<--- The funny thing is that Alex and I met in Solvang, California...and now here we are in Scandinavia nostalgic and happy to remember that fateful day. Just lucky enough to be invited to Denmark, we traveled the 3 flights and 24 hours of travel time to get there...with a big smile on our face and some

killer jet lag.

after sleeping most of our 10 hour flight in fully reclined business class seats (the amazing Lufthansa overbooked the flight and bumped us up), alex and i made it to Frankfurt. we walked about the city for $50 (13 Euros train, 5 Euros cafe experience, and extra on the pretzel and drink). i have not felt as relaxed in as long as i can remember as i did sitting with alex on the street side of the cafe watching futbol lovers trek by in matching shirts and team scarves singing loudly with beer in hand. the architecture was quite beautiful and felt of history. alex said it reminded him of being in spain. the fashion: casual-converse, rolled up denim pant legs, and tees. not a lot of tank tops in the area. i feel like everyone steals a glance at my shoulders as we pass.

<--we shared a train car with ALL of these sweaty people. talk about an experience!
i wasn't expecting as much diversity, but people attempted to speak German and Danish to us without a second thought.




and then we were in Arhus.
2nd largest city in Denmark, vibrant, young, and pulsing with an energetic beat.

(pronounced Ooooohus quickly. i'm still getting the hang of it. i sound like i'm saying "Our House" and that clearly isn't correct).





we stayed at the Hotel Royal, equipped with a casino (3 rooms, fancy, but definitely not vegas). at the top floor, our junior suite was posh. the shower had 3 options! we had a bathtub, a bidet, a living room, two flat screen tvs, an amazing stained glass window, paintings of all of the viking kings, a super old world look and feel, heavy keys that hung behind the concierge, AND a buffet breakfast to die for: amazing bacon that made alex nearly cry, swedish pancakes, lox, rye bread, soft boiled eggs, juices, coffee and Danishes. i grew up on Entenmann's. if only my parents had known about a true Danish, the soft pastry puff with sweet apple filling. i'm sure this hotel brand was the Danish version of an Entenmann's danish, but is was incredibly tasty! right down to the light pecan sprinkles! yum yum yum!

we learned a couple of foodie things from the Lonely Planet: Denmark book.
Danes take pride in quality coffee and rye bread was their secret weapon to staying fit.we'd be sure to have plenty!. we were also by the sea...it couldn't hurt to have the seafood.




we also made sure to check out the ceramics. Danes have a history of amazing pottery. i am definitely inspired this semester! i started studio saturday and am looking forward to glazing my pots in a similar vein. this window front was particularly intriguing to me as my style very much reflects this gallery's interest in well crafted pots that expose the potter's hand as well...that subtle crease that shows the humanness of a wheel thrown piece.







the street art was special...from their colors to their line work. it was art...



<--these local kids get paid to think up art projects/happenings improv everywhere style. google: frontlxberne.dk
pronounced-- frontlueberne but that "ue" sound is crazy hard for americans!



i read about frescoes in art history and in painting classes, but this was pretty remarkable to be able to touch a fresco from the 1400s. their stone reliefs (mostly tombs marking bishops passed) were so beautifully crafted, and the iconography was a trip to witness. the history of Catholicism according to Danes. the cathedral was dramatically tall complete with the gold tabernacle and alter. it didn't necessarily feel sacred inside, but there were the eery smells and feeling attached to this mausoleum of sorts.


and take extra care to notice the color of the patina-d roof. it is so gorgeous!



My favorite experience in Arhus was clearly dinner at Svineriet. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...the premiere and most epensive meal anywhere in Arhus. As budding foodies, we found our match in this city. To start, Alex had a beer from a small Danish brewery, similar to New Castle in flavor, yeasty and fermented after bottling 300 bottles. i had a crisp white wine. Smoked chicken on fig was served. THEN: cauliflower risotto and scallop in burnt butter sauce, fried rabbit, engle fish in steamed milk froth, chantarelles (i LOVE the Danes for their mushrooms!!), in hollandaise sauce (H-E-A-V-E-N)! Veal (tenderloin, breast, leg, sweet bread fried (tasted like chicken) and liver (ew) which we tried much to our dismay.)) with parsnip and carrots and rosehip with truffle (yummy nuttyness) in mustard/celery/rosehip on the side. Then the premiere Danish dessert molested---berries and cream in the form of panecotta perfectly light and not slimey, with rosehip, plum and strawberries stewed with basil sorbet and carmelized lemon zest, pistachio nut flake....OH MY GOD! To top it off, handmade truffles: a chocolate ganache that took a half hour to suck through it was so caramel-y, a white chocolate with figgy filling, and a dark chocolate truffle with peach liquor.

we ended a perfect evening with a long bath.



here we are at cafe svej on the waterfront, tired but so happy enjoying a beer, some wine, and a little bit of berries and cream.





at cafe casablanca just up the street from the hotel, sharing a tasty thick burger, a beer, and a latte. i'd have a cigarette if i smoked...it was the ideal cafe experience in europe...enjoying the company of lovers and the gentle danish breeze. it was perfect.





we took a train from Arhus to Copenhagen and saw through the rain the beauty of Denmark's countryside.

apparently, conservatives populate the rural cities, so we were happy to see it from the tracks.





Copenhagen was voted #1 for being a city most designed for life...with content and happy residents, a love for biking, a high profile for design, and the interest to work for life. they invest in a high quality of life.




the rain kept us from taking more pictures. but we did a walking tour of the palace, the opera house, the king's palace, the fort, the shopping site, the side streets...everything was so old architecturally, but the fashions were trendy, everyone wore scarves, and shop windows were riddled with gorgeous clean designs from chairs to dishware. everything viewed was functional and embodied clean line work.

there was a fort we walked through that reminded me of Frontier Land at Disneyland.

Era Ora, a Michelin starred restaurant, was the absolute highlight of our trip. please take a closer look at the menu. wine pairings with 15+ gourmet plates, 3 of which were main courses, it was incredible.

(that's me getting ready for our date. all of the wine kept us from taking pictures. we were too overcome by the immense flavor bursts circulating in our mouth to be bothered by snap shots. though i wish we had taken a picture of our dishes, the wait staff, and the patron dressed like pink panther)...


here's a hodge podge of images....
some sky line views of the city, us at the beach, more dining experiences, fatigue evidently creeping in, enjoying coffee in the countryside, amongst our friends, exploring the city streets, and alex in a tank (check out those guns!). this is our Denmark in a nutshell.

a couple of things we heard a lot of:
"Taak" -- thank you
and
"why Arhus for your holiday"??!?!!

well...it's a long story...






happy and very much in love