Copenhagen!

God morgen! A deceptively sunny start to the day!

(out my window...)

If you're in one city for a week-long visit (as I am, in Copenhagen), there will be a time when you want to not do much of anything complicated or taxing. Usually, this day will come in the middle and if you're lucky, it will be the day with the most overcast skies so that you have an excuse not to push yourself too much.

Sure enough, today is such a day. The young parents are superb planners, in that they do not book up each day of a trip. My daughter firms up a couple of important points or meals. The rest is filled in from a list she has researched but not committed to, as the day permits. And so this morning, I go down for a leisurely breakfast...

Then we confer via texts and I am on board with meeting them at their second choice bakery in town: Lille.

You have to know this about Lille: like so many other places that have cropped up in Copenhagen, this one prides itself on not only being tied closely to local growers and small batch producers, but also to the community of people who come together to eat foods baked and sold here. Read this from their website:

"It’s the island’s regulars, the art students who come for lunch, the sailors and fixer-uppers over at the harbour, the small businesses, the offices, the milk lady, the rye bread man, the blacksmith crew, the travellers from the other side of the world, and from the other side of town."

Sometimes I think back home that we talk a lot about the absence of community in our daily lives, but we are a little clueless on how to fix this problem. We read that loneliness in the US is a huge issue, especially among those who no longer have ties to the workplace. So where do you look for a reliable gathering of people? Strangers even? I've always thought that this is a role neighborhood coffee shops can play, except that these days too many of us come in with a lap tops, order our brew of choice and hide behind the screen. At Lille, this is not the point.

The food shop however has become somewhat revered, especially for its bakery. So there are the food lovers who want to be sure to sample foods from this off-the-beaten path bakery. And this is what we come for as well. To taste, compare, savor all that comes out of their prize oven.

I take the bus over. Thirteen stops to Refshaleoen -- which people refer to as being on "the island," which is kind of funny because everything about Copenhagen is island-ish. It's just that this is on an island off the island. Or something.

(it's the last stop, at the end of which the electric buses recharge)

It's actually here, at the edge of this almost desolate space that you'll also find Noma -- chef Redzepi's gastronomic Mecca (lots written about it lately, so I needn't go into detail about this most famous place that many would argue absolutely transformed Danish cooking). You'll walk among warehouses, breweries and urban gardens. It's rugged at the edges but with a real urban beauty to it.

(at the entrance to an urban farm and restaurant...)

But let's focus for a minute on Lille. 

It's a fantastic place. They're making those infamous Danish open face sandwiches. And baking rhubarb cookies and stuffed mushroom rolls and apple cakes. We are lucky that we arrive just after the breakfast rush and just before the lunch crowd.

We sample. Many things, Both savory and sweet.

And then we leave.

At this point, the rain is just an occasional shower. Out comes the umbrella, but it's nothing serious.

We're walking to Reffen, which is just up the back road some.

What's Reffen? Well, it's an agglomeration of food trucks. Some sixty of them. And there are tables. Everywhere, running all the way to the water's edge. In better weather there is music. Kids bring skateboards. Older folks buy beers and spritzes. 

The girls are hungry so we pick up some tacos and take them into a vast space that has a roof over it. The rain is intensifying. The grownups stick with coffee for now. 

I can see why for my daughter and her husband it's a repeat trip. Both love music and street food and honestly, I've never seen an urban space (except maybe in Singapore) that has both and so much of it!

Eventually we come very close to the girls' nap time. We brave the weather -- a funny expression because people here seem almost oblivious to it. Onto the bus again...

I get off at my hotel, they continue on to their Copenhagen home. I'm ready for a cup of warm tea. Lucky thing -- I brought along a Lille rhubarb cookie for just such an emergency!

In the evening the skies clear again. I pick up the bus once more, this time heading in the opposite direction -- to Baest Restaurant. You'd call it Italian maybe, and you would not be wrong, but I think they view themselves as merely Italian influenced, with organic produce, artisanal butchery and raw milk cheeses ("from cows that graze 40 kilometers away").

I've come to expect good food in Copenhagen. I know this is perhaps a simplified view, but honestly, the seeded rye bread alone that I eat every day for breakfast is so good that I'd eat only that were it available back home. And the focus on fresh and honest is so widespread that I have to think you're going to eat well in many eateries here. Still, tonight's pizzas are exceptional. Ask Juniper!

Afterwards, we take the bus to the young family's neighborhood, where we search out a delicious ice cream shop. 

(If I were to say which flower I see most often in Copenhagen, I would say this one! The hollyhock.)

And now it's ridiculously late. Still, I go over to the young family's home. The dad is going out to meet his friend for a drink, so I keep my daughter company. It's so rare to have all this vacation time with her, with the kids. I'm not going to retire to my room until I can't keep my eyes open any more!

As I walk back to the hotel for the night, I think to myself --  happy Danes, happy me.

(passing the train station: that feeling of safety at night for solo treks across town...)

Godnat!

Copenhagen!

Good morning, Copenhagen! [Doesn't speaking those words in a buoyant fashion remind you of the song Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen? Yesterday, as we were walking across a bridge spanning one of the many waterways of the city, I asked that of my daughter, who was raised by me after all and so surely buoyant songs I would have sung to her when she was little stayed with her. And I asked if others knew the song as well. My daughter smiled in that benevolent way adult kids smile at us and said -- mom, only people over 65 would know or remember that song. I polled our walking group of six adults, only two of whom have reached that privileged age of great wisdom. She was right. Two did, four did not. Oh, the years where you could find meaning in Danny Kaye songs! Years when I thought simple songs like his Inchworm held such great insight into how to find joy in the everyday!]

We start the day at my hotel, the Villa Copenhagen. 

(their arrival)

It's not that breakfast here is so exquisite so that it cannot be missed, but it is a full hotel meal and when you're renting an apartment, getting away from the responsibility of putting something on the table (and then cleaning up afterwards) is valuable.

Next, we go across the street for a fuller ramble through the Tivoli Gardens.

A word about this park: I swear, even before I had heard of Disneyland, Denmark, or dinosaurs, I'd heard of Tivoli. In my younger days, it had that reputation of being exquisite and unusual and beautiful. It's an amusement park - established in 1843 (it's celebrating its 180the anniversary this year), it was in fact the first one of its kind.

Disney visited it more than once and it's fair to say that this is where the idea for Disneyland was born.

It's amusement and delight on a grand scale, but it is also a place that strives to be aesthetically beautiful. Flowers, ornate buildings, ponds and fountains.

And plenty of rides. Juniper is too small for them and Primrose is cautious about such thrills (they have a roller coaster called "the Vertigo" which actually turns you upside-down at 100 km/hour -- I read that it was voted the best ride in all of Europe in 2014), but both girls were happy as can be to go on the merry-go-round.

Tivoli gives a nod to today's holiday (Happy Birthday, America!), though I did hear some tsk-tsking about the presence here of all those red white and blues...

I suppose I'm not surprised. There are a few, but not that many Americans here right now. And do we even know when Denmark celebrates its Independence Day? (On June 5th and it's called Constitution Day.)

I should note that one very pleasant thing about Tivoli is that it's not very crowded. Here we are, in July, and there are no long lines for anything. The pace seems leisurely. You're not trying to snag a bench seat or any kind of seat -- there are plenty. And when we spend a good hour (more?) at the Tivoli playground, there aren't pushy kids scrambling to get on the slide or to climb the ropes. It's all nicely tame and with a calm and easy vibe to it. And the two girls love it!

We pause for a crepe snack and after a very brief rain shower, the sun is out and the air feels almost warm! As they all go to pick up the food, I watch the world stroll by and I marvel at how many girls have light blonde braids, or ponytails in Denmark.

It's getting to be mid afternoon now and we split up at this point. I go back to my hotel to pick up a few things. My daughter takes Juniper home for a nap. Primrose lingers at the park with her dad.

Close to 4, I make my way past... bikes! (I cannot emphasize how much this is a biking city! Oh, one could argue that there are more cyclists in Amsterdam, but those guys over there are crazy, holding no respect for rules of the road or pedestrians. Danish bikers are like Danish street crossers: disciplined! But oh, are there ever many bikes! The bike racks are overflowing with them (double decker in the back of the photo!).

As are the streets, though almost always with dedicated bike lanes.

I'm walking now to the young family's neighborhood. 

I have several important boxes to tick off tonight: first, my daughter and I head out to a local cafe to pick up some sustaining warm beverages. Then she and I go to the grocery store to get some dinner foods. For the girls. And me. Tonight is the big dinner night out for the parents. A long time ago, I offered to sit for this one and I stock up on foods now that will make the kids and me happy in the late afternoon and evening. 

The parents get ready and leave before the girls are up from their naps.

I think Juniper is a little surprised to see me and not them at wake up time, but she takes her cues from her big sister and if Primrose is okay with the state of affairs, she goes along.

And when Juniper is beyond tired (I promised parents I'd keep them up past 9p.m. to keep to their late European bedtime schedule), there's always the tablet and Primrose's shoulder to keep her calm. For a little bit anyway. 

(By 9, Juniper was virtually pulling me to her room to get her pajamas and to put her down in her crib. Primrose, on the other hand, was still bargaining for one more minute at 9:30.)

It must be late by the time I set out for the hotel. It's almost dark outside! Of course, in these days, it never gets fully dark here at night. Maybe for an hour or so, but by 2, the gray light of the new morning starts taking hold. 

Godnat everyone! And no rush to get up tomorrow. We are all sleeping in after this beautiful day! That's what vacations require of us: to shed routines and to embrace the novel delights of each day.

With love...

Copenhagen!

Word of advice: do not poke around with your writing late into the night when you really should be getting your rest. Once your mind is focused on sentences spinning on the loom of the day's events, it's hard to get the whole machinery to shut down. [So, I think I got some sleep last night, but I'm not sure!] And another thing: really resist the impulse to purchase a nice new pair of shoes to replace your worn but comfy ones for a trip. These days (and I say this having studied lots of feet out there!) shoes do not a person make. Everybody's wearing stuff that in the past you'd probably have saved for hiking into the Rocky Mountains and you should too.

Just sayin'.

Today the cool and blustery weather continues (as it probably does for the better part of the year). The wind gusts are strong and the occasional shower adds drama to the day, though again, no one seems to care. Pull out the umbrella or button your slicker and move on.

(view out my larger window this morning: you can just see the Tivoli tower; and blue skies, for the moment!)

I try to eat a lighter breakfast, but it's hard!

Still, I do try. The young parents have in mind bakery stops that are about as tempting as they come. I need to make room for a second breakfast!

I set out for their Copenhagen home (which is actually the home of a couple who raised many a child here, if you're to believe the occasional photograph found on display in the apartment).

I'm there just after 9 and the kids are still sleeping -- that's how tired they all were after the long trip, though you'd never know it, judging by their moods!

(still in p.j.'s)

("can I brush someone's hair?")

The plan for this morning is to walk over to the young couple's favorite bakery (Hart Bagery). This is how you get to really know and love a new city or town -- you discover and hold dear a bake shop! As soon as the kids are up and ready, we set out.

It's a lovely walk through the blocks of their neighborhood. We stick to a commercially vibrant street and the shops we pass begin to paint a picture of Danish life for me. 

But nothing does this better than a pause at Hart. There is a short line, though it moves quickly. And the breads and pastries are beautiful!

They're mostly of the kind you'd like for breakfast, or for afternoon tea: cardamon buns (made from leftover scraps of croissant dough and black cardamon then glazed with melted butter -- these become my new favorites!!), Hveder buns, Spandauer buns, and poppyseed croissants with almond cream. But I know that they do a lot, too with fruit pastries (inspiring me to return to making those back home). Some pastries are more traditional to Denmark, but most show the influence of bakers from such places as Tartine in San Francisco, or Noma right here in Copenhagen. When Hart opened in 2018, the line then had 500 people in it and it quickly gained a reputation for being "the best local bakery anywhere." We take several bags of pastries with us...  

... to savor and enjoy at the young family's Copenhagen kitchen table.

It's a reminder of how much Copenhagen has transformed itself in recent decades. That some speak favorably of the bakeries here even as compared with France (these would be people from everywhere but France, I'm sure!) tells you a lot how about how cuisines can evolve, just under the influence of a handful of talented people -- not necessarily born here (the head pastry chef at Hart is from England, though he spent his formative baking years in the sourdough capital of San Francisco, before being lured here to really push the Copenhagen bakery scene forward. All these exquisite baked goods dont come cheap and unlike in France, they probably aren't picked up daily by every household in town, but good bakeries always raise the bar for others and in the end, they all get a significant boost from the new offerings.

At this point, I part ways with the young family. They have some shops to visit (a promised Lego excursion!) and I really should take a nap to make up for last night. 

I spend the afternoon in my room, admiring there what's blooming in Denmark these days.

We all meet up at 16:45 by the Ved Stranden pier for a boat ride along Copenhagen's canals. (We meet up for this with friends of the young family who are in town with their toddler.)

(As I wait for them to arrive, I glance at the benches on the little square. What do you think, Danish grandmothers?)

(here come the kids! my kids...)

We climb onto the flat, single level, open seating boat. 

    

(Primrose is actually in front of the Little Mermaid statue in this shot -- surely one of this city's most iconic monuments! Here it is, albeit from the back.)     

                                                                                                         

In all, it's a superb way to take a look at the city from the water's edge. Dark clouds hover overhead, but we never get the rain. At least not while we're on the boat! 

(the royals live here...)

(Passing by the world's smallest hotel -- a room on the water...)

And now we're all hungry for dinner. 

We walk through Nyhavn, across the river, to Popl. 

This is a take-out burger place, though you can opt for a vegetarian burger. Burgers, fries or potato salad, or green salad. That's it. But on the other hand, it's not just a burger place. It was opened by some Noma people as a pop up place and then it stayed for good. Quality ingredients brought down to the level of the burger. Not fat patties, not overwhelming, just good beef from Denmark, tastily prepared.

But it was  nippy! We all sat at a picnic table and the wind blew from every direction and eventually rain showers passed overhead, leaving us with this:

The land of many many beautiful rainbows.

Determined to do the night well, I retire (relatively!) quickly after that. So much to see and do still... I can't change my footwear, but at the very least I can start the day well rested!

Godnat once again!