First trip of 2019.

This year a resolution of mine is to travel more often and explore more often. So on January 1, 2019, I saw the New Year’s sale Norwegian Airline was running and booked the trip two weeks out (that’s cutting it really close for a planner like me). I was actually excited to go on a trip with less planning than I typically do, and just play things by ear.

Our first day in Copenhagen was a gloomy one. It had just stopped raining, and we navigated through the smaller streets and made our way to our Airbnb in the Latin quarter. We were all pretty hungry and decided to go to this open sandwich restaurant that is only open for lunch. We dashed over to the restaurant with 30 mins to spare, and our server suggested a few open sandwiches for us. We enjoyed our meal with some tea, and befriended an old lady who taught us how to say open sandwich in Danish - Smørrebrød.

After our meal we walked around town and made our way to Nyhavn, the famous Copenhagen water front. String lights hung high on both sides of the canal, with patrons coming in and out of the restaurants. Bystanders and tourists like myself try to make out what the waterfront looks like with the dim lights, and I picture a busier street like the ones I saw in Amsterdam.

That Saturday seemed particularly quiet around town, perhaps because of the cold January weather. We stopped by the department store since that was one of the few stores that were still open, and decided to head to a cocktail/ whiskey bar called Lidkoeb. The 3 story building used to be a production facility for a pharmacy, and later turned into a bar. It reminded me of a speakeasy since it’s hidden in a back alley away from the main street.

“I believe that travel is the ultimate cinematic experience. Like a character in a movie, you set out on a journey, meet new people, and discover something about yourself that you never knew was there. A great trip sets you on a path of transformation that doesn’t end when you return home.”
- Brian Chesky, Airbnb Cofounder, CEO and Head of Community

The next day we were greeted by sunny weather in Copenhagen, perfect for our full day of activities.

We started our day with a nice breakfast, at a cute cafe called Atelier September. it has an open kitchen, with pastries just laying out on the table. A communal table sites in the center of the room, and the back seats were perfect for people watching. Everything we had there were delicious, and I am still thinking about that croissant with poppy seeds!

After our nice breakfast we walked through the Rosenborg garden to the Rosenborg Castle. The weather was still pretty cold and a thin layer of snow still glazes over the lawn.

Inside the castle we followed the self guided tour, navigated to all the rooms and read up on the artifacts on display. My favorites were the grand ceiling in The Great Hall on the 2nd floor, and the treasury in the basement.

After a quick meal we headed back to Nyhavn for a day time view. We were there right at the golden hour, and got the perfect hygge lighting.

We finished the day at DAC, The Danish Architecture Center, looking at the modern Danish designs. it was a nice contrast from the Rosenborg Castle in the morning!

We made reservations at Host for dinner and opted for the evening with Host - the tasting menu with wine pairings. I honestly don’t remember everything we had but everything was delicious! From the presentation to the taste, and even the hygginess of the restaurant - everything was perfect!

On our last day in Copenhagen we were greeted with snowy weather, and we saw a different charm in this Danish city.

The Round Tower gave us a great view of the city, despite the snow.

We spent the rest of the morning in the shopping area, exploring the Lego store as well as got some postcards to mail home. We were able to squeeze in a visit to Torvehallerne, the indoor/ outdoor market for a quick lunch (it’s open sandwich of course!) before we headed for the airport.

Hoping that next time I visit it would be the summer time where I can bike around the city and see the city in a more hyggelig way!

Copenhagen. January 2019