This journey begins in Copenhagen.

For the last few years, I knew I wanted to go to Norway. I also knew that I didn’t want this to be a solo trip, so when my friend, Lauren, was available to go to Norway in October, it was go time! We determined that it would be just as cost effective and time effective to fly into Copenhagen, and then make it to the Lofoten Islands of Norway. But first, Copenhagen!

Public transportation

Copenhagen is the European city with the shortest distance from airport to city center. The public transportation here runs very well and is simple to navigate. Unlimited public transport day passes ended up making the most sense for our needs rather than having to go to the ticket kiosk and selecting individual tickets for each trip around town.

Café Halvvejen

We wandered into this cafe looking for a yummy place to eat local food. Unfortunately, the kitchen had just closed for the afternoon, so we went elsewhere for food. We did return later for a beer, though. The ambiance is excellent here, and the employees and patrons were amazing! A 10/10 place. It had the charm of an Irish pub that I have experienced, but was of course a Danish. Lots of people drinking bottles of beer and tiny glasses of schnapps, and having happy times.

A bookstore cafe

For late lunch, we ended up at a bookstore that also served food. There are a lot of bookstores here. We wanted to make sure that we got food before we were deliriously ravenous, so we were happy to eat there. I got a chicken salad that had cold potatoes and also mushrooms and bacon. It was an interesting combination, not too bad although I could have easily skipped the mushrooms. Lauren got a hummus sandwich on gluten free bread.

Nyhavn

Nyhavn is the port where there are nice colorful houses and where the canal tour picks up. Lauren and I opt for the cruise around sunset. We are both pretty jet-lagged. The tour guide’s voice paired with the gentle rocking of the boat made it difficult to stay awake. We both dozed off at some point, but we’re awake for the majority.

The tour consists of our long canal boat going under a bunch of low bridges and being told about various buildings and the history of the area. I cannot remember a single fact from the tour, might be due to the napping, but the views were lovely.

Free Walking Tour!

Free walking tours are my favorite way to learn about a place from a local expert. We did our tour through Copenhagen Free Walking Tours. Our guide was Luca, a 28 year old man studying his masters in architecture. He is German and moved to Denmark when he was 5 years old.

Lots of young people seem to be going for their masters degrees in Denmark. It is more common than not. The students actually receive money to attend university programs. Intriguing for anyone who might want to study abroad in Denmark during undergrad or post grad. Apparently you can apply to receive the payment. Tuition is free and the grants are given for things like food and housing.

Luca taught us about certain buildings, recommendations for food, history of the Carlsberg beer brand, and some Danish.

Danish:
Hei = hi
Hei hei = bye
Tak = thanks
Skat = has 3 different meanings: 1) treasure, 2) baby like an affectionate term, 3) taxes
Hygge = cozy

Hygge

I aspire to incorporate more hygge ambiance into my apartment and daily life. Most places have lighted candles, and lots of plants, and blankets, and cushions to be cozy and welcoming. Everything feels very intentional and cherished, and it makes you feel cherished and darling when in a hygge environment.

Waking up for the commute

We asked Luca for a good place to watch the Monday morning commute, and he was a bit surprised by the question. 62% of the population commutes by bicycle! To me, it sounds like a twice daily great migration. We picked up a coffees and a pastry and found a busy street to watch the world go by. We may have missed the very beginning of the commute because it was a majority of adults with empty child seats heading to their work after dropping their children off to school.

I did not take any commute specific pictures, but here you can see the commute during one of my pastry reviews!

Scandinavia is known for their delicious pastries. Stay tuned on a separate blog post for the rest of the pastry reviews.