Daily Life Around Copenhagen...

Well we've been here in Copenhagen for nearly three weeks, and while we still aren't quite "locals", we are settling into daily life in the city.  We've done most of the top touristy things and are now just soaking up the atmosphere here.  The sun has finally come out after a couple weeks of rain.  The park just down the street, Kongens Have (The King's Garden), has been filled with groups of people picnicking, tanning, and just enjoying the weather.  It seems like the "thing to do" on any sunny afternoon.

Also in Kongens Have is a merionnette puppet show that runs every afternoon except Mondays.  The current show is titled "Det Vilde Vesten" (The Wild West) so of course we had to stick around to watch!  I would say it's only mildly offensive in its stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans.  I will make sure to look around for totem poles next time I am in Monument Valley, I must have missed them last time...

In several of the parks here we have seen these interesting pacifier trees.

I have never seen this in the U.S., but here it's a rite of passage.  When little ones have outgrown their pacifiers, their parents take them to one of the designated trees (there are several scattered in parks throughout the city) and they tie them to the branches in colorful bundles as a way of saying goodbye to that phase of childhood.  Such a sweet tradition, don't you think?

We have bus passes to help us get around the city, but for the most part we walk everywhere.  Occasionally we spot something, an interesting alley or gate for example, that we take a little detour to see more closely.  Here is an interior courtyard/parking lot that you wouldn't normally see unless you had driven through the gate to park your car.

It's so nice to have the time to wander and not be constantly rushing from one tourist attraction to the next.  We feel very lucky to be able to see the city at such a relaxed pace!

Have I mentioned how bike-friendly Copenhagen is?  Every street has a wide bike path, and people cycle through the city rain or shine.  Last Saturday, there were no less than four consecutive weddings happening in the Kongens Have park.  But even more surprising was the choice of "limo" for the bride and groom -- bicycles, of course!

There are also plenty of cars here in the city.  I've lost count of the number of Teslas driving around (there is actually a Tesla dealership one street over from us).  I would say most of the cars on the road look pretty fuel-efficient, but this one really took it to the next level.

We've also finally started to learn where the best food can be found.  Sankt Peders Bageri near the university is the oldest bakery in the city.  On Wednesdays -- and only on Wednesdays -- you can get a Onsdags Snegle (Wednesday Snail), which is a tasty cinnamon roll coated in sugar or icing.  They make about 4000 of them every Wednesday.

And since we're talking about food, we have continued to look for good smørrebrød.  We found a relatively good place a few blocks away.

Mmmm...pork and herring! The bread is hiding under there somewhere.

We ordered for takeaway and had a picnic on the pier.  We're not quite locals yet, but we're getting there...