Time for a good hunt!

On the first Sunday of November (tomorrow), the Danes celebrate St. Hubert, which marks the end of a hunt of 2 months in Sjælland. It is held in Dyrehaven, a forest north of Copenhagen.
That day, the riders in red costums perform an obstacle course through the Deer Park. The race starts at 10 am near the park entrance, close to the Peter Lieps Inn, and ends at noon at the castle of the Hermitage, where a member of the royal family awards the prize to the winner.
Last year, drenched, huddled in the large crowd, I admit that this was not a fantastic day. We had trouble understanding the concept of the race, the route and duration of tests, all of which was quite obscure for the non-initiated and we had to endure the incessant rain ...
I do not know if we are going back tomorrow but hey maybe it won't rain this time!

some clever spectators (and well equipped!)

Juleøl - Christmas beer

In a few days, the Christmas beer will invade the store shelves again. Every year, we have to try some of these specialties. Some are not bad at all: Jacobsen, Tuborg, Carlsberg Semper Ardens Winter Rye ...
The release of the Christmas beer is a national event in Denmark. Carslberg (which also owns Tuborg), which is the leading brewer in Denmark, is the chief organizer of the event marketing that takes place every year. All bars gets the beer that day at 20h59. It's a bit of a Beaujolais Nouveau type of operation.

In 2009 the J-day is happening on the last Friday in October, so tomorrow! Cheers!



Some bottles from last year, just to make you wait until tomorrow...

A little cup of æblekage?

Some time ago, at the coffee shop, a nice picture catches my attention: a cup of apple sauce that looks homemade. The name on the card literally means apple pie, but hey my Danish was not terrible yet ...

Yummy, knowing that here a good apple sauce is very rare, I decided to try it. Surprise, it's much more than a sauce, as I discovered a layer of cake at the bottom and a layer of whipped cream on top (it was not the picture!).
Verdict, a good dessert a little more caloric than a standard apple sauce but well, we will not be grumpy for that! So now, let's admit it, I am an addict!

Copenhagen International Wood Festival

Copenhagen International Wood Festival (CIWF) 2009 was held in August. For those who could not attend, a mini-session to catch up might still be possible. Indeed, 4 of 15 sculptures for the festival have been displaced and were still (at least end of September) displayed on a vacant lot close by the subway station DR-Byen (metro line towards Vestamager).
Hurry because there is a high risk that they will disappear quickly. Otherwise, you can still visit the website with a lot of pictures and videos to discover the great works of all participants. Unfortunately the site is in Danish, so I'll announce the winners for you: Team 13 won the first prize, followed by Team 7, Team 12.
See you next year at CIWF 2010!

Halloween again

A few extra photos of Halloween in Tivoli ...
... for example a pumpkin cutting workshop for children (scary!)

... even the orchestra was dressed up!


... and at night, you can see illuminated pumpkins (and our camera batteries died, so no more pictures)!

Let's go...

Here, in Denmark, everyone rides a bike. When I say "everyone", this is not really an exaggeration. From Granny to the young dynamic environment, including large families ... everybody seems to appreciate this healthy mean of transportation, and this is true whatever the weather conditions are.
There are a tremendous amount of different models of bikes here, for all tastes, all needs and budgets. One of the most surprising is the bike equipped to transport children (up to 4!) and sometimes when some adults have drunken too much, they can also serve as a improvised vehicle to go home safely (in that case of course, you still need a sober friend to drive the bike) ... The inside equipment depends on the model and brand: small bench, seat belts, ...
One of the most popular is the Christiana Bike formerly manufactured in the famous Christiania. There are also more modern models, from which the trailer can be detached after arrival to serve as a stroller (a little too big to go into stores, but practical enough not to wake baby when you arrive in town).

Halloween bis

A few more Halloween pictures...
The Danes are very addicted to the Halloween spirit from what we have seen see in the previous years: pumpkins everywhere, enormous spider webs covering houses, decorative witches, full of people dressed up that night (including a sexy vampire nurse which I think would have pleased some of my buddies... sorry but no photos).
We even found a pumpkin with a candle by the door of our neighbor on the second floor (on a beautiful wooden floor, not dangerous at all!).