FRIDAY, JULY 19
A LEISURELY MESS
Because we have the luxury of three full days in Copenhagen, we indulged in a bit of messy meanderings. At one point, after we had gone back and forth through the central station twice, Chloe said, “this is the day of circles.” And so it was…
RENTING DONKEYS
We biked! Yep. We rented Donkey bikes. Like any new venture, there was a learning curve. We rented from two different locations, not our fault there weren’t two together, each was about 400 meters away, and so it took a while to collect them. But we learned we paid for the time it took us to get from one to the next.
The ride to downtown, or Tivoli Gardens, where we would begin our self-guided walking tour, was about 20 minutes, all flat. We biked slowly, like most everyone else. Copenhagen is a smallish city of just under 800,000 and it’s spread out…thus biking is a great way to get from one point to another. It’s not really pedestrian friendly, unless you stay right in downtown.
When we arrived at the Gardens, we decided to bypass them. Amusement parks aren’t really our thing.
MEAT DISTRICT FOR VEGAN LUNCH
We had lunch was at a Thai restaurant, called Porn Sak (funny name, like the pub we passed called Spunk Bar), and located in the Meat District, on the opposite side of the central station from Tivoli Gardens. The area has trendy restaurants and art galleries with a low-key vibe and it also still functions as a Meat district, slaughterhouses included. Kind of disgusting to think about when you’re eating. Live music on a small stage behind one restaurant filled the wide street and gravel park running through the middle. People were hanging out at tables that lined the sidewalk, and in back gardens.
Again, so few cars that these streets designed for car traffic felt outdated.
ROUND ABOUT TO CITY HALL SQUARE
Our first “tour” stop was City Hall. It took us a long time to get there as we did another loop, or two, of the station. When we arrived at City Hall Square, an Andean musician was performing on his flute. An example of the perfect mashup that is Copenhagen.
Copenhagen, compared to Stockholm, is a little bit dirtier, less pristine, more expressive with graffiti and busking, and feels livelier. And the people seem to come from everywhere in the world, like Brussels, and live in a more harmonious environment than most cities. The pace is slow, yet feels charged with experimental creativity that is somehow digital, design oriented and youthful. People were incredibly friendly. When we were trying to sort out where to go for lunch, a young man left his sidewalk table and asked if he could help.
People smile a lot. Supposedly, this is the happiest city in the world, and it does feel like something unique is going on here. Biking? The communities? Apartment buildings with picnic tables shared by neighbors in courtyards? From our apartment window, I watched office colleagues gathering around a long table to have lunch together. Offices have balconies, like apartment balconies,where co-workers hang out. It also doesn’t seem people work too hard. Lots of people are downtown, or in neighborhoods walking around with their children. Perhaps a more relaxed work ethic has something to do with the happiness, creativity, bikers who don’t rush.
STOGET STREET
We didn’t manage to stay on our pre-planned walking tour, but we did get into the old town, and walked along and around Stoget Street, the shopping street (and the longest at 1.1 kilometers of any pedestrian shopping street in Europe). The older buildings, three-five stories, are painted with deep colors — rusts, reds, dark greys, rich ochre, but they are also white and light blue and pink. Perhaps this is a reflection of an acceptable range of expression in the society as well. Choice and difference may be encouraged.
A lack of trees downtown and the dirtier cobbled streets reminded us of Naples, but only a little bit. Buskers everywhere and the energy they bring to a city, reminded us of Dublin. The post- industrial feel of the Meat Packing District and many buildings near where we are staying reminded us of Glasgow. But Copenhagen, like every city we have visited, has it’s own spirit.
We saw other sites, the two main squares along Stoget street, the Tower, the University buildings from the 1700s, some Danish shops, and then we walked along the canal. People were having their dinners on small boats, some docked on the side of the canal.
And then surprise, surprise after getting lost — and why not — and wandering wonderfully aimlessly, we found bikes and rode home.
