Travel Bug: Copenhagen Day 4

Right by the sea, it is unsurprising that Copenhagen is a strategic location for canals used for water access into the city by ships, tradesmen and the naval army base. While less famous than its Dutch counterpart in Amsterdam, it mirrors it in activity, colourfulness and vibrancy. The canal, though not a major port today, still houses the naval army and plays home to many boats and yachts of its residences. As the canal stretches from Nyhavn (just off the coast of Øresund – the strait that separates Malmö, Sweden from Denmark) to Gammel Strand where Christiansborg lies, it shows off some of the best landmarks Copenhagen has to offer.

During his trip to Holland, King Christian V fell in love with the architecture and construct of the Dutch canals. Enamoured by its beauty, he replicated and built Christianhavn from the ground up just south of Copenhagen central. Unfortunately for the king who felt so inspired by the Dutch, his citizens did not feel the same; Christianhavn was too far from the centre of Copenhagen (it really isn’t I can attest to that! We walked from Christiansborg to the edge of Christianhavn and it takes approximately 15-20 minutes but I can understand the disillusionment when city life happened right outside your doorway.) So in his creativity and unprecedented ruling, Christian V decreed that whoever moved to Christianhavn would be tax exempted for 12 years. Needless to say, Christianhavn flourished and to this day is a lively, vibrant neighbourhood of Copenhagen. (Though no one did tell us what they were taxed after…)

The most famous part (or recognizable/most touristy) of the canal is Nyhavn. This colourful portion of the canal housed many affluent citizens, the most famous being Hans Christian Anderson who lived in No. 47 Nyhavn. For the better part of 18 years he lived there creating beautiful fairy-tale stories that we (especially the people of Disney) all know and love today. What makes Nyhavn great (besides the overpriced food…) are the houses with its colourful facade overlooking the canal. Each house has a story and different personality, some of the oldest having bee there since the 17th century. Nyhavn is also clean with blue water (unlike other canals) which makes it a pleasant area to stroll down.

Across Nyhavn is the lesser known Papirøen (or Paper Island) which is home to many art galleries, cheap street eats and a colourful marketplace. It was named as Paper Island as it was previously the storage location for paper for the Danish Press.

The canals of Copenhagen are primarily used now as access ways to homes, the naval base, ferry docks as well as channels for many tour boats to show off Copenhagen. Lyris and I hopped on (quite literally!) a Canal Tour boat and was whisked off to see the different corners of Copenhagen which would otherwise take us hours to get to (we did the tour in 1 hour.) The tour is a great introduction to the city of Copenhagen, the highlighted landmarks of Copenhagen gave us some ideas as to what to explore on our remaining days in the city. The boat tour is extremely relaxing and informative- I was extremely excited to see the Royal Opera House and the Royal Playhouse which lie across the canal from each other and of architectural marvel, super modern for housing some of e most traditional art forms. Simply breathtaking.

Seeing Copenhagen from the water provided a different appreciation for the city and elevated the relaxed atmosphere. It was calm and clean and getting to see all the colourful houses pass by created a beautiful Sunday afternoon. A canal tour of Copenhagen is a must do for everyone new to the city. We even got to see the “most disappointing attraction” in the world up close – The Little Mermaid. Dubbed as such for the fact that it is just a statue. Though I’m not sure what people were expecting….maybe they wanted her to break out in song to “Part of Your World.” I’m not sure. (Sidebar: We do have A Little Mermaid situated nicely in Stanley Park in Vancouver and if you have seen her I definitely forgoing to see her deliberately in Copenhagen.) All-in-all I continued to be enchanted by Copenhagen and could not wait to hit land again and continue our adventures through this charming city.

Travel Bug: Copenhagen Day 3

Saturday was a wonderful day to explore the main palace in Copenhagen – Christiansborg Slot. There were many tours available that day, ones to see the ruins of the original castle, the kitchens, the reception rooms and even the royal stables. We wrapped up the day with our first European football match at Parken Stadium.

Christiansborg Palace is a beautiful palace. While it is grand and opulent, it is done so in an understated tasteful way where its humble decor made it an easy place to appreciate. The most interesting fact about Christiansborg Palace is that it has had over five iterations – of which two were built because of fires to the palace. Christiansborg was originally known Absalon’s Castle. Bishop Absalon lived in this fortress to protect the city of Copenhagen from incoming ships from the sea as it developed and grew in the medieval ages. Unfortunately due to many sieges from pirates, and even Denmark’s own king, Absalon’s Castle was no more.

The next iteration of the palace was Copenhagen Castle. Over the course of 300 years, it had gone through several renovations to accommodate the wants of the king. The new castle included a moat and heavy fortress walls. However, at one point, the castle got too heavy and unstable, that the walls collapsed on itself. Which at that point in 1731, the very first Christiansborg Palace was built. Both the ruins of Copenhagen Castle and Absalon’s Castle remain today and are preserved for the public’s enjoyment. The fortress walls and original stone used to built the castles are still intact today. It was fascinating to see the original walls.

When Christiansborg Palace was completed in 1745, it was the largest palace in all of Europe. Unfortunately before the turn of the 19th century, the palace met its untimely death by fire which started in the kitchen. Christiansborg Palace 2.0 was smaller but was short-lived as after it’s construction in 1828, it too burned down in 1884.

The current Christiansborg Palace is the third of the Christiansborg Palace and has yet to burn down (though though the chapel burned down completely in 1992 and had to be rebuilt…) The Danish palace is unique in that it houses the Parliament and the Queen’s Reception Rooms but is not the place of residence for the royal family (they reside in Amalienborg Palace.) This unique way of the joint government and monarch makes for an interesting dynamic between royalty and the people. One where the monarchy is respected and kept relevant, but knowing that the power lies with elected official. 

The main highlight of the palace is the Queen’s Reception Room. This is where one would go to be knighted or hold audience with Queen Margrethe. She hosts many official functions at the palace well attended by many political dignitaries and celebrities. The main hall is filled with 11 tapestries, commissioned in France by many Danish companies for the Queen’s 50th birthday and woven together by Le Mobilier National et les Manufactures Nationales de Gobelins et de Beauvais in Paris. The famous Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard  designed all the tapestries telling the history of Denmark; woven within the tapestries are the stories of the monarchy, the development and growth of Denmark, the transition of Paganism to Christianity and many world events. 

In the evening we were treated with a football match (how could I resist?!!) of home team København FC against visiting Silkeborg of the Danish Superliga. København FC beat Silkeborg 2-0 in a riveting match (mostly focused on attack in the first half.) Attending our very first European football match was a dream for me, the atmostphere is completely different and totally unique from any other sporting matches in Canada. There is loud chanting and stomping, even singing from all the fans. Everyone knows the chants and songs and the stadium just trembles with the voice of the supporters. My dreams of watching a football match in Europe fulfilled.

Travel Bug: Copenhagen Day 2

Day two was the start of our self-tour of Copenhagen. There wasn’t much I knew about Denmark before planning for this trip and admittedly even after then I don’t have a clear picture of what makes Denmark, Denmark. So thanks to some friends, the blogosphere and Google, I was able to put together some semblance of a well thought out itinerary to get the most out of Copenhagen.

The morning started off at Strøget, a major shopping district in the heart of central Copenhagen. There are so many shops in this area from designer brands, sport stores, souvenir shops, to restaurants and everything in between. What I loved most about Strøget is the design of the district. The paved cobblestone walkway inbetween European style apartments made it fun trying to navigate the area. Do not be mistaken, it is not a closed off pedestrian area, once in a while you might see an oncoming car and there isn’t a shortage of bicyles to watch out for. There are many hidden treasures and fun stores, one of my favourites being Flying Tiger. It has a random selection of home items from cat beds to trivets and stationery. Everything is really affordable and great for souvenir gifting as almost everything in the store is “designed in Denmark with love.” My other favourite store is of course the Lego shop. Lego stores are always fun but this one in Strøget tops all other Lego stores I have ever stepped in. This particular Lego store housed some pretty fun Lego models (like life sized Lego people riding bikes) and a motif of the city of Copenhagen. Needless to say, I could have stayed a lot longer at Lego but there was a lot more we had to go see!

A short ten minute walk from Strøget lies Tivoli Gardens, one of the highlights and MUST SEEs of Copenhagen. This garden-amusement park hybrid definitely lives up to the hype and has much to offer. It is here that shows how seriously Denmark takes themed days. Brimming with pumpkin patches, scarecrows and a multitude of other Halloween-themed displays, Tivoli was in full festive mood! It made walking all over the gardens so much more amusing. At some point we started playing spot the scarecrow (as there are well over 100 displayed in and around the park.) There are also many themed rides throughout Tivoli but we decided to wander around every nook and cranny we could find and ended up finding so many cool little shops. My absolute favourite one is the candy shop Bolchekogeriet Almuegaarden which has the famous Danish pulled- candy. They have a special warm lollipop fresh that comes out of the candy machine in six different flavours on a daily basis. This sweet treat cannot be missed and make great little gifts. The attention to detail makes Tivoli a wonderful place to visit. 

To wrap up the day we took a free green  shuttle from Vestoport to the Carlsberg Brewery. It was an incredible time and here my first blog guest, my lovely travel companion Lyris will regale our adventure at the reknowned Danish Brewery.

The original Carlsberg brewery we visited is the first of its kind which opened its doors in 1847; the roan brick building built in the stately Danish fashion consists of three main buildings surrounded by a high brick wall enclosure, and an iron wrought gate at the entrance. Excited to be at our first Danish brewery, Yvonne and I hopped off the shuttle bus and began conversing, only to be interrupted by two gentlemen walking just alongside us. They asked where we were from and seemed interested in befriending us, but we promptly lost them after we received our passes as they (presumably) sped off to redeem their beer vouchers, while Yvonne and I leisurely conducted our self-guided tour. Carlsberg brewery imparted a look into the original brewing of Carlsberg beer, political developments and business entanglements, how it managed to add to Copenhagen’s international prestige and how Carlsberg helped shape Danish gastronomic culture. 

Shelves lined with 150 years of Carlsberg bottle labels, bottle redesigns and their offshoots greeted us from the stairs in the first room attested to the tenure Carlsberg has maintained since it has been founded. Cavernous ruins bathed in an effervescent blue light, and flickering shadows of workers in the background were reminiscent of days past: When workers would knead the barley in the cool damp concrete basement of the brewery in order to prepare the barley malt. We were invited to operate the antiquated machines used before brewing was an automated process, and to stroll through the stables where the Danish Jutland workhorses were kept—the same breed of work horses that would transport the beer into town from the brewery. Although they don’t serve the same function as they did in days of yore, the horses still pull carriages around the brewery for children and families. Yvonne is a horse lover, whereas they are not as much to my liking, but the workhorses were magnificent, regardless. Yvonne’s face lit up with delight as she went about the stables greeting nearly every horse, some receptive to the attention and while others gazed off into the distance in their pen. We wondered as to why the horses were still kept at the stables, and a stablehand informed us that it was one of the tenets as long as the Carlsberg franchise continued: to always keep horses at the stables and to still have brewing operations at the original building. 

Moving on to our first tasting session at the back of the merchandising shop, a very handsome man (Alex) with a velvety deep voice gave us a brief detail of the beers we could choose. Yvonne chose a deep coffee and whisky flavoured black ale and I opted for the golden ale thinking it was more of an amber. The amber washed clean on my palate with only a hint of bitterness. Yvonne’s port was much more decadent by far with a deep coffee bitterness and a hint of whiskey (or so she says) and notes of berries (or so our bartender says). We walked around the gift shop and snagged a couple of branded merchandise. One cooler-lunch bag for Yvonne and Carlsberg boxers for my gent back home. What could be more hip than Danish beer branded boxers?

Finally, our last stop was the Carlsberg bar above the brewery where we could claim our last beer voucher. We seated ourselves and two familiar faces greeted us from the corner of our eye. The two gents from the shuttle bus asked if they could sit with us, so we all settled together. One is a Norwegia and the other a blonde Fin. They had come together on an annual man-cation and had known one another from their university days. We talked over the course of the night and jokingly named them our Scandinavian boyfriends. 

Overall, the Carlsberg brewery was quite the experience: we made our first Scandanavian friends in Copenhagen, learned more about Carlsberg’ roots, and had the chance to sample domestic Carlsberg drafts (Tuborg!!) that aren’t available in Canada. All in all a fantastic day two in Copenhagen.

Travel Bug: Denmark – The Happiest Country

We finally made it! Even though we had a rough start to this trip, with delayed flights, rushing through customs and being on separate flights we arrived in the area of Østerbro in Copenhagen to our lovely Air BnB. 

Stepping onto the Metro from the airport heading into the city, I was a bit skeptical about Copenhagen. To be honest, the only thing I knew about it was that The Little Mermaid resided there and Danish patries are delicious. Regardless, I am here and am actually in love with the city after wandering around our neighborhood block for 30 minutes.

There is an atmosphere of an easy-going relaxed feel. People are quite reserved but it is never cold or rude. Once you get a Dane involved in conversation though, warmth and friendliness just pours out of them. 

Maybe it lies with the whole mystery of hygge (“HOO-ga”) and Denmark being the happiest country in the world for the third time in five years. This warmth and comfort invites you into the conversation and lifestyle of the Danish people. Stepping into a remodeled 500 year old flat complex already has me in love. I am never truly at a loss for words yet I find it hard to explain why within minutes I am already making plans to move and live here. Maybe it is just the atmosphere, the aesthetics of architecture, the big city vibe without the crazy metropolitan feel. Who knows. All I know is that for the next week there is an adventure to be had and I can’t wait to explore every inch of Copenhagen.

Here’s some lovely bills from the happiest country

Travel Bug: Day 4,5,6 – Seattle: Emerald City

Driving all the way to Vancouver I would be remiss not to drive down to Seattle for a quick visit. Just a three hour drive away (the distance from Edmonton to Calgary), The Emerald City is worth the cross over the border.

My favourite west coast city (it was my THIRD visit), Seattle is filled with interesting history and amazing sights. There is too much to see in one day, but that was all the time I had. Here are a few must-see highlights:

1. Pike Place: THE market hot spot of the city. This eight story building has everything from shops, food, market vendors to even residential living! The first Starbucks (kind of, it is actually their first storage space, the first actual Starbucks is located at Seatown, at the end of the corner) is located just outside Pike Place. They have a fantastic, enthusiastic staff working hard to fulfill orders, and will maybe sing you “Happy Birthday” if you happen to claim your birthday treat at this location (which I did, of course.)
2. Underground Tour: Modern day Seattle has an underground city. It goes back to the origins of the city and how it was part of the engineering plan to manage sewage and to counter the tides coming into the city after The Great Seattle Fire of 1889. This hilarious hour-long tour is quite the hike up and down the streets of Seattle, but is totally worth it – I definitely gained a greater understanding of the city and somehow fell even more in love with the city amidst the damp and dark tunnels of the underground.
3. Space Needle: As a tall tower, it has no other function than being a tourist hot spot with the best view of all of Seattle. It was built in 1962 especially for the Century 21 Exposition. Once at the top, it is also a very peaceful place to sit and ponder life after marvelling the view.
4. EMP Museum: The Experience Music Project Museum is a must see at Seattle Centre. Just steps away from the Space Needle, this modern-age museum has many exhibitions for gamers to music lovers and even film aficionados. The exhibits are super interactive and fun for the whole family. What I find most incredible is the recording studio on the third floor. Visitors can record their own songs, play around with sound arrangements and even test out some cool music techniques.
5. Walk everywhere: The whole of Seattle downtown is quite dense and very walkable! Given a non-rainy, the city is best enjoyed on foot!

Travel Bug: Day 2 & 3 – A Wedding & Beautiful BC

Part of vacationing in Vancouver was to attend my cousin’s wedding. It was a beautiful, simple backyard wedding with close family and friends. The weather held up, and the day went smoothly. Like with my other cousin’s wedding last year, the groom first heads to the bride’s home to perform the tea ceremony for the bride’s side of the family. Afterwards, the bride will leave her home with the groom and head to his home, where they will perform the tea ceremony for the groom’s family. Following, my cousin decided to go with a small western backyard style ceremony. The night wrapped up with a reception at the University of British Columbia’s University Golf Club.

Day 3 took us to an easy day out on the town. I started the morning by heading down to the Fisherman’s Wharf at Steveston. A lovely walk by the water, there are many different shops and vendors alongside at least 5 different coffee shops, the perfect way to start the day. 

The afternoon took me to a blueberry field where I was picking blueberries, eating them as I went. I ate almost as many blueberries as I picked in the field! It was quite the novel experience for me as there aren’t really any bluberry farms in Edmonton. It was a quiet pass-time but enjoyable. Very peaceful to just get lost between the rows of blueberry trees. Definitely something I will do again.

If you can’t tell, it’s been an exhausting 3 days, time to sign off and to prep….tomorrow we head to the beautiful city of Seattle!

Travel Bug: Day 1- Beautiful British Columbia Day 1

Traveling and vacationing in BC is quite a wonderful thing. Just a 14 hour drive from Edmonton to Vancouver, it is a gorgeous place to visit, especially with family. This time around, I find myself on a 10 day vacation on the west coast.

Normally when travelling to Vancouver, I actually visit Richmond – the mini Hong Kong of Canada, and bypass the rest of Vancouver proper. This time around, I actually get to visit the city of Vancouver. It is quite the novel thing for me.

First stop this morning, Granville Island. This little tourist hot spot has everything I relish in a coastal city – amazing seafood, bustling market, good coffee, friendly vendors, yacht dock, local entertainment and great shopping. A must stop destination for first time visitors to Vancouver. The first stop on Granville Island was the Public Market. JJ Bean Coffee serves up a piping hot drink and has a variety of blends and even teas for teaholics like me. Wandering around the market and chatting with vendors was the highlight of my day. They are super friendly and more than happy to share their story. Also, being able to try different food samples made the day even more enjoyable!! What I love about the public market is the variety of offerings. Check it out!

After the Public Market, I meandered around the docks. Watching liver performances as well as shop around all the cool little shops. There is a whole bunch to do, and a half a day exploration of the island was enjoyably exhausting for me.

In the afternoon, I made my way back to Richmond and went indoors to Aberdeen Centre. This mall is unlike any other in Canada (I think anyways.) The food court is filled with many different varieties of Asian cuisine for very decent pricing. It took me about 30 minutes to decide what I wanted to eat! The shopping is stellar as well. There is a Japanese $2 Store – Daiso, with very good quality things. However, it is very easy to get carried away in Daiso, I had to make sure what I was getting was a true novelty and I could not find anywhere else! There are a bunch of other stores in the mall with so many varieties (Yvonne, you’ve said that already! Yes! But variety is the best word to describe to Vancouver!)

There is quite a lot to see still in Vancouver! I’ve only scratched the surface of what this gem of a city is all about…

Travel Bug: Toronto Day 3 – Queen West

There is never a shortage of things to see and do in the Big T.O. Today was a day of wandering around downtown just enjoying the busy city life. 

I forget how lovely it is to take the streetcar around town. It’s a fantastic way travel around the city and to see a lot in a short amount of time. Riding on the streetcar (or tram, as I am used to calling it) is relaxing.Whenever I am looking for a quiet time to rejuvenate and getting lost in thoughts, riding on the tram is exactly what I do. I know, I know, it sounds a bit weird…but really, it’s fantastic. Sitting in a vehicle that makes a gentle whirring noise while the scene of the city just passes you by –  it’s incredible. So some ideas got flowing in my mind and I was able to think to myself without any distractions. 

Today I took the tram down to Queen West and had a mini-adventure with Katie. We drove past Trinity Bellwoods and arrived deep into Hipsterville. There were so many cool little shops, from clothing to pastries, to trendy hotels and bitters stores, this area of Queen Street carries the kitschiest things. It is worth the trip down to the west side of downtown; every little shop has something unique and amazing to offer. I certainly miss being able to wander aimlessly down a street and finding things that will catch my attention and drive my creativity.

Tomorrow is going to be another exciting day just wandering around downtown! I can’t wait to share more about my visit back to the place I call home.

Travel Bug: Hong Kong Day 16

It’s my final full day in Hong Kong!! I leave tomorrow and boy do I wish this vacation will not end. It’s too much fun not having to work and spending time with family I don’t see as often as I should. But alas, I must return to the other side of the Pacific Ocean and resume my normal non-vacationing side of life.

Today was my last sushi meal lunch day. We went back to TST to a building complex called The One. On one of the very high floors (19F) there is a Japanese restaurant called Kaika. Not only was the view overlooking Victoria Harbour stunning, the food was exquisite as well. I was treated with the sashimi set which came with two pieces of eight different kinds of fish. Doesn’t sound like a lot but when you start digging through your meal, it becomes quite filling! I will never forget this place, it’s a bit on the pricier side but it is worth every penny I tell you!

Afterwards we went to one of the busiest districts in Hong Kong called Mong Kok. Again there are a bunch of shopping to do in this area and a couple of really neat places (like manga stores), if you know where to look (I certainly didn’t but my mom did so I trailed after her trying not to get run over by the thousands of people that were there.) Lady Street is also located in this area and is a street filled with vendors selling an assortment of goods from clothing to knock-offs to souvenirs and even small household appliances. If you want to try your hand at bargaining, this is the place to practice being a master haggler!

Prior to Mong Kok, we were at Sham Shui Po, where there are other assortment of goods. This area is more local and carries a lot of fun things. There is an entire complex dedicated to selling electronics, so if you’re a techie or gamer, this is the place to be. A little further from the exit of the station are a bunch of shops that sell craft materials like beads, strings, ribbons, etc. I had a hard time leaving some of the shops because of all the cute and pretty things. Materials here are also super affordable and so for $10 I took home an assortment of ribbons, cords and hair clips.

Overall, today was a fantastic day and I’ll be sad to leave tomorrow but this adventure is almost at the close.

Travel Bug: Hong Kong Day 15 Highlight — Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

Apparently, my great-grandfather in his latter years would be driven to The Peninsula every afternoon to enjoy a relaxing bout of afternoon tea. The Peninsula was one of the few prestigious places that would allow a Chinaman to step foot inside.

Today, The Peninsula remains one of the top hotels catering to guests that come to Hong Kong including dignitaries from all over the world. Of course I had to stop by for high tea.

While the food was fairly traditional and typical of high tea, the atmosphere surpasses all other places I have had the pleasure of enjoying high tea. The colonial setting of the sitting area is opulent and open creating for a pleasant atmosphere. Adding in a live quintet (which played a collection of Disney pieces (that I could name all of) for one of the hours we were there), our afternoon was perfect. Even with the hustle and bustle of people around us there was no rush to quickly fly through tea time.

Overall the food was adequate, but the dessert, I have to say, was quite exquisite. There were a lot of dessert pieces from macarons to tiny cakes and tarts. As an additional treat, we were served with a serving of chocolate mousse and a piece of truffle. YUM! I highly encourage an experience at The Peninsula, the atmosphere is unparalleled.