Photo Friday: Copenhagen, Denmark

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SVV and I are in the throes of a quadruple back-up of our seven computers (yes, excessive), and in the process I came across a few random (low-res) Copenhagen files each of us took with our point-and-shoots when we lived over in Denmark that I hadn’t seen, well, since we lived in Denmark.

It’s such a shame we weren’t able to spend more time in what I consider one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan capitals. We lived just a three-hour train ride away on the Jutland Peninsula, in the second biggest city of Aarhus, but if you’ve never been to Denmark, you would have been blown away by the exorbitant prices. When we lived there, it was something like $90 to take the train to Copenhagen—each way. Given that SVV and I were students sharing a nine-square-meter, top-floor room with slanted ceilings, we hardly had that kind of excess money just lying around.

And so, I really only went to Copenhagen three times: two long weekends for class projects and one week at the end of my stay to visit my bestie Megan from Tennessee, who had gotten a job there for the summer.

That year was a particularly cold, harsh, tempestuous year in Denmark. The skies pretty much looked like this for six months straight, which in my opinion only served to further enhance the city’s haunting beauty.

The Danes are known for many things, but design and architecture are at the top of that list. I won’t claim to know the first thing about either (despite my days working at a fashion magazine, heh), but I will say I find the aesthetic of the houses and churches, monuments and government buildings quite pleasing.

Furthermore, many of Copenhagen’s roofs are an odd mint green hue you don’t often see on buildings in other cities due to the copper used to make them. I can imagine that must create a pretty interesting aerial view.

SVV and I would brave the damp chill and ever-present drizzle to wander the slick city streets with our classmates and even dared to venture over into Christiania, an autonomous neighborhood (or commune) that’s akin to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district on meth.

I went back with Megan later that summer when the sun was out and the sky was clear, and it was a different experience entirely (i.e. not nearly as eerie, save the slightly jarring and Satanic graffiti).

This was also during my “trial period” with SVV—i.e. we were living together by fate as “friends,” yet I was still trying to win him over with my Southern charm much to his futile resistance—so I have fond memories of late night flirtations in dimly lit bars.

I even burst into flames, quite literally, in one such dive bar while we were out on the town in Copenhagen with a handful of (male) friends, playing a game of dice that is a popular bar tradition in Copenhagen. The pills of my Gap sweater were to blame, and as blue-hot fires danced up my arm and visions of my hair (which never saw a hair dryer that year and, thus, was often tempered by flammable gel) going up in a puff of smoke raced through my mind. The boys, of course, had one solution: “QUICK! TAKE OFF YOUR SWEATER!” And so I did, and the fire was put out and my hair was saved and my sweater came out unscathed. (Only my pride was singed.)

Kristin Luna: The Girl Who Caught Fire. Katniss Everdeen’s got nothing on me.

*We used crap Olympus and Nikon point and shoots back then. Now when my DSLR isn’t convenient, I keep a Canon G11 in my purse and a Canon Powershot 780 in my ski pants’ pocket.

**For moreΒ Photo Friday fun, visitΒ Delicious Baby.

COMMENTS
  • February 17, 2011

    so many dark pictures πŸ™ copenhagen was always sunny when i go there (went there for 3 times, during fall and winter this year).
    Train Tickets from Aarhus to copenhagen have become much cheaper, because the Danish train company DSB offers “the wild card” which gives students a discount for up to 50% on the regular ticket price. I have to say, travelling by train in Denmark is cheaper than travelling by train in Germany!! And the Danish trains are so much nicer, it’s like travelling first class. Everyone has a big seat, a plug, there’s wifi and there are different sections in the train, such as “family” or “silent section” πŸ™‚ I looove taking the train in denmark πŸ™‚

    • February 17, 2011
      Kristin

      They had the DSB card back then, too, but for some reason we didn’t qualify. I think maybe because we weren’t EU citizens? Some sort of loophole like that. I agree that Danish trains are super nice (though I think they are very luxe in Germany and Holland, too–we have NOTHING like that here in the US! I wish).

      I loved living in Denmark, despite seven straight months of unfavorable weather (then one month of sun before it was time to go home). I can only imagine how much more I would have loved it had the weather been pleasant. I still think that dreariness added to its charm!

      • February 18, 2011

        yes, i know… the weather can sometimes make u feel so depressive.. i was there last night ;), so i stayed in and watched “julie and julia”. but now i just woke up and the sun came out and everything is good again. i am leaving denmark in 5 days and i canΓ„t wait to see the sun again. sydney is calling!!

        but aarhus looks sunny right now. I’m going to take my bike to the library, it’s 5cm of snow outside but people are biking, so why should i not?

        oh and about the dsb… not as if it would be relevant, but i think it’s only valid untill the age of 24 πŸ˜‰

        have a good day!

        • February 19, 2011
          Kristin

          Yes! That was what it was–one of us didn’t qualify age-wise, not by a long shot πŸ˜‰

          Hope you have a fabulous rest of your trip in DK!

    • February 23, 2011

      If you would like to find some cheap flights to Denmark from a danish flight comparison site, go to http://www.travelmarket.com and see how cheap it is..

  • February 18, 2011
    Katie

    AHH I would recognize the graffiti walls of Moose bar anywhere! So fantastic! I studied abroad in Copenhagen for a semester, and loovveeddd it. I can’t wait to go back!

    • February 18, 2011
      Kristin

      That’s hilarious! I couldn’t even tell you any of the places where we ate or drank while there–I don’t even remember our “regular” spots in Aarhus–so I’m glad someone knows at least =)

  • February 18, 2011

    I know I haven’t been reading all that long, but from what I’ve seen, it just seems like of COURSE you would end up catching on fire somehow.

    I have recently become somewhat obsessed with Copenhagen for no particular reason and really want to go there for a few days when we’re in England at the end of the year. This post is not helping to dissuade me.

    • February 18, 2011
      Kristin

      You’re totally right, if anyone were to catch on fire, it would be me. Catastrophe follows me =)

      You should totally hop over to Copenhagen for a few days! It’s just a cheap, hour-and-a-half flight from London!

  • February 18, 2011

    been a long time since I’ve ben to Denmark — in the moody days of winter then for me, too. enjoying the photos and the stories, thanks….

  • February 18, 2011

    These shots really capture something special…so dreamy and pensive. Makes me want to visit during the dark, cold months!

  • February 18, 2011

    I love this post! Don’t know how you got your bad weather photos to still look so colorful!

    • February 18, 2011
      Kristin

      One word: Lightroom. Some of these I downloaded from my Flick from way back when and they’re really small files and super pixelated so I had to toy with them a bit so they didn’t look too awfully bad!

  • February 18, 2011

    Such a fun looking city. I’d love to visit. In fact, it’s on my second run list. (That is, first I have to visit Africa and possibly Thailand first!) Thanks for sharing the photos.

  • February 18, 2011

    I really like the photos – some of them have a cool grungy/artsy vibe going on. πŸ˜‰

  • February 18, 2011

    Gorgeous photos, as always. But I can’t get over the last line. I actually snorted soda out my nose on that one. πŸ˜‰

    xox

    • February 18, 2011
      Kristin

      Scott copy edits all my posts before they go live, and he said, “your pop culture reference is wrong!” And I said, “oh no it is not.” And he said, “you mean Lisbeth Salander, not Katniss Everdeen.” And I said, “boy, you can question me on a lot of things, but pop culture is NOT one of them.” It is he who has his literary trilogies mixed up. Lisbeth was “The Girl Who Played with Fire” while Katniss is “The Girl on Fire” and Kristin is “The Girl Who CAUGHT Fire (literally),” which means I trump the rest, right? =)

      • February 18, 2011

        Absolutley. Kristin: Winner Of Life and Pop Culture Literary References. SW: Not The Winner.

        xox

  • February 18, 2011

    Thank goodness your hair was saved! Great photos. 7 computers!?!

    • February 18, 2011
      Kristin

      Well, I work from home, you know, so they triple as work, leisure and travel computers. I have three Macs and an old Dell that I need to wipe the hard drive and donate. SVV has three. Our home office looks like a miniature computer store, ha!

  • February 18, 2011

    Wow, simply stunning photos. I was in Copenhagen for the second time last fall and loved it. My plan is go to back when the weather is warm. Loved the architecture, cool vibe, and food scene.

    • February 20, 2011
      Kristin

      It’s simply amazing in the summer months. What I found from living there if there was even a trace of sun out, the whole country would emerge and find an outdoor cafe to soak up the sun (kind of like San Francisco!). In June and July, when there’s 20+ hours of sunlight, all the Danes pretty much stay out from sun down to sun up, which is almost all day!

  • February 18, 2011

    These are great photos. I love the eerie one. It’s so… eerie!! πŸ™‚

  • February 18, 2011

    I love Copenhagen. What beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

  • February 18, 2011

    I do especially like the first B&W shot. I used to like shooting B&W film occasionally, so I really appreciate the option Lightroom gives me of making a shot B&W.
    Oh, and I love my Canon Powershot, too! Plenty of shots you might not get otherwise when you have one of those little guys with you πŸ™‚

    • February 19, 2011
      Kristin

      My sister just gave me a first generation Holga from the 70s to borrow, so now I’m shooting with film again at times and going though the hassle of getting it developed and all. Fun to revert back to the old ways, but I miss the instant gratification of digital!

      And yes, Lightroom is amazing. I’d love to take a class to learn all the odds and ends, as I feel like I only really use the most basic of tools and that there’s so much more I could do with it.

  • February 18, 2011

    Lovely! Thanks for bringing back our own happy memories there!

  • February 18, 2011

    Good to know you had the opportunity to visit Copenhagen.

  • February 22, 2011

    Aw man, beautiful pictures as always. I REALLY want to check out Copenhagen…some of my favorite tattooers live there.

  • February 24, 2011

    Excellent photos! Copenhagen is such a laid-back little charmer of a capital, isn’t it.

  • November 24, 2012

    Copenhagen is a fabulous city for a short break or longer stay – the restaurant scene is amazing right now and there are so many craft breweries with wonderful beer. Also it’s relatively cheap for Scandinavia (I said relatively) and you do feel you’re getting value for money.

  • June 2, 2013

    Haven’t been to Denmark in a while. Looking at your pictures make’s me want to go back. It’s one of my favorite places in Europe to travel.

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