Plugging my favourite European city
Copenhagen!
Hello readers!
You are not seeing things, getting another issue so close to the other and I have not changed my publication schedule. It feels nice to be writing something the week after my last issue - but I don’t think I have the bandwidth to become a weekly publication.
Thanks to those of you who completed my short survey! If you have not yet, I am keeping it open through the end of July and I would LOVE it if you participated, I promise it is short and it is here.
Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, how are you? Have any of you been on a summer vacation yet or have one coming up very soon? I would guess that most readers with kids are on summer break if they’re in North America, so I hope that you’re able to get away even if its camping or a weekend close by swimming or hiking or doing what your family likes! Sometimes even an air-conditioned summer movie theater on a hot day can feel like a vacation. You do you!
Read about the science behind vacations
If you have been a reader for a while, you’ll remember my interview/conversation with Jennica Day who was working on a book about the science behind vacation. The day has arrived and her book is available at Amazon in Canada and in the US. The date sneaked up on me and I didn’t buy on release day but it is on my to-do list for this week! Jennica emphasizes how important work recovery is to prevent burnout and how vacations provide that. You don’t have to leave your house to have a vacation and not every trip or holiday is a vacation. If that sounds crazy then I recommend reading her book or looking her up on Instagram for some explanations, she’s @thevacationnerd.
Links
Airlines are slowly but surely becoming more inclusive and increasingly accessible for all bodies. Yay! As an able-bodied person, I don’t think about how difficult it can be to travel and how the world and flying is designed for me. Everyone deserves to travel comfortably (okay maybe economy isn’t 100% comfortable) but with EASE.
An itinerary for 6 days in Copenhagen.
For my east coast US readers, American Airlines has revamped menus and launched a new Philly to Copenhagen route. I would not normally share a link for such a city-specific thing but I love Copenhagen. I spent 4 days there on my own in 2017 and now that I am watching season 3 of The Bear and there are glimpses back to that city in the episodes (including a shot of Rene Redzepi of NOMA) and I am dreaming about going back. If you’ve been, I’m curious if you also loved it? I told a friend the other day that London might be my favourite city I’ve ever travelled to since I’ve been there 5 or 6 times since the age of 16 but I am realizing that Copenhagen is actually my favourite. It is more compact, incredibly bike-friendly, safe, clean, people are kind, the food is good, the public transportation is top notch and clean. So yeah, CPH takes the top spot. There is a lot to see.
A culinary guide to Chicago beyond The Bear. There are so many places that have opened since I moved. I sometimes have a little FOMO that I can’t try them. But then I remember I have a lot more outdoor options where I live and that I can visit Chicago.
For further reading
I wrote in a Substack note last week that I wanted to share some of the Substacks that I always make time to read. I am trying to make time for more because there are so many that I find intriguing but it is not easy. Please recommend others that you like in the comments.
In no particular order:
Copenhagen: My impressions and what I saw
And for this issue, because I mentioned how much I loved Copenhagen, I decided to share an old travel diary from that trip. Let’s let 2017 Sonya tell the tale…
I’ve decided to break down my personal trip review of Copenhagen (i.e., not a “guide”) into three parts: see, eat, and a general post on my impressions and thoughts. I’m going to jump right in with what I saw and where I went. 2024 note, I’ve included my impressions and what I saw in this post, I left out the food post for now because so much can change in 7 years.
People: This was the second Nordic country I’ve ever visited (Iceland being the first) and I do think that Iceland is a bit different than continental Europe. Don’t get me wrong, I love both, so much. In fact, I teared up a little bit when my passport was stamped in Keflavik on the way home and that meant I had to leave. I enjoyed my trip to Copenhagen, the Faroe Islands, and an overnight in Iceland so much that I was sad to return home.
I have experienced nothing but friendliness from Nordic culture and people. It is not like American friendliness where it is quite outgoing - which I am not belittling. But, the Danes are a bit reserved at first and then they open up when they’re comfortable. Then they’re very friendly, generous, and warm people. I think I can relate to this because I can be a bit shy at first and then I really open up.
Everyone I met was generous, helpful, intelligent, and thoughtful. I had a lot of fun and interesting conversations with locals in Copenhagen.
The family I stayed with was wonderful and I had so much fun eating breakfast with them each morning and watching the local morning news show, chatting about our evenings and plans for the day, and about life in general as it related to current events. I would stay with them again and I they wrote me a private message in Airbnb saying to come back and stay again. I honestly can’t say enough nice things about the family and everyone I encountered in Copenhagen.
The city: Copenhagen is a fairly small city, flat, on a part of Denmark that is an island (a big one) and very close to Sweden. The sea and a river were both very important to its development and economy. It really doesn’t take much for me to be charmed by the appearance and architecture of a city but I loved the city. I like Danish design anyway, it is simple, clean, and classic. The architecture of the city reflects this. It isn’t grand and ornate like Vienna or Paris, but it has its own charms and beauty in that it isn’t trying to be too fancy.
I asked the bartender who was working at Ruby Cocktail Chronicles (where I had a delicious dill cocktail) what his favourite part of his city was and he answered “you can bike across the city in about 15 minutes” and that made him happy. I can completely understand that, it is the little things that make you happy. Copenhagen is a city with many people but it is compact and easy to navigate. They have an extremely enviable bicycle/car/pedestrian traffic flow, in my humble opinion. I was inspired to ride my bike more back in Chicago and in general, wherever I end up. 2024 note, I did start biking more in my final months of Chicago and I do bike all over Victoria, it is my favourite way to get around.
The food and drink scene: Copenhagen, knows what is up when it comes to food. It is the home of NOMA, (best restaurant in the world title, several times) which will reopen in December 2017 and is now closed in 2024. Denmark is where Mikkeller beer got started and they’ve got more projects than just beer. There are several restaurants in Copenhagen that are part of the Mikkeller family that focus on pairing food with beer. I didn’t have enough time to go to them but I definitely ate all of the things in Copenhagen. I was so happy that a lot of bars there served 20 cl size beers so I could taste a little beer without committing to a full-sized glass. Without that option, I would not have been able to try the variety that I did. I loved all of the fish and seafood, the delicious and inventive salads I ate, and the availability of ethnic food in Copenhagen. There was something for everyone and for every budget.
2024 note, I have never been a big drinker and I might have one drink a month now, sometimes a little more, sometimes none. I do enjoy craft beer though and Copenhagen has a great beer scene so I was excited to try the beers at Mikkeller and other places in that city when I went there. I hope that the mention of drinking was not triggering for anyone. This was also a vacation and not even close to an accurate representation of what I regularly consumed at home then.
What I saw
Since I stayed in an Airbnb with a family in their spare bedroom in South Copenhagen, I purchased the 72 hours Copenhagen Card, which was approximately $98 with the exchange rate in 2017. I thought it was a good deal because it included unlimited rides on CPH public transportation (bus and metro) as well as free entry to many of the museums.
Danish Museum of Art and Design - I loved this museum. I think it would be a good place to go for anyone, not just design fiends or even just Danish design enthusiasts. There was fashion, photography, furniture, mixed media, and a special exhibit on the Japanese influence on Danish design. There was also a great gift shop and cafe. This museum isn’t very close to a lot of other sights, but I felt it was worth the visit. Also, Copenhagen is not that big, and you can always rent bikes and bike to everything even as a tourist. Cycling seemed very safe in the city. This was included with the Copenhagen Card.
Statens Museum for Kunst - This place was very close to the Botanic Gardens, but did not open until 11. So I visited the gardens, then the Design museum, then breezed through this place. It is your typical State art museum with paintings from the Renaissance through the modern period. There was renovation going on when I was there so they’d created a special ground floor exhibit of the most special Nordic paintings and put them on one floor. I thank them for that, I was most looking forward to the more contemporary art and I was pleased. This museum isn’t huge so you can see it all in 2 hours or less. This was included with the Copenhagen Card.
Botanic Gardens - I was up with the sun due to insomnia and long days so I went here because it was the only thing already open when I was out and about. But I am glad that I did! It was pretty and I imagine it must be quite busy on the weekends when the weather is lovely. There were so many beautiful flowers and plants. The greenhouse was filled with gorgeous plants as well. This place was free.
Tivoli Gardens - I went here to see it all lit up at night because that is what a TripAdvisor person said was most magical while he was there with his kids. I got the feeling that he thought “I came all the way to Denmark and had to take my kids to a stupid amusement park, but the lights made it worth it”. So, I saved this for the end of a day and I was SO TIRED when I got there. It was my last day, I had walked all over, I got there at about 8 pm and then remembered that it would not be dark for about 2 more hours. Oy. I walked around the park, where people were having fun on the rides and playing games! There were some interesting circus-like stage shows happening, and some live classical music, however I needed to sit. After I circled through the park, I sat with a view of the most famous white palace-looking building, at an outdoor cafe under some heat lamps, and ordered a coffee and a caramel sundae. I enjoyed the peace and quiet for about an hour before it was finally dark and then I snapped photos, bought some souvenirs, and took the bus home with dozens of amped up festival goers who had been at Distortion. I got stuck in the Distortion crowd two nights in a row! Woohoo! (More about this later in probably both CPH posts). Entry was included with the CPH Card - rides are extra.
Round Tower - This was worth the climb to the top because Copenhagen does not have any hills of notable size to view the city from so a climb up a tower was in order to get a 360 degree view. The climb was mostly a ramp that just circled up, and a very short and steep staircase at the end (like 10 steps or less) so it is actually a good climb for anyone who is claustrophobic because the ramps were spacious! There was also a mini-museum type display on almost each floor on the way up as well as public toilets so there were places to rest. Included on CP Card.
Christiania and more to read here, and here - The last link is a Buzzfeed article, but sometimes they are right on (actually many times). I did a great walking tour that ended up near Christiania. I don't really have any words to describe this place and photos were not allowed (2024 note, they’re been removed from the Buzzfeed article) so I just want to say you should read the articles I’ve linked, go yourself, and form your own opinion. I think it is really cool that it exists and coexists somewhat peacefully within Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a bit hippie and a bit weird, but good for them. My walking tour was free and I tipped the guide about $10 after the exchange rate.
The Little Mermaid - This is a “pass” for most people because it is kind of a hike from all of the main attractions. However, I went my first day because I needed to walk and adjust to time change. I am also a huge fan of the Little Mermaid, both the original Hans Christian Andersen tale as well as the animated Disney version, so I had to see her in person. :) Free because it is a statue and there are no restrictions around seeing it.
Nørrebro - Very cool neighbourhood, if I lived in Copenhagen, I’d want to live here. Lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. I did some shopping in this area after spending the morning wandering around the main “downtown” area and then having lunch at a place I’ll review in another post - then I took the bus to Nørrebro. I wandered and took a few photos, then shopped, bought some souvenirs and some small gifts, and then had one of the aforementioned 20 cl beers at Mikkeller and Friends before continuing on to Copenhagen Street Food and then Tivoli. My favourite shopping street in Nørrebro was recommended to me by a friend of a friend and it was called Jæggersbroggade.
Nyhavn - If you have seen any photo of Copenhagen, I’m going to bet it is either Den Lille Havfrue (the Little Mermaid) OR, some extremely colourful rowhouse looking buildings that line a canal that leads to the port that was once one of the busiest in the world. Nyhavn means “new harbour” and is the name for the area. There are restaurants with outdoor patios and boat tours leave from canal - it is extremely touristy. However, you must see it. I headed straight for it my first day and it was cloudy. I passed it a second day and it was a little bit brighter. My last full day I was close by and had time to kill (how?) and it was SUNNY and I ran over to snap a third group of photos of the colourful architecture. Must-see, for sure. Some of the houses date from the late 1600′s and Hans Christian Andersen lived on the street.
Consuming
I’ve finished a book in the last week. FINALLY. I finished Hades, Argentina. It moved slowly, it was about the dirty war. I found it a bit rambling and confusing at times. I don’t like to speak badly about books but it was not for me. I am so ready to dive into Dixon Descending and Beautyland.
That’s all for this issue, I hope I’ve convinced you to add Copenhagen to your travel list. :)
-Sonya
Enjoyed this read, as I’m eyeing Copenhagen around my birthday in February! (I like the cold.) Did you travel anywhere else while you were there? I know Malmo is super easy but not sure about what else is realistic to combine with it.
I have a friend who did a gap year in Copenhagen and just raves about it. I’m also mostly Swedish so I’d love to spend more time in that region of the world. What a lovely recap! And I so appreciate the shout out for dialoguing—so kind!!