Day 2
After an amazing nights sleep, which I am sure was as a result of the combination of all the walking and bracing cold fresh air of the previous day, we woke up in our very white and stylish Airbnb apartment. Another great thing about Airbnb is there is no rushing everyone out of bed to make it on time for breakfast. We had picked up a few foodie bits and pieces the night before so the day started very relaxed with coffee, skyr with organic raspberries, blueberries and raw cashews, all consumed whilst the girls still slept.
The Round Tower
After leaving the apartment, this was the first place we discovered on our walk through the city. It is one of the best known and most popular structures in Denmark and the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.
We climbed to the top by following a white washed spiral walk way which passes the old library which is the forum for many exhibitions and concerts.
The platform that runs around the observatory at the top of the tower allows you to view so much of the city, especially the old Latin quarter.
Time for coffee
Minus degree temperatures again today meant it was always time for coffee, or a hot drink of some description. Denmark ranks amongst the top five coffee drinking nations in the world so unsurprisingly, Copenhagen is also well known for serving meticulously brewed, locally roasted, speciality coffee. So whether you are a classic black coffee drinker, straight from the pot or are more of a connoisseur and choose your coffee based on its aroma, taste or flavour, where it comes from or how it’s roasted, there is the perfect cup here for you to find, and you will certainly enjoy looking!
The coffee shops where many Copenhageners meet to chat and hang out with their friends are different than anywhere else somehow. The smell of the coffee and the pastries, the warmth from the flickering candles are a really cosy refuge from the cold outside. In many, magazines and books are available to browse through and the seats are way too comfortable to want to get up from and venture out into the cold. Oh so hygge! In fact rather than a pub crawl, a very pleasant day could be spent on a coffee crawl or a danish pastry crawl. Now, there’s an idea for my next visit.
There are too many coffee houses to mention but The Coffee Collective is probably the one with the best reputation. There are three locations in Copenhagen that all wish to provide you with an exceptional coffee experience by focusing on the entire process of the coffee making from the roasting to the preparation.
The Coffee Collective in the Torvehallerne food market was always buzzing (must be the coffee) and is open from 7am in the week and 8am on the weekends. The centrepiece is an expresso machine from the cult manufacturer Kees Ven De Western and this is the first place in the world to use it. I’m no expert on coffee, but that’s cool.
Shopping
Local Boutiques through to the biggest brands and designers, Copenhagen has it all and all within a short distance. For a capital city there seems to be a surprising number of small, owner run boutiques, organic food stores and high quality second hand shops. It has a really nice independent feel to it and a good mix of big shops, department stores and quirky stores.
The main shopping street is Stroget and just seems to go on and on. It’s really quite unique in that Gucci is next to Urban Outfitters which is next to a really expensive coat shop carrying a Danish Royal family warrant whose neighbouring shop is the one and only Topshop.
The two main department stores Illum and Magasin Du Nord both have the design ‘wow factor’ and are well stocked with everything from high street to pret a porter fashion, homeware, perfumes and food stores with plenty of places to eat. Don’t you just love it when you can buy a tin of baked beans and a £1000 designer dress in the same shop?!
It just happened to be lunchtime as we were browsing through Illum so opted for a really simple but filling and warming meal in Eatily. Lots of options for everyone and quick and efficient service
In Part 3 of our trip we explore the district of Christianshavn, walk past the house of Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen, drink more coffee and end up at the official residence of Queen Margarethe II and the Danish Royal family.