The End of Summer

Worryingly the gap between my posts seems to be getting longer.  I'm sure as the nights start drawing in and there is less incentive to go outside, I'll have more time again to keep my one follower (I am flattered) and other regular readers (thanks for taking the time) updated.

It is the last weekend in September and this blog has been slowly composing (or is that decomposing) in my head since the first one.  Summer is definitely long gone, and when I sat at my desk earlier this week, with the rain lashing against the window it was very clear autumn had arrived.  The last few days of summer was not without its highlights though.

Miss R started her new year at school which was very exciting, for her as well as for us as it meant that all of a sudden we had opportunities to make some new friends as well as catch up with a few we made previously.  The benefits of having been at the school even for a few weeks was very obvious over the summer as it meant a regularish schedule of play dates and the odd trip here and there.

Before Miss R returned to school though, she and I had some quality time together as Master T started vuggestue (for the 2nd time).  Despite an initial start, it was the middle of the school holidays and as such, his 'stue' was shut and none of his pedagogues were there to give him cuddles.  So we decided to postpone until normal service was resumed and after a few small hiccups and him looking at me very balefully when I went to pick him up in the evening, pleased to report he is very well settled with his pedagogue, a lovely if slightly intimidating Icelandic lady, reporting his 'trainee viking' progress daily.

Anyway back to Miss R.  Fortunately our Master T less time coincided with some lovely weather and so we took advantage of our annual zoo passes, the proximity of Bakken - allegedly the oldest fairground (and rollercoaster, so rickety it can't be safe) in the world and of course not forgetting the beach.  

This father and daughter quality time soon ended though, although not without us remarking to each other daily just how quiet it was in the flat without Master T rampaging around it, and school started again.  The first few days were part time to ease them back in gently and then all of a sudden, I had whole days to myself stretching ahead of me.  Our CoI in the office, Miss R and Master T in school and nursery respectively.  Bliss.

Fortunately, I met another father at the school in the same predicament as me.  We took advantage of the situation to see how 'the other halves' spent their days.  Clearly this had to involve some coffee mornings and we explored "Books and Company" in Hellerup, who not only have a great selection of books they brew excellent coffee.  We also enjoyed impinging on what is clearly 'mom' territory (yes, deliberately written US style).  In the nicest possible way.

The one stroke of luck that we had was that the last week in August was Copenhagen Food Week.  As we were both on the run in to re-starting employment, we celebrated our last day of freedom and carefree days, at least between the hours of 08.45 and 14.50 with a slap up lunch.  I'm painfully aware that the gastronomy updates have been sadly lacking recently but I am pleased to say that I have not been slacking in this respect.  Our lunch was at an excellent bistro in Østerbro called Aaman's.  It's located in an area that has something to do with potatoes - I haven't got to the bottom of what that means yet, but I can report it was an excellent experience.  It's a very smart looking restaurant, with just the right balance of 'cool' and 'traditional' and the food is very traditional Danish fare.  By that I mean, there was herring with different dressings, tartare, roes, cheeses accompanied by a very tasty microbrew.  An excellent way to end the summer and fortunately, or not as the case may be, the need to pick children up from school and vuggestue meant we had to leave before ordering too many more glasses of the beer.

We also had a our last visitor of the summer.  My delightful and slightly eccentric cousin from the US.  She was a hit with Miss R in particular and we had a great afternoon exploring Christianshavn which included lunch at the Cafe Oven Vande with the young and funky crowd.  Perfect for Miss R and Auntie M, perhaps I was a bit conspicuous.  Their 'most of the day' breakfast platter is well worth a mention and with the sun shining a great spot to sit by the canal and people watch.

The evening treat with Auntie M was dinner at the Nimb Brasserie.  A very picturesque terrace with a very traditional bisto menu which was well cooked and presented, albeit the service took a little time to warm up.  One of my highlights was actually the pre-dinner Hendrick's Cucumber Sour.  Most recommended.  We also managed to time our trip for Tivoli's 115th (I think, memory's a bit hazy..!) birthday so our meal was finished off by a superb firework display.  Perfect location for our visitor.

And that, was pretty much the summer.  We're now settling into a much more visitor less routine.  I have finally landed some gainful employment, more on that next time.  Summer is feeling a long way behind us, not to mention a long way off with the Copenhagen Autumn and Winter stretching out in front of us.  Whenever I go past the local beach now, it's pretty deserted, cold and blustery although there always seems to be a naked man on it on Sunday mornings which is a little disconcerting.

The empty racks at Svanemøllen Strand.

Vi ses!

Gastronomics Anonymous

Good evening friends, it has been an awful long time since my last post.  Life in Copenhagen suddenly seems to have become very busy over the last few weeks, what with more visitors, R starting school and navigating some of the finer points of how to get a nursery place for T.  More on the latter in the next blog.


Today however is all about congratulating A&T and S&K (named in alphabetical order to show no favouritism) for being our first 'friend' visitors.  We also have A&T and S&K to thank for being a selection criteria for our place here.  When we were looking at places, we knew that 'the gang' had already booked their flights out, so consequently, we knew we had to try and find an suitable space which would not require sleeping bags on floors, or camping in gardens and other such indignities at everyone's advancing ages when everyone now expects levels of comfort approaching boutique hotel standards.


The activities of the week during the gang's stay focussed on avoiding the Golden Jubilee celebrations, taking in a bit of culture and doing a lot of gastro tourism.  


The highlight of the week must of course be dinner at Noma, the recognised 'best restaurant in the world.'  Getting there was in itself no small effort, as our excellent babysitter, having previously been booked well in advance and reminded several times, that if she wasn't able to do any other night of the week, 'Noma night' was the critical one.  Unfortunately she got a better paid job.  Fortunately, she had a friend who could step in at late notice, despite train cancellations to let us get to Noma just by the skin of our teeth for our reservation.

But the efforts were well worth it.  The food was absolutely out of this world with ingredients, textures and flavours that were quite mind boggling and things that you or I would never have thought about putting together on a plate following some very intricate culinary stuff.  Accompanied by the recommended flight of wines, it made for an amazingly indulgent evening.  

Would I recommend going again, I hear you ask.  Absolutely.  What I loved about Noma was the informal nature of the place and the genuine enthusiasm from the international chefs who clearly took great pride in their cooking.  There was no pretence and snootiness and in fact they assumed (in a nice way) you wouldn't know what had been put on the plate so it was all explained in a manner that really made you want to eat it.

So what did we eat - about 11 or 12 courses of food I think as the details started getting a bit hazy towards the end of the night.  Some of the things that really stood out for me, although it was hard to pick favourites were; Pork rind with blackcurrant leather, pickled quails egg on smoking hay (see picture below), raw razor clam with mussel nice and frozen horse radish, beef tartar with wood sorrel and dried juniper with a final dish of caramelised pear and pine parfait. The wines were a tour around some of the more unusual regions and specialities.  All together a fine meal and a fantastic experience of 2 starred Michelin dining...hopefully the first of more.

If I had to try and be critical of the restaurant, the pace of the food being presented was sometimes a little relentless.  But, it all worked and we all had a wonderful time.  I am sure we will return.  Although my recommendation is that it is a great place for social dining with friends and less for a romantic meal a deux.  

The rest of the week was taken up sampling things at the other end of the scale and everything in between.  On a trip to Helsingør to visit Hamlet's castle, we ended up in a real local's place - the Borgerkroen at Strandgade 75, where all that was on the menu was smorrebrød, which is jolly tasty and deceptively filling.  Not to mention of course the local pils.

At the middle of the scale, we managed to convene a session of the 'Friday Night Curry Club' although this time on a Monday night.  We tried out the Bindia Indian restaurant on the Trianglen.  Definitely not a flocked wall paper and chicken tikka massala joint this one.  Much more contemporary in look and feel - and to be honest something that instantly sets my alarm bells ringing.  However, on this occasion my fears were unwarranted as we were treated to an excellent selection of modern Indian cooking which left the taste buds tingling not to mention being grateful for the walk home to ease the digestion after the extremely generous portions.  The other middle of the scale visit was to Scarpetta in Nørrebro where Italian food is served in starter size portions, which after 7 courses of the taster menu was plenty. For a Copenhagen restaurant, the prices for food and wine are very reasonable, coupled with very informal service and of course excellent food.  Actually trying to think if we've had a bad meal out here yet.

We also took the opportunity to do some non food related things as well (we really did!) and actually get out and about to see some of the sights and sounds of Zeeland.  Helsingør castle was excellent and well worth a visit, Grandad T would have loved the maritime museum display.  Fredricksborg castle was grander still although the planned picnic in the picturesque grounds was prevented by torrential rain.  Which continues to be a theme here in Copenhagen.  

For the kids (and the children), the highlight was a trip to Bakken which is about an old fashioned a fairground you can go to complete with creaky roller coaster rides, dodge 'ems and a log flume from which there is no chance of emerging with any piece of clothing dry.  Something which I discovered after darling daughter R persuaded me to her on it....I don't know where she gets her charm and persuasive powers from....

Till next time, which will be quicker than this one...