Do you have a place you go to escape from it all? Somewhere you go back to time and time again and instantly feel at home? Like the first day of your holiday is just a continuation of your last? Well, for me, this is Copenhagen.
Falling in love with this exciting, creative and welcoming city back in 2014 was not something I expected, but I can honestly say that when I’m there I truly find that little bit of peace and inner calm I desperately search for the rest of the year.
As we flew home, knackered and boiling hot on our Easyjet flight back to Manchester, I started to think what my first post would be about (OK, that and how to keep the 1-year-old squashed on my knee entertained for an hour and a half. This included, by the way, a whole host of downloaded cartoons, crisps and constant window-blind opening and closing.)
Basically: Copenhagen is awesome.
Nothing new there, I hear you say. Everyone knows its great for food, furniture and fun. But this was our fourth trip in four years and each time it has been everything and more.
From being loved-up newlyweds, to mid-way through pregnancy, to our first holiday with a newborn and now crazy toddlerdom; this city, it’s surrounding countryside, coastline and most importantly its people, have yet again left us inspired, energised and well, a little bit jealous.
Over the next few posts I’ll go in to more detail on what we got up to, where we stayed, where to visit etc etc but before I go here are a couple of things I’ve loved and learnt this last week:
- People leave their front doors open and actually talk to their neighbours – this also includes leaving prams with babies in them, toys and generally a range of valuable personal belongings outside their property unsupervised – and not under lock and key with a security camera pointed directly at them and linked through to an iPhone so they can watch over it 24 hours a day.
- You don’t need to carry actual cash. We didn’t need any all week , even when needing just 20 Kroner to hire a buggy at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Yes that’s also a thing: you can hire prams in galleries! This was also reiterated when we landed back in Manchester Airport and straight away needed a physical £1 coin to get a luggage trolley (ahhhh!!!)
- Rhubarb cake is delicious and quite addictive – who knew? I’m a totally rubbish cook but I am now determined to master this one.
- You can’t buy fabric softener anywhere. This is simply because its bad for the environment. Google translating ‘Comfort’ and desperately showing it to a young, very blonde haired guy working in the local supermarket did make us feel terribly ignorant.
- Rasmus Klump is loads better than Mickey Mouse. Sorry Disney fans but I dare you to sing along to “Dans, dans, dans med mig”and not have a good time (I was still singing along to it 3 days later).
- And finally, one that will hopefully prove very useful if you do visit, the fantastic department store Illum offer foreign visitors a ‘Welcome card’; giving you a 10% discount on your shopping. So like me, you can come home with a rucksack full of expensive Danish porcelain.
So tak Copenhagen from the bottom of my heart for another amazing week, filled with very happy memories. Plus bringing a little bit of Danish happiness back with us and another visit very soon.
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