Copenhagen, before Christmas

December 20, 2011 Copenhagen, before Christmas

It’s my very last day in Copenhagen. Since this is my seventh or eighth visit to the city (I’ve lost track, actually…), I’ve written about the city’s charms plenty of times before. After more than two weeks here, I now have half an ability to stitch together in mind the various neighbourhoods and corners of the city I have stayed in. Christianshavn, Vesterport, Nørrebro, the lakes, the Kødbyen . . . well, I’m getting there.

I still spend most of my time wandering in a fog of Danish Christmas cheer, the sort where it’s completely dark out but everything smells like cinnamon, along endless winding streets and squares. But no complaints – it’s just as pleasant now as it was two years ago, when I stepped off a plane and spent a good part of an afternoon standing on a corner of H.C. Andersen’s Boulevard, watching winter cyclists stream by, jet lagged, lost, and confused. But of course, standing there with a shocking $8 latte and unable to pronounce any of the street names, I felt pretty happy nonetheless.

I really think fondly of that day. I had never been to a foreign country completely by myself. I knew absolutely no one, and I was renowned for my ability to turn simple tasks into tragi-comic misadventures even while safely cocooned at home. My mother was, no doubt, waiting by the phone. But it was great.

So, on my somewhat two-year anniversary of that first visit, older and a little wiser – though not by much – here are my favourite things about Copenhagen.

1. I was in Weekday, the hip Swedish jean store, the other day along the Strøget. And they were playing this song, by Lykke Li. And everyone was singing. Not loudly, of course. But as they folded t-shirts, or perused stretched-out cable knits, or did other hip-20-something-Scandinavian type things, you could see their lips moving, hear slow humming as you walked by. Singing. In a jeans store. And really meaning it!

2. Danish dads. Pushing strollers. Biking with babies in the bicycle seat. Taking paternity leave. Being effortlessly handsome. Danish dads, I salute you!

3. When they talk about hygge, they’re not kidding. Sort of like cosy, you’ll know it when you feel it. It is the golden rule of Danish life, especially during a dark winter. It’s that part of the Danish DNA that requires them to do almost everything by candlelight, including eating breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. And . . . okay, so you get it.
It’s that warm and fuzzy feeling that feeds the endless market for throw cushions, basement cafes, and shops specializing entirely in soup. I always tried to describe that the thing I like most about Denmark is the care Danes take with everyday tasks and outings, making them funny, special, charming, and pleasant in a way that, almost imperceptibly at first, makes life so much better. The sort of small differences that in Canada we forgot were important, or we under-estimated. The big Christmas garlands hanging across all the central streets, for example, or when your coffee comes out on a little tray with a cookie. Danes really seem to appreciate the small things, and all that is hygge, to me. Although after a couple weeks of writing on my laptop by candelight, my eyes are actually starting to hurt.

4. The Black Diamond, or Den Sorte Diamant. My favourite library in the whole, whole wide world. Here’s what it looks like around sunrise, 9 am on a Sunday morning:

5. A million good cafes. An excess of good cafes, so many that you never have to walk far to find some dark, low-ceilinged corner where they’re playing Danish rap music and selling quirky home wares and bringing you homemade bread baskets. Living Room, on Studierstraede, Paludan bookshop and cafe on Fiolstraede, Soupa Natural on Guldbergsgade, Kalaset . . . just a sample. They’re endless. Avoid Baresso, Denmark’s Starbucks-takeoff (and for Danish standards, pretty deficient on the hygge standards), and you’re set. By the way, there’s not a lot of sunshine, so during those few free hours, feel free to sit outside, even though it’s December.

6. Eye contact. People in Copenhagen make eye contact, and hold it. They won’t smile, even if you smile first, but they won’t look hostile, either. Apparently the rest of the country does this far more. But it feels good to have a little eye-to-eye human interaction once and a while. Plus, as a Canadian, for a while I interpreted this as everyone checking me out!

7. It’s true what they say. People are extraordinarily good looking. Bill Bryson once said that you could cast a Pepsi commercial in Copenhagen in five minutes, and that rings true. Lots to look at, all the time.

8. I was walking past the Nørregade metro station one evening when a teenage girl fell and broke a beer bottle on the road (the drinking age is 16, see my next point.) She wasn’t hurt, so several passers-by immediately stooped down and picked up the larger chunks of glass, so people wouldn’t step on it or get it stuck in their bike tires. When’s the last time you saw people on the street do something like that?

9. Feel like a drink? In all those cafes, you can have one. Beer is the standard go to (and it’s the cheapest thing in Denmark – at Flos, on Larsbjørnsstraede, you can get two Tuborgs for 25 kr, about $4.50 CAN. I’m not kidding.) Kitty corner, at Living Room, you can get mojitos and G&Ts. No shame, have one at lunch! And if you’re really out late, you can get alcohol at all the super markets and corner stores, at any time of day. This is completely and totally opposite to Sweden.

10. I love the graffiti, the murals, and the street art. The city is coated in it, and try arty neighbourhoods like Vesterbro and Nørrebro (formerly home of Copenhagen’s working class and immigrants, respectively, and now occupied by a lot of students with flippy blonde hairdos and squeaky clean fashion hiking boots) for the good stuff. Keep an eye out for knitted lamp posts, alleyway comic strips, tile mosaics and the occasional DJ booth along Nørrebrogade.

Of course, I like the lovely friends who live here, as well, plus the ones that come to visit from Aalborg and Stockholm!

Metronomy is English, but no matter. They provide a pretty good soundtrack, and look at that guy in yellow! The fisherman look is all the rage right now!