton and I both decided that the reason behind Ryanair's amazing fare (£2 round-trip!) was because it's rather difficult to enjoy CPH in the winter. Don't be deterred if that's what your options are — we still enjoyed ourselves! But "being cold" is definitely going to be a memory of this trip. (It was so cold that Britton didn't complain when I insisted on stopping for an over-priced latte, because that meant he could warm up, too.)
We're already talking about trying to get back to Copenhagen in the summer, where we learned that it only gets above 25C for about two weeks. That would be much more appreciated, and way easier to enjoy the cycling infrastructure, parks, monuments and walks.
Monday, February 29
Copenhagen: Day 3
A great way to see a city in a shorter amount of time is to take a walking tour, and since Britton worked for the first two days we were in Copenhagen, we needed a solid crash course so that I didn’t have to reapeat too much! We took advantage of a free tour to see the highlights, led by Martin at Sandeman's. (Sandeman's runs tours in several European cities, and we always enjoy them! But remember, the “free” tours are actually tip-based tours, so plan to pay about 10 £/$/€ per person.)
Our walk took us past all the highlights: city hall, the big plaza with the metro construction, Nyhavn, the waterfront, and ended at the Royal palaces of Amalienborg (finally learned what that is!) for the changing of the guard. We covered a lot of kilometers in just a few hours!
After that we wandered the grounds of Kastellet so Britton could see it, and said hello to the Little Mermaid again. As she and I are practically besties at this point, I amused myself by watching the most immodest of swans who was flashing the crowds near the statues. Bird's gotta eat and all, but it was downright scandalous!
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| Scandalous Swan! |
Next off to Original Coffee for a warm-up. The day was bright and sunny but so windy! I think my face was wind burned by the end of the day, as well as a bit pink what with the sunshine for two days. We were happy to have a warm seat (and a free bathroom) to thaw before heading back into the cold.
(I'm starting to think I know why our plane tickets were so cheap...!)
Our evening activities took us to find ØL, aka BEER! We first found Dialegd, situated in Vesterbro just west of Copenhagen’s Central district. There were lots of interesting flavors to try — all sourced from a local brewery — and we hunkered down at a tiny corner table to talk about life and penguins and how to fix the world's problems. As our ideas were beer-fueled, I’m sure they were excellent, but have since become a bit fuzzy around the edges.
Across the street we found Mikkeller's øl & brød — a name synonymous with craft beer in Copenhagen. Based on how packed the pub was on a Friday night, I'd say word has gotten around. Lucky for us, we were offered a table by a departing couple — otherwise we would have stood for a good long while waiting for something to free up because our scoped seats at the bar had been sniped and I didn’t want to get all grumpy American on someone’s ass. So again found ourselves at a tiny corner table, just for two. The beer was well worth its reputation — I drank a chocolate stout with a lot of flavor, very smooth, but so sweet and thick that I was glad to only have ordered a half-pint.
Finally we made our way back to the flat, satisfied and educated in the ways of Øl and Copenhagen, and quite sleepy!
Thursday, February 25
Copenhagen: Day 2
It's 10:33pm and my Garmin vivofit says that I've logged 24,391 steps today.
And that's not counting the three bike trips I took.
I'm pooped!
Today I walked between all kinds of iconic Copenhagen sights. First there was Fælledparken, Denmark's largest public area, with cute paths and a lake. It surrounds the national stadium.
Then I took the Bycyklen on a round-about tour of town, eventually over to Kastellet, a citadel built in 1626 which now holds military barracks and hosts a beautiful walking trail along its star-shaped embankment. My favorite was the old windmill, one because it's pretty and two because you can see a gaggle of modern windmills off in the background. Copenhagen wants to be carbon-neutral 2025, bee tee dubs.
From there I strolled along the streets lined with shops and bike lanes and bikes on bikes to check out Marmorkirken, a domed church inspired by St Peter's in Rome. On weekends you can go up to the dome to see out over Copenhagen, but today was a Thursday so no dice. However, looking out from the front door you get an excellent view of Amalienborg, even though I have no idea what Amalienborg is. (That's what Wikipedia is for!) A good challenge for tomorrow...
I kept walking, headed toward King's New Square, which is a plaza faced with several historic and important buildings. However, the current situation of this area is "under construction" as they build a new Metro/subway station! So I got a face-full of green walls as I tried to gaze out over the square.
Luckily, it's very close to Nyhavn, the famous postcard canal of Copenhagen with the colorful houses and cute outdoor cafes. I do love the colors, especially on a day that turned rather cloudy in the afternoon! I was so tempted to snuggle up under the heat lamps and blankets, but I was mentally ready to be completely out of the cold -- my fingers felt solid and my toes, noes, and tail were all froze.
So, I stopped off at Mormor's. I think I accidentally stumbled into a Copenhagen institution. I didn't know it at the time, but Mormor is Danish for Grandma. This explains SO MUCH about this place! The staff was welcoming, but very matter-of-fact (I arrived at 4:35 to hear the matron of the counter explaining that she closes in 25 minutes and are they sure they still want to order food?) and the surroundings were cozy, but cluttered, and kind of like we gave up on decorating about thirty years ago. It was heaven. And the hot chocolate was HUGE and silky smooth. Definitely worth the 42DKK (£4.20?!, or $6.30, whoops!) especially because I could sit at the window seat and watch the traffic while I thawed.
After that I toodled around on the Bycyklen for a while, winding my way north before heading back south to meet up with Britton for dinner. I still dig the bike system, but today we discovered a rather annoying little glitch: the GPS maps that are oh-so-handy for newbies don't adjust very well (if at all) once they're on a "route." When I mentioned my route to Kastellet was round-about, it's because I literally rode in a giant circle around a hospital complex before eventually being put back "on route." Doesn't matter that I started out that way, and just turned left instead of the three right turns it suggested I take first. "Nnnooooo... that's confusing and wrong and would you please just do what I tell you??" Britton also begrudgingly followed the route the bike suggested instead of following his intuition, and his trip time nearly doubled. I know because I counted every minute while I stood outside the street food building waiting for him to arrive for dinner!
HOWEVER, once he did arrive, we headed inside the fancy food court of hipster street food, and it was quite the atmosphere to behold. There was a live "band" playing/singing/screaming a very strange, slow, euro-pop cover of "Barbie Girl", complete with a lead singer in high, high platform heels sporting thick-cut bleach blonde bangs. Get off my lawn and let me through to the food! I chose a Korean noodle dish which I shoveled into my face while wandering around behind Britton while he weighed the pros and cons of beef carpaccio over a surf-and-turf burger. Surprisingly, he chose the beef (bøf) carpaccio! It was quite delicious. Dessert was cheesecake which was satisfying.
And now, dear reader, I'm finally warm but now very sleepy back at the airbnb. Commencing sleep phase in threeeeee... twooooo... zzzzzzzzzzzzz
And that's not counting the three bike trips I took.
I'm pooped!
Today I walked between all kinds of iconic Copenhagen sights. First there was Fælledparken, Denmark's largest public area, with cute paths and a lake. It surrounds the national stadium.
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| Copenhagen's National Stadium at Fælledparken. Home to FC Copenhagen and Denmark's national team. |
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| Lake at Fælledparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |
Then I took the Bycyklen on a round-about tour of town, eventually over to Kastellet, a citadel built in 1626 which now holds military barracks and hosts a beautiful walking trail along its star-shaped embankment. My favorite was the old windmill, one because it's pretty and two because you can see a gaggle of modern windmills off in the background. Copenhagen wants to be carbon-neutral 2025, bee tee dubs.
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| Somewhat successful attempt to take a photo of my shadow while riding. |
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| The modern windmills are to the left... in another photo >_< |
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| View from the top of the embankment at Kastellet. You can kinda tell that I'm standing on one of the star points, looking at another star point. Sorta. |
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| Marmorkirken, The Marble Dome |
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| Marmorkirken's dome — the inside scoop |
I kept walking, headed toward King's New Square, which is a plaza faced with several historic and important buildings. However, the current situation of this area is "under construction" as they build a new Metro/subway station! So I got a face-full of green walls as I tried to gaze out over the square.
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| Can't see a whole heckuva lot right now. |
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| But they have a cutout construction worker to help you feel happier about it...?? (I wasn't happy about it.) |
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| Super photogenic. I especially love the reflection in the water. Now. Where's the hot chocolate? |
After that I toodled around on the Bycyklen for a while, winding my way north before heading back south to meet up with Britton for dinner. I still dig the bike system, but today we discovered a rather annoying little glitch: the GPS maps that are oh-so-handy for newbies don't adjust very well (if at all) once they're on a "route." When I mentioned my route to Kastellet was round-about, it's because I literally rode in a giant circle around a hospital complex before eventually being put back "on route." Doesn't matter that I started out that way, and just turned left instead of the three right turns it suggested I take first. "Nnnooooo... that's confusing and wrong and would you please just do what I tell you??" Britton also begrudgingly followed the route the bike suggested instead of following his intuition, and his trip time nearly doubled. I know because I counted every minute while I stood outside the street food building waiting for him to arrive for dinner!
HOWEVER, once he did arrive, we headed inside the fancy food court of hipster street food, and it was quite the atmosphere to behold. There was a live "band" playing/singing/screaming a very strange, slow, euro-pop cover of "Barbie Girl", complete with a lead singer in high, high platform heels sporting thick-cut bleach blonde bangs. Get off my lawn and let me through to the food! I chose a Korean noodle dish which I shoveled into my face while wandering around behind Britton while he weighed the pros and cons of beef carpaccio over a surf-and-turf burger. Surprisingly, he chose the beef (bøf) carpaccio! It was quite delicious. Dessert was cheesecake which was satisfying.
And now, dear reader, I'm finally warm but now very sleepy back at the airbnb. Commencing sleep phase in threeeeee... twooooo... zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Copenhagen: Day 1
If you don't know why I'm excited to be here in Copenhagen, you haven't been paying much attention. Three words:
Bikes.
Food.
Beer.
The only things I intend to do while I'm here is roam around on a rented bycykel to see what there is to see, and then drink all the beer and eat all the food! So far, the trip has been great.
I got a slow start on Day 1, but it was a great way to get the feel of the city. I walked from our Airbnb in Østerbro to a nearby cafe to grab breakfast and a latte, and wound up chatting with the barista and clientele about Copenhagen. A couple people implied that the Danes were a stand-off-ish people, but so far that's just not our experience! Our easyBus from London to the airport never showed, so the family we were stranded with spotted us £20 in cash to grab a different bus. (We paid them back at the airport!) We got directions from a kindly gentleman at the metro station, and then when we were at our stop he came over and reassured us it was the right one. And then in the cafe I was chatting like old friends. Danish — and perhaps Copenhageners specifically — seem genuinely pleased that you're visiting and want you to have a good time while you're here.
I stopped off at a grocery store, which is always an experience when you don't speak the language. I picked up some breakfasty stuff: a few cups of what I'm pretty sure is yogurt, as well as orange juice (spelled "Appelsin" but with a picture of oranges) and cheese.
Then finally — on to the bike!! I'm a big advocate for bike sharing programs, and Copenhagen's is, surprisingly, very new. But it's also the bee's knees, you guys. The bee's-freakin'-knees!!
The bikes have electric assist motors and — are you ready? — ON-BOARD TABLETS. I have a seven-inch-wide GPS map on my bike!! It's like crack! I can set up a route under my account before I leave the house, and it pre-loads it when I sign in on the bike. I'm in a big, new city and I won't get lost!! This is big. Game-changing. I don't know how I'll ever be satisfied with another bike share system. Already I'm thinking of ways to improve on this one, and I won't even have access to it after Saturday.
Right. So. My new best bike friend and I set off to see The Little Mermaid statue which is ... fine? Unlike the Peter Pan Statue in Hyde Park, I was pretty underwhelmed by this one. Not to say it isn't a fine piece of sculpture, but the photos show you exactly what you're going to see. They just leave out the dozen or so other people that were trying to take the same photo, or worse, use a selfie stick to get the same photo. There were maybe 20 people there? And I'm here in the off-season. NEXT.
Next stop was a two-hour "Nordic Essentials" food tour with FoodTours.eu. It was a delicious introduction to all foods Scandinavian, from crackers and cheeses to organic sausages and award-winning apple wine. You can read all about it in an upcoming review!
After that, we headed to The Royal Library, which is a stunning piece of architecture. It spans a highway, and is located at the banks of one of Copenhagen's canals. The giant ripples of the front atrium remind me of the architecture from Kansas City's Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Not the same guy though.
Off to dinner where we felt like kings paying about 90 DKK (about £9) for giant-size portions of food at Paludan Bogcafe — a bar-slash-restaurant-slash-library! Surrounded by books in a cozy library setting it's easy to see why the front tables were full of students with their laptops glowing. I think I would be here every day. Plus the coffees were buy-nine-get-one-free. I considered attempting it while here but that didn't seem healthy.
Finally a stop at Ølsnedkeren bar, where we holed up in a little cubby with our overpriced-but-delicious beers. Britton tried one called Yankee Kaos, which made me giggle. I drank an Øko Saison because it was the only one with an Ø in the name. And it was le tasty.
Bikes.
Food.
Beer.
The only things I intend to do while I'm here is roam around on a rented bycykel to see what there is to see, and then drink all the beer and eat all the food! So far, the trip has been great.
I got a slow start on Day 1, but it was a great way to get the feel of the city. I walked from our Airbnb in Østerbro to a nearby cafe to grab breakfast and a latte, and wound up chatting with the barista and clientele about Copenhagen. A couple people implied that the Danes were a stand-off-ish people, but so far that's just not our experience! Our easyBus from London to the airport never showed, so the family we were stranded with spotted us £20 in cash to grab a different bus. (We paid them back at the airport!) We got directions from a kindly gentleman at the metro station, and then when we were at our stop he came over and reassured us it was the right one. And then in the cafe I was chatting like old friends. Danish — and perhaps Copenhageners specifically — seem genuinely pleased that you're visiting and want you to have a good time while you're here.
I stopped off at a grocery store, which is always an experience when you don't speak the language. I picked up some breakfasty stuff: a few cups of what I'm pretty sure is yogurt, as well as orange juice (spelled "Appelsin" but with a picture of oranges) and cheese.
Then finally — on to the bike!! I'm a big advocate for bike sharing programs, and Copenhagen's is, surprisingly, very new. But it's also the bee's knees, you guys. The bee's-freakin'-knees!!
The bikes have electric assist motors and — are you ready? — ON-BOARD TABLETS. I have a seven-inch-wide GPS map on my bike!! It's like crack! I can set up a route under my account before I leave the house, and it pre-loads it when I sign in on the bike. I'm in a big, new city and I won't get lost!! This is big. Game-changing. I don't know how I'll ever be satisfied with another bike share system. Already I'm thinking of ways to improve on this one, and I won't even have access to it after Saturday.
Right. So. My new best bike friend and I set off to see The Little Mermaid statue which is ... fine? Unlike the Peter Pan Statue in Hyde Park, I was pretty underwhelmed by this one. Not to say it isn't a fine piece of sculpture, but the photos show you exactly what you're going to see. They just leave out the dozen or so other people that were trying to take the same photo, or worse, use a selfie stick to get the same photo. There were maybe 20 people there? And I'm here in the off-season. NEXT.
Next stop was a two-hour "Nordic Essentials" food tour with FoodTours.eu. It was a delicious introduction to all foods Scandinavian, from crackers and cheeses to organic sausages and award-winning apple wine. You can read all about it in an upcoming review!
After that, we headed to The Royal Library, which is a stunning piece of architecture. It spans a highway, and is located at the banks of one of Copenhagen's canals. The giant ripples of the front atrium remind me of the architecture from Kansas City's Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Not the same guy though.
Off to dinner where we felt like kings paying about 90 DKK (about £9) for giant-size portions of food at Paludan Bogcafe — a bar-slash-restaurant-slash-library! Surrounded by books in a cozy library setting it's easy to see why the front tables were full of students with their laptops glowing. I think I would be here every day. Plus the coffees were buy-nine-get-one-free. I considered attempting it while here but that didn't seem healthy.
Finally a stop at Ølsnedkeren bar, where we holed up in a little cubby with our overpriced-but-delicious beers. Britton tried one called Yankee Kaos, which made me giggle. I drank an Øko Saison because it was the only one with an Ø in the name. And it was le tasty.
The Nordic Essentials food tour with FoodTours.eu
Given that four out of the 12 things that I'm excited about in my life were centered around food, you can imagine I was pretty stinkin' excited to find a Copenhagen food tour which would introduce me to the "Nordic Essentials," while we were here. We tried more than a dozen flavors representing Denmark, and left with a great appreciation for the food, drink, culture and history of Copenhagen!
Britton and I met up with Maria, the lead organizer of the FoodTours.eu Copenhagen tour. We knew right away she was dedicated to her craft: our tour was on the same day the Michelin Star ratings were announced, and she was borderline giddy to tell us Denmark had received several new stars, including its first three-star restaurant — located in Copenhagen! (And it wasn't Noma.)
Most of the Nordic Essentials tour is in the Torvehallerne Market, two structures built in 2011 on the site of the original town square (established in the late 1880s). The food on the tour focuses on the New Nordic Food Manifesto, culinary guidelines established in 2004 to encourage the use of ingredients that are indigenous to the Nordic countries. It's been quite successful in fueling a renaissance of food with local flair and pride!
Our first two stops were in Torvehallerne's Hall 1, where we sampled a blue cheese that will haunt me forever (so creamy and without the strong bite that some blue cheese has), award-winning apple wine that tasted like it had just fallen from the apple tree, and traditional rye crackers with mustard, along with several other local, organic tastings. Plus, licorice. The one food I might never like. But I gave it a go, just to confirm that it still tastes like licorice, which it did, which is gross (to me). Everything else was delicious though!
We also tried Akvavit (Aquavit), an after-meal liquor used for warming you up after a long day, or perhaps waking you up after a long night. The "traditional" way to take a shot is to look your drinking partner dead in the eye and exclaim, "SKÅL!" The origins of the tradition could be from the Vikings, who would drink out of the skulls of their fallen enemies — skull and skål sound almost identical — or it might just be an extrapolation of "I raise this drinking bowl to your health and/or success" since skål translates literally to "bowl." You can decide for yourself :)
Next in Torvehallerne we sampled Danish wheat beer with a very old recipe, and thinly sliced smoked beef. The beef looks like and tastes like prosciutto, but is made from a very specific breed of cow which can survive off the tundra-esque plants that grow during a Scandinavian winter. Talk about free-range!
We walked a few blocks to our sweetest stop, Sømods Bolcher, Copenhagen's oldest candy store! They are still making candy the way they made it when the store opened in 1891. It's the kind you're supposed to suck on for a long time, but I can't help chomping down within thirty seconds. Britton kept his until we were practically at the next stop!
To get to the next stop, we hiked all the way up to the highest point in Copenhagen; a whopping 19m above sea level. Whew! Copenhagen is gloriously flat — part of the reason cycling can be so popular — but that didn't stop the early Copenhageners from building a church on the highest point in the city, as happens in just about any other city (including Kansas City)!
The location turned out to be a local, organic sausage cart. Yep, as odd as it might sound, a sausage cart has been recognized by the New Nordic Food Manifesto. There's an interesting history surrounding the sausage carts — including how scandalous it was to bee seen eating street food. Once there were hundreds of stands and now there are only a few dozen thanks to the fast food movement. My sausage (pork with wild garlic) was served with some shredded kale, a traditional winter food for Denmark since it's one of the few things that will grow in winter!
To finish the trip, we headed back to Torvehallern, this time exploring Hall 2 where we stopped at a spice shop (where we drank lovely, warm, homemade chai tea), an herb stand (where we picked lemony-spicy sorrel straight off the plant and smelled the aroma of strawberry mint and chocolate mint plants) and a sweet shop (to devour a chocolate covered marzipan-and-white-fluff treat). Our very, very last sampling was of two different kinds of local honey — one made from the bees in the botanical garden and another from a hive about 5km away. It's interesting how different they tasted, since the bees would have harvested pollen from barely-distinct areas of town!
The tour not only provided a taste of Denmark's and Copenhagen's local cuisine — Maria knew Danish history and, as a life-long Copenhagener, also knew answers to my random questions about daily life and language. I absolutely recommend it if you're a foodie looking for an experience in Copenhagen!
Thanks very much to FoodTours.eu for providing a discount in exchange for a post about the tour. The company had an opportunity to review for accuracy (dates and locations and such) but had no influence over my opinions.
Britton and I met up with Maria, the lead organizer of the FoodTours.eu Copenhagen tour. We knew right away she was dedicated to her craft: our tour was on the same day the Michelin Star ratings were announced, and she was borderline giddy to tell us Denmark had received several new stars, including its first three-star restaurant — located in Copenhagen! (And it wasn't Noma.)
Most of the Nordic Essentials tour is in the Torvehallerne Market, two structures built in 2011 on the site of the original town square (established in the late 1880s). The food on the tour focuses on the New Nordic Food Manifesto, culinary guidelines established in 2004 to encourage the use of ingredients that are indigenous to the Nordic countries. It's been quite successful in fueling a renaissance of food with local flair and pride!
Our first two stops were in Torvehallerne's Hall 1, where we sampled a blue cheese that will haunt me forever (so creamy and without the strong bite that some blue cheese has), award-winning apple wine that tasted like it had just fallen from the apple tree, and traditional rye crackers with mustard, along with several other local, organic tastings. Plus, licorice. The one food I might never like. But I gave it a go, just to confirm that it still tastes like licorice, which it did, which is gross (to me). Everything else was delicious though!
We also tried Akvavit (Aquavit), an after-meal liquor used for warming you up after a long day, or perhaps waking you up after a long night. The "traditional" way to take a shot is to look your drinking partner dead in the eye and exclaim, "SKÅL!" The origins of the tradition could be from the Vikings, who would drink out of the skulls of their fallen enemies — skull and skål sound almost identical — or it might just be an extrapolation of "I raise this drinking bowl to your health and/or success" since skål translates literally to "bowl." You can decide for yourself :)
Next in Torvehallerne we sampled Danish wheat beer with a very old recipe, and thinly sliced smoked beef. The beef looks like and tastes like prosciutto, but is made from a very specific breed of cow which can survive off the tundra-esque plants that grow during a Scandinavian winter. Talk about free-range!
We walked a few blocks to our sweetest stop, Sømods Bolcher, Copenhagen's oldest candy store! They are still making candy the way they made it when the store opened in 1891. It's the kind you're supposed to suck on for a long time, but I can't help chomping down within thirty seconds. Britton kept his until we were practically at the next stop!
To get to the next stop, we hiked all the way up to the highest point in Copenhagen; a whopping 19m above sea level. Whew! Copenhagen is gloriously flat — part of the reason cycling can be so popular — but that didn't stop the early Copenhageners from building a church on the highest point in the city, as happens in just about any other city (including Kansas City)!
The location turned out to be a local, organic sausage cart. Yep, as odd as it might sound, a sausage cart has been recognized by the New Nordic Food Manifesto. There's an interesting history surrounding the sausage carts — including how scandalous it was to bee seen eating street food. Once there were hundreds of stands and now there are only a few dozen thanks to the fast food movement. My sausage (pork with wild garlic) was served with some shredded kale, a traditional winter food for Denmark since it's one of the few things that will grow in winter!
To finish the trip, we headed back to Torvehallern, this time exploring Hall 2 where we stopped at a spice shop (where we drank lovely, warm, homemade chai tea), an herb stand (where we picked lemony-spicy sorrel straight off the plant and smelled the aroma of strawberry mint and chocolate mint plants) and a sweet shop (to devour a chocolate covered marzipan-and-white-fluff treat). Our very, very last sampling was of two different kinds of local honey — one made from the bees in the botanical garden and another from a hive about 5km away. It's interesting how different they tasted, since the bees would have harvested pollen from barely-distinct areas of town!
The tour not only provided a taste of Denmark's and Copenhagen's local cuisine — Maria knew Danish history and, as a life-long Copenhagener, also knew answers to my random questions about daily life and language. I absolutely recommend it if you're a foodie looking for an experience in Copenhagen!
Thanks very much to FoodTours.eu for providing a discount in exchange for a post about the tour. The company had an opportunity to review for accuracy (dates and locations and such) but had no influence over my opinions.
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