Four days in Copenhagen

Cykla Äta Cykla Titta Cykla Dricka Cykla Äta Cykla Titta Äta Cykla Dricka Cykla

 

En vit cykel på ett blåmålat cykelfält i Köpenhamn, Danmark

 

What happened..?

… to my spontaneous kind of travelling? The only thing missing here is an excel file by the minute.

Karin

This time, my real bike Karin will join me. Well… she’s always the one coming to Copenhagen since she’s the most comfortable bicycle in my… collection. We’re kind of a family my bicycles and I. Everyone of them -Monark, TREK, Decathlon/b-fold- is my favourite. And I pick my bike according to the circumstances.

It seems like Örsundstågen always have two cars for us who travel with bicycles, and strollers. They are visible to the travellers by the large bicycle signs outside of the cars. Even though these cars have very clear signs about being for… bicycles and strollers, the’re always full of other travellers behavoing more or less entitled to the by far fever seats available to “us”.

Apparently it happens on occasions that these cars are full. Nock on wood, that never happened to me.

 

Ett Öregrundstågs vagn för cyklar och barnvagnar.
En fastspänd cykel med en ryggsäck i cykelkorgen på Öresundståget på väg till Danmark.

Take the custum where it comes -bicycling rules

Not only are the danes passionate about bicycling, there severly disciplined and clearly get annoyed with us swedes if we bwhave clueless to the rules. Don’t ask me how I know…

My most frequent mistake is forgetting raising my hand like frying shovel, palm facing forward when I’m about to stop. But I’m a fast learner on this one. All thanks to the uttermost clear disappointment by the other bicyclists. It’s not like they will slap you or anything, but the’ll make sure you learn. Fast.

THE rules. In writing 😊 If you’re into YouTube here you go💪

1. Try a bike with a box in the front. The’re commony known as a Christiania bike, even though that is a brand in itself.

2. Stop by the redlights, not only is it the law, it’s commonly practised by the Danes. Very sympathetic, and… not how we do it in Stockholm. Well… some don’t.

3. A helmet is a good idea, however it’s concidered to be a swedish thing. That being said, I’m swedish.

4. Where are your legs and arms?: In Denmark bicyclists are supposed to have -always- both feet on the pedals -pluraI- and at least one hand on the handlebars while the vehicle is moving.

5. Pling along. Do not get annoyed by this, it means “Hi and watch out, here I come” when you pass on the left side of your fellow trafficker.

6. Do NOT walk in the bicycle lane. I don’t even want to think about the consequence concidering me forgetting the raised palm when stopping IN the bicycle lane. It’s concidered a mortal sin, and something only hillbillies and tourists do.

7. Up with your hand. If you’re about to stop.

Cykla i Köpenhamn

Visit Copenhagen
Bike routes in Copenhagen
Bicycle rules
Useful bicycle facts

 

 

Hotel Bryggen Guldsmeden

I picked this hotel specifically due to it’s eco profile, and to be located a bit outside of the city center. Bryggen Guldsmeden is located in Gullfossgade 4 next to the great Amagerpark. This year spring wasn’t only late, it was also cold as F. No open jacket and sipping latte while improving my collection of freckles.

In hindsite I’m a bit torn concidering me 1. Teaching sustainability in construction and building management as my regular day job 2. I had really high expectations and was reeeeeaaaaly looking forward to this eco lodging. Way to many eco contradictions, and the common areas were quite booring and empty even though the hotel was fully booked while I was there. That if anything says a lot, in my opinion.

 

Ett litet dubbelrum på eko-hotellet Bryggen Guldsmeden i Köpenhamn, Danmark.

Orbital -the recycling shower

Also known as the airshuttle shower. Am I beyond saviour for choosing a hotel out of experiencing a shower that recycles both the water and the heat from the water? Propably. The technique is still under progress, but well on it’s way. Since I’m obsessed by saving water, wolume as well as not pouring poisenous shit -chemicals- down the drain I had to try one. Hey, we’re in Scandinavia where we fluch our toilets with drinking water. And this technique purifies the water with a osmosis membrante and UV-light, so that ca 80% of the water in reused in the same shower cycle.

So… how’s my first experience in this sustainable technology? Since I have no previous experience I get a bit comfused when I only get ca 9 seconds of water per “press the button”. Sustainable, yes fo sure. But me clean… I don’t think so. On top of it… my habits were not in tune with my general cognitive capacity… By “accident” I did… pee in the shower.

And the 9 seconds per “press the button”… that seemed super sustainable, was a mere sign of it not working properly. Didn’t seem to bother the staff that much. Not even a faint “I’m sorry for the inconvenience”.

Orbital -rymdduschen som filterar, renar och cirkulerar duschvattnet
Orbital -rymdduschen som filterar, renar och cirkulerar duschvattnet

 

Galleries in Copenhagen

No, I didn’t visit all of them, but quite a few. Remember the planning… with assistance of my tennis pal Stella, an artsy former Copenhagen resident.

Utsidan av Galleri Bo Bjerggaard i Kødbyen i Köpenhamn, Danmark

 

Galleri Bo Bjerggaard

Right in the middle of the hipster part of town / Meat packing district, in danish Kødbyen. While visisting they had an exhibition by Ivan Andersen. I SOOO liked it! The images are detailes of very large pieces, which seems to be part of his style. If I had a wall… and the means ❤️

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Ett konstverk av Ivan Andersen på Galleri Bo Bjerggaard i Köpenhamn, Danmark
Ett konstverk av Ivan Andersen på Galleri Bo Bjerggaard i Köpenhamn, Danmark

 

V1 Gallery

Smaller, next door neighbour of Galleri Bo Bjerggaard. Exhibit at the moment -> Anton Funck.

Ett konstverk av Anton Funck på V1 Gallery i Köpenhamn, Danmark
En utställning som heter Against the sun av Anton Funch på Galleriet V1 i Köpenhamn
En utställning som heter Against the sun av Anton Funch på Galleriet V1 i Köpenhamn

 

Galleri Oxholm

A mixture of artists, a bit spread out this time. However I liked the three dimensional mosaics by Isabelle Scheljtjens that kind of changed it’s shape as you moved your viewing angle.

Galleri Oxholm is located Pille Allé 25.

Ett konstverk av Isabelle Scheljtjens på Galleri Oxholm I Köpenhamn

 

Mad & Kaffe

It’s time for a coffebreak at Mad & Kaffe  Found their Vesterbro location -chain- at Sønder Blvd. 68. I’m a bit surprised how so many cute looking cafe’s and resturants seem to be chains in Copenhagen. In Sweden I usually avoid chains since they most of the time lack in spirit. On top of that some of them don’t pay domestic taxes, which I think sucks. Especially in Scandinavia that include so much societal service for the… taxes.

I guess I could’t resist that short moment of sun on a windy street corner. Yes, it was worth it.

En avocadotast med citronzest på Mad & Kaffe i Köpenhamn, Danmark