Hot Mess Kayaking

From Linköping I drove to Copenhagen to visit a friend I had met in the rafting/kayaking world.

Again Copenhagen is encouraging people to bike around the city by providing bike lanes everywhere (and by making parking in the city expensive). I was lucky to get free parking outside Casper’s house and even luckier he had a spare bike I could use for the week.

I don’t think I can remember the last time I’ve been on a bike…maybe 2007? People say you never forget how to ride a bike but I was told pretty quickly by Casper I had no balance and was slow like a grandma. The highlight for me was when we were joking around and Casper showed me ‘how not to’ ride into other cyclists on the path.

In Copenhagen in time for the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Lots of free bands playing in lane ways and bars.

Fountain in the one of the squares of Størget

Størget, one of the largest shopping streets in Copenhagen

Størget

Just outside of Størget

Canal near Christiansborg Palace

Front of Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace

This time of year in the city centre you will probably hear more people speaking in English than Danish. Even though I have worked hard to learn some basic Swedish (which makes Norwegian fairly easy to understand), I could not understand even the most basic things in Danish such as ‘would you like a receipt’ or ‘would you like a bag’. It’s written almost the same way but the pronunciation is so foreign to my ears no matter how hard I try to pick up key words. I did speak in Swedish a couple of times and got ‘corrected’ in Danish or people did not understand me. It reminded me of this You Tube video once shown to me by a Norwegian (I have now downloaded Rosetta Stone Danish volume 1!):

Canal in Christianshavn

Christianshavn

Vor Frelsers Kirke

If only people were this into cycling in all major cities

Vor Frelsers Kirke

My second day in Copenhagen was probably the biggest day I’ve had by far! Christiana is the word. A few friends had suggested going to this hippy town and when you look at it on the map it seems very small. When you enter Christiana it’s not like entering any kind of normal town, you are essentially entering the Labyrinth! It’s easy to understand why there are so many restaurants and gardens inside once taking what some might call the full tour. I felt like I was in Nepal again for some of the part with the broken down shacks selling hamburgers and beer. There are also market stalls and wonderful murals to catch the eye. Unfortunately you can’t take any photos in Christiana, not only are you entering the Labyrinth, you are entering a what they call the Green Light District which is probably the reason why it’s hard to find your way out with so many wonderful things to look at!

I felt pretty creative after my mission to Christiana and I got a pretty large tour of Copenhagen seeing most of the sights afterwards and subsequently taking numerous photos that are below.

Outside Christiana

Is it true? Very strange thing to see after leaving Christiana, had to take a photo to check I wasn't seeing things!

Up at the dock at the Opera House

Views of the city from the Opera House

Outside the Opera House with a marine feel

Opera House

Boats, jets and cruise ships

More gardens and ponds at the Opera House

Docks outside the Opera House, safety first

More boats and canals at the Opera House

View from Islands Brygge and the Harbour Pool

Ny Carlsborg Glyptotek

Gardens at Ny Carlsborg Glyptotek

Kings's Gardens

King's Gardens

King's Gardens - one of my favourite parks in Copenhagen. You will spots hundreds of people here sunbathing on a warm summer's day

Rosenberg Castle

King's Gardens

Rosenberg Castle

King's Gardens. So many hiding spots and perfect cut hedges

I left Sjoa after spending a few days with Erika and headed to my friend Anna’s house in Linköping, Sweden. Anna and I met last time I was living in Australia and have managed to see each other each year.

Anna had a new little friend called Felix waiting to meet me when I arrived. Felix is a black cat who most likely had a home at some point in his life but has been homeless and neglected and in need of lots of love and attention. Unfortunately Felix is just a temporary resident at Anna’s house while the animal shelter finds him a permanent home. He definitely started to show his personality while I was there and kept us all entertained, especially when he had eaten some of his catnip treats.

Domkyrka

Gardens outside the library

Impressive and beautiful library and gardens

Domkyrka

St Lars Kyrka

Kinda Kanal

Linköping is a pretty organized city with bike paths everywhere (and lots of people use them). It’s also quite a small city once you orientate yourself. I only stayed for 2 full days and felt I got to see everything. Anna told me that there isn’t anything really to do. For a tourist there are some lovely, quirky gardens, and some old buildings (many painted yellow giving everything a spring time feel).

Trädgårdsföreningen

Ducks resting in the park

Trädgårdsföreningen

Anna and I did what we do best and went to the Old Town where many of the cities oldest houses have been moved and sat in the forest with a picnic of cheese, meats, bread and wine.

The following day we went out to the country where Anna grew up and picked at least a few kilos of chanterelle mushrooms with Anna’s Mum (who knew all the secret spots they were hiding!). I think that was one of the best chanterelle pies I have eaten (homemade of course!).

Again I was so lucky to have a warm Scandinavian summer in Linköping.

Picking chanterelles in the forest - yum!

We were only half way through picking mushrooms, I think we ended up with a few kilos

Some of the property where Anna grew up

Anna's house where she grew up

Hot Mess Kayaking

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Copenhagen Part 1: The Labyrinth (Where is David Bowie?)

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Linköping

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