Month: March 2018

The twins had their Grade 2 Open House at CIS. They have been learning to express themselves through art, song, dance, and writing. Seriously impressive job by everyone. Kids were so proud.

Andrew’s masterpiece, his Mona Lisa, which in his Mother’s opinion, obviously rivals da Vinci’s.

Andrew’s rendition of his favorite painting, van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

Katherine’s version of Water Lilies by her favorite paint, Claude Monet.

Katherine’s shape art is based on Russian Wassily Kandinsky’s work.

Their abstract art also based on Kandinsky.

Styroform sculpture by AK, other two sculptures by KRK.

Andrew and Katherine with our fav grade 2 teachers- Ms. Wendy and Ms. Sarah.

So proud of my people.

 

This is this part where I apologize for the amount of videos, unless you are the twin’s grandparents. They feature a song on the recorder, two comedic songs, a piece of hip-hop dancing and some poetry.

Andrew and Katherine reading their poetry.

 

xoxo-sk

With Carey in CPH, we got to do some fun activities I would never do solo. Andy got to join in too when he could. Now, onto the fun, the food, and the foolery.

One day we ventured to this place that Andy had come across online… Sounds bad, I know. But, it wasn’t. It was Copenhot. It’s an outdoor saltwater spa and sauna on the harbor. It was a little tough to get there, but once there was awesome.

We took the harbor bus to get to Copenhot, my first time on one.

Walked through some industrial areas and lots of mud.

The fire heated sauna is straight ahead. It had an open window on the backside that looked out over the water. The barrel salt water spas (not pictured) sat six people and were heated by fire underneath. Really fun experience, similar to using a hot tub in the snowy mountains. Plus, they sold beer and wine.

Freezing outside and nice and toasty in the sauna.

Heading home on the harbor bus.

Another cool activity we got to do was visit Fish Kiss. I had heard about this before and walked by this place while shopping. Now, with Carey here, it was time to try it. We had fish eat the dead skin off our feet. It felt weird and tickled at first, but you got used to it a couple minutes in. It was actually quite soothing, and my feet were so soft at the end. No polish though, which was a good thing due to the boots going back on.

Flip Flops on, cleaning feet for the fish.

 

Onto the food. We took Carey to some of our favorite places.

Lunch from Pixie Cafe- Cucumber on rye bread with smoked cheese, roasted kernels, woodseed (?!), pepper and olive oil; Potatoes with basil mayo; Avocado on rye bread with lemon peel, onions, basil mayo, cress, and ham. So good, I wonder if I can reproduce that basil mayo at home.

Brunch from Wulff and Konstali- I am just working my way through their brunch menu. This time I got pink blueberry skyr w/ granola (so did Carey,) grilled panini w/ricotta and lingonberries, chia porridge w/ mango-apple compote/ roasted almonds, and poppy seed waffle w/ dulce de leche/ roasted hazelnut/ raspberry cream (my only repeat, couldn’t help it.) Carey got the blueberry skyr, fried beef sausages, fried bacon w/ thyme, and ”Øllebrød” with chocolate, blueberries, and whipped cream. No words, so good.

Warpigs. Drinks and Pork rinds with parmesan (Andy’s pick.)

Everybody got burgers and fries at Tommi’s Burger Joint. (K was at a sleepover.)

Carey’s last big night we went out (minus kids) to ‘Ramen to Bíiruin’ in Nørrebro. Miso ramen for Carey, Spicy Miso II for me, and Spicy Miso III for Andy. I got Spicy I last time, thought I was ready for II. I was not. Still, very good, just needed some water to sooth the burn.

And drinks after at Ølsnedkeren.

And my contributions- meat and cheese plate and breakfast with eggs, bacon and danish waffles. I did cook more, promise. These were just the most photogenic.

It was so great having Carey here. We haven’t had this kind of time to spend together in a long time. I got to show her the Danish sites and also the day-to-day of how my life is here- the cool stuff, the stuff I’ve gotten used to, and the stuff I sometimes struggle with. We had an amazing time, can’t wait for her to come back.

ps. I beat Andy and Carey in Danish Yatzee whenever we played. I killed it. They weren’t pleased. I get it though. I was not a humble winner. Shocker.

xoxo-sk

 

So happy to have my best friend from Atlanta, Carey, come to visit. College roommates reunited once again. With Carey here, we got to do some more urban exploring. And yes, it was cold. She was prepped, before hand, with the essentials needed for survival in Denmark. Examples being- hat, scarf, gloves, winter boots, long coat, crossbody bag.

The changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace, where the Royal family lives. It happens daily at noon.

The Marble Church across the street from the Palace.

Chilly picturesque Nyhavn.

KRK at The Church of Our Saviour. (Yes, that’s how they spell it.)

Warm drinks were needed to sustain ourselves.

 

We visited the Round Tower which was built in the 17th century. It is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. To get to the top (36m), you have to walk 209 meters up a spiral ramp. The ramp twists 7 1/2 times around the tower’s hollow core.  It once housed the Danish University Library.

The Privy halfway up.

The platform at the top. Hello Copenhagen.

 

Christiansborg Palace houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court. It also houses the Royal Reception Rooms used for state visits, audiences, and banquets. It was previously the primary residence of the Royals, before they moved to Amalienborg in 1794.

Underneath are the Palace’s Ruins. It shows the evolution of the building over 800+ years. It was a fortress originally built in 1167 by Bishop Absalon of Roskilde for defense against pirates. It was destroyed in 1369, and Copenhagen Castle was built. This was then demolished in 1733 for the first Christiansborg Palace, which was completed in 1745. A few fires and rebuilds later, we arrive at the currant Palace.

Fun Fact- A Palace generally refers to a beautifully appointed residence for royalty or heads of state. It is built for comfort, leisure, and ceremony. Castles are typically fortified buildings, built for war, with safety and protection in mind. Hence, Castles have moats, drawbridges, towers, and battlements.

The Royal Reception Rooms are beautifully decorated. They include the Throne Room, the Great Hall, the Dining Hall, and multiple other ceremonial rooms. (For more pictures of the rooms see Kulturnat/October 2017 post.)

My favorite room is the Queen’s Library. Obviously.

We also visited the Palace’s Kitchen’s where the food used to be prepared. Presently, food is cooked at Amalienborg and transported here for special events.

We went up the Palace’s 106m tall Tower via elevator (yay.) It’s the highest tower in Copenhagen and has a beautiful (cloudy on that day) panoramic view of the City. It also houses the Lumbar Room, with old relics and models of Christiansborg.

Queens of the Castle (or rather Palace, I guess.)

xoxo-sk

 

The Danish Winter feels never-ending for this Southern girl. It’s dark, gray, and gloomy the majority of the time. It’s also windy, so windy. But fear not, I am taking my Vitamin D supplements and praying Spring brings us some sun and warmth.

The usual temps have been -2 to 4 degree Celsius and that doesn’t factor in the wind chill. That’s the worst. We have snow often, but never in any large amounts. Britain, Sweden, and Norway take the brunt of the cold for us. Copenhagen is also surrounded by water and is flat, which keeps the temperatures from freezing (Thank you Jesus.) But, Copenhagen does consistently have wet sleet/snowy days. And one day, when it felt like -18, I felt like I was going to die.

The Scandinavians have a saying- There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad cloths. I have gotten very good at layering- hats, gloves, long underwear, thick socks, boots, the works. I’m trying. My hands are the only thing that are consistently hard to keep warm. Apparently, mittens are the way to go. I miss my sunglasses though, I love my sunglasses.

On a positive note, the weather doesn’t slow anything down. Copenhagen does an excellent job of keeping their walkways, roads, and bike paths salted and cleared. I was once woken up at 5 am, on a Saturday, by a super efficient person, clearing our courtyard. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, but no- metal shovel on cement. Thanks, I guess.

xoxo-sk