Last Day of the Trip...What a Trip!

It was our last day in Copenhagen, and for the entire two week trip.  Almost time to say bon voyage to this epic journey.  We started with a hearty Danish breakfast at the nearby Bang and Jensen cafe, then made our way down the river towards our destination. 

Another day of splendid weather made it tempting to post up at one of the waterfront cafes, or just on the lawn like the locals a la Dolores Park, but we were sort of on a mission.

Saturday, this day, we were venturing into parts heard of but yet unknown to us.  We were headed to the Bohemian district of Christiania.  Nearly every person we met in Norway and Sweden who we told we were visiting Copenhagen said "You have to go to Christiania!"  And so it was there that we were headed.

Christiania is an autonomous neighborhood of Copenhagen, monitored by the state as opposed to the municipality.  Known for its free spirit and "tolerated"cannabis trade, it was something we wanted to see.  

To be honest, I was a little hesitant going in, not sure if it was going to be safe or what to expect.  In reality, Christiania was what I imagine it would be like to step into the Woodstock Festival for a day, and many of the people lingering about seemed to be burnouts of that genre.  

There were cafes, restaurants, live performance, and a portion of the area dedicated to cannabis trade, all in a very organized, seemingly monitored and well functioning way.  There are no photos allowed in Christiania, so the best way I can describe it is as above.  It is a part of the city, and the culture in Copenhagen, and I am glad that we checked it out.  

On our way back home, Ivan was in a jovial mood and took the opportunity to grab a photo with two really lovely ladies enjoying a sunset meal together on the river bank.  This was the life!

For dinner that night, we kind of decided that we had our fill of Arctic char and other Scandinavian delights for the trip, and went for something we knew well; barbecue.  A place called Barbie came highly recommended, so we decided to check it out.  Smoked ribs, brisket, sausages and sides including homemade pickled cabbage, kraut and baked beans did not disappoint.  And the four barbecue sauces were also on point!  For our last meal of the trip, we had chosen well.

We needed to leave to the airport at around 5 am, and never had really gotten adjusted to the time zone differences during the trip anyway.  What I am getting at is that we headed back to the cool disco we had been on the previous night, and by the time we got back home there was really only time for a brief snooze and a quick shower before we were on our way to the airport for the long trip home.

And so, here I now sit in the Boston Logan airport, an hour or so from boarding my flight back to SF.  Ivan will head back to Santa Barbara via Los Angeles one hour later.

It is hard to summarize this trip in a few words.  Maybe that is because I have slept very little in the past 24 hours.  Maybe it is because I am typing on my iPhone with my thumbs.  Or maybe it was just such a spectacular time with a great friend during which we met wonderful people and experienced four different cultures in a way that only locals usually have the opportunity to do.  Yeah, that.

Anyway ragazzi, as always it has been so much fun sharing this journey with you.  I thank you for reading and really can't wait to see all of you soon!  Ciao for now.  Until the next trip!!

Paper Island

Okay, so I'm really behind the eight ball here with my posts.  Not only am I back on U.S. soil on a layover in Boston, I am down an iPad.  At least temporarily.  On this morning's flight from Copenhagen to Reykjavik, I left my iPad on the plane.  I am hoping I will hear back from lost and found in the Reykjavik Airport, but for now, it's just me and my iPhone 6.

The above photo is from a tranquil canal in Copenhagen, not far from Papirøen, or the Paper Island, home of the famous Street Food Copenhagen. 

Ivan and I made the four or five mile walk from our apartment to check out the Paper Island as we had heard great things.  Only, when we were just a bridge away, we had to wait alongside all of these bikers for the bridges to lower and allow us entrance.  Ivan marveled at the wasteful engineering and I wondered how long it would be before we could eat lunch.

Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long, and soon we entered the large food hall, not entirely dissimilar from the Matthallen in Oslo.  We were pretty hungry, and went for the first food in sight; the gourmet sausage truck, which did not disappoint.  Ivan chose lamb merguez, and I had chicken.  Really solid!

We wandered about and snacked a bit more before heading back in the direction of where we were staying.  Directly outside of Papirøen were dozens of locals in chairs soaking up the sunshine along the water in the glorious 79 degree weather.

This was a trend all along the waterways that lined the city.  When it gets nice out in Copenhagen, people take advantage.  Kids dove, back flipped and front flipped off of high structures built adjacent to the bank, and adults lounged in nearby cafes or engaged in kayak water polo.  These Danes were clearly enjoying the weekend...and it was only Friday!

After resting up a bit at the apartment that night, we headed back to the Meatpacking District for a bite and a drink.  It was Friday and some locals we met suggested we check out a disco called Natbar at the Bremen Theater.  A disco with locals sounded cool to us, and we stayed late into the evening/morning listening to the band and DJ and chatting with locals.

On the way home, I was pleased to see that they had cleaned up the facade of our building and even put a light on for me so I would know where I was going :).  Another great day was in the books!

København Day 1

Well, I feel like it's the last day of school, and I haven't turned in my final exam.  I guess what I am trying to say is that I am delinquent in my last few posts for the trip and I am making a mad dash to the finish line.  It is now 7:00 am, and in 20 minutes, we will board our flight from Copenhagen to Reykjavik, then to Boston and finally San Francisco.  But, that's not so interesting as our time in Denmark.

As you might be able to guess from the photo above of Ivan opening the door to our airbnb, Copenhagen is a city that has some grit.  Our train broke down on the way from the airport to the central station, and when we got off the train and walked to the apartment, we passed by strip clubs and several other dodgy looking establishments.  This was not the pristine Scandinavia we had come to know over the past two weeks.  But, as was the case with our airbnb, a bit rough around the edges on the outside, once we got to know it, Copenhagen was truly a gem of a city, in some ways reminding us of San Francisco. 

Our first day was spent wandering around the Vesterbro neighborhood where we were staying, as well as checking out a recommended shawarma place (kebab is big in Copenhagen) near the train station. The kebab photos were less than flattering, so you will all be spared a food photo.  I know.  It was hard for me too.

The more time we spent in the city, the more it grew on us.  In the evening, we checked out an area called Kodbyen, about ten minutes walking from our centrally located digs.  Kodbyen is the Meatpacking District of the city, and, although not quite as fashionable as the one in New York, it was certainly filled with cool restaurants and bars, including the Mikkeller Bar, which has a sister location right in the heart of downtown San Francisco!  If you haven't been (to either one), I recommend both.  Numerous craft brews on tap, a cool vibe and friendly staff.  Ivan thought it a good omen when he discovered this symbol in his blueberry mead.

At Mikkeller, we chatted with some locals, and they invited us to join them at another bar in the Norrebro district of the city, a short Uber ride away for us, and a medium short bike ride for them.  By the way, everyone in Copenhagen bikes, and it is really common to bike from bar to bar.  Seems dangerous, and I have no idea what the statistics are like on injuries, but the Danes assured us they were experts.  While we waited for our new friends to arrive at the bar, Ivan took a moment to assume his Most Interesting Man in Scandinavia pose.  He doesn't always drink mead, but when he does, it usually has a smiley face.  Gathered round the table at this extremely local bar, we chatted with these Danes who had lived in Brooklyn before and were eager to talk about America as well as give us plenty of suggestions for things to do in Copenhagen.  Our first day was a really good one, and shortly after that we headed home to rest up.

Those Heritage Chickens Tho

Yesterday was another day spent walking around various neighborhoods, taking in the beauty of Stockholm.  There are 16 separate islands in total, and we spent most of our time on three or four of the main ones.  Starting with breakfast at home (which we have been doing most days), we headed out to do some more exploring.  And, not missing an opportunity, Ivan worked to perfect his handstand in front of a statue located by one of the main squares.  It is kind of becoming his signature thing.

We made our way through the Old Town and then trolled around Sodermalm, which, according to locals was the "hipster" locale of the city.  High end fashion boutiques, and internationally recognized brands such as J. Lindeberg (based in Stockholm), lined the streets, and we checked out the wares that were on display.  After walking around for a while, we stopped for wheat grass shots at a cool looking juice bar.  The city is filled with coffee shops and juice bars, and some places sell both.  The wheat grass was mixed with ginger and cayenne, served ice cold and packed quite a punch.

For dinner that evening, we had been advised to check out a place called Strandvagen 1, a fashionable spot frequented by locals and situated on the main island where we were staying.  The corner location was bustling, and we were told it would be an hour wait.  Not a problem, as we enjoyed a glass of brosé while checking out the scene.

There was another reason we wanted to check out Strandvagen 1.  Rumor had it that they served some of the best rotisserie chicken in town, and after the delicious one we had the first night in town, we were game.  They even had their own special place on the top corner of the menu.  Ivan made the (brilliant) suggestion that we order not two but three chickens to share, since these heritage birds were in fact much smaller.

We attracted attention from our neighboring tables; a stylish couple from Switzerland, and a couple of local banker looking types.  Both groups asked if we would be sharing with them.  We had to see what we could do, and if we could finish on our own.  As you can seen from the carnage below, we decimated those little birds.  For the first time on the trip, I was really full after a meal.  Too full; we had, in American fashion, overdone it a bit.  But those heritage birds were tasty.

Full from our feast, we walked the two kilometers or so back to our apartment.  We would be leaving for Denmark in the morning and decided it best to rest up for the trip.

Stockholm by Day

Our first full day in Stockholm was a great one.  With the sun high in the sky and a perfect temperature of 72, this city in daylight was making a good impression on us.  We crossed the bridge from Normalm, near the city center, over to Gamla Stan, the Old City, where we had been the previous night.  Walking around the narrow cobblestone streets reminded me of Bologna, Toledo, or other small towns in western Europe with old world charm.  I was in fact surprised to see an Elk Burger on the menu at this restaurant in Gamla Stan.  So maybe you are right, dad, there could be a market for ROAM here in Scandinavia.

We cruised around a bit more, not entirely sure of where we were going, but content to do some mapless exploring.  After a while we found ourseleves down by the water on the island of Sodermalm (Southern Island).  We had heard that a boat ride tour of the islands was one of the best ways to see everything, and bought some tickets for the ferry that was departing soon.  Ivan needed a snack, and we stopped by a kiosk in the little harbor area.  When smoked reindeer sandwiches are on the menu, you order them.  Our attendant kindly obliged when I asked if we could take a picture of her holding the sandwich.  A stout, friendly German tourist with a fanny pack and dad jeans was behind us in line.  He asked if we wanted a pic of him holding a sandwich as well.  Nein danke!  Pretty funny though.

And here Ivan can be seen in what has become his eating pose, chowing down on Rudolph's distant cousin.  I tried the sandwich.  Just tasted like smoked meat, NBD.

The boat ride tour was really cool.  We each had our own headset, and the tour was narrated in the language of your choice.  Though my Norwegian and Swedish have improved considerably during the trip, I opted for the English version.

The waterways were pristine, and we even saw a boat dedicated to cruising around and picking up stray garbage, which it didn't seem like there was a lot of to begin with.  We passed by the Royal Palace and National Museum (below), which was closed for renovations.  It looked nice from the outside though.

Our tour guide pointed out other cool landmarks, like the ritzy street where Bjorn Borg had a home, or ABBA's house, tucked into a grove on the banks of the waterway.  There is no official maritime registry for boats in Sweden, but an estimated 750,000 people have boats, representing 7% of the country's population.  So, chances are, unless you are a real loser, you've got a friend who's got a boat.  Or maybe a friend of a friend.  

Below is the "God, our Father, on the Rainbow" fountain sculpture, a tribute to the UN as a symbol of peace in 1946.  We were told by our guide that the UN rejected the sculpture due to religious undertones.  So, there it stands, kind of looks like a dude peeing.  Maybe that's the real reason it was rejected.

Back to the harbor, and off the boat, we returned to our new accommodations, a 1BR flat in the Vasastaden area, a northern suburb of the city.  We had made dinner reservations for a place that locals had recommended, called Sturehof.

Sturehof had all of the right elements from the exterior; a cool awning and lots of lights, a bustling patio with well dressed patrons.  I had a good feeling about this place.

To start, you are given a big basket of crackers with whipped butter mixed with chives and some kind of fish roe.  I wish I could remember exactly what it was.

Turns out it was crayfish season, and we started our meal with a half of a kilogram of the little guys.  It was going to be a messy affair, and bibs were strongly advised by our server.

The crayfish were big and juicy...and messy as advertised.  For our main courses, we shared arctic char (are you getting familiar with this setup?) and a minute steak with a raw egg and "horseradish sticks."  The fish was good, but I may have had my fill of char for the trip.  The portions were just right, and feeling satisfied, we headed out, making the 15 minute walk back to our apartment.  After a couple of late nights, we called this one early, to get rested and ready for another day in the city.