Tag: The City

Glyptoteket Tuesdays

Realizing I have not taken advantage of the wonders of Copenhagen and been the dutiful tourist I should have been, I decided I would attempt to visit a site for every day remaining during my stay. My first spot was easy enough, given that the Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket is only a stone’s throw away, and is free on Tuesdays. Not knowing even what the Glyptoteket encompassed, I decided that the ease and price made it a good way to start knocking things off of my list. Upon entering, I was more than pleasantly surprised and astonished by the works which comprised the extensive collection.

Initially, I was taken aback by the beautiful and steamy garden which was the center of the building. High ceilings and lush plants filled the balmy space, with an adjacent café and people quietly moving about. What was amazing to me was just how hot the space was, practically sweltering. I am unsure what the exact cause of it but the glass enclosure was likely amplifying it, making it feel more Amazonian then Copenhagenian. Beyond this space, I found myself face-to-face with stone-cold faces made of stone. There were endless statues, both of ancient Greek as well as Egyptian origins. While I generally enjoy sculpture on the whole, I do not particularly care for statues, as they are often lifeless and not very emotive. There were room after room of such statues and figures, and I quickly lost interest, not being able to connect or understand these pieces, because to me, there seemed to be little to understand. Discouraged, given my love of art museums, I escaped the endless rows of heads and headed towards what I hoped would be art which I could enjoy.

Stumbling through the beautiful museum, I found myself in an exhibit titled French Painting. Not expecting much given the museum so far and not being sure of the depth of their collection, I went in with low standards. What I would find was an incredible collection of French paintings spanning 150 years of some of the most influential French painters. Manet, Degas, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Gauguin all were showcased in significant quantities of each. Underestimation is an understatement of what I anticipated for this art collection but it turned out to be extensive and enthralling. I spent close to an hour and a half looking at realist, romanticist, naturalist, and impressionist pieces. This grand collection of foreign art really speaks to the immense wealth of Denmark and their cultural appreciation. Carlsberg has done so much for this city and its influence is quite powerful in the city. Although the full name is often replaced simply by the Glyptoteket, it’s just another place where the Carlsberg name pervades.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the scope of many of the Copenhagen must-sees, and I realize that I need to better appreciate what this city has to offer. This is by no means an underwhelming city and as I continue to explore, I will make sure to go in with gusto and excitement. I look forward to trying to visit all the spots I can in the second half of my stay.

Cyclophobia

Cyclophobia is the fear of bicycles. Cyclophobia is often caused by a traumatic experience occurring with a bicycle, such as falling off a bicycle or seeing someone crash. I am a survivor of such an incident and am a self-diagnosed cyclophobe. Having fallen off a bicycle, riding down a hill as a 4th grader made bikes lose all of their appeal, despite their essential role in many peoples childhood. Since then, I have seen my fair share of bikes and had plenty of opportunities to ride them, but have managed to avoid them. Living in Copenhagen for close to a week now, avoiding bikes have been difficult for a couple of reasons.

Walking down Strøget yesterday, I saw a sweatshirt printed with a bicycle wheel and “Copenhagen The Bicycle City.” The graphic was certainly appealing and the sweatshirt seemed soft and comfortable, but it spoke more to the ubiquity of bicycles in the city. Bikes are so prevalent and beloved that they choose to represent their city as such. One cannot escape the bikes here in Copenhagen. Infrastructure is built around the bikes; elevated bike lanes, specialized bike routes, bike racks on every street in front of nearly every building, and train cars built to accommodate the bikes. The bikes whirring around are exceptionally intimidating for me, not being accommodated to this atypical type of traffic. While many of the bikers are willing to follow the rules, I have certainly seen them on the sidewalk, if only to turn right. With the bike lanes adjacent to the sidewalks, the cyclists will often come exceptionally close to the sidewalk. Whilst waiting for the cross walk to change, you can feel the breeze of the them whizzing by. After a few close encounters, I try to keep back from the curb.

It’s estimated that 75% of Copenhageners cycle at some point each year. Having discussed the importance of bicycles for transportation in the weeks preceding this trip, I assumed it was simply a convenience issue for local residents. After a week in Copenhagen, I realize that bikes are more of a necessity than anticipated. Walking around in this cold weather, you want to be outside for a short of time as possible. Biking cuts down on the time spent getting from point A to point B, which is essential when the cold wind cuts through your many layers. Not only is biking seemingly the most efficient way of getting around Copenhagen, public transportation is expensive. It seems as though the Copenhagen government wants to do all it can to encourage individuals to bike with the price of these tickets. Additionally, the taxes on vehicles in Denmark are outrageous, making vehicles seem like a luxury. It only makes sense to bike in this city, certainly if you are a resident.

I swore I would not ride a bike while I was in Copenhagen, given our history. Now having spent a week in this city, I am considering otherwise. Bicycles are efficient and seem like a great way to assimilate to the Copenhagen culture. I have been warned that this is not the place to practice cycling, but I might go against my gut on this one.

Exercise Options Abound

Through the various incarnations of #wlucsr, our students have maintained their preferred exercise routine or found a new one. In the course of a typical day, students spend much more time on foot and/or on bike than I think they do when on campus. Such is life in Copenhagen.

Scandi Six: Copenhagen Running Routes

Beyond that, some find a gym. Many maintain their usual morning or afternoon run. For the latter group (or for those looking to start a new jogging routine), here are some possible routes, most of them easily accessible from Danhostel.

 

On Uneven Ground

View from the Langebro Bridge at night

I’ve never claimed to be graceful, but it seems that Copenhagen has amplified that issue. Cobblestone streets, uneven bike lanes, steps up and down and of irregular size, all tripping hazards aimed at bringing me to my knees. Being in a new place seems to put you on uneven footing, making navigation and even walking a challenge. Luckily, Copenhagen seems to move a bit slower and I definitely feel more relaxed than I anticipated.

Copenhagen seems to move just a little bit slower, especially for a major metropolitan city. My first experience in Europe was this February, in the city of Paris. I was surprised how much slower the pace of the city was, but the crowds and the noise were prolific. Foreign tourists filled the city, creating a cacophony of sounds and cameras flashing, and crowds galore. I was told this was Paris’ least busy time of the year but I often found it hard to move through the crowds in my arrondissement. Copenhagen, on the other hand, has been quiet, peaceful, and very orderly, if not predictable.  The Danes definitely make more of an effort to keep quiet in public spaces, as the roar of our group appears to have been disruptive on multiple occasions. Everyone seems to move slower here too, either planning their time more effectively or simply not feeling the need to rush.  I seemed to be outpacing most of the locals, but I am always feeling the need to rush. Rushing around is typical for the American cities I am accustomed to, and more of what I expected for the major city. Where there does seem to be rushing is the bike lane, with individuals whirring around in a methodical yet death-defying manner. Being entirely incompetent on a bicycle, it’s terrifying but everyone I have seen has been laser focused on the road ahead of them and given the quantity of bikes I have seen, have yet to witness an accident. This is where the order seems to come into play, where everyone seems to follow the rules and ensure the city is running like Swiss clockwork. Everyone seems orderly in their walk and their composition, and the tourists and visitors are easily identifiable by the natives. Uniformity among the natives seems to be key and one can quickly tell a Dane from the foreigners.   Many of the foreigners are a mixed bunch, lacking primarily the uniform of dark, solid colored clothing. American cities are so much about individuality and dressing a way that represents yourself, versus a dark uniform which is so popular in European cities. European cities are certainly different than what I expected, but having only experienced two, I have a lot to learn.

Copenhagen surprises have been plentiful yet my first few days have felt comfortable and relaxing. As work begins and we are baptized by fire, I am sure I will have plenty more discoveries about what this Scandinavian paradise has to offer. Although, as much as I hope I will acclimate, I was told that foreigners are never fully acclimated to Danish culture. I will be sure to report back.

The Silence of the City

Do you hear that? No, not the cars whizzing by the hostel. Not the young teenagers chatting out in the lobby. Not the sound of bicycle bells ringing to warn people that if they do not move they will be plowed over, nor the sound of me shouting every time I see a dog (this happens quite frequently). I am talking about the silence. Now your first thought is probably, “you can’t hear silence.” That may be true, but if you listen closely, you can notice the lack of certain familiar sounds.

Often times, large metropolitan cities like Washington D.C. or New York City “never sleep” because they constantly produce a variety of sounds. One of the most common sounds heard in these urban cities are police sirens.

Whenever I visit Washington D.C., it seems as though police sirens are the city’s soundtrack. Sometimes the sirens are merely ten feet away, other times they are ten blocks away. Either way, there is always a constant droning of sirens echoing throughout the city. The sirens are so common, that often times they become “white noise” to me. After only a few hours in the city, I hardly notice their distinct wailing anymore.

However, this is not the case here in Copenhagen. I notice every single police siren as the emergency vehicles zip down the street. So, why do I pay more attention to the sirens here in Copenhagen rather than drown them out like I do in D.C.? Because I have realized that here in Copenhagen, sirens are a rarity.

“But Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark, how can there not be any sirens?” Great question person reading this, allow me to explain.

I was lying in bed yesterday morning and felt like something was missing. I was not sure what, but something just felt “off”. However, as I was getting ready for the day, I heard a police siren whiz past our hostel, heading towards downtown. Instantly, I knew that was what I was missing: the constant sound of police sirens.

Keep in mind, our hostel is in a prime location; downtown is only a five-minute walk from the heart of downtown Copenhagen. The police station is a mere three blocks away.

Nevertheless, in the three days I have been here, I have heard a total of 10 police sirens. Granted, I may have missed two or three while I was asleep or eating in a restaurant, but while I have been awake, I have only heard 10 sirens. To me, that is insane. How amazing is it that in 72 hours, I have only heard 10 sirens? That is about one siren every seven hours.

The thing that really stuck with me was that I actually noticed the lack of sirens. It seems so natural to hear police sirens everywhere in urban US cities, that one normally thinks nothing of it. Yet here in Copenhagen, I find it odd whenever I hear a siren, simply because of the scarcity of the sounds. It makes me wonder, is Copenhagen that much safer than D.C. and other US urban cities?

I know other people have touched on the safety of Copenhagen in their blog posts, and I would second/third that point. I understand it is still critical to be vigilant and aware of one’s surroundings while abroad, however I cannot help but feel a unique sense of safety in Copenhagen.

Back in a Familiar City?

Although I’ve been to Copenhagen before, I by no means consider myself a local. However, I do believe that I have travelled enough and am independent enough to perform basic functions in a city. Furthermore, I expected to be somewhat familiar with locations around Copenhagen. Apparently not.

Shortly after arriving, I made a quick trip to the grocery store, Fakta, to pick up some toiletries and snacks. Walking into the shop reminded me of my first experience at Walmart in the US, where I felt so lost and intimidated. I ended up pay much more for a plastic bag, because I grabbed the thermal ones. I thought I was copying the actions of the Dane in front of my, but I was clearly wrong. However, the most embarrassing part was at checkout, where I held up the check out line not once, but twice. The first time was because my debit card kept being rejected and the cashier kept telling me to try again. The second time, I returned to explain that I had come back to pay for the groceries I couldn’t pay for earlier. This was a completely unexpected sequence of events that led me to feel somewhat frustrated. How could I be so unprepared? I would expect this on my first visit to a city, but definitely not on a second extended visit!

Another aspect that surprised me was how unfamiliar I am with the city. Of course, there are landmarks that I remember, such as Danhostel, Tivoli, Andersen Bakery and Strøget. However, locations like Paper Island are new and I could not remember the way to Nyhavn. Luckily, as we walked around Copenhagen today, I began recalling some of the familiar locations and random facts I remembered about the city. This included the rediscovery of the trampolines on the sidewalk (one of my favorite things about the city) and the location of a company we visited two years ago.

While I hope to begin recalling how to get places and the addresses or names of locations, I am finding myself coming to new realizations about the city. An early morning run took us to Fisketorvet Copenhagen Mall, which is definitely closer than I remembered from last time. We also travelled to Humlebæk today and I never realized that the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was in that area. Furthermore, there is certainly more of Copenhagen and its surrounding region to discover. While travelling for class earlier today to Humlebæk, we ventured quite far outside of Copenhagen by train and bus. The scenery looked so different to the clustered city center that I was used to and there were definitely places to explore between our ‘homebase’ in Danhostel, the area of Humlebæk and beyond. I know that we will be busy with our project work, but I am excited to get to know Copenhagen and its surrounding areas better and hopefully permanently!

Feeling a Little like a Local

Last year, I attended the Business 180 spring term class that spends two weeks in Copenhagen. After the first few days, I felt like I was at least reasonably competent in my abilities to traverse the city. Like Cassidy mentioned in her blog post “Maybe change isn’t that bad,” I also felt strangely calm when I arrived in Copenhagen for the first time. At every opportunity, my classmates and I ventured into the streets to find food, visit museums and churches, or even just to “do as the Danish do.”

Well, if you are trying to “do as the Danish do,” at least two things will probably happen: first, you’ll start to wear A LOT of black; and second, you’ll walk or ride a bike almost everywhere you go. The walking and bike paths in Copenhagen make it extremely easy to get around the city, even if you, like me, are directionally challenged. The architecture also helps.

Copenhagen boasts an interesting variety of architectural styles. The ancient structures of days gone by stand right next to impressive modern buildings like the Black Diamond Library and Royal Danish Theater. Because many of the buildings are so unique, I find it easier to figure out where I am in relation to where I am trying to go. The buildings also make it easier for me to pick a path to take.

Today, on the way to dinner at Paper Island, I knew that if I could either cross the bridge next to Danhostel and follow the waterway until I reached a footbridge that crosses to the food service area, or I could walk past City Hall onto the main pedestrian street, follow the street until it essentially ends in front of Nyhavn, and then cross the newly built bridge that connects Nyhavn to Paper Island. I honestly have no idea what any of these streets are called or whether I’m walking north, south, east or west, but I do know that walking next to the harbor is a bit colder because there is nothing standing between you and the chilling wind, but it takes less time than following the pedestrian street.

After dinner, I left Paper Island and decided to walk back on the other side of the harbor which is now a viable option because of the new bridge. I was almost to the part of the sidewalk where there are trampolines when a young girl split off from her family and walked over to stand directly in my path. She asked me if I knew where “the building full of food trucks” (aka Paper Island) was located. Her father followed her and looked at me hopefully.

I happily gave them directions and then finished walking home. I cannot believe that I know the streets of Copenhagen well enough to give strangers directions. I almost felt like a local taking short cuts and wearing black from head to toe with simple, comfy walking shoes. I can’t wait to spend the next four weeks getting to know Copenhagen even better.

Maybe change isn’t that bad

I have never liked change. When I say never, I mean since I was a little kid, I have detested even the smallest changes in my life. I have distinct memories of bursting into tears upon seeing my mom after she got a hair cut because I didn’t like the “newness” of it. As I grew up, I stopped crying when faced with new places or big changes, but always had that horrible gut feeling like something wasn’t quite right.

Now this “off” feeling normally happens every single time I travel, whether it is for a two day stay in a hotel during a meet or for a fun vacation. My expectation going into this trip was that I would feel the same way for the first few days; I would be anxious, clam up around others, hesitate to go exploring, and maybe even wish that I was home. Honestly, I was getting nervous about being nervous there, and as the trip grew closer my nerves only increased.But then I arrived in Copenhagen, and instead of feeling anxious, I felt strangely calm.

As I was making my way from the airport to the hostel via train and walking, I kept waiting for the panic to set in. But upon each length of this 20 minute journey, I just felt more and more relaxed. When I finally reached the hostel (after getting momentarily lost in the street) instead of hiding out in my room, my roommate and I went off exploring the city.

I believe our excursion lasted around 4 hours and we estimate that we walked close to 12 miles overall, but never once during our walk did we actually have a destination in mind. Instead, we just went where we felt like-we wondered down Strøget, stopped off for lunch, walked along the harbor, found Nyhavn, and even decided to wander over to Paper Island for coffee.

Exploring the streets of Copenhagen only made me feel more safe and secure here. Maybe it was the wide walkable streets, the impeccable architecture or just the friendly people that we met along the way, but I can’t recall the last time I felt so at home in a place that wasn’t actually my home.

Overall, my first impression of Copenhagen was that this was a place unlike any that I had been to before. While I still have yet to experience most of what this city has to offer, I’m actually looking forward to all these new experiences. And yes, I’m even excited for the new changes and surprises that are bound to happen in this next month. So here’s to learning embrace new experiences and finally realizing that maybe change isn’t that bad after all. Skål!