Kuju - Blog

Tuesday, 9th December 2008 - London - Copenhagen: Late night feast

Every city has their staple late night food. In Sydney it's the kebab and in London it's the Brick Lane bagel and in Copenhagen, it's the humble hotdog. Scattered around Copenhagen, you won't have to walk far to stumble across a number of hotdog (pølser) stands serving the standard nation-wide pølser menu. When asking a Dane where to go for some local Danish food, don't be surprised if he answers "you could try a hotdog".

Late Night Feast, Copenhagen - November 2008

Monday, 1st December 2008 - 23:27pm London - Copenhagen: Smørrebrød

A typical Danish lunch is Smørrebrød which is essentially an open sandwich usually on rye bread with any number of toppings. A visit to Copenhagen is not complete without lunching at Copenhagen's most famous Smørrebrød restaurant, Ida Davidsen. The restaurant is located near Kongens Nytorv and booking ahead is highly advised. We arrived at 1pm without a booking and were told that there was no availability until 3 but after some sweet talking and convincing that we eat really fast, the waiter offered us a table for 30mins which we took. After securing a table, we went up to the counter where we were greeted by Ida herself who talked us through the Smørrebrød selection of the day which was on display. After making our selection we sat down and waited for our Smørrebrød to be freshly prepared by the kitchen. We each chose a fish Smørrebrød and a meat Smørrebrød as advised by Ida and each one was delicious.

After eating our Smørrebrød we were told that they had sorted things out and we were no longer on a 30 minute time limit and we could stay and enjoy a coffee and a dessert if we wish. We took them up on their offer and chose a dessert. While the rice pudding took a while to come out the waiter came over and apologised "While I've not forgotten about your dessert, unfortunately the chef has! It will be out soon!" Amused by this, we forgave him and our dessert was out in no time at all. The friendly family and honest approach to this restaurant definitely makes it worth a visit.

Restaurant Ida Davidsen
Store Kongensgade 70
DK-1264 Copenhagen K

Note:The restaurant is open Monday to Friday 10:30 to 16:00.

On this day...

It just so happens that my Sister and I chose to dine at Ida Davidsen's Restaurant on my Mother's Birthday and we found out that it's also Ida Davidsen's Birthday today aswell. Happy Birthday Mum and to Ida!

Sunday, 30th November - 22:05pm Copenhagen - Return to Copenhagen

The Lakes - Copenhagen, Denmark - July 2006

It's been two years since I lived in Copenhagen and I've been meaning to come back for a while now. All it took was my Sister to say she would be travelling to Copenhagen for a course and well I could hardly say no to family when they are only a few countries away. I was looking at a few of my old blog posts from when I lived in Copenhagen and it was definitely a trip down memory lane. I thought I would share a few of the highlights from my time here two years ago.

Farvel Copenhagen - I said I would be back some day to master the Danish trick of opening a beer bottle with another bottle. I think I was challenged too but lets not read those comments.
Halloween at Tivoli - Pictures and Video
Christmas at Tivoli - We love Tivoli!
Christmas Beer, Christmas Cheer - Read about the naughty nissers.
Crossing the pond - Ikea in Sweden - tick!
The final leg - "6 Countries, 1352kms, 2 days, one train, one ferry and one little mini cooper".
Friday Night Skate in CPH - Need I say more.
Danish Disco King "Apache Boys" - It's the blog post that the Danes were ashamed that I blogged about. It's a must see!

There were many more so you'll just have to click about.

Hooray! It's also the last day of NaBloPoMo. Will I continue to blog regularly? or will it be next November before you hear from me again? Only time will tell. xoxo.

Saturday, 29th November 2008 - 20:37pm London - Terminal 5 is working

I love an airport, especially when it means you get to go to new and exciting places or even revisit some old favourite places. Today was the first time I flew from Heathrow's T5 and I've been wanting to fly from this terminal for a while now since I happened to be working at the airport when T5 opened - no, I had nothing to do with its teething problems! I heard a lot about the terminal as it was being built and I was also able to join in a pre-opening tour of the terminal and found out loads of fascinating things about it.

So what did I think as a passenger? Well, after all the problems the terminal had in the beginning, it definitely has settled in and become a unproblematic terminal. The lines for the "Fast Bag Drop" were a bit longer than I would have originally expected at 15 deep but after my bag was dropped off, I went through the security checks in no time at all. However, with winter now on us, stripping off for security is a chore with coats, scarfs, belts and shoes and the only hold up on these lines are people who don't know how to undress themselves. Yes sadly, these people are part of our human race but what can we do?

On air side, the terminal felt a bit like Westfields for some strange reason, perhaps some common themes in their colour scheme. There was the usual shops, eatery places, blinking lights and not enough space to sit down. Still its just a terminal, nothing extremely exciting except for that it works and the fact that I'm now in Copenhagen with luggage and all proves it!

Friday 28th November, 2008 - 23:22pm London - Cuba: The Malecon

The Malecon is a 7 kilometre sea wall that stretches around coast of Havana and is a hub of activity for the local Cubans. By day the locals take a walk or sit by the wall or even fish and by night, revellers come out with their rum and instruments and party alongside the wall. All the time the sea breaks against the wall and can sometimes crash water up over the wall and onto the walkway and the road. Undisturbed by the raging waters, the locals find themselves a pocket of calm in which they stand and continue with their activity.

Notes on photo number 4: On 28th October each year, young children from all over Cuba throw flowers into the sea to honour Camilo Cienfuegos, a Cuban revolutionary whose plane plunged into the open sea on this day in 1958 and was never found.

The Malecon - Havana, Cuba - October 2008

Thursday, 27th November 2008 - 16:55pm London - Cuba: Balcony Portraits

There is as much life happening outside above ground in Cuba as there is on the ground. Cubans are often found standing outside watching the world go by. Looking up, you can make contact with any number of glances, some with a slight smile, some with sadness, some in a daze and others at the ready to invite you up and welcome you into their home with the warmest of hearts.

Balcony Portraits, Cuba - October 2008

Wednesday, 26th November 2008 - 17:47pm London - Cuba: Snapshots of a city - Cienfeugos

Cienfuegos is a city that lies on the southern coast of Cuba and is on the bus route from Havana to Trinidad. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. While the city is easy to explore, mastering the pronunciation of the town name is another story.

Snapshots of a City - Cienfeugos, Cuba - October 2008

Tuesday, 25th November 2008 - 23:39pm London - Cuba: The creatures you meet

On a stroll into the centre of the town of Cienfuegos in Cuba, I smiled at a few fishermen who were hard at work scrambling about with nets and buckets. They noticed my camera and waved me over. Hesitant at first, I let my curious mind wander over as I said "Hola". Whilst I had reached my limit in the Cuban language, there was no need for words as the fisherman proudly pulled out a crab with amazing bright blue legs. I snapped away a few photos in admiration of his catch and went on my way with one lasting thought - "Mmm, I bet he (the crab) is tasty".

Creatures you meet in Cienfuegos, Cuba - October 2008

Monday, 24th November 2008 - 15:08pm London - Selfridges Christmas Windows

"Christmas is upon us whether we like it or not. Giant snowmen hover above Carnaby Street quite ominously, giant bows traipse down Bond Street rather quaintly and star shaped nets are suspended over Regent Street like an afterthought. While some of the Christmas lights this year are nothing to write home about, except maybe the snowmen which we are starting to warm up too after getting over our fear, there is one Selfridges Christmas window display which has us all giddy. That's right, one jolly Santa riding the tube with a sack full of champagne that he duly forgot to hand out to all the over age kiddies. Is this what really happens on the underground while it's shut on Christmas Day? We'd like to think it is the only reason why it's shut on Christmas Day."

Read more on the Londonist and click recommend while you're at it. :)

Sunday, 23rd November 2008 - 22:54pm London - Sunday Roast

It seems winter is digging its heels in as I woke up to a light layer of snow sprinkled on the ground outside and a chill in the air that is getting harsher. One of my favourite winter activities of late is Sunday roast in a pub or as we did today, at the restaurant aptly named, Roast at Borough Markets.

Having tried their brunch here a few months ago, I was eager to see how they fared on their namesake. With every choice of roast possible, I opted for the roast beef after debating it over with the pork. I did cheekily ask the waiter if I could have a tiny slice of pork with my beef to settle both cravings and to my surprise he delivered. The beef was lovely but perhaps a little too much sinew for my liking and the pork was just perfect and I had meal envy right there on my own plate. Opting for the two courses for 26 quid, (yes, it's a fancy roast place) we all chose a main meal and a dessert. After spotting a Knickerbocker Glory that a kid was having on an opposite table, a few of us decided that we must have that for dessert and while not appearing on our menus, the waiter handed over the "Young Diner's" menu where Knickerbocker Glory featured. Ahh, there is no shame ordering from a children's menu when ordering in numbers, is there? It was mighty tasty and a fine afternoon if a little bit chilly.