Living like a Dane

We are totally settled in. We know our way around, which coffee to order and are beginning to take it slow.

Sunday seems to be a family day for the Danes. Lots of bunches of flowers bought (it is not Mother’s Day in Europe), kids out on bikes, market shopping and a later start to the day – including us.

Lots of coffee to choose from!

It’s marathon day and the city was abuzz. It was fun to be part of it. Thousands of runners from all over the world were here, lots of people pushing folks in wheelchairs, lots of women and lots of running clubs.

We got our coffees and walked around the marathon route and cheered the runners on.

We were going to hop on the Metro to visit a bakery I had read about that has supposedly the best cardamom buns in the city when we were waylaid by a sidewalk sale in front of that lovely store, Magasin.

Digging in bins, Filene’s Basement style, was wonderful. I’ve sooo missed it! This was a promotion with all proceeds going to the Red Cross (just like that last markdown at Filene’s Basement where you wrote the check to charity). I got two sweaters, a blouse and two dresses for $57. My kinda shopping!

A little Sunday shopping at a street market was well in keeping with our “Living like Danes” vibe.

We decided to head to the food market for a little lunch to be eaten outdoors, like the rest of the country. Torvelhallern is a food haven. Fresh meats, fish, cheeses, fruits and vegetables of the finest quality along with a multitude of prepared food stalls and restaurants. We did the once over and made a few decisions.

Charcuterie, cheese and salads with the ubiquitous bread were the final decisions.

I even used the public bathrooms, which were unexpectedly clean. An aside, I haven’t mentioned the cleanliness here. Spotless. Everywhere. Some of it is cultural, but we watched a janitor clean up the garbage cans and bathrooms twice while we had lunch. They take it seriously. When the marathon was over, a team of garbage trucks descended upon the city.

We started to amble back across town, and saw these two chairs in the sun at the water’s edge by the library (there is public seating everywhere in this city). The Danes leisurely loll around on these benches with a glass of wine or a beer at all times of the day and night. We followed suit. We sat still for thirty minutes just watching the world go by. This is a whole new thing for us.

We stopped for a glorious Danish ice cream on the way home and when asked if we wanted whipped cream on our cone, we said no. As we were eating our luscious cones canal side, we saw people coming out with multiple flavors of what looked like mousse on top of their cones. Rookie mistake.

The day was fair, so when we got to our rooms we decided to take our books outside and read in the sunshine. We watched the world stroll by and boat by — another flotilla on a gorgeous Sunday.

Dinner tonight was once again communal style at Kanalheuset. We met a lovely German couple in the bar before dinner and they have been living in Denmark for the last two years. They are loving it. It’s more expensive than Germany, but also much more exciting and fun. He works at Norvo Nortel and in his group of 40 scientists, there are 15 countries represented. Denmark has a whole program of assimilation for immigrants and his wife is taking Danish lessons and their daughter has finally started to feel at home (she’s 16).

Dinner was at a table with an Australian endocrinologist and American who lived and taught in Taipei for the 20 years (now back in Rhode Island) and two lovely young Danes, one who works at the hotel and another who is a restauranteur. Interesting conversations about travel, healthcare, living abroad, food, and politics. Every conversation we’ve had with folks is open and thoughtful and sane. It reminded me of America before 2008. We have so lost our compass in the US and the whole world sees it.

Anyway, we’ve had a leisurely Danish Sunday and we’re settled in with a pot of tea and some quiet time. A perfect Sunday night.

Tomorrow we may head to the outer boroughs at the suggestion of our new Danish friends, Rosa and Noel. Noel’s restaurant is out in Norrebro, but he’s closed tomorrow. It is supposed to be a lovely area with a cemetery there that people picnic in. Frederksborg is not too far away where the university garden of that landscape architect we met the other night, works. We’ll see what the day brings.

I’m loving living like a Dane.