Danskviking the blog

And where can I buy a klippekort?

2010-11-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

I have been talking about s-tog and klippekort but I forgot to mention the basics. Where do you buy you klippekort? Well either from a shop inside the station or a vending machine directly on the platform. You can also find them in some newsagents.

Other essential info: if you ask kindly (to the vendor, not the vending machine of course ...), you may manage to get a card cover, some even have a line map on them! Classy and totally essential!

Did you klipp?

2010-11-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

Essential when you take the bus, bus boat, train, S-Tog or subway: the right ticket.
Be careful here, you don't have to pass any door, so you may well get on a train without even thinking about tickets... (at least in a bus, the driver would stop you). Beware not to try it though, you would soon discover the 600 kr. fine the not convincing enough "I am a tourist, I didn't know, I am sorry" excuse would get you....
For occasional travelers who do not have a monthly card, never forget to "klipp" a ticket (klippekort) in one of the yellow composter.

Above the composter, a map shows the number of areas needed for your trip. For example inside Copenhagen, you stay in the red area, so you only need a 2 klipp ticket. To go from Copenhagen to Hillerød (to see the amazing Frederiksborg castle), it goes up to nine zone (or all zones) Then, everything is modular. To do that 9 zones trip, you can make a klip on a all zone card (the cheapest option) or one on a "5 zones" + one on a 4 zones, or three on a card "three zones", etc...
When you always want to get the best price, you quickly get addicted to collecting colors!
This is clairly one of the most complicated ticketing system I have ever seen...!

Note: with the card on the right, you have to klipp once to travel with a bike. They really thought of everything ...

The advantages of these cards: they are cheaper than single tickets and can travel in a party (multiply the number of klipp by the number of passengers). Bon voyage!

See this page for 2010 prices (in Danish)

The S-Tog

2010-11-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

Here in Sjælland, it's hard to avoid taking the "S-Tog" (S-train, but that does the S stand for? Super-fast?), A sort of equivalent to the Paris RER.
Equivalent, but careful though: the level of service is not the same! Here the traveler has the right to a nicely designed seat, the position of the train on the line appears, and everything is quite clean. Besides the trains are rarely crowded, extra trains are added during peak hours (lines "+"). It changes from the Paris trains ..
An extra help for people who usually do not know where to get off (I know quite a few who can't figure it out), red and black display in each car gives you the list of the upcoming station and a dotted line indicates in real time the remaining time before the next station!
There are 6 lines, each with its associated color and initial (A to H, but no line D and G, why? not sure...).

More infos about the stog (for Danish speakers) : DSB website

Snack and pølser

2010-10-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

What do people eat on the go in Denmark? Pancakes? Kebabs? Well, sure but that is not the most typical option, which is pølser (hot dogs). How can you cook this monument of Danish cuisine yourself?
Well, very complex indeed ;-) You will need:
- Sausages
- Hot-dog rolls
- Danish style mustard not too strong and a little sweet
- Ketchup
- Grilled onions (can be bought already prepared, it's easier and it smells so bad when you cook it yourself, they are very strong those Danish!)
- Slices of pickled gherkins, "Russian" style
- Optional: chopped fresh onion. Sorry, we did not have any for the photo!
Preparation: Heat the sausage (possibly also the bread), open the bread lengthwise and place the sausage inside (and everything else...)
You will say: "Okay, but everything will fall when you eat it!". Well yes! That is the funny part!
Bon appétit!

Candles, candles...

2010-10-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Candles are a big part of everyday life in Denmark. This is especially true at this time of the year that once we get home I start by lighting up the dozen (at least) of candles stanging on my window ledges. In design shops, the choice of candles and candle holders is endless ... You can also spots huge candles or lanterns in the streets, they are used to frame the entrance to shops and restaurants. Big oil lamps as well, which is sometimes a little dangerous for the tourist wearing long coats! In our first flat (rented furnished), there was 5 candle holders and a bag of 100 candles (the biggest bag I have seen in a shop so far had not less than 500 candles in it), that explains a bit how important this is to the basic Danish survival kit.

Pølsehorn

2010-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I have two ways to start this message.
The first: here is a typical Danish recipe that is very suitable for children!
The second: as I am a real sucking cook, I am only cooking when it is level 0 cooking (remember the cake for dummies!)
The recipe of the day: pølsehorn!
Ignredients:
- a specially tailored and precut pølsehorn dough
- a few sausages

Open the package, flaten the dough on a clean surface, wet the edges of the dough. All the recipe magic is in the way you'll manage to wrap the sausage in the dough as a croissant ...

You can also try the ketchup alternative (more messy) or the cheese one (more calories).

Bake as indicated on the dough packaging. The hardest part is to wait until the cooking is done...

And voila! Within minutes, you managed to cook a typical meal Danish (1)that will delight children (even some adults!) (2) that nearly any cooking beginner can manage!

Blog action day: water

2010-10-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

Why the "Water" theme for Blog Action day 2010?

Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us who are subject to preventable disease and even death because of something that many of us take for granted.

Access to clean water is not just a human rights issue. It’s an environmental issue. An animal welfare issue. A sustainability issue. Water is a global issue, and it affects all of us.

Bottled Water: Even though people in the US have access to clean water from their taps, they drink an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled.

Here in Denmark, I have stop using bottled water and bought a "Drikkedunk" for a while now. You can find them in a lot of shops, including pharmacies, and they come in different colours. The plastic they use is free for toxic elements, of course probably not all of them, but at least I don't feel responsible for creating hundred of kilos of extra trash every year.

Compulsive snacking options

2010-10-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, the Danes are craving for snacks. You just have to look at the assortment offered by kiosks, candy merchants, sausage stands, and so on ...
Recent example at work: as if all the sugar that my colleagues have on their desk wasn't enough, a box of candy and chocolates appeared with a help yourself system - a little money box on its side (this also illustrates how much trust people have in each other here).

Of course, Danes realized that this sugar extravaganza might not be so healthy after all, so healthy options are also heavily available. At work, it is easy to get its hand on the classic carrot and mini cucumber, alongside more traditionnal fruits...

Other healthy treats are also commun, like the knækbrød (a kind of very dry toast) or peas.
Healthy versus sugar: the fight has just begun! Wonder who is going to win ;-)

Floating hotel

2010-10-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

Are you looking up for an original hotel for your next trip in Copenhagen? Well, if you are not sea sick, you might consider staying at CPH living, a boat hotel!

Even if this idea is well know already, as for example in Holland, the idea of the hotel boat only appeared in Copenhagen in 2008. After a few years, the hotel is still there, but it doesn't seem the idea has been copied, at least not yet.
Of course, hotels in Copenhagen aren't cheap and a room there will cost you at least a 1000 dkk, but for that price, you will get a unrivaled view on the Copenhagen harbor! And on a sunny day (maybe next summer!), you can enjoy sun chairs on the deck...

You can find the hotel close by Langebro, nearly opposite of the Black Diamond. It is practicly the beginning of our New architecture in Islands Brygge walk.

Is it safe to cycle?

2010-10-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen City also uses another argument in its Let's cycle campaign: Safety!

Translation : "You are safer on your bike than on your sofa!". And the small prints add: "The lack of physical activity affects your health, whereas physical activity maintains your body healthy and in good shape".
Yeah right, but at least, I never fell off my sofa ;-)

Danish first names

2010-09-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

2009 most populars first names are out! You can spot there a few quite interesting names... much different from France (and yet again you don't know the pronunciation ;-)))

Bets are already open for the upcoming little royal twins... Princess Mary and Frederik have some work ahead of them to choose. Luckily for them they have up to 6 months after the birth to choose so they have still some time ....
Note that first names number one on the list have been given to around 700 babies... not so much risk to have a school classroom full of Freja and Lucas in 6 years...

1.	Freja	1.	Lucas
2.	Emma	2.	Mikkel
3.	Ida	3.	Emil
4.	Lærke	4.	William
5.	Caroline	5.	Oliver
6.	Anna	6.	Magnus
7.	Laura	7.	Victor
8.	Sofie	8.	Noah
9.	Isabella	9.	Frederik
10.	Sarah	10.	Mathias

Source Danmark statistik

Danskviking the blog selected by Go! Overseas

2010-09-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks guys! This blog is now part of the top blogs in Denmark....

"Blogs serve as an excellent platform from which to share personal opinions and experiences. As a leader in the global travel community, GO! Overseas takes our commitment to screen quality and relevant blogs for our readers seriously. Users regularly comment on the usefulness of our top blog recommendations in their country of interest. Much can be learned from reading the experiences of others and GO! top blogs help our readers cut through the noise of the internet and head directly to quality and useful content.

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Individual countries. Generally, we select the top 10 blogs per country, however the number may vary slightly.
Topics with an international focus (travel, volunteer, study & teaching, among others).

Go! Overseas editorial staff evaluates blogs with the following criteria:

New content is posted at a minimum of once a week.
A writing style which is both clear and interesting.
A website which is constructed in a manner that provides a user-friendly interface and is maintained regularly.
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When you bike, it's always sunny!

2010-09-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, Copenhagen is the city of cyclists. Yes but some bad mouthed people pretend that in Denmark it rains all the time ;-) !! Conclusion: in Copenhagen, you have to learn how to bike in the rain ... and wear the appropriate rainwear.
Well think again, it does not rain that much and the city is trying to correct this image, thanks to this billboards campaign!

Translation for the non-Danish speakers "when you bike, it almost never rains!" And the small print adds: "It rains on an average of 4% of journeys by bike home to work" ...

Armed with my journalistic and scientific consciousness, I counted the days where I did get wet during my daily bike commute.
During the month of May, oh so significant because
(1) it's Spring
(2) you find deals on bike in every bike shop, and
(3) the campaign "vi cykler til arbejde " (yourself and all your co-workers have to bike to work during that campaign).....I served as guinea pig.

Here is the result of this highly scientific test:
May 4 evening, rain gear were mandatory.
May 13 morning, I was a little wet, but I avoided to change into rain gear.

Overall, I got wet twice out of the 2 x 17 trips or 5.9%. And I say: What a scam! With the taxes we pay, this campaign doesn't even deliver and keep its promises! ;-)))
Well, seriously it does not rain that often and it's nice to get some air and exercise, so I will not trade my bike for a car ...

Lagkagehuset, the best bakery in Copenhagen?

2010-09-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Walking on Christianhavn, I suddenly became a little hungry (let's see I needed sugar and quick!). So I walked into Lagkagehuset. You can try this for a pronunciation approximate : Laokééhouzeut.

Rumor has it that it would be the best bakery in Copenhagen. When I saw the long queue waiting by the counter (remember to take a numbered ticket when entering if you don't want to wait helplessly for hours...), I would say that this reputation may not be usurped.

You can already find 6 shops in Copenhagen
- Vesterbrogade 4A
- Torvegade 45)
- Dampfærgevej 9
- Falkoner Alle 4 inFrederiksberg
- Frederiksberggade 21
- Frederiksborggade 6

Why so much success? The answer is simple, just look at the impressive choice of pastries...

Amongst them, I choose the potato cake (kartoffelkage): cream puff covered with a thick layer of almond paste and covered with cocoa

And of course, it is too hard to only taste one so let's indulge with the House special: the Christianshavner. Available in two sizes: big or small. But the real question is what's inside?

And what is inside this little boxe? Calories, of course ;-)

A small size Christianshavner - damned it really was too small: fruits and strawberry mousse on a base of biscuit and caramelized hazelnuts. Really tasty!

A classic "Sarah Bernhardt", chocolate mousse on a macaroon base, with a top chocolate layer. Not the best I had in the city, but still definitly good.

I didn't try the lagkage, it will be for the next visit (you need to be really hungry for that!).

Of course, they also sell excellent bread... but would that really be reasonnable after all those cakes?

A cheap weekend in Copenhagen - Day 2

2010-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is day 2 of our weekend Discount Copenhagen, the challenge continues....

Let's go for Day two.

Let's start by visiting the little Mermaid
Her girfriend - the new millemium Mermaid located a little more north on the docks
A nice walk in the close by Kastellet
The City Hall (you can go inside for free)
The Danish Design tour by visiting the following shops: Illum, Magasin du Nord, Georg Jensen, Royal Copenhagen and Paustian
National Galeries (Staten Museum for Kunst)
the Sort Diamant (National Library with a nice design interior)
Boat ride low budget (use the yellow boats where you can pay with your public transportation klippekort) or the slightly more expensive and touristic option, but still affordable, the Netto boat) the boarding dock is at the end of Nyhavn
During the summer season essentially, look out for the festivals posters: like Copenhague Jazz Festival (most of the concerts are free), outside movie festival ....
the bathing areas or beaches (yes, yes it's right, Copenhagen has a few beaches close by the Center).

Note that a large number of activities are outdoor, it's of course much easier to live small budget style in Copenhagen in summer than during winter. I have to admit that during the winter, nothing beats the hours spent huddled in a warm coffee to enjoy the Danish "hygge" Danish, but then we are not talking about the same kind of budget this time ;-)

A cheap weekend in Copenhagen

2010-09-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen has a reputation for being an expensive city, ... no kidding? Ok, it's true. But I love challenge and will show you how to spend a weekend in Copenhagen low budget style....

Day One

Nationalmuseet: National museum (entry is free): you should not miss it, and the new Prehistoric exhibit is really great
Carlsberg Glyptotek (free one day per week, right now it is Sunday)
the Royal Greenhouses in the Botanic garden (Botanisk Have)
the parcs (Rosenborg Have where you can admire the beautiful Rosenborg Castle and Botanisk Have are my 2 personal favorites)
Quick lunch at the pølsevogn - plan around 50 dkk for a sausage and a drink
Quiet walk along the lakes (4 longs lakes at the west of the city center)
A beer at the Carlsberg brewery (tasting included in the entry ticket) or the local way, sitting on the wharf at Nyhavn
After all that you might be a little hungry, so let's stop for a nice little evening all you can eat buffet at Riz-Raz or Ankara (both are restaurants brands with a few in the city center)

For sleeping, no a lot of cheap options, I can onnly name Danhostel Copenhagen City (H.C. Andersens Boulevard 50). It's a youth hostel located fairly well but you still have to pay around 30 euros per night per person.

What can you grill on your barbecue?

2010-07-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

The barbecue season is upon us, so the shops are full of barbecue-food.
Among them:

- The spare ribs, marinated in maple (another sign of the americanization of Denmark)

- Corn

- Barbecue bread. I have to admit the final result didn't look anything like the picture on the packaging. But let's also confess that I am absolutely not a BBQ-pro!

Bon appétit !
PS : in my home, there is also sometimes a few French delicacies on the grill... for example andouillettes... We may live in Denmark, we still need our dose of French gastronomy!

Green sausage

2010-07-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

As everybody know, Danes are really fans of green. Now they can even buy a "green" hot-dog in the street! This hot-dog stand is now installed close to the Rundetårn since November 2009 and is only selling green products!

Please note that this really modest place has won the "best restaurant 2010" Ibyen award. Amongst the contestants were 4 others reals restaurants, including the famous Fiskebaren (Bib Gourmand Michelin).

They are big, hairy and a bit red-faced ...

2010-07-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well, guess again, I am not talking about the Danes (or am I? .... Just kidding).
This is one of the summer fruit in Denmark, the stikkelsbær (gooseberry?)
It has a taste reminding me a little kiwis.
It's very good snack and I suppose you can also do some tasty desserts. If you have any recipes, feel free to give me suggestion....

Summer fruits

2010-07-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

The classic Danish summer fruit: strawberries and ... peas!

I rapidly pass over the general astonishment that we can grow strawberries in Denmark. Yes! Greenhouses are miracles!
The most amazing is that here the pea is a fruit. This means that people sit quietly and start eating their peas in the afternoon, at work, in the train or even in the street. I tasted and I confirm that ... is a small pea. So it's actually a bit bland, but then to consider it a fruit, I usually request a little sweetness ...

No kidding, this is the "fruit basket" at work.

Otherwise, you can also buy it sometimes in the street as here in Christianshavn.

Learning Danish is easy....

2010-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

... ;-) hummm at least it is most of the times pretty cheap!

Learning Danish is highly recommended when you settle here permanently, it is even mandatory for non european citizens who want residency permits. So as a foreigner, you usually discover pretty quickly after your arrival the joys of a Dansk Sprogskole (danish language school). The largest municipalities have their own language school for adults, more or less rich and equiped depending on the municipality budget.

The Nordsjælland school where I have done my study is apparently in the "rich" category. Education 100% free (well I wasn't asked to pay anything yet), e-learning classes, small groups courses on evenings or on Saturdays, teacher available by mail to correct your exercises in between classes, language lab in a computer room, books provided, CD-ROMs, dictionaries ... is luxury!

Add to this that they give you notebooks the first day of school, and that you can request the loan of laptops and printers to take home, I finally understood why we pay so many taxes!

Summer time= party time!

2010-06-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

June marks the starts of the "crazy period" in Denmark. As early as 8pm you can hear noises in the streets (horns, songs, ...) It is finally Graduation day!! Students in third grade (at least I think) have received the papers authorizing them to enroll for college. Usually there is an official morning ceremony.

From 11 am, another kind of music took over, when students get straight out from the ceremony at their school. Highly decorated chariots are waiting to attack the city. This festival is really very organized, each class having its own vehicule (which apparently they book sometimes one year in advance just to be sure to have one on the big day).

Then they visit with each student's parents one after the other, the tradition being that each one offer to drink (and eat) to the students. You may imagine that they do not wait the stops to drink a little beer ...! The vehicules are indeed fully loaded!
During a dozen hours they tour the city and sing, hopefully the driver is a responsible and sober pro. Each student wears a traditional cap, each color representing their discipline and have also an insignia corresponding to their religion (at least that's what we have heard).

Of course let's not forget the beers to keep going between stops!

Sankt Hans

2010-06-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hide witches!

Here we celebrate tonight St. John (Sankt Hans), and we can say that the tradition is respected pretty seriously in Denmark. Each town, village or district of Copenhagen has its own Sankt Hans fire.
Example here in Hillerød last year: despite some rain during the day and especially the crazy wind, the festival was in full swing. Music, beer, sausages and of course the wood pile, installed on the castle lake. We even got to see some (small) fireworks.

For centuries, summer has been celebrated this way in Denmark and it is believed that this day of the year is really rich in "natural energy". I pass on the details of the early pagan rituals 8-)

For around a hundred years, they just burn a doll witch on the fire. Today the newspapers were full of stories of nowadays witches (a hobby like any other) who welcome the magical aspect of the evening while protesting that they should stop burn this kind of doll.

Stop on the island

2010-06-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

The interior of the Copenhagen Island hotel is also worth a visit.
First, the lobby (in the "tower") has really interesting volumes. It actually contains only a panoramic elevator and access gateways to the floors. The blue panels give a warm underwater feel. Of course as we are in Denmark, you can enjoy design armchairs to get a well deserved rest :-)

Under the glass roof which was visible from behind the building, you can find a restaurant and a bar. Again everything is very "neo-Scandinavian": metal, dark wood and shades of beige.

The rooms have of course all you could need, including a desisgn chair ... Fortunately, the decoration is a little more colorful, which makes the atmosphere warmer. The advantage of living on an island is that there is waterview from all sides ... In particular views of the harbor, the bathing facility at the foot of the hotel and the modern buildings that dot the neighborhood.

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.

Copenhagen Island Hotel

2010-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

On the other side of the bridge, close to Fisketorvet, you can find the Copenhagen Island Hotel.

Viewed from behind, the building has strong looking vertical lines, whose monotony is broken by small balconies placed irregularly. Another hallmark is the restaurant glass roof (on the left of the picture).

Viewed from the front, you recognize the building thanks to its partially glassed square tower, topped by a black "hat". If this reminds you the Paustian shope, this is no coincidence: both buildings were designed by the same firm: Utzon.

Once you have walk around the building, you better understand the name. In fact the hotel is located on an artificial island. Access is therefore by bridge.

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Last stop : Inside Copenhagen Island

View from the bridge

2010-06-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

From the middle of the bridge, you can appreciate how much things have changed around here.
Before (in fact, it's nowadays and a little more south, but it gives you an idea of the look): an industrial area...

After: a lot of modern residential buildings (some office buildings too, especially on the other side) with a neo-nordic architecture (I don't know if it exists but I just thought it sounded great ;-)

After this little break, let's cross the bridge and walk past Fisketorvet (a not so interesting building) to end this walk in front of the Copenhagen Island hostel.

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Next stop : Copenhagen Island

A bridge to cross...

2010-06-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Opposite to the Gemini residence, you will find a bridge to reach the other bank and its activities (especially the mall Fisketorvet). The idea is welcome as it helps open up the area of Islands Brygge. Urban planners believe that this might not be enough to bring life in the neighborhood ...
The bridge is for pedestrians and cyclists and the installation seems successful based on his attendance!

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Next stop : View from the bridge

Gemini building

2010-06-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just on the site of the Wennberg silo, another old silo has been converted into a residential building. The result is quite different, but also very original!

The architects had to work hard on this challenge: "What can you do with two cylinders 25m in diameter?"

The name of this great reconversion: the Gemini residence.

The balconies seems a bit more practical than on the Wennberg silo and I would think than the interior might be a little easier to furnish... on the other side, it's probably less fun!

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Next stop : A bridge to cross

Wennberg silo

2010-06-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

A few minutes later, you can see a huge building standing on the dock. This is an old silo of the "Dansk Soyakagefabrik" (a soy cake factory...). When the area was "civilized", the architects chose to keep the building and tranformed it into a residential complex of 16 floors!

You can well recognize the shape of the industrial silos.
As one might expect and as you can see on the building website (clik on boligerne, then interiør), some apartments must be really difficult to furnish!

Seen from afar, it's quite impressive and the originality of the building is really noticeable! At least the industrial past and history of the neighborhood is not forgotten.

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Next stop : Gemini residence

Havneparken

2010-06-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Close to the baths, the banks have been landscaped into gardens and park activities. It includes among others things a football field, kayak polo installations ... This helps to bring a little life in the neighborhood!
The architects have retained some elements of the neighborhood's industrial past: remains of reinforced concrete walls, freight car, old boat, .... A very peculiar walk!

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Next stop : Wennberg Silo

Havnebadet

2010-05-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

From the Central Station, walk to the City Hall Square, then go down HC. Andersens Boulevard to reach Langebro brigde. On the other side of the canal, you can already see the first leg of our trip: the baths(Havnebadet).

Since the water has been declared clean enough for public swimming in 2001, locals are enjoying the water - when the weather is good enough. To harness all this energy, the municipality has commissioned and opened in 2003 this protected bathing area with diving board and children's pool.
As you can see, the architects were really inspired by the ships stationned not so far.

Of course in the winter the place is deserted (and also closed). See you next year!

This post is part of the Islands Brygge Architecture walk.
Next stop : Havneparken

New architecture in Islands Brygge

2010-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen is quite well known for its modern architecture. Hence the exhibition "Copenhagen X" which identifies the most emblematic constructions since 2000. DanskViking brings his stone to the building and offers this first themed walk "modern architecture" that will take us accross Islands Brygge.

We will discover:

The baths (Havnebadet)
The gardens (Havneparken)
Wennberg Silo
Gemini
The pedestrian bridge and its view
Copenhagen Island hotel and its design interior

Happy Birthday Rasmus!

2010-05-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

We already knew that the Danes loooved celebrating birthdays with great reinforcements of cakes and flags.
We discovered more recently that there were more than that to birthday celebrations!
The other day I was awakened by a group of young people singing (should I say shouting) happy birthday at midnight in front of the window of one of our neighbors ...
And a few days ago, a barrel topped by a flashing light (which did not last long thanks to the poor little battery to which he was bound) appeared down the street ... Well it's true, 30 years worth celebrating! So Happy Birthday Rasmus!

Alors bon anniversaire, Rasmus !

Cooking and design shops

2010-05-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Every time we go shopping, we are tempted by the kitchen items stores, which you have to admit are very well stocked with designer items in Denmark. The only problem is that we don't have an XXL kitchen to go with our shopping frenzy! In our small town, I have already a hard time to choose between Inspiration, Imerco, Bahne, Kop & Kande and the local Isenkram. I know, I am spoiled!
In Copenhagen, the most frequented places are Illum Bolighus and Magasin du Nord.
Regarding the brands you can find in the countless shops, you will notice that many of them are Danish: Menu, Royal Copenhagen, Georg Jensen, Trip Trap, Eva Trio (or solo), ... Yep Danish design is still popular!

Danish winter

2010-05-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Now that spring is finally here, just to remember how cold that bloody winter was, here are a few pictures of the Danish "polar ice"... Indeed the winter was so cold that the Øresund water (only slightly salted) froze along the coast.
For example, in Ålsgårde. Did you notice that you can spot Sweden in the background?

And Kronborg far away...

Even the stones were freezing!

Thanks to Cédric for the pictures!

Smart flødebølle

2010-05-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here you can notice a very practical detail for those we don't have any memory, just in case! Notice that at my place, those flødebølle never had the slightest chance to reach that date...

Dansk Viking recommends "På cykel i København" - "Biking in Copenhagen"

2010-05-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

We visited the exhibition "På cykel i København" at the City Museum (Kobenhavns Bymuseum) and we really liked it...

The exhibition is not so large, but it is - I think - quite well presented. No boring historical line, but a more thematic approach of the bike, in all its forms and variations. The opportunity to discover design bikes, even some really bizarre, the evolution of biking habits and accessories as well as pictures of the streets of Copenhagen at different times, but still busy with bikes. To sump it up, we really recommend it!
Entry costs only 20 crowns (it is even free on Fridays) and the exhibition runs until June 27. Not to spoil the surprise, we will publish our detailed articles and pictures only in July ;-)

Brunch at the post office

2010-05-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

The fashion of brunches reached Denmark some time ago. The custom has remained, so a lot of cafes and restaurants now offer their brunches on weekends. To help you find your way, we have tested them all :-)
Our first discovery: the Post museum!

The museum is located in the City center (Købmagergade 37) and the top floor coffee offers a magnificent view over the rooftops of the city. You access it by a panoramic lift that runs through the canopy of the building ...

You get access to an extensive and varied buffet. The classics (eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, sausage, fruit ...) are prensented alongside most original dishes (salmon tartare, shrimp salad, pickles ...).

The service was sometimes a little slow, and they started to remove the dishes a little earlier than advertised. As it was quite full on a week day, we recommend you book in advance, just to be on the safe side. At 150 kronor (drinks not included), this Sunday brunch is an acceptable value for money. Try it!

As a bonus, you get a breathtaking view of the Rundetårn!

Are herrings that bad?

2010-05-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

To change bad perceptions...
Here herrinsg are part of everyday life, you can buy all kinds, prepared with differents sauces in all kinds of colors and every packaging possible (even in a small snack format, just in case you get a craving for herring in the middle of the street or in the metro, it is better to plan ahead, you never know). But I can assure you, it doesn't really taste like anything you can imagine if you have only tried French style herring so far, the Danish one is quite sweet and mellow. With a nice black bread, you can even say it is delicious!

Example of a danish "platte"

It's finally Spring!

2010-05-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Finally!
All the signs are here: our neighbour just got a chair out in the garden to have a good taning session...

Stay connected.

2010-04-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's just a tiny detail in our daily life, but it can quickly become very annoying, considering the number of times it is handled everyday (especially during the winter !)... In Denmark, each plug has its own switch, but it can sometimes be located really far away from the plug itself. So you may sometimes have to manipulate two switches to turn on a single device, hence only one chance out of four to actually get some light. Ahhh, the joy of moving abroad!

Want one?

2010-04-27T01:32:00.000-07:00

The Danes are heavy smokers! I came to this conclusion fairly soon after arriving here. My naive self believed that the further North you live, the healthier lifestyle you have.... all my illusions were shattered!
At least, I found that they sometimes have design smoking shelters...

Homemade hot chocolate

2010-04-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Raaahhh the weather is still windy and cold... how annoying!
Here is a simple recipe to get hot: prepare a hot chocolate by dipping a chocolate lollipop in a cup of warm milk.
First, you need to have a design mug (Royal Copenhagen of course!) then you have to run to the chocolate shop around the corner... like Chokolade Mageriet in Hillerød.

Dip the lollipop in the mug......

Add warm milk and stir!

Yummy, a good homemade hot chocolate! You need to know how to appreciate the small and simple pleasures of the Danish life... DanskViking, it is the "Amélie" of blogs about Denmark :-)
I am not sure if this pleasure is typical danish (probably not), but it is in my mind as we discovered this recipe at the Danish House's Flora Danica ("maison du Danemark") on the Champs Elysées six years ago. It was our first contact with Denmark and its hygge!

How to make your bike stand?

2010-04-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

A strong wind, dozens of bikes down, ... and the Danish imagination start its work. A problem, many solutions... With some of them, you can even keep your saddle and therefore your little but dry when it rains

Happy Birthday!

2010-04-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Queen Margrethe's birthday ! So congratulations are in order! She has reached the honorable age of 70. Even if some people already talk about retirement, she still seems to be in pretty good shape...
This year is the first public appearance of Prince Henrik, born on 4th of May 2009, the youngest son of Prince Joachim.

For this round birthday, even the medias are doing things really big... for example, you can follow live the events of this crazy day, detailled minute per minute on this TV2 page. And discover that Prince Henrik (the old one) is nearly as dangerous as Mickael Jackson....!

Easter letter

2010-04-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

This year we have discovered a new Easter tradition: the "gækkebrev".
Strangely enough, we didn't notice this tradition the previous years. This must be a proof that we are finally getting to know Denmark a little better...
The principle is simple: just cut a piece of paper in very artistic way, then write a little poem, attach a snowdrop (vintergæk) to it and finally send it to a friend. Try not to make any distinctive sign on it. The letter must be signed with a series of dots where one dot = one letter of your name. The person who receives the letter has to guess who sent it to him. If the recipient guesses right, he is entitled to an Easter egg, otherwise he has to offer the sender an egg himself!
Of course, this is a very popular tradition with Danish children!

I guessed who send it... so I got my egg! Yummy ;-)
For the verses, there is a lot of choice on the internet!
The traditional:

"Mit navn det står med prikker,
pas på det ikke stikker."

More elaborate:

"Vikke,vakke,væk
her er en vintergæk.
Den lægger jeg i dette brev,
kan du mon gætte, hvem der skrev."

For models of paper cutting, if you know a site where you can find models, I am interested!

A famous figure

2010-04-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Better than OK Magazine and Perez Hilton combined, DanskViking brings you this week in worldwide exclusivity the picture below, the work of art of an unknow paparazzo (and it should stay unknow for a good reason ;-))
We were walking by Amalienborg when we realized that the really ordinary looking people walking by us were not so ordinary. It was indeed Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, their little one Henrik and Apple the dog (hidden behind the lamppost)!
This is by far the worst picture ever published on DanskViking!

I realise that the only thing barely recognizable on this picture is Joachim's famous hat. This time, you'll just have to trust us....

A strange little car...

2010-04-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Danes loves biking. But like everywhere, some people are more lazy than others. From time to time, you can see these strange little cars on the streets. Last weekend, we spotted a tiny and very chic old lady out of a luxury shop who managed to fit all her shopping bags in her micro car before slowly leaving.
Note the customizing of the vehicle (such as the small eyes in front).

Hotel d'Angleterre, the most beautiful palace in Copenhagen

2010-04-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

Tired by our sugar packed afternoon, we stopped by and enjoyed the public side of the Hotel d'Angleterre (well, not really public, you're supposed to be a guest to enjoy these rooms). In the basement, you can find a swinning pool, a sauna and a fitness center. First floor: fancy small living room...

You can also find a gastronomic restaurant with "champagne brunch" on Sunday 12 to 3pm (we've got to try that!)
You can also admire a huge board carrying the name of all the celebrities that stayed at the hotel.
On the French stars list, let's be honest, it is a bit limited (close to pathetic!), we only spotted 3 names: Catherine Deneuve, Christophe Lambert and Jacques Chirac.

We also noted some nice old sketches of the hotel. Back in 1900, the marketing team described the hotel as "really good confort and affordable, hotel both for masters and servants". You can also see a drawing of "Palmehaven", which in fact didn't change that much.

Soon it's Easter time!

2010-04-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

It seems like Easter traditions in Denmark are almost exactly the same as in France ... (bells, chocolate, bunnies, eggs ...).
We have realized that on the decoration side, as usual, it's really over dramatic. For example, Royal Copenhagen the Royal supplier of porcelain, creates every year a porcelain egg with a different pattern on it. A different scene every year, the must being of course to collect them all and build a very filled nest (an expensive collection!)!

Kagebord, here we come!

2010-03-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

Once comfortably installed in the classy dining room, it's time to prepare a strategy to attack the buffet ...
Where should I start ... by the scones?

By the cup-cakes ?

Or by the pyramid of brownies?

It's all a matter of strategy. While the Danes quietly queue, the French reach out to grab a plate, smoothly optimizes his trajectory to attack the buffet by the east side, where it is less crowed, then cleverly use his elbows to manage to fill a small plate under 2 minutes top!

Don't worry if the superb chocolate cake is gone in 10 seconds, the buffet is filled fairly regularly, so you should be able to sample everything.
The chef hurries up to refill the buffet and even takes time to stop and receive compliments.

My favorites: scones with whipped cream and brioches - nice and simple!

The walnut tart was very good too. I am still not sure about the cup-cakes, which tasted weird (the green frosting tasted a little like toothpaste ...).

A bad point for the tea lovers though, you have to cross the entire room with your cup in hand to go and fill it up with the tea pot located on the buffet. Can you imagine the risk you're taking with a boiling hot cup of tea in your hands, walking against a flow of hungry cake maniacs reaching for the buffet-
Funny anecdote, the nice danish lady from the next table didn't hesitate to fill her handbag with cakes before leaving! Surprise, it's not only the French who behave this way ;-)
All good things have a price in Copenhagen, so prepare yourself to pay 190dkk (25 euros) for 2 hours of unlimited pleasure. But after an hour, an average person will give up...

Leaving the dining room, preparing ourselves to get back into the crazy world and leave this smooth sugar paradise, we check out the hotel lobby for a quiet transition.

Cake orgy at Hôtel d'Angleterre

2010-03-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

A cold Sunday? Craving for heat and sugar (got addicted at Lagekagehuset)? We found another paradise....
The famous Kagebord (literally "cake table") of the Hotel d'Angleterre, located on Kongens Nytorv. Attention your craving must be well planned, since this is only the first Sunday of the month at 3pm you will be able to enjoy this sugar heaven! A second piece of advice: do not forget to book a table because the place is very popular.
You can relax in the luxury of Palmehaven, starting with a first look at the buffet, then, after defeating the queue of hungry people, finally satisfy your appetite with fabulous pastries ... Feeling hungry already?
Careful, at 3pm sharp, the queue can be long to enter this sugar temple. But do not worry, there will be cakes for everyone ...
Before starting with the buffet, we enjoyed the the opportunity to admire our surroundings: a small room with ceilings so high that it must be a nightmare to heat up.

... fine porcelain plates (feels like home =o))...

... very classy surroundings

Next article, let's enjoy the buffet!

Electric car and german design

2010-03-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

You want to be "green" but can not stand to bike?
I have got a solution: electric car! We talk a lot about it these days and a lot of manufacturers have projects for years to come, but in fact solutions already exist!
Seen recently in Copenhagen:

Good enough to drive fifty kilometers at 60km per hour! However German design is probably not to everybody's taste. Ah, if only they had a Dane at the head of the design team!

How many bikers in Copenhagen?

2010-03-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen has installed last year its first bike counting stand . We had already seen some of those in Odense a few years ago.
The most practical detail: the compressor next to the terminal.

The counter is really working: Bike number 1404 ..

Congratulations miss, you're number 1405 ...

In addition to this, the city is now trying to tackle one of the major issue for cyclists: theft! In fact, bike theft is quite high, especially in the major train stations. There were in 2008 no less than 19,171 reported stolen bikes! Not to mention the many people who do not even register their stolen bike. If you find it funny, imagine that you can not find your mean of transportation in the morning to go to work ... Not very pleasant ...
One solution proposed by the municipality is to install a "chip" that would help finding back a stolen bike. From a technical standpoint, it is a simple RFID "tag" placed in a reflector. 5000 "chips" have been distributed in this phase of testing. If you are interested, more info here. Unfortunately you can't book your chip ...

Copenhague the city of cyclists

2010-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Of course, we can not talk about the Danish green attitude without mentioning this mean of transportation very popular around here: the bicycle. No, it isn't only because there is a 180% tax on cars that most Copenhageners use bikes but (let's be optimistic!) also because they care about the environment.
And the City of Copenhagen is of course encouraging this a lot.
First example: the advertising campaigns. Last year we could see this poster in town:

It says "Copenhagen best city for cycling" and it gives the targets for 2015:

* At least 50% of people take the bike to work or school
* The number of serious bicycle accidents is reduced by half
* At least 80% of cyclists feel safe in traffic.

And hopefully those targets can be reached - the city doing its best to make it happen.
For example, bicycle paths are periodically renovated and even painted in blue in the most dangerous areas.

Not so clean after all

2010-03-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here is some waste that the exhibition producers might have forgotten in the "Ren by" exhibition.

And yet it is more than common in the city, especially the mornings after...!

Solar power in the countryside

2010-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Different environment, different type of solution!
Here is an example of a solar installation tailored to the countryside (as opposed to single solar panel that we saw in Copenhague center): the "solbuen" (ray of sun) district, close by Hillerød.

First, you encounter a very large area of solar collectors used for heating. It is true that Denmark is not known for its sunny days (reputation partially false or partially true depending on your point of view), but the few sunny days this winter were enough to produce some MWh, which can lighten the heating bill. It seems that the operation is quite profitable because the town already draws plans for the next "solar farm". Maintenance is inexpensive because it just needs mowing from time to time! At the center of this facility, a counter displays MWh "harvested" during the day.

The roof of service buildings (bike shed, carport ...) is also covered with photovoltaic sensors. Enough to provide some additionnal electricity for homes.

You can't see it from the outside, but most homes are equipped with heat pumps and for some, wood powered heating systems - so another more or less renewable energy. Add to that, a few geothermal equipments, and the engineers behind this project claim that this area makes 95% less CO2 than traditional buildings [source COWI] ... Respect!
The buildings themselves are "standard", ie very representative of the current Danish architecture. Modern materials, cubic forms and predominance of raw materials: wood, glass, metal. You like it or not ... At least the merit of these modern buildings is that energy efficiency has been taken into account.

Solar power in the city

2010-03-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Here is an example of a solar panel that we have noticed some time ago in the Copenhagen main train station area. Considering its surface, it probably doesn't provide much energy, but it shows how solar energy installation can be integrated into the urban landscape. Ah, those Danes are really the best in design in all categories!

Green DSB

2010-03-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

As a passenger in a DSB (national train company) train, you can find little "green" garbage bags close to your seat. When you're done watching by the window, you can also fight boredom by reading the advertising printed on them. Present in all trains, these bags are being well used by travellers. Overall trains are quite clean, except oln Saturday and Sunday mornings!

"You can be green, but together, we're even more green"

"Remain seated and keep up the good work."
And fortunately, the bags are in a 100% compostable material ... One could always argue about the fact that these bags spend more energy to be produced than a good old garbage can permanently installed.

Wind turbines

2010-02-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

In November, you could discover on the City Town Hall square in Copenhagen a few vertical axis wind turbines. The goal of this exhibition: raise awareness of renewable energy benefits.

An explanatory panel described the city environmental policy and displayed its strong goals: Copenhagen should be CO2 neutral in 2025. Ambitious!
The plan (at least a part of it) is to install 14 new wind turbines around Copenhagen to raise the share of wind energy in global electricity production from 13 to 18%. Construction will begin in 2012. Still a long way to the goal...

Green marketing campaigns

2010-02-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

To welcome the COP15 participants, giant green posters were installed in Copenhagen Airport as early as November. Those posters were explaining the energy savings already achieved by the airport (and the planned ones).

Here, the poster details the qualities of the new exterior lighting to indicate the lines of "plane taxi" ...

There the poster celebrates the water savings realized those last 10 years- using rather insignificant numbers however, you can see this is more a marketing tool than anything else.

On their side,Tivoli started the same type of communication in the summer, thanks to the partnership with Vestas, the famous wind turbine manufacturer.

Tivoli has a long tradition for recycling. In particular, you can spot red stalls where you can bring back your used plastic cups in exchange for 5 dkk. This keeps the park quite clean and there is way less plastic in the garbage!

Copenhague, clean city?

2010-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up of COP15, which closed its doors a few weeks ago, let's start a series on the theme of environment in Denmark. A good opportunity to talk about the Ren By exhibition, even if it is now a bit old.

Giant waste sculptures were placed on the main squares of Copenhagen. The idea was to invite the public to reflect on the impact of dropping all kind of trash in the streets.

I like the pizza box, very realistic...
This exhibition was associated with a short ad of 40 seconds which I find quite funny. You don't need to speak Danish to understand it.

Bike on ice

2010-02-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

A thought for those who face biking every day in that winter weather... Are they "crazy" or simply victims of lack of other means of transportation? Nobody knows. Still, you can see plenty of them on the bike paths, sidewalks or roads.

For the benefit of those daredevils, the Danish cycling federation has published 11 tips for winter biking. Here is a rough translation (and a few comments in brackets):

* Avoid carring baskets or overloaded bags which can make the bike difficult to control. And of course you shouldn't carry anybody in the child seat!
* Good lighting is essential! Even in daylight, it can be difficult to comprehend the path which is essential for safe driving. Think also of installing reflectors to be better seen by others.
* It is better to under-inflate your tires, and the wider your tire is, the better. For ice biking, studded tires are recommended (I really wonder how many cyclists have invested in studded tires ...!)
* Avoid tight and sudden turns. Take large and slow turns, as long as the traffic permits it!
* Grease your chain generously. (Personal observation: if you have a cheap bike (or the kind I imported from France), this is not enough! On mine, the chain is totally rusty and is now quite stiff, especially after a weekend in the snow and salt ...)
* Brake far in advance and carefully! Release the brakes if the wheels start to skid!
* Brake before a turn and release the brake before starting to turn!
* Brake with your rear brake! And pay attention to how the rear wheel skids (is there really a "wrong" way to skid the rear wheel?)
* Check the brake regularly!
* Stay alert to the road that you are following
* Stay calm (this is a universal advice in Denmark, but is it really necessary to remind the Danes, calm in any situation?). It is more important to get to there safely than to arrive there first.

Bonne route! And good luck ...
When in doubt, leave your bike in the garage, but you can expect to find it like that (or worse):

Fastelavn blooper

2010-02-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

If there is indeed something fun during a Fastelavn party, it's to see all the failures!
There are those who hit in the air (a classic), those who lose their disguise when they hit, those dropping the stick, those who get angry, those who hit the fingers of adults who are there to stabilize the barrel .. .
In short, way enough to make a blooper reel!

Let's get candies

2010-02-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

(Following the Fastelavn series)
The kids then headed to a hall where they found a barrel. Or more precisely three barrels, each dedicated to a particular age group.
Here I must digress. What's with the barrel? Remember the bible: 40 days before Easter, Jesus destroyed a barrel with a baseball bat. What, nobody believes me? Okay. The barrel tradition started - supposedly - in the eleventh century, the era of witch hunts. People wanted to kill witches, and well black cats too. Back then, a "fun" custom was to study the damage tolerance of a cat trapped in a barrel beaten by a stick. Who said "barbarians"?
Hence the expression "slå katten af Tonden" (literally beat the cat out of the barrel).
Today, of course, there is no more cat inside (maybe in some parts of Denmark that I don't know!), but often a picture of cat on the barrel and - of course - lots of candy.

So here is the troup ready to hit the barrel. Everything is very organized, the children are quiet and in line, each one gives a blow and pass the bat to the next kid and goes back to the end of the line.
The barrel of 0-9 years has lived a very long agony. It has taken countless shots but obviously the scouts who had assembled that barrel had done too good of a job and the poor little ones almost got exhausted before the end.

A ninja turtle fights against the barrel. A forgotten episode of the cartoon ...

All the strength of Pippi Longstocking was not enough to break the barrel ...
Luckily an adult has "helped" a little to break the barrel (I think she was eager to move on). Finally, the barrel is broken and the children were in the starting blocks to fall on the candy (don't be afraid, there was an quiet and equal distribution, nobody got hurt!).

A barrel after the battle ... this one didn't last long.

Fastelavnsboller

2010-02-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

You can't properly celebrate Fastelavn without eating them! It's tradition to eat boller (sorts of donuts). Chocolate, jam, pastry cream, whipped cream ... knowing that there are often several "options" in the same bolle. A real calorie bomb!

The version with eyes and a marzipan tongue in a bakery window...

Version "I loooove cream!"...

Costum danish style...

2010-02-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here kids love to dress up for Fastelavn. Of course, you can choose princess, Ben10 or Jedi, but it is so much more local to choose the viking style!

Fastelavn costums

2010-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Fastelavn is primarily a celebration for children. They must be well dressed for the occasion.
If today everyone celebrates fastelavn (schools, kindergartens, shopping malls and even car dealers), the Church remains in the race and still holds its own events. Children are allowed to go to mass in costume! If you find yourself nearby a church on that occasion, the sight can be quite funny! (here Slotskirke Frederiksborg in Hillerød, photos from last year's Fastelavn) ...
A fairy teenager ...
an Easter bunny (a little early!)

Shrek,

And many others (spiderman, superman, teddy bears, little devils, Charlie Chaplin and so on).
The toy stores shelves are indeed very busy with costumes since beginning of January (from baby size to adults), but you can also find them in clothes stores and supermarkets...

Fastelavn

2010-02-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

In a few weeks, the Danes will celebrate Fastelavn. But what is this? Here is an opportunity to write a little series on the major characteristics of this event, as we have discovered it in the previous years of our exile here.

* Costumes
* The boller
* The barrel

But first a little summary...
Fastelavn is a semi-Christian festival. It marks the beginning of the fast, 40 days before Easter. Well, most people don't really care about that, but a many cultures have used this opportunity to start a great tradition: Carnival.
Yes but here, the Danes prefer to do this their way, so they celebrates fastelavn.
In principle, it is similar, yet completely different of course.
Well, we'll now say that's enough for the introduction (I ca see two persons sleeping in the back of the class).

Winter slides

2010-01-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

Your skates are rusty? So why not get closer to the ground?
Easy, start by reading your local paper. In it, you can find out where are the slopes closest to your home. For the Danish speaking, you can also visit AOK.

Then you have to choose your ride: old style wood, or modern aerodynamic plastic

Discover our photo galleries

2010-01-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

Discover the pictures of the blog on those themed albums:

Danish gastronomy: a strange journey among hot dogs, ice cream, beer and smørrebrød...

Bicycle: enter the country of the bicycle and its sometimes very personalized accessories...

Nature : The green danish landscapes, from cows to windmills...

Boats and coasts: when you live on an island, the sea is never really far away....

Art and design : What would be life in Denmark without design?

Denmark at night: Danish nights are beautiful! Good thing, as during winter season, they are sooo long!

Cold wave: A nice white layer is spreading accross the country...

Enjoy!

Time for ice-skate?

2010-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

In this period- as almost everywhere in Europe - it is freezing in Denmark ...
The Dares are happy: they can now go out and exercise in the cold: bike in the snow, sledge or even ice-skate on lakes!
Access to the various lakes is regulated: the city council performs depth measurements every day and if the ice is over a certain thickness, the lake can be "officially" opened to the public. Humm that's the theory, as can be seen here on Lake Castle in Hillerød, the skaters are enjoying themselves despite the interdiction sign. Oh là là these Danes, they respect absolutly nothing!

On today's program: ice skating (animal powered or not), hockey, sledding ...

In Copenhagen, the town maintains this page that shows which lakes are allowed (for pictures of Copenhagen lakes, you can check Aimache's page). Most cities (those with a lake of course) offer an equivalent page on their site.
Enjoy!

Fish in a box

2010-01-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

In a plastic box!
Yes, in Denmark you can get fish in individually sized boxes. I have been tempted by it, because it was a great offer (2 dkk a piece, 27 Euro cents!). So let's taste it, for the sake of the blog!

Finally, after some effort in decoration, it doesn't look so bad.

Well of course you should not serve it to Jamie Oliver, but it's rather ok. Many Danes have this kind of preparation in their lunch box .
But as any individual portion, a bad point for the environment with all this plastic packaging.

In Copenhagen harbour

2010-01-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

In Copenhagen, you are always reminded you are very close to the water, even if it is only thanks to the sounds of the seagulls.
To visit the harbour, nothing easier! You just have to jump on a yellow bus boat (run all year long, even in the frozen winter). A boat line is going from the north (close to the Little Mermaid) to the south (close to the library). Most transportations passes (like a valid 10 rides card) are accepted!
Just imagine that some people use those everyday to go to work!

Copenhagen airport

2010-01-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Many airports around the world are spectacular pieces of architecture (we can of course discuss about Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle). Copenhagen is no exception to this rule, even if the airport is relatively small, some aspects of it are quite remarkable.
This applies to the deserted corridor at the end of the path "A". You can admire there a rather minimalist style characteristic of Scandinavia.

Asides from the architecture, you can also appreciate the large choice of shops: you can even buy your pickled herring in the large shopping mall before boarding the plane, in case you have a craving on board. You can also find the most famous Danish brands (Illum, LEGO, Royal Copenhagen ...).
The airport also has its own little mermaid so that you can avoid making a detour to the real. At least you realize immediately upon arrival that it is tiny!

Another practical aspect is that the airport has its own train station and also the Metro. This means that one can reach Copenhagen downtown within 20 minutes and above all, in a relative comfort. That is really a major contrast with Paris!

Fancy Tables 2

2010-01-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Other examples of past years Royal Copenhagen Fancy Tables, I especially liked the Japanese table (upside down ...)

Fancy tables

2010-01-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Among the Christmas traditions, there are also the inevitable "Christmas tables" of Royal Copenhagen, the famous china store.
In the store downtown, several tables made by designers displays the products of the brand. And it goes from the more traditional to the more conceptual. Most of them are probably not very practical to have an actual meal!
Here are some pictures of the tables of past years.

Yes, yes, they are cheese-graters lamps.

Christmas beer leftovers

2010-01-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

I know we're in January, but we still have some to drink ... And then when it's good, you can drink it all year round *!

* with moderation of course ;-)

After party

2010-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Fireworks such as the ones we enjoyed on New Year Eve leave traces, plenty of them. In the morning (well everything is relative, let's say late afternoon) of the first of January, we were able to find many remains of the crazy night, even if some waste had already been evacuated by the local themselves.

The rest was quickly cleaned during the day so there was no more trace of the events the next day (although some people are still fired a few rockets during the weekend - probably leftovers). Hurry up, it's legal to shoot fireworks only until tomorrow.

No kidding!

2010-01-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here when you say that people celebrate New Year with fireworks, it's really an understatement!
First you are overwhelmed with flyers, then shops appear everywhere in the city (even in ice-cream shop). Then the test runs starts. By law, you can start from December 1st, just to warm up for the big day. The week before New Year, it's every night.
So after such a long wait, the big night finally comes and ammunition are out quickly after dark (around 4). There is a net increase around 8, and of course a climax just after midnight (for 30 to 45mn). Then it lasts a little more quietly until 2 or 3 in the morning.

The advantage of living on the third floor overlooking a residential area: you can see fireworks at a 180 degrees angle!
I don't know if you can well see it in the pictures, but there is really a firework in every garden!

New Year planning

2009-12-31T01:32:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to celebrate the New Year once again in our land of adoption Denmark ... !
This year the Danish cuisine we tried last year will be happily replace with foie gras and champagne french style, we are still on the lookout for local traditions such as fireworks, the Queen speech (at 6) and kransekages.

The Danes are preparing for celebrations. Long queues are forming at the bakeries to buy sweets (including kransekage, the specialty of the new year), at the ice cream shop (eh, not for ice, but to buy fireworks, yes really!). We will also enjoy a glass of mulled wine right before the broadcast of the 37th annual speech of the queen at 6 live from her residence of Amalienborg.

After dinner, we will enjoy the New Year kransekage (almond cake with praline inside) ... !
We chose the "mini-sized" model. The bestseller is "family sized" one, which consists of eight rings of this cake. A pyramid of rings in a way.

Last minute shopping

2009-12-30T04:43:00.000-08:00

This year, the trend for New Year Eve delicacies is a family size kransekage shaped as a clock... how sweet!

Second option, for the bravest, the kit to make your own kransekage, all ingredients inclusive, you just need to do it...!

Bon appétit!

Planning your New Year fireworks?

2009-12-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

At least, you can admit it is hard to miss the advertising!
Here are some of the ads of the week. Harald Nyborg, Silvan, Bauhaus and even Aldi are on the war path! And don't forget the special fireworks tents installed for the occasion in several strategic locations in the city. We even have spotted a ice-cream shop closed for the winter period, that reopened this week loaded with fireworks inside the shut-down freezer.

This year, it's gonna blow!

Put your skates on!

2009-12-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas tradition, the public open air skating rings. Great to lose some of the weight of the December huge meals...
Starting with the Kongens Nytorv (the downtown main square). Access is free, just remember to bring your skates! For the "tourists", rentals are also available.
If the track is quiet during the day, it becomes very popular at night when you can enjoy the illumination of the square.

Brunkager: advanced course

2009-12-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

For those who want more than the version for dummies, here is the exclusive DanskViking recipe of the Chrismas cookies: the brunkager.
Okay, I admit, it is not really an exclusivity, since we found the recipe on a Danish website.

Ingredients:
200 g butter
125 g "sirup", a mixture of glucose syrup and sugar that you can buy here in a pot (looks like a honey pot
125 g sugar
1 teaspoon potaske (potassium carbonate or E501, sort of baking powder) dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water
a little ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon grounded cinnamon
450g flour
100g chopped almonds
Mix the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan and heat until everything is well blended, add the diluted potaske.
Let cool then add the spices, flour and almonds. Mix well
Make sausages (in a plastic wrap, it's easier) and put in the fridge 2 hours or 1/2 hour in the freezer to harden them.
Slice very thin and bake at 180 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cake for dummies

2009-12-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas vacations are a very good time for spending time in the kitchen.
Our Danish friends have thought of everything, especially for the dummies who do not know how to mix three ingredients together (like us)... well, we found cake dough ready to bake!

Of course we tried it, once you open the pack, it looks like that ...

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

And finally, it's time to taste the brunkager (Christmas specialties). No need to bother with shopping, the scale, the wooden spoon, .. and the mess! Here just a knife is enough! And the result is ... edible (if you do not forget it in the oven!).

Christmas meal... a few tips

2009-12-25T00:35:00.000-08:00

The Danish Christmas Eve really has little to do with the French one...
Here it is only a main dish and dessert ..! We have done according to tradition (apparently there are not many alternatives to the traditionnal menu): duck with red fruit sauce (tyttebær sauce, we are still not sure what fruit it is), red cabbage boiled with orange, and caramelized potatoes (usually you add normal potatoes too).

For dessert, the risàlamande and kirsebær (cherry) sauce (again. ..!).

That evening, it is the "Christmas special" risalamande, we put a whole almond into the dish and the person that finds it wins the gift (if he did not choke first.) And of course, you must light up candles for an "hyggelig" feeling.

We skipped the Danish songs and dances around the tree, but we sat by the window to watch the fireworks (from December 20 and even in broad daylight ... they really like it here). People are already rehearsing for the big one (on the 31st)...

We are still hesitating for next year: Traditionnal Danish or French style??

What is the date today?

2009-12-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, that is true! Thanks to the Kalenderlys, you won't miss it!

Ris à l'amande

2009-12-23T23:14:00.000-08:00

A typical Danish French specialty! Even if the spelling is a little bit awkward, we have already seen "ris a lamande" on menus or worse. At first, you could believe it's a rice pudding but it is not quite like it.... It's much creamier, and with a lot of almond sticks, it is very crispy. In the end it's really not bad! With a traditional cherry sauce (kirsebærsauce) and a small glass of aquavit (it's winter after all!) it's even downright good!

Æbleskiver

2009-12-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

They are this season stars, you see them everywhere: at Tivoli, on Nyhavn, freezers in supermarkets ...
So what? When you do not know, you might think it's a donut with apple (æbler). But in fact it is just a donut. Period. The apple would be too healthy. All that is left of the apple is the shape of the donut. Still it's pretty good. It is usually eaten by three ...

But there is still something missing, it still sounds way too healthy like that. You still have to sprinkle the æbleskiver with icing sugar and add an extra touch of strawberry jam. Got to take a lot of calories to face the cold!

Julemarked is sold out!

2009-12-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

We have already mentionned the Julemarked (Christmas markets) you can experience on Nyhavn and Tivoli (the 2 most famous ones) in December. There is also another type of market at the same period, a rather original one : some shops will open on a temporary basis and sell a lot of items at a single price.
Here was an example last year, on the City Town Square, a store (which was previously a travel agency and will surely be something else in a few months) has sold books, comics, CDs and video cassettes at 60 dkk each on the opening day and then, every day, the price is declining until Christmas. The price for each day is displayed in the window. This eventually ends up by a huge sales between Christmas and New Year, where you could walk away with 50 items for 100 kroner!
Of course the quality of what remains decreases gradually as the period goes on ...
So keep your eyes open for those "limited time julemarked", there could be some good bargains around (and god knows this is rare in Denmark).

One more dose of shopping

2009-12-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Right now, the shops are really nicely decorated! Here are a few extra shots of those amazing Christmas displays... You only have a few days left to enjoy them, or maybe do some last minute gift shopping!

Family-sized kransekage

2009-12-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

For the end of year celebrations, even the supermarkets have traditionnal cakes. You can see below a kransekage (almond cake with heart of praline) "family-style" with 8 layers of goodness. I like this kind of cake but with that one, it would take me 3 weeks to eat it!

Julebuffet

2009-12-18T03:50:00.000-08:00

Some days ago we had a nice julebuffet to Cafeen i Nikolaj Kirken (the buffet is available throughout the month of December). On the menu, the most traditional dishes of the Danish Christmas buffet. All washed down with good beer and a Christmas special housemade orange flavored akvavit....

On the menu :
GAMMELDAGS HJEMMELAVET JULEBUFFET
Karrysild og marineret sild, m/kapers og rødløg
Stegte sild m/løgringe og dild
Æg og rejer m/mayonnaise og dild
Lun leverpostej m/bacon og ristede svampe
Lune frikadeller m/rødkål og agurkesalat
Hjemmelavet æbleflæsk
Hjemmelavet kalve sylte serveret m/sennep og rødbeder
Ribbenssteg m/rødkål og agurkesalat
Andesteg serveret m/æbler og svedsker
Glaseret skinke m/grønlangkål
Ris alamande m/kirsebær sauce
Oste m/radiser og peberfrugter

If there's something you do not know, do not hesitate to ask for a detailed description!

Raaaahhh Christmas songs again !!!

2009-12-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

If there is something quite annoying these days, it's all the Christmas songs that we hear again and again on the radio. Frankly, there is a time when I can't take no more ...

And why not a comic hip-hop style Christmas song?
And when you go out on the city, it's no better as you bump on a choir on Amagertorv!