Farvel til København

Maybe it's fitting that it's Spring, the days are getting brighter, and I have an itch to sort through my ever-dwindling collection of possessions and do a tidy and a clean up. It's been obvious to me for months, since Leo finally handed in his notice and moved, that our life in Copenhagen had reached a natural climax. That being said, I dawdled for months and months and always tried to picture myself going back there to live. 

But naturally, our time in Copenhagen has reached it's conclusion and Leo has in fact moved back to Dublin, while I have an excruciating 1.5 years of PhD left before I can join him (don't get me wrong, I am overjoyed to be doing the PhD, but I am so tired of living in a temporary-home). I've just returned to Durham from Copenhagen, where we finally (FINALLY!!!) packed up all our kitchen stuff, Leo's dozens of work shirts, boxes of cards and letters and memories, and the furniture. 

We spent those last few days catching up with lovely people we might not see for a while, doing a bit of shopping (I lost a scarf this winter that was my favourite one, and needed a replacement), sitting in the same cafe for hours on end, and spending our last night in a Jazz-filled bodega, from which my clothes ended up smelling like an ash tray. 

It was a surreal few days and they went by far too quickly. Now it's back to work, and back to Ireland as well for Easter. It was lovely to live in Copenhagen, and our apartment was cosy and full of fond memories. But sometimes things just come to an end, and that's quite alright. It's onwards to bigger and bolder things, and the most important thing is that Leo and I are journeying together.

New Years Eve in Copenhagen

I had probably the best New Years of my life this year. You know how New Year is usually a massive let down? Yeah, totally. This year, however, was just perfect. Dinner made with care by wonderful people, games, my first ever sips of Jagermeister,  champagne, fireworks, New Years hugs, TIRAMASU, music and living room warmth. It was just the perfect amount of everything.

 

And...this guy. The only person I'd ever want to start this year with.

summer's end

We're in the final weeks of summer over here. Flip flops every day is no longer a sufficient footwear choice, and we've had a few rainy/stormy days lately. Since I'm finished up at my job I'm supposed to be productive; preparing for my studies, 2 proposals, holidays, all that stuff. 

But I've been fairly lazy, if I'm being honest. I've been pottering around at home cleaning, doing laundry, making essential oil with my new lemon balm plant (!), entertaining guests, reading my Paul Krugman book (the closest relation to 'work' right now) cooking, and generally doing things not taxing on the brain. I also spent a good few hours cleaning up the computer, and sorting all 19,000 pictures into appropriate folders. Good grief.

Today is Leaving Cert Results day for all the school leavers in Ireland, and I'm thanking my lucky stars those days are long behind me (7 years!) because boy, was that a stressful experience. All the anxiety, stress and strain of it, just to be told you either get into a course or don't. From there it all starts at a blank page again. Conjugating irregular verbs and solving for x aren't much use for most of us in the real world.

Leo has managed to get his hands on a sourdough starter from a colleague in work, so later today we are making sourdough, blancmange, and some tasty Autumnal dish from the Irish cook book I picked up at the library. Our evenings are filled with swims in the sea, watching a Cold War documentary, and drinking a lot of tea, both breakfast and lemon balm. Life, it's pretty good.

 

sunday

Working on a weekend is not something I enjoy. Working in sweltering heat in a non-breathable outfit that literally renders you invisible to those around you (hashtag housekeeping) is something I enjoy even less.

 This is what my Sunday looked like. Are you depressed yet?

Caramel frogurt as I waited for a delayed metro

Not one to wallow, I induled myself in some frogurt, and then bought two pastries and a packet of crisps, because if ever there's an excuse for junk food, it's after working on a Sunday and the train home is delayed.

When I got home we went for a swim in the sea. We are so lucky to live right beside Kastrup harbour, with the Øresund Bron right there in front of us. As a Bron | Broen afficionado, you better believe I am loving that fact. 

The water was so beautiful. Leo assures me it was perfectly warm, but I held back. Just jumping into large bodies of water is not something I am comfortable with. After a full 10 minutes of humming and hawing, I just did it. Completely worth it. There were some nudist enthusiasts bathing nearby. I am going to miss this free-spiritedness. It seems so silly, the rules we force ourselves to conform to. 

After the swim I felt completely invigorated and refreshed. We watched Milk (having read up on Harvey Milk lately it seemed like a must) and then spent the night looking out at the thunder storm lighting up the sky. And it hasn't stopped raining since. Since it's my day off, I really don't mind. 

byens bedste kage

A cafe we sometimes go to sells cheesecake that has won the accolade of 'Byens Bedste Kage' (best cake in town). Here's the article (in Danish). Last Friday before a Midsommer BBQ (of which Leo took no pictures), we stopped at this cafe for book reading and some coffee. 

chronic Bitch Face

 

Now, we didn't actually have any of the cake, they were 50kr (nearly €7 a slice) and for something that is only going to give you a sugar-induced stomach ache, it didn't seem worth it. They were pretty to sit near, though.  

Then we went and had many (many) rød pølse and got stomach aches anyway. It was fun. A Mexican guy made cocktails in an old olive jar! He brought everything, box of ice, 2 kinds of basic, bottle of liquor, sugar, it was so intense. It was a fun night.

sunday roadtrip to møns klint

Last week we went on a small roadtrip to Møns Klint, or Møns chalk cliffs which are on the island of Møns in South Sjaelland. Leo is a member of a rental company called Let's Go so we rented a little red VW UP (the best, tiniest, most agile car I've ever driven!) and made our way south on the motorway.

I was a little disappointed once we got there. An ugly money-spinning tourist centre marred the landscape, selling tacky gift shop items and expensive canteen food. I understand local job creation is a necessity and from that point of view the centre's creation is a no-brainer, but to my mind it reaked of an Office of Public Works-style operation, and if there's one thing Ireland does well, it's tacky tourist centres. 

That being said, we made the most of it, and the views from the cliffs were absolutely spectacular. Clear blue waters, chalky whiteness, steep drops. It was definitely worth the drive, and the island itself is beautiful, as we discovered afterwards.

I warn you, there are a lot of pictures coming up!

new start

I am pretty excited, I have finally gotten myself a little job, which means I can continue with my life as normal, while working part-time and earning some money. It's only a start, but one I am very grateful for.

My final Airbnb guests for a couple of weeks left this morning, so I have been cleaning the whole apartment to make it like new, ironing shirts, and drinking coffee with cream and milk (half and half does not exist in Europe, although it should, so this is the best I can do). 

I have to go do a Danish test later, so I have to spend the afternoon studying the past tense and vocabulary about liking/not liking various foods. Riveting.

Did you know, they've uncovered some new evidence which suggests that Stonehenge was built by an ancient people who inhabited the area. 

Here's the cutest ad campaign to highlight pickpocketing in Copenhagen (don't really see the need for this, especially the Danish language version, I'm fairly sure only the most obvious of tourists get pick pocketed). And a tiny clothes peg!

busy busy busy!

I've been 'job seeking' in Denmark for a while now, and it's funny how, while being technically unemployed, you can still be overwhelmed with work, tasks, classes etc. I'm one that likes to keep busy, for sure, but seriously, I don't know where all the tasks keep coming from!

I'm using Airbnb a lot lately, and that is keeping me incredibly busy. All the back and forth emails, room preparation, talking to guests etc. takes a lot of time. It's very satisfying to have a small independent source of income, and I also LOVE being a great host, but man is it ever a job and a half.

On the plus side, my female guests just disposed of the coffee grounds down the toilet and polished up the pot like I do afterwards. Sometimes innate female capacities for knowing the considerate thing to do make me so happy.

What with interview preparation, job hunting, bed sheet and towel washing (it. is. constant) 8km cycles to and from town, distractingly sunny days and the endless Danish homework, I have been oh so very busy.

I'm also beginning a dance class tonight, and will hopefully be teaching Leo how to sing. 

But, hey, this just came in the post, wrapped in a burlap sack:

I am so very happy now!

Making Leftovers Delicious

I'm an incredibly thrifty person (no, really, you have no idea) and always stretch my ingredients to the very nth. Last week I got a delicious big tuna steak (about 200g) from a fish stall in Christianshavn. After getting a delicious meal out of it, we carefully wrapped the remains in tinfoil and stored them in the fridge. The steak cost 105kr (ouch, hi Denmark) but by the time we got all we could out of it, it had cost only a couple of kr per portion, much better.

The next day I didn't feel like cooking very much, so I got a bag of spinach and cooked noodles and pan-friend garlic and onions. I also wilted some spinach and made a stock quickly using a stock cube (no freezer means no stock stashing opportunities), added the tuna and garlic/onion to the pot and used a lot of seasonings, including liberal amounts of salt, pepper, a mixed seasoning from Leo's mom (cayenne pepper, oregano, and other things, sesame oil (the taste is delicious) and chilli and paprika. We also added a lot of seaweed flakes (I had wanted a miso soup originally, but settled for this addition instead to add some umami taste). It also looks like there is carrot in there, but I honestly have no memory of having carrots in my house that week, so I've no idea what it is! Mystery ingredient.

I actually ended up making so much of this broth that I had to throw out one portion, because, after not eating at home for a few days, I was afraid the tuna hadn't kept. But we got 5 portions out of it! For the 5th portion I just watered it down and boiled it up again, adding more sesame oil for tasting. Just as good for lunch the next day.

It took less than half an hour to make, and most of that was just boiling and waiting time. Delicious and filling.

A little feel of Denmark from a legend

I have been a huge fan of A Prairie Home Companion since childhood. The radio show was played on Saturday mornings on an Irish station, and my dad and I would listen, laugh, and sing along as I went about my Saturday extra curriculars; first gymnastics, then on to drama and ballet (I was a busy child). Garrison Keillor's warm voice is reminiscent for me of the safety net of childhood, of car rides on Saturdays, of that pre-adolescent security, when the world briefly made sense.

I had a Canadian guest staying last week, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out we were both familiar with the wonderful world of Lake Woebegone, 'where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."

Even better than that, he told me about an excellent article written by Garrison Keillor from National Geographic, available on his website here. The article itself is from 1998, but all of his comments about Copenhagen and Denmark more generally are still so relevant. A wonderful, heartfelt piece of writing by someone who really understands and admires Denmark, which is funny and eternally true for a foreigner living here.

Please read it, I cannot recommend it enough! It may even bring a tear to your eye, if you are one who is as sentimental as I am.

While you're at it, if you're not familiar with A Prairie Home Companion, spend some time on the website listening to stories and songs about "the little town that time forgot, and the decades cannot improve."  The humour and sensibilities of a fake Midwestern town have never been so entertaining.

• Garrison Keillor National Geographic Article
• A Prairie Home Companion Website
• The Wiki about the show

the view from here

Looking Back | London

 

Before leaving London we lived in the East End, Wapping to be exact. Cobbled streets and wrought iron fences, this cosy little village is a well kept secret minute away from the towering monsters of Canary Wharf, London Bridge and Liverpool Street.

Our apartment overlooked the Thames, and we could see Tower Bridge from our window. It was really something special. The Overground or Tube was our transport of choice, with bikes for getting around the local area (cycling in London means putting your life in the hands of crazed lunatics).

Moving Forward | Copenhagen

 

Two accommodation moves later and we're finally in an apartment of our own in Copenhagen. Cosy, and well lit, I think this is as good as it gets. We cycle absolutely everywhere now, even in the rain (which is constant). The skyline is a lot lower, a lot more yellow-washed walls and brown roofs. I think it is perfect.

things i witnessed yesterday

Copenhagen can be a really quirky place when the sun comes out.

• An old man on a motorised wheelchair tearing up the path with a parakeet on his shoulder.
• An elderly lady, impeccably dressed, wearing a pair of Louboutins (the red soled, inappropriately high shoes usually the domain of fashion savvy young things).
• A young guy with knee high patent leather boots, smoking a joint that smelt vaguely of bacon.

 This was all in the space of 10 minutes. I don't know what to do with this information. I'll just leave it right here.

a long break

I haven't written anything substantial in a long time, this is true. However, I have a legitimate reason! The sunshine, Easter holidays, a trip to an organic pig farm and a whole lot of flute playing. All this stuff kind of got in the way.

I've been getting back into trad music, so for the first time in a  long time (really, about a decade) I'm playing at sessions and practicing a lot in my free time, trying to expand my repertoire. A trad musician is only as good as his repertoire, and, while my technical skills are pretty good (an outstanding teacher in the form of a neighbour who happens to be an internationally renowned Irish musician), boy have I missed out on ten years of tune accumulation. And it shows. I'm there rocking all the tunes of days gone by, many of which were not even popular in Ireland, let alone Denmark, and folk music does in fact evolve, however slightly.

But I'm trying my best, stealthily recording as many tunes as I can to greedily devour later. My trust flute, absolutely rudimentary in design, sounds as beautiful and reliable as it did when it was purchased for me age 12/13. It's still as sleek and black, the tone still as consistent, and I'm still unable to deviate from G and D Major without some serious finger bending.

Music is a fantastic thing. And playing the music yourself really heightens already thriving emotions. I've been so happy since I started going to a pub on a Friday evening, to have endless bottles of Coke poured into me and play the tunes of my youth.

 

I don't actually own this photo, it belongs to Martin, a wonderful man from Northern Ireland that places an impressive range of percussive instruments. Needless to say I'm the only female in the shot, with flute in hand.

I'll write a bit more on the last couple of weeks shortly, but for now it's off to the local Kommune to register to vote in May (grumble grumble Representative Democracy is inadequate grumble), and then it's back to Danish class. I think I have forgotten all my Danish words.

Have a great day, internet!