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!