Tag: Andersen’s Bakery (page 1 of 1)

Copenhagen: Part 2

Jennifer Michie Malmo 2Day 3 started out with fresh coffee and those gorgeous chocolate cinnamon rolls for our anniversary breakfast and then we walked to the train station. it was a short metro journey to the station we needed to be at and we bought our tickets at a machine and headed down to wait for the train to Malmo. We were heading to Sweden for the day.

Jennifer Michie Malmo 1

I snapped the image of the palm trees while waiting for the train. The station projected this film along the walls and it appeared as if you were sitting in a moving train with the projected film as the scenery outside your window.

Jennifer Michie Oresund Bridge

The very thought of going from one country to another across a body of water was incredibly exciting, especially since we were going over the Oresund Bridge. The cars travel above and the train goes underneath. We could look out and see the water, the ships and sailboats gliding along. It was magical. Once we arrived in Sweden we had two things we wanted to do for sure and that was to visit the Sankt Petri Church and the Modern Art Museum.

Jennifer Michie Church 1 Jennifer Michie Church 3 Jennifer Michie Church 2

We went to the church first, it was built in 1319 in the Gothic style. They were holding a Confirmation ceremony and we got to go in and watch, it was so beautiful. There was one section of the church, a side chapel that still contained the Medieval painting that the church would have originally been decorated with. The rest of the church was filled with the most ornately carved sculptures and the colors were incredible.

Jennifer Michie Modern Art Museum

Next, we went to the Modern Art Museum and had something to drink in their cafe before heading inside. Only there was no inside. We went to buy our tickets and the lady said they were closed as they were refurbishing, but we could sit on a couch over there, as she pointed behind her and watch a film for free. We just smiled, I tried really hard not to laugh, as trying to see museums was turning into a bit of a joke. There was no information stating any of this on their website. But, that just gives us a good excuse to go back.

Jennifer Michie Windmill 1Jennifer Michie Windmill 2

After watching a few minutes of the film, we regrouped and deiced to visit the castle museum instead as that was something we didn’t think we would be able to get to while there and took a lovely stroll through the city gardens. We happened upon a flower show being set up. It was like their own version of the Chelsea Flower Show, where people were building different styled gardens in their allotted spaces and as we walked back towards the river, we came upon a gorgeous windmill, that was straight out of a storybook.

Jennifer Michie Castle MuseumJennifer Michie Toy Museum

Finally, we arrived at Malmohus Castle and… you guessed it: The art museum and aquarium were closed for renovations, but we could at least look around the castle for free. So we toured through, they had a very sweet children’s toy museum and a quite creepy area in the bowels of the castle that told tales of the souls who had been jailed there and the fate that awaited them. It was an interesting building and Scandinavia’s oldest surviving Renaissance castle.

We headed back to the station after this as it had been a full day and took the train back to Copenhagen. We had our anniversary dinner at a very cute Italian restaurant and then strolled home for dessert.

Our last full day was another trip out of the city. This time to a museum that was open in it’s entirety, The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Our train journey was delightful as we headed through the countryside to the Danish coast.

Jennifer Michie Louisiana Museum 2

The figure to the right is from the Niels Wessel Bagge Collection. It consists of more than 450 items, primarily from North, Central and South America before they had any European influence upon their culture. He reminded me of Max from “Where the Wilds Things Are”.

Jennifer Michie Louisiana Museum 1

There was a short walk to the museum and it was well worth the trip. The artwork they held within those walls was amazing. I finally got to see Yayoi Kusama’s, Infinity Mirrored Room. Mr. Michie said if he worked here, he would just come and lie on the floor on his lunch breaks in that room. It was serene.

Jennifer Michie Louisiana Museum Ocean

Their art collection was extremely impressive. Having always been a Hockney fan, Mr. Michie was extremely delighted to see A Closer Grand Canyon on display.  We strolled through the sculpture gardens and sat on the hill, watching the boats sail by in the ocean. It was a clear day and we could look over and see Sweden staring back at us. We ate the most delicious lunch at the gallery, I should have photographed it, but we were so hungry and it was so lovely! I could have spent a whole day here, but we had one more stop to make, a very special stop.

I have long been a fan of Karen Blixen and since I know that I won’t be able to see her home in Africa any time soon, her home in Denmark was the closest I could get. We walked back to the train station and had a short journey back down the tracks to Rungsted. I knew there was about a 20 min walk to her home, but when we came to the crossroads we made a mistake and kept going straight instead of turning right. We walked through a neighbourhood for about 15 minutes and just as we were thinking we might need to turn around we spotted a grocery store. Mr. Michie went inside to ask for directions and spoke to a very kind lady.

We learned at that point, that we should have made a right at the intersection. We laughed, because what else can you do and we headed back in the direction we came. It wasn’t long before we heard someone honking their car behind us and pull up beside us. It was the lady that Mr. Michie had spoken with. She said it was too hot a day to walk there from here and we wouldn’t have a lot of time left to see the museum as it was, so she wanted to drive us there. The kindness of strangers!

We made it to the museum in time for the last entry into the main house. We went upstairs first to what was once the carriage house, now turned into an exhibition space. I stared at her typewriter, looking at the keys her fingers once touched, there were cans of coffee beans from her plantation. The gramophone given to her by Denys Finch Hatton rested beneath a glass case. Her record collection still in existence. My throat tightened and I caught my breath, I couldn’t believe that I was looking at her things. Now, I know that this sounds silly, but I have a lot of respect for this woman, she was an adventurer and an excellent storyteller, she was her own woman and I like to think that we would have been friends.

We moved back outside and waited in the gardens to be called in to the main house. Once inside, we were given linen shoe covers and had a chance to walk through the downstairs floor. Her home was as she left it, the furniture displayed where she kept it. She always kept fresh flowers in her house and the museum does the same. There was a small gallery of her paintings, she was a wonderful artist and the images she painted of the Africans she knew held a beauty all of their own. I looked her her grandfather clock, at the trunk that Farah Aden, gave to her, her desk, surrounded by family photographs. I was moved. At any moment, I expected her to walk through and greet us.

After leaving the house we walked through her gardens and down a path to where she is buried under a ginormous tree. It was a simple grave marker, it was a simple place. Yet it was eloquent. Her home overlooked the ocean and we walked along the waterfront before heading back to the station. It was on this walk that we discovered a path that led you through the woods, past her grave and to the house. But it was the walk we were not meant to have, we saw the house as we were meant to have seen it. I have only a few photos of the outside of her home that I took on my Diana camera. You were not allowed to photograph inside her house and out of respect for this women, I wouldn’t have, even if I was could have.

We headed back in to the city and went for one last hotdog at Andersen’s. I was really after the mandelhorn. We got one each this time. I wasn’t sharing dessert. Now, here is my old lady part of the trip, our apartment had everything and so when we got back that evening, we just chilled out and watched some TV, while I did all of our laundry, which made my life very easy when we got back home.

Early the next morning, I packed and straightened everything up, while Mr. Michie got us coffee and of course chocolate cinnamon rolls from Emmery’s! We ate, cleaned-up, gave our home away from home, one last goodbye and then headed out to the metro station to make our way to the airport.

Copenhagen’s airport is dazzling. I have never been in and through security so efficiently. We checked in by ourselves. The machine prints out everything, even your luggage tag, we put that on, walked over to luggage belt, put our bag on, scanned the tag and off our luggage zoomed. They even gave you a time estimate of how long you would be waiting in security, at that point it was 8 minutes. In less than 20 minutes, I’m going to write that again, in less than 20 minutes, we had checked-in and gone through security. AMAZING!

Our flight home was full of sunshine and back to reality we went. I’m telling you, I am normally a bit down for a few days when I get back from seeing my family, but when we travel other places I miss it, but am okay with being home. Not this time. Copenhagen was special, I have been sad to not be there, the people were so kind, they were calm, there was no pushing to get on the train, to get your groceries, to walk down the street. They enjoyed life.

That is something that we don’t quite have right here. The work/life balance is a bit skewed and everyone needs to work on their manners. I know that the grass is always greener, but I don’t think that is the case here. I just appreciated what they had and I wished that my day to day could be more like that, especially where traveling in London is concerned, no one is patient and I am, which normally makes me invisible and the one who gets pushed and smushed.

Visiting this city was a true treat and I hope we get to return. Copenhagen, wait for me, I’m coming back.

Jennifer Michie Heart

Copenhagen: Part 1

Jennifer Michie Copenhagen

Oh, Copenhagen! Where do I begin? You are a magical city that completely enthralled and enchanted me. It is simply a beautiful city. The architecture was quite a heady mix of old versus a clean minimalist cosmopolitan appearance. Both worked in tandem with each other to create a unique city.

We like to be adventurers when we travel so after landing in Copenhagen airport, we got our luggage, bought tickets and headed to the train station underneath the airport. We made our way to Islands Brygge and headed for our hotel. It was gorgeous. It was a ginormous loft apartment/hotel that we just fell in love with. Floor to ceiling windows that slid or opened like a door. It allowed us to let in so much fresh air and we could sit on the couch and just look out over the water. Bliss!

We got settled, ran to the grocery store attached to our building, it was called Irma’s and was completely adorable. We ate some lunch and then headed into the city. Now our apartment was located about a 15/20 min walk outside of the city center, which suited us just fine.

Jennifer Michie Copenhagen Stores

The adorable Irma’s sign and a delicious cinnamon roll from Emmery’s

We had a lovely stroll along the water and over the bridge. The bikes! Oh, the bikes! I don’t bike in London, it is just too congested, but here, I would bike. I loved the many bikes that had a beautiful wooden cart on the front to put your children, your groceries or your dog. Or, in some cases, all three! I couldn’t get over the fact how bikes were just lined up along walls, with only a small lock secured around the spokes. In England, bikes are locked by the wheels and then locked to a rack and a million other things to make sure they are secured. Here, no one seemed to worry, there was such a lovely element of trust.

Jennifer Michie H.C. Andersen

Jennifer Michie Dome

Our first stop was to the Glyptoteket. We should have known we were going to have museum issues from this point forward, all we could do was laugh. They apparently have an excellent collection of French Impressionist art, but unfortunately floor two was closed, so we didn’t get to see any of it. However, they have a stunning conservatory and as we strolled around we were regaled by a live production of a group singing excerpts from Wagner’s Operas. The Egyptian Hall more than made up for anything we missed. Part of it was designed to make you feel as if you were descending in to a tomb.

Jennifer Michie Andersens Bakery

Next we headed to the Tivoli Gardens, which is the world’s second oldest amusement park. It was adorable! Walt Disney visited there when he was building Disneyworld, and you could see a few things that inspired him. We went to Andersen’s Bakery famous for their hot dogs, they were delicious! We split one as I really more interested in dessert. I got a mandelhorn, which was a crispy almond trumpet filled with an orange chocolate cream, I didn’t think Mr. Michie would be interested. I was wrong! I had to fight him for it, but I managed to steal a few bites!

Jennifer Michie Tivoli 2 Jennifer Michie Tivoli 1

We strolled around the park some more just taking everything in and finally headed home. It a magical place. There are updated rides, but there still remains a sweetness to the place. I loved a lot of their light fixtures. At night the entire park is light up, it was enchanting.

Day two began somewhat early, we had already scoped out the bakery attached to the hotel the day before called Emmery’s and had picked up some treats, so breakfast started with their coffee and the most divine cinnamon rolls smothered in chocolate that I have ever eaten. The pastry was more of a puff pastry consistency, the inside was filled with butter, cinnamon, sugar and nuts that that made there way down to the bottom and had caramalized and turned crunchy in the pan and the the tops were smothered in chocolate and fresh chopped hazelnuts were sprinkled over the top. What a way to start the day!

Jennifer Michie Nyhaven 2014

After we finished getting ready we headed down to the boat dock. Here we picked up a boat bus that took us to Nyhaven. It is a picturesque little section of Copenhagen on the canal. The buildings are so colorful and cheery. Hans Christian Andersen used to live here, in three different homes along the canal. We walked and took pictures and ate lunch by the water.

There is such a different pace of life here. I love it! Things get done, but you aren’t rushed. Most cafés and restaurants who had outdoor seating had a stack of blankets set out so you wouldn’t get too chilly. That made me very happy and as it was a cool day, my blanket kept me toasty all through lunch!

Jennifer Michie National Museum 1Jennifer Michie National Museum 2

Next we headed to the National Gallery of Denmark. It was a really interesting place. Again, they had areas shut down as they were under construction, so we didn’t get to see everything, but what we did see we just loved!

Jennifer Michie Bear Crossing

There were signs everywhere to point out roads for pedestrians and roads for bikes. I liked that this path also included a place for bears to stroll.

Jennifer Michie Pizza

We stopped at a little pizza joint for dinner that we noticed everyone at the night before. It was great and so fresh! After dinner we strolled home along the water and then headed up to the apartment. It was nice having a little haven to return to the evenings. Where we could stretch out on the sofas and watch tv or read or just listen to music and watch the boats go by.

I have more to share, next up Sweden! So, stay tuned, I’ll be right back!

Jennifer Michie Dog at Irma's