Things I saw on a Saturday

Yesterday, I spent a few hours wandering the city before meeting my friend Jesper at his exquisite vintage stop on Krystalgade. I didn't take any pictures at the shop because I was so distracted by the incredible clothes, but you can get a taste of Time's Up Vintage here. 

Here are some other things I saw on my stroll:

German word of the day: "Die Koffer"

Die Koffer: the suitcases

 ... and how I regret bringing more than one. I am packing up to head for the night train to Cologne, and I am not thrilled at the likely prospect of being that "American asshole" blocking the aisles as I sweatily and awkwardly make my way through the train compartment desperately searching for a place to put my bags that is reasonably close to my assigned seat. I'm sure there will be a trail of minimalist Danish fresh-faced individuals behind me whispering about my struggle. The very thought of this gives me bubble-guts. The anxiety this vision gives me is enough that I almost want to give some of my belongings away just to empty one suitcase. 

       I have to keep repeating to myself that approximately 15 hours of discomfort and nervousness might actually be equivalent to exercise, so it must be healthy. Experiences like this always conjure embarrassing memories of being a pre-teen and doing stupid things like tucking my skirt into my tights when leaving the bathroom. For me, being awkward on foreign transportation is the adult equivalent of accidentally farting during a test in junior high. Just writing about it is making me sick. Wish me luck!

A Lamb named Peter

I should have taken pictures of this dinner. 

Today was a lovely day ... saw the sun for the first time since arriving. I went to a Danish "fitness center" and discovered that all is about the same except the occasional Danish MTV video featuring graphically nude men brushing their hair, and an herbal sauna where both the men and the women let it all hang out. Of course, I kept mine intact. One of my hosts' friends came from Bornholm with a lamb leg he acquired from a vet. The lamb wasn't sick. This vet has a farm. Regardless, this lamb was named Peter, and he had a good life according to the bringer of the lamb, so we roasted it in garlic and potatoes and pumpkin and rosemary. I made my interpretation of Autumn Bisque that Liisa introduced me to, and we had sides of lovely sesame cole slaw, roasted vegetables, and a pepper and feta pasta salad. The kids liked it, we liked it, and the terrible rainstorm outside eluded us. Then we played this exquisite video game just released in Denmark called "LIMBO".  It was me, 2 elegant gentlemen, and a 9 year-old girl. It was epic ... I usually find video games infinitely frustrating, but this is one is so beautiful and brain-bending. You can see a full preview for it here: http://www.limbogame.org

          screen shot from Limbo

Velkommen til København

I arrived in lovely Copenhagen on Monday morning. I am visiting for a week with some dear friends and colleagues. Those who live here often say emphatically that this is a town best seen in the summer, when the days tap out at about 19 hours of sunlight, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Today, the daylight is 8 hours, 34 minutes and 9 seconds in duration, which is right in my wheelhouse. Long horizontal mornings, a bright productive afternoon, and a lulling evening. I am staying on the 15th floor penthouse of a building in Frederiksberg, a neighborhood which oddly enough, is considered its own municipality despite being nestled right in the city. To my left, I can see the grey sea, two windmills at work, several steaming smokestacks, and thousands of orange roofs with glowing windows tucked beneath. Behind me stretches the stripes of the cities parks and neighborhoods, and across the street below, a tiny cemetery with an elegant and tidy crematorium. My friends here told me it is only used once in a blue moon, but they saw it used one day when there was snow on the ground , and it is supposedly breathtaking. The fires smell different here and from Ireland ... sort of like Dublin smoke but more like leaves, which are by the way, significantly larger and drier than ours. This makes for the best lonely bustling sound when they blow down the street, especially if someone around the corner is walking in high heels or big boots. I am off tonight to see a film in the CPH:DOX festival, and maybe a warm drink in a bodega. Danish "bodegas" are not poorly stocked cornerstores as they are called in New York, but essentially a local pub (think, The Long Hall in Dublin) where smoking laws are bent etc. I have just done spring cleaning on my camera, so new pictures to follow soon, but for now - two of my aforementioned favorite bodegas, one abroad and one a stone's throw away:

The Long Hall, Dublin 2

               Café Intime, Frederiksberg