The Copenhagen Diaries #5

Today's post is the last in The Copenhagen Diaries series (at least for now!), and I think after #2 this is my favourite one.

For my last morning in Copenhagen I decided to treat myself to a nice breakfast out, and I'd earmarked GRØD for the occasion. I decided to visit the original Nørrebro branch having not ventured up to that part of the city yet, and luckily Friday ended up being one of the sunniest mornings of the trip, so I was able to enjoy a truly beautiful walk along the canal which put me in the most wonderful mood.

After a half hour or so walk and lots of photo-taking I made my way onto Jægersborggade, where GRØD can be found nestled amongst the other buildings on the street. Groups of friends sit both inside and out, sipping on coffees and juices with smoothie bowls and steaming bowls of porridge in front of them. Inside is a gorgeous space adorned with plants, candles and copper lampshades, and a really cosy (or hyggeligt, as the Danes would say) atmosphere.

I ordered myself an almond milk latte and a large bowl of almond milk and spelt porridge topped with banana, strawberry and cacao nibs, then grabbed myself a seat by the window and set about updating my journal with the events of the day before that I'd yet to write down.

After about an hour at GRØD I ventured outside and back towards the centre of the city to do some souvenir shopping, stopping by DØP one final time for lunch. Around mid-late afternoon I walked over to Torvehallerne in search of Copenhagen Coffee Collective, which I'd read makes the best coffee in Copenhagen. I ordered myself a cup of their Columbian coffee, on the recommendation of the girl behind the counter, found myself a window seat once again, and settled down for half an hour or so, watching passers by outside and tuning in and out of the conversations around me (which mostly involved listening to the sounds of the Danish language, understanding very little but enjoying it nonetheless).

I then set off to carry on shopping and managed to pick up a few home bits for myself and some gifts for my parents and N, then before returning to the hostel I popped to 42 Raw for dinner again and ordered the same burger I'd had the day before, which made for the perfect last dinner.

Once I got back to the hostel I went through my usual routine of freshening up and heading downstairs, where I met up with the group I'd been with the night before. My original plan was to stay in and have a glass of wine or two in the bar before packing and getting an early night before my flight in the morning, but everyone else had booked tickets for a pub crawl and after being invited along, I figured why not try something new and go with them. I ended up having the most incredible night with a really lovely bunch of people, playing beer pong, bar hopping and dancing the night away, leaving our final stop around 2am then taking an unplanned night tour of the city with a new friend, starting with sitting and talking at an empty Nyhavn before heading down to Langelinie to pay The Little Mermaid one final visit, strolling through Ørstedsparken, past the Botanical Garden and back through the centre of the city, finally returning to the hostel at 5am where we then took full advantage of the 'Quiet Room'/'Hangover Lounge' at the hostel, where we crashed on the bean bags and sleepily chatted away until I left for the airport around 8:30. It definitely wasn't how I'd imagined my last night panning out but I don't think it would have been better any other way, and it's a night I'm going to treasure for a very long time.

And that concludes The Copenhagen Diaries! I've really enjoyed putting these posts together and reliving each day as I wrote about them, and I hope that it won't be long until I can go back and add more posts to the series. I also hope you've enjoyed reading them, and that they've provided you with inspiration for your own travels! I've had some really lovely feedback on these posts so far which I want to say a huge thank you for - it means so much to know the work I put in pays off and that I'm creating content you enjoy, and I hope that I can keep things up to this standard in future posts! If there is anything in particular you would like to see please do let me know, I'm always open for suggestions.

The Copenhagen Diaries #4

For my second to last day in Copenhagen I decided I would catch the train over to Malmö, in Sweden. It's really easy to get between the two cities so it made sense that I would get as much as possible out of this trip and tick another country off the list of places I've visited along the way! (To get to Malmö I took a 15 minute train ride to Copenhagen airport as the trains out to Malmö only run from there, which cost 36 DKK. The train from there to Malmö then took about half an hour and cost 89 DKK, and on the way back I was able to catch a train straight into Copenhagen Central station, which again cost 89 DKK, so altogether the journey cost around £24).

After breakfast I walked over to Copenhagen Central station, sussed out which trains I needed to get, exchanged my Danish krone for Swedish krona (there's a Forex within the station where you can exchange currencies), and caught a train up to the airport. I then purchased my ticket to Malmö Central and waited for the next train to come along, which didn't take long as they run every twenty minutes. Once I was on the train we passed over Øresund Bridge, which connects the two cities, and within half an hour we were in Sweden! If you plan on making this trip yourself make sure to take your passport with you as there will be checks on both ends, and make sure to keep your train ticket handy, too, as it may also be checked.

I actually decided to get off the train a stop early, at Triangeln, as the spot I'd picked out for lunch was much closer to there than the central station. The map on my phone simply wouldn't pick up my location so I had to use it the old fashioned way, and after a little wandering I found myself on Friisgatan, where Raw Food House is located. It was mid-afternoon by this point so the lunch-time rush had died down, and I found myself a table outside just under the awnings to keep myself out of the rain that was ever so lightly spitting down. I popped inside and ordered a falafel wrap, an oat milk cappuccino and a slice of chai and chocolate cheesecake for afterwards, grabbed myself some cutlery and sat down, most excited for my lunch.

I can assure you that Raw Food House certainly didn't disappoint. The wrap and accompanying salads were absolutely delicious and so filling, and the cheesecake was utterly divine. But then, with chocolate and chai, how could it not be?

With a full belly I set off to explore the Triangeln area a little, wandering down a few streets and having a thorough explore of the shopping centre, where I ended up buying my first souvenir from a lovely home and kitchen shop called Cervera.

Around 4:30 I caught the train up to Malmö Central station and set off for the Turning Torso, Malmö's main landmark, snapping photos as I went. One of the things that struck me almost immediately is how different Malmö is to Copenhagen. The architecture is quite different, with less colourful little terraces and more grand stonework, and it feels more open, thanks to the wider and straighter streets.

After a bit of wandering I found the Turning Torso, took a few obligatory photos, then took a little wander down by the water back towards the train station, then caught a train back to Copenhagen.

Once I got back to the hostel I headed down to the bar for dinner as usual, and whilst I was ordering my food and drink I got chatting to a lovely Australian guy who invited me to come and sit with his group. I then spent the evening playing card games, having a few drinks and getting to know everyone until just after midnight, when I then decided to call it a night and get some rest before my final day in Copenhagen, which I can tell you now is going to make for another fairly photo-heavy post!

The Copenhagen Diaries #3

My third day in Copenhagen got off to a beautifully slow start, waking up around eight and slowly getting ready before heading out in search of yet more coffee. Having Googled 'best coffee in Copenhagen', Copenhagen Coffee Lab had come up in multiple 'top ten' lists, and given that it wasn't too far from the hostel I decided I would spend some time there one morning. Fortunately Wednesday was the perfect morning for it, with grey skies and rain showers making for the perfect 'cosy up in a coffee shop' weather, so I bundled up in my raincoat and headed out around mid-morning.

The coffee shop is tucked away in a basement, and were it not for the apron-ed barista sat outside I may well have missed it. This was one of my favourite stops of the trip, with its polished concrete floors, wooden ceiling beams, cosy cushion-lined nooks and charcoal drawings adorning the walls. I ordered myself an americano, then found myself one such nook and settled down to read a few chapters of 'The Year of Living Danishly' while smooth jazz played quietly in the background and those around me worked or chatted away in their groups.

Then, in the mood for a spot of shopping, I made my way back towards Strøget and stepped into the wonderland that is Magasin, where I then spent perhaps more time than I like to admit admiring the home section and wishing I had enough krone to buy half the shop. I also stopped by the hotdog stand again for lunch, which fuelled me up for an afternoon of walking.

I had a couple of 'must see' sights on my itinerary for the afternoon, starting with Nyhavn, where those infamous brightly coloured terraces line the canal and friends sit outside the restaurants, eating, drinking and laughing the day away. I also couldn't help but admire the buildings on the less famous side of the canal, with their cast iron balconies and vines creeping up their walls.

Next on my itinerary was The Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue), which is one of the sites I feel you can't come to Copenhagen and not see. Seeing as the statue sits just outside of The Citadel (Kastellet) I decided to pass through there along the way, walking through Churchillparken to reach The Citadel in the centre before wandering back out and around to Langelinie, where the mermaid can be found.

Seeing the mermaid was somewhat sentimental for me as my Dad also made the walk up to see her when he visited Copenhagen some years ago, and I believe my grampa did, too, when he cycled through Denmark and over to Sweden with some of his friends many years ago, when he and my grandma had only just met!

On the way back towards the hostel I stopped by the Design Museum, which luckily was open until 9 instead of its usual 5, meaning I didn't miss out! The museum is well worth a little trip for anyone interested in Danish design, whether you're into graphic design, furniture and interiors, even textiles and fashion. There are some really interesting and beautiful pieces and exhibits, and it's fascinating learning about the inspiration and motives behind them; I was particularly interested in how much sustainability and future generations is such a strong focus for so much of Danish design.

I then made my back to my favourite spot, 42 Raw, again for dinner, where I had the most delicious soy and quinoa burger in a sesame bun with tomatoes, onion, avocado, sprouts and vegan aioli, with griddled sweet potato fries on the side which I am most keen to try and replicate at home. I then headed back to the hostel, freshened up, and sat downstairs for an hour or so, drinking coffee and planning my trip to Malmö the following day, checking train times and making a list of places to visit - the details of which I'll reveal in The Copenhagen Diaries #4 on Sunday!