Monday 26th June, 2023 – Copenhagen, Denmark

Monday was Lynne’s last day in Copenhagen, with a mid-afternoon flight back to the UK. We had one more breakfast at the Danmark, outside in the courtyard, and then walked over to buy tickets for Tivoli for the day. We’d saved it till last partly because it, unlike a lot of other attractions, is open on a Monday, and because it wouldn’t take hours to go round, especially as we only wanted to see the gardens up close and had no interest in going on any of the rides.

We were too early to go in, but we would be able to bypass the queue for tickets when the gates opened, so we retreated to a nearby coffee and cake shop, Cakenhagen(!), an off-shoot of the Nimb hotel, to wait for the appointed time to come around. It’s a very pretty establishment, with some glorious looking cakes and pastries. However, we carefully contained ourselves and stuck to iced coffee. So soon after breakfast we really didn’t need cake!

Tivoli Gardens is one of the oldest theme parks in the world and is reputed to have inspired both Hans Christian Andersen and Walt Disney. Disney World was supposedly the result of Walt’s fascination with the place. However, it’s not just a collection of scream-inducing rides. The clue is in the name, Tivoli Gardens. The gardens themselves are both beautiful, and beautifully tended, with glorious planting schemes, and quirky and charming buildings.

In addition, as we’d realised on the Saturday night, there are white and “normal” peacocks roaming around, and I’m told there are also guinea fowl, but we didn’t see any of them. We did see a lot of ducks and ducklings, most of them on the lake towards the far side of the site.

It’s also packed with restaurants, has its own food hall, and a gift shop that’s a side gig for Illums Bolighus, the amazing design department store in the city centre. We browsed but managed not to buy, despite there being many good things on offer. Danish design of this sort of quality really doesn’t come cheap. We soon ran out of time, and so headed to the hotel to collect Lynne’s luggage (mine was staying for the time being), and then took a taxi to the airport where I saw her off. Apparently it took 45 minutes to get through passport control, so it was as well we didn’t leave it late to get there.

I caught the Metro back to the city centre, and went back to Tivoli, taking advantage of the fact that a day ticket really is valid all day as long as you collect a stamp on your hand on the way out. My plan was to get lunch and kill some time before I could check into my new hotel for the remainder of the week. I’d researched the various establishments and decided I fancied going to Grøften, which has been a restaurant since 1874, when it was the Theatre Café. They claim that “a visit to Restaurant Grøften is associated with great service and fine traditions, which we will do our best to honour”. That didn’t stop them getting my order wrong on the first attempt, and it then still being wrong when they brought the replacement, but as I got what would have been my second choice from the menu, I decided I couldn’t be bothered fighting it. I’d wanted the open sandwich of smoked eel with scrambled egg and chives but what I got was Grøften’s cured “gravlax” with home-made mustard dressing. It was very good!

As were the strawberries with vanilla ice cream.

After lunch, I went back to the hotel, collected my bags, and went from there to my base for the next four nights, the Bryggen Guldsmeden. While I was having lunch, the weather had started to change, with black clouds bubbling up. I’d decided to walk between hotels, and only just made it into the street where the Bryggen is when the heavens opened. I made it inside without getting soaked but it was a close run thing. I was soon settled in my room, which was “furnished and decorated in a unique Nordics-meet-Bali style” and had evicted the incense diffuser out onto the balcony so that I’d be able to breathe. I was slightly annoyed at having to do that, because it shows a distinct lack of consideration for those of us who may have asthma that can be triggered by perfumes. I was also slightly peeved at the fact that you don’t automatically get use of the hotel swimming pool, unless you are prepared to hand over 250DKK to get access for the duration of your stay (though the website now says 200DKK). The pool was far too small for proper swimming so I declined to pay and resolved to get by on a run or two plus walking everywhere for exercise.

That evening would be my opportunity to put that into practice. My colleagues from outside the Copenhagen HQ had all arrived and I’d arranged for us to go out to Reffen. Reffen is a street food market and urban area for start-ups, innovation and creativity in Refshaleøen, describing itself as “an urban playground for co-creation, innovation, food and creativity – and last but not least – the largest street food venue in the Nordics”. With around 50 food stalls, it meant there was bound to be something for everyone and no one would be reduced to sitting alone in their hotel room. Plus, as some of us had only ever “met” online, it would give us a chance to get to know each other better ahead of the official workshop activities that would start the following day.

A brief discussion in the hotel bar in advance of heading out saw some people opting to go by car, and the rest of us deciding a walk would be good. It’s around 5k so it took a little under an hour. Once there we settled in for an evening of drinking, eating and talking. It seemed to work. Personally, I went for the Creole Jambalaya from the Big Easy Seafood Shack. It was very good, economical and deeply tasty.

A wide variety of foods were ordered, and then, someone found the crêpes stall, Crêpes a la Cart. It had to be done. One lemon and sugar filled pancake later and I was about as sticky as a human can be once they’re no longer a toddler.

I’d also discovered a new thing, the limoncello spritzer, which seems to be in competition with the Aperol spritz as the summer drink of choice for a large swathe of Europe during 2023. Why didn’t I know this? Anyway, stuffed full of food, I couldn’t face the walk back to the hotel so took the offered lift. I reckon you could eat well every night at Reffen and have something different every time. It’s just a shame it’s a bit out on a limb for many tourists.