København, the merchant’s harbour, has always seemed to be a perfect getaway destination, and although I’m not into anything in Europe lately, it stayed somehow on my list. I have always been attracted to Nordic things (except the cold), Scandinavian design, and also men (the Viking blood is charming, or what?).

The idea of a random weekend arose already in the summer, but I skipped it back then. Nevertheless, life wanted me to visit the Danish capital (at least for a day); thanks to Norwegian for the cheap flight tickets, I had a 20-hour layover here before heading back to Asia.

I hate travelling in winter – it’s a struggle with the temperature vs. clothing. As I’m moving back to the tropics, I obviously didn’t pack any warm clothes.. in 0 degrees, in December. So how did I survive? Easy. I put on all my clothes (6 layers) and hoped for the best. Luckily, after the rainy-windy arrival, the day I spent in the city was beautifully sunny, and the temperature went up to 5 degrees, so it was still bearable in a hoodie and gloves.

The arrival and the very first impression at a brand new place can profoundly influence your whole experience.. make it or break it. Mine, in this case, was very positive. After landing, I dropped my bag in a locker at the airport, caught a train to the city, and arrived in 40 minutes at my Couchsurfing host. Everything went so smoothly, exactly how I like it.

The public transport in CPH is pretty amazing.  Of course, it’s expensive, but it’s still worth the money compared to some other cities. However, the high costs give a good reason to use alternate options to get from A to B. It’s so refreshing that people are not necessarily stuck to their cars; even when it’s cold outside, they still can sit on that bike. This is a mentality to follow.

Bikes are the signatures, but rollers are common, too. I downloaded all the apps for self-transportation (VOI for rollers and Donkey for bikes are recommended), but I ended up walking all around the central area.

After the prologue, here’s my version of a lovely day in Copenhagen.

I started the day at 8 am. I had a very awake night with vivid dreams and some unconscious excitement of being on the road again. My body was already used to the early morning after some months of monotonous routine, but I liked the fresh vibe of the new day here.

I spent the night in Østerbro so the route for the day seemed straight and easy. Walking in the residential area to the Langelinie in the morning sunshine with music in my ears, despite the bitterly cold air, was nothing but sweet.

My first stop was the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid. I’m more interested in strange and unusual things than the casual tourist attractions. No one was around except the early birds going to work (to the stylish brick buildings, of course). I also checked out the famous Little Mermaid, which was less interesting, but I see some irony in the fish girl sitting on a rock with the smokestacks in the background.

From here I followed the promenade to Amalienborg. I was not keen to visit inside, so I just stood in the middle of the Palace Square and gave a smile to the guards. It was around 9 am, my hands were freezing, and I hadn’t had breakfast yet; my next mission was to find a nice and warm place to chill.

I chose Joe & the Juice, which was a good decision. I had a tasty veggie omelet (I absolutely loved that they put chili flakes on the top), a turmeric shot, and a cappuccino. I treated my belly well.. I just shouldn’t have converted the price into my own currency in my head.

After I could feel my fingertips again, I rolled a cigarette and walked on Lille Strandstræde to Nyhavn; Christmas decorations, super-photogenic houses, and beautiful reflections. After taking a few mandatory photos, I let myself get lost a bit in the walking and shopping streets of Indre By.

When I pinned my map in advance, a place caught my eye: Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Lucky me, Tuesdays are free (except for the special exhibitions). The museum building is pretty from the outside and incredible inside. And here I am not talking about the impressive collection of old things (don’t forget to visit the Nasothek), but about the ambiance, especially the winter garden under the glass-metal dome. I love such places; just sitting on a bench and enjoying the lush greenery gave me happiness.

Originally, I wanted to go to the Elefantporten på Carlsberg, but considering the distance and the cold outside, I decided to keep it for a warmer visit. Instead, I walked to Christiania. By the way, next to Cristiania, the Vor Frelsers Kirke is special with its helix spire and provides a great view from the top.

Christiania is the WTF of Copenhagen. Seriously. I understand the concept and the background, and it’s cool somehow, but the strong pee smell mixed with weed, police, and tourists (including me) everywhere just didn’t give the vibe. At least I’ve seen some cool graffiti, and the stark contrast between the Freetown and the city.

I finished with all the spots I wanted to visit and still had 3 hours before heading back to the airport. I struggled a bit with where to go and what to do – which is usually not a problem when the weather is nice, but again, winter is another thing. I decided to go to Torvehallerne. This food market is very popular and offers everything from sugar cane to fish, from delish pastries to fresh pasta. I only had a cheezy bacon quiche and a cappuccino (I feel like the good ol’ foodie in me is disappearing slowly), but spending an hour in the warm and having my last cigarette was perfect.

From here, I took the metro straight to the airport (so easy), and I have to dedicate my prologue to the Copenhagen Airport. Some airports are just good to be there and even perfect for long transits, while others are nightmares or, at best, completely insignificant. This Danish airport is quite outstanding: well organized and informative, with plenty of services and lounges, and not too big, so the gates are easily accessible.

Also, a shout-out to Norwegian. Not only do they already use 100% self-check-in, but they fly Dreamliners (I have a weakness for these planes) and provide free wifi and media on board, so you have no discount feel at all. (And I was so lucky to have a whole row for the 10-hour flight without booking a seat in advance.)

I’m happy with my very first and very random Danish experience. There are many exciting places and things to do in and around Copenhagen – like Little Tilde or jumping on a train to Malmö. The language is somehow cute and funny to my ears, their lifestyle is attractive in many ways, and despite its climate (personal anti-winter opinion), this country is very livable. It’s easy to spend a lot of money here (I ended my short visit with a 412DKK minus), but Copenhagen was born to be cool, and hey, there’s 7-Eleven.

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