The Saturday Update

Unbelievably, we are already in the last weekend of the holidays.  I don't know where the time has gone.

This week, we had our nice long weekend in Denmark - more still to come on that.  Since we got back we have mainly been relaxing and getting on top of the little jobs around the flat before next week.

We had a lovely day in Schneverdingen visiting Nico's family - and even the weather played along.

This morning, my wonderful husband repared my laptop which had given up the ghost again this week.  In a way it was nice to be without technology for a day or so but eventually I would have gone crazy - it's mad how dependent we become on these things.

Apart from that, it has been a very quiet week.  Next week, as well as being back at school, I have some more new recipes lined up as well as some craft projects and making a bit more progress on my Christmas preparations.  

P.S. a fun link

Project Life - Week 28

 It's all pictures this week with our adventures in Copenhagen.  I even added an extra insert again so that I could include more of the photos we took.

I'm really pleased with the finished spread, especially those last photos when the weather played along and really brought out some gorgeous colours.

Denmark! (Part 1)

Bremen station in the early hours

We set off to Denmark in the early hours of Thursday morning and it was a good job that we left plenty of time as our train was cancelled and we only just made the alternative connection via Flensburg, arriving in Copenhagen just thirty minutes later than planned, phew.

I had forgotten how much I loved travelling by train during my days as a student.  Relaxing with a good book and the view can't be beaten in my opinion.

With Dad, inspecting the kitchen

 We found our apartment through AirBnB and were very satisfied on the whole.  As you can see here, the flat wasn't big and it wasn't modern but that added to the trip and we had everything we needed there.

Enjoying a nice drink and good company

We spent most of the evenings playing cards, talking and reading.  It was nice to relax after all the walking!

We could see many similarities with Amsterdam

On Friday, we walked into the city and got used to the layout.  There are lots of canals and there is definitely a big city feel but Copenhagen is probably the smallest capital city I have visited, it was even easier than Amsterdam to get around on foot, and it is possible to hire bicycles.

Enjoying the walk despite the weather

 After a nice warming hot chocolate, we spent the morning in the National Museum.  Half of the museum has general exhibits and half is all about Danish history.  We went with the latter which was very interesting and enlightening - well worth the visit.  I picked up a couple of lovely souvenirs in the museum shop - always my favourite part.

The Stock Exchange and Government Buildings

 On our way to the museum we had unknowingly passed the government buildings of Denmark which are housed in a former palace.  As with many capitals, lots of the buildings were huge and almost overwhelming with a lot of history hidden in their walls.

Almost thought we were in Berlin!

 Throughout the city, we saw many sculptures.  Lots were inspired by Greek and Roman mythology - something I definitely want to read more into at some point.  We were surprised to see Victoria's Quadriga up there, which really reminded us of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.  Another sign of how European history is very intertwined.

Copenhaden Design School

After the museum, we wandered through the town past the town hall and shopping area and found a lovely Chinese restaurant for a well earned dinner.

Tivoli Theme Park

We saw Tivoli and it was amazing to watch the crazy rides from a distance and hear the screams of the people on them but it was a little expensive considering we wouldn't really have gone on many rides so we admired it from afar.  Definitely one to do for families though.

Copenhagen Town Hall

 After dinner, we walked back to the apartment over a different bridge to see more of the city.  We found a more modern and business like side to Copenhagen and found part of the university too.

The modern side of the harbour

While the weather didn't play along until the last day of our trip as you can see from the photos, we made the best of it and spent lots of time out and about, enjoying plenty of hot chocolate breaks in our walks.

Danish Restaurant

Above, you can see the Danish restaurant where we enjoyed dinner on our first night in the city.  I have to say, it is not easy to be gluten free in Denmark - everything comes with bread.  I had to order mine specially without but it was nice.

Our apartment

Above, you can see our apartment from the outside - yes, we were up there on the fifth floor with no lift!  It was in a lovely area though.  More on that and the rest of our trip coming up...

Recipe: Brazil Nut Korma

Ingredients:

•  Vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 crushed clove of garlic
• Curry powder
• 100g brazil nuts
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 small cauliflower
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 courgette

Instructions:

1.   Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic for five minutes.
2. Grind half of the brazil nuts and add to the pan, followed by the broccoli and cauliflower.
3. Add the coconut milk and spices to taste.  Allow to cook through on a low to medium heat for about ten minutes.
4. Add the courgette, simmer for another five to ten minutes until the courgette is softened.
5. Serve alone or with rice.

Currently...

...recovering from a busy weekend in Copenhagen.
...drinking lots of tea.
...preparing some excited craft projects for the rest of Autumn.
...starting to buy Christmas presents.
...reading in German again.
...relaxing before it's back to school next week.
...catching up with friends and family.
...snuggling with Nico and Pete.
...not setting the alarm.
...catching up on our favourite series.
...enjoying the peace.

Craft Corner: Toiletries Bag

I was so pleased with the Hobo Bag project from Tschibo that I went into their store last week to find something new and I was in luck as they had this matching Toiletries Bag. Once again, it was easy to follow with its multilingual instructions and easy to follow diagrams.  It took no time at all and I am really pleased with the outcome - just in time to take to Denmark!

 Here's the kit as it looked when I unpacked it all.

 First jobs were to add the piping and sew up the little strap.

 Then the bag was sewn together.  As with the Hobo Bag, I was really pleased with the inside details and the fact that the bag can stand up.

When the machine work was finished, all that remained was to add the final embellishments by hand.

Our Copenhagen Hit List

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One of my favourite things about visiting is a new city is the unexpected moments and sights that are long remembered.  That said, there are always some things that just have to be done.  Here are a few that I hope to be doing as you read this.

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This is an absolute must.  Not only was The Little Mermaid the first film I saw at the cinema but it's also, the only sight I knew about Copenhagen before researching this trip.  I've been told it's a little bit disappointing but I don't care - I have to see it.

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Tivoli is the oldest theme park in Europe from what I understand and the grounds look lovely too.  It was highly recommended by a colleague who loves the city.  Looking forward to exploring here if we get the weather we've been promised!

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Another colleague, and a Danish one at that, recommended that we take a boat tour of the harbour so we will definitely be trying to squeeze that in.  We loved our tour of Amsterdam by boat and I imagine this will be similar.

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Finally, we will be doing some climbing.  My Dad and I read the Steve Berry books and they are often set partly in Copenhagen.  One of them features a tower in the city centre.  We're not sure which one but we will definitely be looking out for it!