København

A Design Exhibition in Downtown Copenhagen

The possibility to visit a different country over the weekend and mental images of H. C. Anderson loudly singing the praises of Copenhagen led me to Denmark last weekend. Much to my delight, Copenhagen was, in fact, wonderful. I stayed in a huge (20 floor), ultra-mod hostel complete with light-colored hard-wood floors, round chairs, and avocado accents.

Much of what I did in Copenhagen was very touristy but the city is well set-up to accommodate finding and seeing the highlights so I had time to get off the strictly tourist path, too. I spent my first afternoon at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum based around the personal collection of the founder of Carlsberg Breweries. The collection includes wonderful examples of classic Egyptian, Roman, and Greek art as well as many paintings from Denmark's Golden Age.

Other highlights of my few days in Denmark included the mandatory pilgrimage to see The Little Mermaid (which is always crazily crowded but really accessible), a visit to the Museum of Danish Resistance (which documents Danish response to Nazi invasion), and a stroll down the brightly colored, cafe-lined canal Nyhavn. Luckily (because I still have money left) I walked down Strøget, Europe's largest pedestrian shopping street, on Sunday so everything was closed; I have never seen such amazing furniture and clothing design in my life and that was only the window displays.

Nyhavn

Here she is!


I was fortunate enough to actually meet some Danes while in Denmark and enjoyed the open pub style and cheap beer in Denmark (though it is a little unsettling to see 15 yr olds legally drinking beside you and I will never be able to feel legitimate walking down the street holding a beer, even if it is legal!)