Sunday this week was spent outdoors in the autumn sunshine with a good wander around the city, a gloriously delicious latte from the Coffee Collective at Torvehallerne followed by a little visit to Glyptoteket to take in the new Per Kirkeby exhibit, which in reality consisted of only about 8 works, so we spent some extra time exploring the Danish modern wing as well as the Degas sculpture exhibit.
Thor’s first gallery visit and he was mostly intent on grabbing hold of the sculptures (you can bet the security personel kept a close eye on him). We ate an early noodley dinner at Wagamama and finished up the day with a good long walk home through Amagerfælled. Our feet are tired, our boy is tired, we’ve seen and enjoyed some beautiful things (indoors and outdoors) and now a glass of red to round out it all out. Sunday you’ve been good to us.
We took advantage of a break in the rain this week and spent Friday wandering the endless charm that is Copenhagen. It is so easy to love this city. Fuelled up on lattes from Lagkagehuset, we explored the tree lined canals of Christianshavn, walked the length of Havnegade’s waterfront, paid respects to my old place at Nyhavn, and strolled past the colourful old buildings of the latin quarter before stopping for a little break in Gråbrødretorv. Thor had swimming lessons in the afternoon so we made our way over to DGI Byen afterwards and finished the day cozied up at home just as the rain began to fall.
Happy weekend to you.
The sun was shining a bit unexpectedly yesterday morning so we walked the few kilometers in the fresh Autumn wind to Bonderen, a little hobby farm tucked away here in the middle of Amager (Copenhagen). We talked to a Shetland pony name Hans*, checked out the chickens with fancy feet, the pigs, the angora rabbits, the jersey cow and best of all – spent some time with some very friendly goats. They nibbled on our coats and leaned in close, not minding one bit while a little boy clapped them on the back and pulled at their ears.
Jan and I squeezed in a game of pole tennis (a game we both played in our not-so-long-ago-younger days) before heading home, stopping for ice cream at the (always divine) Ismagerient on the way. It was a really cozy few hours. The older Thor gets the more enjoyment he’ll have of this place – so we’ll visit regularly. It’s free and open to the public every day of the week – check it out (and bring some dry spaghetti for the goats) if you get the chance.
*I love animals with people names.
Some good long (10k) walks around Stanley Park and the Sea Wall does wonders for the soul. We soaked up some sun as long as it lasted – good for Jan to get out from behind his desk, and good for Thor and I to walk some new routes. We’ve been blessed with a bit of early summer days – drawn to our favourite outdoor spaces – the beach, the park, the local Starbucks. There is an element of gratitude in the air – Vancouverites are well aware of how lucky they are to live beside the sea while snuggled so sweetly into the blue of the mountains.
We’ve extended our stay another 3 weeks. Aside from coping with Dad’s absence, there’ve been close friends to catch up with, heaps to sort through here at home and even more to sort through at my storage locker. I’ve spent the better park of three weeks sorting through, giving away, selling and packing up my old life here – having decided that it didn’t make sense to pay for storing these things anymore (having done so now for 5 years). In my mind I could always come back and pick up where I left off if I suddenly decided that I’d had enough of living in Denmark. But of course there is no way back to our old lives – we change, our circumstances change, and nothing can really stay the same. Most of the time I love that about life. It’s a rotten time to pile on extra stress but given the time involved in a purge of that magnitude there really wasn’t a better time than now. It’s been in keeping with the way we deal with things in our family – instead of putting anything on hold, we get crazy busy, crazy being the operative word. On the other side of that though, there tends to be sanity – or at least a lot of very organized and extra clean spaces.
The sunny side of Nyhavn in the late afternoon sun.
Each of these 5 years I’ve been living in Copenhagen – it’s been all about Spring. Degrees in the teens, blue skies and a city that comes alive almost overnight. Picnic blankets in the parks and sitting cross legged by the water. There’ve been long walks with Thor and a lot of time to reflect while my feet take one step after the other – all over the city that I love. I sometimes wonder what’s kept me away from Vancouver (especially given how much I’ve missed my family and friends back home) but it isn’t that at all. It’s the million small things that have kept me here. Like this day.
Another fresh walk – today with the lovely ladies of our Ørestad’s mother’s group. We didn’t see the sunshine promised but it hardly mattered where good talk is concerned and the kind of baby detail only new mother’s can discuss with so much fascination. I’m really enjoying the open forum and the opportunity we have amongst each other to ask questions, compare experiences and not least: find some reassurance in the fact that each of us is not alone in a particular worry, new challenge or, best of all, joy. Fantastic to see these 6 babies grow into such happy little people with personalities all their own and to witness 5 other women grow into motherhood with such curiousity, love and grace.
