First visitors

Good evening from CPH.  It's been a little while since the last blog update.  Things have been busy with even some form of routine settling in.  And, we've had our first visitors.


So where to start....cycling.


Use of the Christiania bike has been steadily increasing with regular trips to the supermarket, the park and most importantly the beach.  Yes, the weather has finally got a lot better.  I have discovered that it is possible to do a good skid, with even a bit of 'fishtailing' with a suitable road surface by standing hard on the pedals.  It's probably prudent not to try and go for the full 180 degree or doughnut as I suspect the whole cabin would over turn which is unlikely to be appreciated by R and T.  R has also finally got her own cycle which she is very proud of.  We've had one try without stabilisers so far and I'm just waiting for my back to recover before we have another go.


Now the weather and its impact....There has been a good 7, maybe even 10, consecutive days of sunshine with temperatures in the 20s.  As a result, we've realised that Danes are total sun worshippers.  Every available area of parkland and beach has been covered by Northern European bodies emerging from a long winter, steadily turning all sorts of shades of pink, red, brown etc.  It's also quite alarming in the Faelledparken as there are shades of Munich's Englischer Garten, with many of the sun worshippers stripping down to bare minimum levels of covering.  Both male and female, young and old.  Now that was something else that almost made me lose control of the Christiania.


The prize for being our first visitors goes to Grandma and Granddad who came and stayed for a week.  Timing their visit perfectly for a bank holiday and mostly brilliant weather.  This was a great visit for many reasons, least of all as it meant there was someone else to pander to the demands of R & T, and particularly most appreciated when Rhia wanted to go for a paddle in the sea and Granddad was a willing volunteer.  That man clearly does not feel the cold!


During our visitors' week, a lot day trips were undertaken some of which are more recommended than others.  The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is a great trip up the coast from Copenhagen for a fix of art.  The Henry Moore sculptures were excellent as expected, however the current exhibition was a little inaccessible, at least for my tastes.  I was much happier in the children's wing, where T and I discovered the most enormous buckets of Lego bricks, and R spent time painting and generally making a mess.  The cafe was also another highlight, particularly the view over the sea as it drops down from it's perch on the hillside.  A hillside incidentally which was very popular for small children to roll down, and down, and down.  A day trip was also done over the bridge to Sweden to visit the beach at Malmo.  An impressive drive over the sea, unfortunately once we were there, a less than impressive picnic on the beach as a result of the squally weather.  But, like good Brits, we persevered though in the wind and rain.  The first time I've worn a wooly hat in May for a picnic.  It was nice to pop over to Sweden, but for £60 (return) in tolls, the weather's going to have to be really good, and / or we need to investigate the cheaper toll options.

Finally, gastronomy update.  Not too many more places tried since the last time - a lot of good cooking at home though (by me, ahem).  Gustavs Bistro warranted a return trip with Grandma and Granddad.  Excellent food again, although bemused by a veal escalope coming out more like a steak than an escalope. Secondly, with the great weather and our new favourite babysitter, (R's new BFF), CoI and I discovered Cafe Bopa a few blocks away on Løgstørgade.  A very elegant looking spot situated on a square with lots of mature chestnut trees.  Lots of tables and an appropriate scattering of beautiful people.  Decent wine list and small cafe menu.  No one seemed to go for much other than the moules frites or the burger.  We plumped for the burger each which was well made and cooked.  Washed down with a chilled Australian white it was a great way to while away a hot summer evening in Copenhagen with the odd blast of music from the Carnival at Faelledparken.  The only odd thing about the cafe was the adjacent petanque pitch (?) which seemed to have a gathering of 'lads' on a 'lads night out'.  First time I've ever seen petanque as an activity for such an evening - it's those crazy or trendy Danes I guess.  I suspect the one girlfriend that had been brought along also thought the same as well given her bored and pained expression.  Or maybe it was the crazy heels she was wearing....just an observation.


Keeping fingers crossed for more sunshine!

Like a galleon darling...

So, massive strides in the last few days in becoming more of a Copenhagenite.


For those of you who read the trials of my last blog around getting a mobile phone, you'll be pleased to know that I am now a proud and relieved owner of a new mobile phone.  I chanced my arm one more time with 3 (other providers are available) at a different store and despite some early scepticism, which included examining my passport for some kind of Danish immigration stamp (I had to point out I was an EU citizen, full rights of entry / residence etc), we had success!


Another big development has been the purchase of our Christiania bike which I am starting to throughly enjoy and look forward to using a lot.  Must be said, that the initial omens were not looking good.  Taking the bike for a test spin on a windy and wet day, in what must be the only hilly region of Copenhagen, there were only 2 near crashes and 1 near rollover.  However, R sitting in the cargo box was very reassuring and supportive despite describing my initial biking attempts as "wobbly" and our CoI further encouraging me with comments like "you look like a galleon darling"...  This however was the least of my troubles.


Little did I realise that actually driving a 'Christiania' on the road with no weight i.e. children / cargo in the box actually makes the bike fiendishly difficult to manage, steer and generally keep on the straight and narrow.  So a 10KM cycle to get the bike home, in the blustery wind and rain along the coast made for an interesting experience.  Particularly the road by Charlottenlund Palace where the road undulates, zig zags and the camber on the cycleway does its best to drive you into the adjacent hedgerows.


However, a Sunday afternoon excursion the following day, complete with both children and no near misses suddenly makes the city feel a lot smaller and accessible, not to mention confidence in my abilities to drive one of these things at an acceptable level.  All we need now is an industrial sized bike lock.  Despite Denmark being a very low crime and pleasant country, apparently thefts of Christiania bikes are very common, with even gangs in vans driving round the city looking for them and then just lifting into the back.

The other big step forward this week was a night out for our CoI and me, all by ourselves with no small children.  We seem to have struck pot luck by discovering an extremely local option for babysitting.  Very child friendly and brilliantly flexible.  In fact when we left on Friday night, R was trailing around after her new best girl friend for the evening.  T was oblivious to it and probably best ignored what looked like a girlie evening starting to take shape.

Our evening out helped further our gastronomic adventures in the neighbourhood as we discovered Gustav's Bistro on Classensgade.  A small wine shop with a lovely bistro attached run with a sense of humour.  The food is influenced by French cuisine but with plenty of local Danish twists and ingredients.  And the cassoulet we shared as our main course deserves a special mention.  Another locale making it on to the 'must take friends to' list.

So fuelled by good food and an excellent bottle of Bourgeuil, we started making further plans for nights out exploring the abundance of eateries Copenhagen seems to have to take advantage of our newly discovered babysitting option.  Not to mention preparing for our flurry of visitors that will start within a few days.

Till next time.  Hopefully it'll have rained less in between blogs...

Do I look like a terrorist?

Amazingly, a lot seems to have happened since the last blog.

The title refers to the (still ongoing) trauma of trying to get a new mobile phone here in Denmark.  I'd assumed that I'd need to wait till I had my CPR number - essentially a social security number - which was duly sorted last week.  So, armed with this, we hit the shops of Østerbrogade last Saturday afternoon to procure a new smartphone.

That was our first mistake.

We hit the shops at 14.30.  On a Saturday, in Denmark, the shops close (mostly) at 14.00.  What is this, 90s Germany?

Fortuitously, one mobile provider's shop was open, well at least for another 15 minutes.  Having previously done some research the signs outside the shop seemed to indicate a pretty good deal so in we popped to talk to the spotty youth.  "I would like to buy a new phone" as an opener seemed to work.  As did the confirmation of having a CPR number.  So far so good.  The next question however was "Do you have picture ID?"  Ah, I thought, I have my passport in my rucksack so looking good.  

This was our second mistake.

"No, I mean Danish picture ID?"  Cue sound of cold water being poured on my smartphone desires.  I mean why on earth would I, as an EU citizen, now legally registered in Denmark need Danish picture ID.  Well apparently, 3, in their infinite wisdom and fed up of losing money through fraud have stipulated this.  As well as, "because of terrorism."  By this point, my ire had risen to the a state where I was about to ask the spotty youth "do I look like a terrorist?"   However, reminiscing on the amount of random searches I somehow seem to get at airports and thinking that he might have the same sense of humour as the US Homeland Security I thought better of it.

Roll forward a few days and now starting to get desperate.  I mean how hard can it be to get a phone in this country.  I popped into another provider's shop, similar start to the conversation.  Affirmative that I had my CPR.  All going swimmingly so far.  And then the crunch. "Do you have your yellow card?"
"Well, I have the official letter from the Ministry with my name, address and CPR number, but the card is still being processed."  Apparently.  This.  Is.  Still.  Not.  Enough.

So currently, I seem to be stuck in some bureaucratic doldrums with all the information I need, but just not in the right format.
Despite, this, a lot of other settling in type things have happened.
Realising that I'd never get stuff done, if I waited for the weekends or evenings only.  I have had able assistance from R & T in wielding drills, hammers and screwdrivers.  And they are very pleased with the new lights in their rooms.  Blinds next, especially now the bright sunny evenings seem to have finally arrived.

May Day seems to have heralded the end of the wintry weather (fingers crossed) and glorious sunshine has arrived.  Looking out of the window, I can see a boat bobbing around just outside the harbour and evening sunshine shimmering on the sea.  (We have a small sea view, I'm just getting carried away).  
Arriving in Faelledparken this afternoon for the playground, we found it full to bursting with May Day revellers celebrating Labour Day.  Fortunately, T fitted right in with his red t-shirt and dungarees and R with her flower power outfit she put together.  All very inadvertently I hasten to add.

We have started to get more into the habit of cycling places.  We still haven't got our Ladecyckle (or Ladycycle as I call it) so R's scooting with T in the bike seat.  I was actually quite pleased with the picture below, it seemed to capture a super day out climbing things in the park with some nice touches of colour running through it.

The plan is, once bank accounts are fully functioning that we invest in a "Christiania Bike' or similar.  They look a superb way for getting around CPH with the kids, not to mention the capacity for shopping etc.  And it'll be a good way to build the thighs up for getting up our stairs.  Or is that the other way round...?

Finally, with our CoI busy taming fiendish calculations, our gastronomic ventures have been limited.  However, we did go into Halifax on Trianglen for a family Sunday burger.  They have a cool concept in this place.  Choose the 'theme' of burger, then patty, sides and sauces.  It all comes promptly and cooked to perfection (medium rare).  They also have a nice selection of local micro brews on draught.  Definitely to be a regular haunt.  And pretty reasonable.  Slight downside is that there is no 'børnemenu' but the burgers are plenty big enough to share with them.

Oh, there was one final thing I have noticed about Østerbro.  There are possibly more Hunter wellies per capita than in SW London.  I guess, in the Danes' defence they do get a lot more rain.  But still, it's got to be up there with 'no brown in town after 6' (and no, this isn't me linking back to my "am I a terrorist" statement).

Farvel for now....