Wednesday 31st July. Copenhagen on a Damp Day

August 31, 2019

We decide on a leisurely walk to the centre of town. It’s relaxing but one needs to keep alert. Walk on the right, don’t stray onto the cycle lane, cross with lights- you never know where they’re coming from. Perhaps to accommodate cycle lanes the footpaths are narrow. Buildings are impressive, often in red brick with stepped gables, similar to those in Holland.

We spot a bakery: specifically a bakery of pastries! Our first Danish pastry does not disappoint. It’s crisp and flaky on the outside and filled with a thin band of almond paste on the inside. The young girl serving us seems to know exactly what’s needed and our half hour ensconced at one of their tables with a hot Americano and our pastries is a memorable moment.

Fuelled by this calorific delight we walk on into the centre suddenly noticing an increase in the presence of the dreaded tourists - not us of course. A cruise ship is in town. Interestingly they seem to keep to one or two main streets filled with the usual tat- well, tasteful Danish tat.

The city hall, a magnificent building is comparatively empty. It’s interior consists is a massive central hall with corridors and dark wood stairways heading up a number of floors. There’s lots of shiny brass polished to within an inch of its life, tiled mosaics, and expansive paintings of semi rural Copenhagen back in the day. It’s relaxing wandering about and I feel sure I’ve seen some scenes from Danish dramas set in these corridors with their panelled walls and hanging lights. Two things of interest strike me. No security guards anywhere that I can see and there is an abundance of toilets- at least two on every floor. A tourist could indeed be happy here if they weren’t pursuing tee shirts in the streets outside.

It’s warming up a little and the rain has stopped, so we find a quiet park bench and eat our rolls care of Netto.

The walk home is through Frederiksberg, a leafy area with elegant steep roofed brick buildings and an interesting collection of small shops. It’s at this point that we spot the Kiwi pie guy. We nearly walk right past him so normal does he look, until it dawns, this is Denmark. He tells us he’s been here 11 years and life is good. We say we’ll keep his shop in mind for later.

Our walk ends with a visit to one of the many discretely advertised supermarkets in the locality and an early dinner. Our Airbnb host emails to say she will be arriving home after midnight. Since the front door is just outside our room we hope discretion is maintained.

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