Hans Christian Anderson walk

My class just took a little walking tour around the old part of the city...it is so cute. ochre buildings, squished little houses in "backyards" and buildings without corners, to provide faster passage for the horse drawn fire squad carts. we saw the old prison yard and the silver shop which used to be the pawn shop, underwater statues of the mythical merman and his human wife and their seven children, and a statue of a robust country fishmonger lady next to whom a real life lady in old fashioned clothin was selling fish. lisa lotte, our teacher, bought some cod eggs. then we had coffee in a cafe where hc anderson and kirkegaard used to hang out, along with other artists of the time.

now, off to have some shawarma and go to the art museum!!!

Copenhagen "Elements" Haiku

the wind

bearhug from behind
lifts me forward on my toes
stills and i fall, blown

the rain

pins into my skin
keeps me as a memory
burrows in my pores

the sun

awakes in eyelids
solar solace under gray
moody as a child

fooooooooood in copenhagen

my tummy is happy in copenhagen. after all, being a cook, food is my life and it is practically impossible for me to not find the best food no matter where i go. on sunday night, my lovely roommate mia cooked an interesting stirfry seasoned with basil and herbs de provence, not a spice blend i would have chosen but i can appreciate danish interpretations of international classics. it was real cute when a couple nights later she offered me some ketchup for my spaghetti.

it took about four trips to various grocery stores to find most of my staples. it took some searching, but i did find some balsamic vinegar for my salads. i made dinner for mia the other night and she loved my homemade balsamic dressing; she'd never heard of using a vinaigrette on a salad.

i've been hearing rumors of greengrocers who carry exotic spices and cheaper produce. it's my new mission to seek one out and make some bangin' indian food.

i was quite impressed with the quality of the fransk hotdog at 711. given, i was starving at the time and hunger is the best spice, but the sausage had a nice bite to it and more depth in flavor than the typical american hotdog. i LOVE the remoulade! it seems that most danes arent aware that remoulade is actually a french sauce.

i'm still working my way through the list of danish favorites. i've tried karry sild - a bit slimy but overall delicious; buhlbrød (spelling?), the heavy, dark wholegrain bread which is really delicious, filling and healthy and i've been having smøresbrød for lunch every day.

so far, adapting to the danish way of dining has been a tasty and relatively seamless transition. can't effing wait to try it all!