This was a big week for us. We celebrated a birthday, Easter, and traveled to Copenhagen for the long weekend.

You don’t truly understand a country until you go through some of the general bureaucracies the nation has to offer.  We’ve experience the registration process, the visa process, the passport office, and now the medical process. 

A few months back Chad injured his elbow training Goju. The injury healed after some weeks. This week the elbow decided to fill with fluid so we got to experience the German medical system. While the system is very good and very reliable it is not something that you can navigate without a native German speaker. There are English speaking doctors but they are rare and require weeks notice for an appointment - emergency medicine is mostly done in German. Essentially one injury to Chad means that the entire family goes to the doctor. It’s nearly impossible to communicate on medical terms otherwise. After three visits and about 30CL of extracted fluid we were ready to move on to the next chapter. Doreen said that the orthopaedist had the same jokes as her father - if only the Dr. knew we already heard all of those before.

On Thursday we celebrated Doreen’s birthday - her first back in Germany in many years. We had a wonderful lunch out at Grindhouse, the best burger joint in Berlin, and then a nice dinner at the Italian place in our new Kiez. The Italian spot is run by a family of Italian immigrants and specialises in Central Italian and Sicilian cuisine. We had a wonderful meal and a great time.

For Doreen’s birthday, and because it coincided with the long Easter break, we decided to head to Copenhagen for 4 days. It’s worth noting that Easter in most of Europe is like “Spring Christmas.” People get Good Friday off as well as Easter Monday (just a made-up day) and most German cities close down - people tend to travel during this long weekend. Chad went to the gym on Friday morning and the usually bustling Torstrasse was void of any transit - a fairly surreal scene.

So, on Friday morning we headed to Tegel Airport in search of our first European adventure since moving here.

Aside from being the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen is known for being one of the most eco friendly cities on the planet. It touts the cleanest harbour water in the world [people swim in it regularly], 36% of all its citizens commute daily via bicycle, and the air is more crisp then other cities of it’s size while being one of the most densely populated per-capita [little less then 1 million people].

The first records of Copenhagen are from the 11th century and it became the capital in the 15th century. In the 17th century it became a regional centre. The city has had to remake itself many times over including after the plague, several fires, and many wars. Perhaps this is what makes the city known for how well designed it is - many iterations of practice and a long standing love for design. 

Copenhagen is by far one of the most interesting cities in the world. It has been central in the Roman expansion, Medieval & Romantic periods, and yet remains one of the most modern cities in the world (culturally & technologically).

Then they felt the need to dance again.

From the start, the cleanness of the entire city is noticeable. While there are plenty of old and historical sites, new attractions along with the old, are kept pristine at all hours of the day. The national beer, Carlsberg, hasn’t changed in nearly 200 years and yet it feels like something you could have at a fresh new micro-brewery concept in any city USA. As you walk the streets you can imagine yourself in both the past and the future. There is always this element in the design of the city and culture where you’re never quite sure what decade/century/ or futuristic utopia you could be in. It’s no wonder scenes from recent Star Trek movies have been filmed in Copenhagen and Denmark.

Day 1

Tivoli Food Market, Vestergade, The Palace, Nyhavn, & Dinner

We arrived to a beautiful day. The air was brisk but the shinning sun was a welcome change from winter. The Danes have a unique word, “hygge,” which roughly means extreme comfort. Most of Scandinavia try their level best to make a long winter seem pleasurable; however, once the sun comes out, they flock to the outdoors. On Friday we saw countless Danes on the streets - on Saturday and Sunday we would see very few as the temperatures would drop back down.

For our first day we decided to explore the city on foot. We started with the Tivoli Food Market. This market is akin to a gourmet food court. They have everything from the famous Danish open faced sandwiches to fresh sushi to the best burrito Chad has had since we’ve been in Europe. After a wonderful meal, we headed out to explore.

Just across the street from Tivoli Gardens is the longest walking street in Europe - Vestergade. This area is the heart of the city and where most of the known attractions and shopping are located. The ancient streets meander around the curved city layout and are filled with little cafes and beverage stands for people to stop, enjoy a coffee or glass of wine/beer, and watch the world go by.

As we wondered the streets we found ourselves simply gawking at the architecture, culture and general beauty. Our sense of wonder and general lack of a plan led us to Christiansborg Palace - the current home to Danish Parliament, Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. This building is the third iteration with the same name since the first was built in 1167. Up until 1794 it was the principle residence of Danish Kings. The entire building has three eras of Danish architecture incorporated due to fires in 1794 and 1884. The main part off the palace is finished in Neo-Baroque style (finished in 1928), the chapel is in Neo-Classical (finished in 1828), and the showgrounds in Baroque style (finished in 1746). After the second version was completed in 1828, Frederick VI decided that he no longer wanted to live there and never moved in. Only Frederick VII lived in the second version for 10 years; since 1863, the palace has been used for mostly state business. You can climb the tower, eat in the tower restaurant, and tour the amazing museum on the grounds. However, you can’t do any of this things with a 3 year old sleeping in a stroller that can’t go in the tower or be rolled on the immaculate marble floors - we will have to come back and see those parts

We continued our walk and found ourselves at another classic Copenhagen site, Nyhavn. This port was constructed by King Christian V in the late 17th century. The brightly coloured townhouses date back to the 17th and 18 centuries and are still used as homes today. The walking street below is Copenhagen’s iconic entertainment spot hosting many bars, restaurants, and cafes that are always packed. The whole area has been known throughout the decades as a place for entertainment. The famous children’s book author, Hans Christian Anderson, lived in Nyhavn for 18 years at #67 where there is a memorial to this day.

We continued our stroll down the walkways and were enamoured with the sights.

Eventually we made it back to the hotel, got checked in and then headed back out for a nice dinner at a popular dim sum spot that is regularly packed.

Day 2

Bike Everywhere

Most things in Copenhagen don’t open until 10 or 11 in the morning. Typically we like to get after the day earlier than that. Luckily breakfast at the hotel started at 7:30 and there were 2 really cool kids playrooms open all the time. One of the playrooms even had an Easter Egg Hunt that Logan took part in and got a chocolate stuffed bunny who would join us on the rest of our outings for the rest of the weekend.

Doreen really wanted to bike around the city and Saturday seemed like the perfect day to do it. There is a huge biking community in Copenhagen. Whatever stereo type you think of when you think Scandinavian bicyclist you nailed it. People bike everywhere and the reason is because it’s super easy and a lot of fucking fun. Chad got stuck with as teenage girls bike for the day and still had a blast. The only downside was that it was cold, really really cold. The brief sun from the day before was gone and not to return. We were not to be stopped. Chad kept muttering the phrase “It was a bitter cold day in Cooo-peeen-haaaa-gen” in his best Danish pirate voice.

Off we went, first to the famous mermaid statue and then to watch the changing of the guard. However, along the way we needed to make a pit stop so Chad could get some gloves that said Copenhagen all over them. The bike gloves he brought were not enough warmth and the only open store along the way was called Copenhagen Souvenirs. 100 Krone later [about $15] and Chad had a pair of super well made, designer gloves that are walking billboards for the city - didn't look touristy at all. 

On the plus side, the shop was right next to Amalienborg and a wonderful view of the Opera house on the opposite side. Amalienborg is where the Danish Royal Family live while in Copenhagen and in addition to it’s beauty, the Copenhagen Opera House is world renowned for it’s performances. Fun fact, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series also takes place there (Learn More - we wanted to and we were rewarded).

After our pit stop we made it to the famous mermaid statue. This statue was commissioned by Carl Jacobson, son of the founder of Carlsberg Brewing, in 1909 after he saw the ballet about the fairytale in Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre.

As it was cold, we quickly moved on after a few pictures and a family selfie. Next stop was to observe the changing of the guard. We biked for a short bit and arrived at the Rosenberg Castle where the guard assembles and got to observe them drilling, eventually making the march out of the gate, down the city streets, and to Amalienborg palace. When the queen is in residence the Royal Guards Band accompanies the precession - she was not in residence on this Saturday.

We didn’t make it all the way to the palace because Logan was getting unbearably cold. We needed to pull off from the procession (which we were bicycling along with) and head in for some needed warmth. We took advantage of the downtime to plan our next move - lunch. We had such a great time at the food market the day before that when Doreen remembered she had read about a second, bigger food market we knew we had to go.

This place did not disappoint. Built primarily out of glass, and at the foot of an old church, this building was primed for a scenic lunch event. Each stand was unique in what they offered and we wanted to try/buy something from all of them. There were wine purveyors, Danish kitchen utensil kiosks, food, and beverage stands. We couldn’t take all of it nor could we eat all of it so we settled with some pictures, some seasonings (Chad has been looking for some nordic sea salt for over a year), and an authentic fried fish dish with remoulade to fuel our peddling engines.

Last destination on the tour for the day was Christiania. This little neighbourhood was found in the 17th century by Christian IV. It was originally laid out for privileged merchants but soon became a diverse area of the city. In the 1970s it was famous for having a bohemian culture and today it’s the only place you can by pot in the city legally. Rules don’t apply to this area - there are even signs on the way out that welcome you back to the EU. Pictures are strictly forbidden once in the heart of the cannabis kiosks. It was strange to be back in an environment where cannabis is treated so illegal and secretive. Chad bought a Pineapple pre-roll - it wasn’t good and laced with tobacco.

On our way back to the hotel Doreen hadn’t had enough of the bikes so we stopped at the Mall of Copenhagen to see what that was all about. After walking around a bit we headed back, rested up and then went for a nice dinner at War Pigs - the local BBQ spot. We got to ride the bikes to dinner - Doreen was really excited.

Day 3

Tivoli Gardens

Easter Sunday was all about Tivoli Gardens and introducing Logan to the fun of an amusement park. In the morning we took a walk back down Vestergade to Rundetaarn [The Round Tower]. It’s one of the few towers that Logan can climb because it’s all ramp with very few stairs and also has some great views of the city from the top. Rundetaarn was another project of King Christian IV in the 17th century. The Tower was first built as a celestial observatory and still houses a telescope today. The stair-less, or equestrian, design was done so that a horse and carriage could deliver and transport books from the adjacent library the tower is attached to, as-well-as carry heavy astrological equipment to and from the top of the tower. The tower has also been known to host horse races to the top for best time. The view from the top was awesome!

After we took in the view we headed to Tivoli Gardens for an afternoon of fun. Tivoli is the second oldest amusement park in the world (the oldest is also in Denmark) and it hasn’t gone out of style. We rode the iconic Ferris wheel, walked around the grounds, rode the merry-go-round, played in the arcade, and checked out the kids playground (the play ground is purposely slanted and disjointed to help kids practice their balance, climbing, and adventurous sprit).

On the way out we spotted a little Danish cafe that was having a happy hour. We couldn’t help but find our way upstairs for a drink and to take in the beauty of the park. The view of the park though the old constructed clear glass exposing the grounds from above was an incredible brief escape from the cold.

With a full day behind us we headed back to the hotel for some downtime before dinner. For our last evening in the city we knew we had to try a famous Danish Hotdog. We headed to John’s Hotdog Deli and we were not disappointed. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was awesome and we had a great time as a family. We commented that this place could be opened in San Francisco. They could keep it the exact same, even charging people in Krone for nostalgia (credit cards automatically calculate currency exchange) and the place will sell out all day every day.

Day 4

Easter Monday

Easter Monday was kept casual. We ate a leisurely breakfast, played in the kids room at the hotel and then casually made our way to the Airport. Our first European excursion since moving here was over. We were sad because we had such a great time but grateful for the experience. It was a little strange to be flying “home” to Berlin but that’s home now and we’re digging it. Door-to-door (hotel to our flat) was 3 hours. We enjoyed the rest of the Easter Monday holiday at home planning our next adventure to Prague in 6 weeks.

Until next time,

The McNeills