Denmark: An Apartment and a First Impression Under the Sea

Window With a View of the Pedestrian Area Strøget – Copenhagen, Denmark

About the Apartment:
We exited the main station only to return below ground into a nearby metro station. It can be tricky keeping clear the metro, train, bus schedules and stations in some cities. Copenhagen seemed to cause this story of confusion to occur in my head on a continual basis, but luckily Ben was a great transportation navigator.  Hopping a few stops over, we exited the metro station, walked several blocks down a funky residential area, and met up with a girl in her early twenties, accent thick and smile unending. She had agreed to meet us in place of our AirBNB host who had naturally found home somewhere else for the next few nights. Upstairs, in what would be our home for the next few days, we found a twin-size trundle bed, a combination shower/toilet area*, and a kitchenette**. It was going to be cozy.

Laundry Day in our AirBNB rental

(*Definition Shower/Toilet Area: A shower head placed right next to the toilet as to flood the bathroom every time someone took a shower, with no sort of barrier in place to block floods)

(**Definition Kitchenette: Sink, 4 electric burners, fridge large enough for two milk cartons and 1 dozen eggs, 15 cm2 counter space)

A shop’s creative guitar display on the streets of Copenhagen

We were able to wake up each morning to sunshine streaming in large-paned windows. Each day, we looked for a kebab shop hidden down one of the side streets, our landmark for the metro station below. Taking the metro, we crossed through various underground tunnels and end up at one of two stops. The first at the base of Copenhagen’s river way and the second in what we considered city central.

Near the exit of one of Copenhagen’s metro stops, along Nyhavn Canal

Two young boys play on a large anchor sculpture near Nyhavn Canal

On our final full day in Copenhagen we realized that to walk from home really wasn’t too far of a distance, though it seemed as such when we arrived there the first night. Once we figured out the size and scope of the city, we put our sneakers to use much more, and let the trains fill with passengers other than ourselves. Walking brought us into areas we might have otherwise missed, and gave us a more true impression of the neighborhood surrounding our temporary home. Stores with bikes hanging form terraces and bakeries puffing out scents of freshly baked breads through hidden vents: the ones aimed right at the street so when someone walks by, the scent turns into taste as it hits their nose, making it nearly impossible to pass by without stopping. There were views into stores filled with prams stacked on shelves three high, a commonality in Scandinavia as parents of newborns are frequently seen pushing wheeled bassinets with their tiny bundle tucked carefully inside causing foreigners such as myself to feel like I’d stepped back into the mid-19th century. Beyond the cafes, shops, and buggies, we fell in love with multi-colored homes pressed against one another, the bike lanes offering safety for furious pedal pushers. Staying just out of the main city gave us access to an otherwise forgotten part of city life and a reminder of dorm-style living as temporary as it was.

Hidden within the city – Copenhagen, Denmark

A reflection of Alexander Nevsky Church, the only Russian Orthodox Church in Copenhagen

About the First Impression:
Stepping out of the metro’s underground, we were overwhelmed by beautiful bold houses, stacked closely together with flat facades and sharply pitched roofs. Geometric steps could be used as stairs for giants climbing skyward, as roofs are typically fabricated in series of 90 degree angles to create the roofs’ steep slopes. Between two rows of houses sits a straight harbor with man-made edges adding to the linear aesthetics of the neighborhood.Within the harbor, boats of all sorts waved up and down as a light wind blew. Wooden boats mixed with sails and fishing rigs creating a melting pot of boats, each with a unique tale.
(Side note, this type of writing isn’t my forte..but stay with me as I try!)

A casual stroll past colorful shops along the Nyhavn Canal in Copenhagen, Denmark

Diners enjoy a meal on the patio of HavFruen “The Little Mermaid” Restaurant in Copenhagen

Perched on top of an awning, an attempt at getting all of “Haufruen” into the shot is impossible up close. Alas, this is the result. Laugh a little!

In the distance a church appeared, its black steeple contrasting sharply with a clear blue sky, otherwise devoid of skyscrapers. Perhaps more eye-catching was the steeple’s ornamentation. Swirling golden lines wrapped tightly around the tower. To me, it was a reminder of one of Denmark’s greatest characters: a statue.

The steeple looked like something straight off a Disney movie box, the big chunky plastic kind that snapped shut when you aligned the edges just right and held inside a prized black brick. Back to the days of VHS tapes!

One movie in particular struck a cord with little girls such as myself who always wanted to be under the sea, and this church seemed to me to bare a striking resemblance to the main character’s submerged palace. Surprisingly, I was hard pressed to find someone else who thought the same. You can be the decider – open up that childhood daydreamy mind and maybe you’ll find it as well!

Boats skim down the inner harbor of Copenhagen toward the unique spire of Church of Our Saviour Church

The spire of The Church of Our Saviour has 400 steps winding to the top which visitors can climb daily in the warmer months

You’ll see why I’m so set on this idea in the next post!