TravelJapanBlog.com » famous danes

Copenhagen clouds (part 1 of 2)

acase — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:55:49 +0000

I have always been a fan of clouds. Don’t ask me why, but I like ‘em. Not just your ordinary single layer of high-sky clouds. I like multi layers, multi colors, and lots of movement. We get some nice displays of clouds back in Ashland, Oregon but not with the regularity I have experienced so far in Copenhagen. Nearly every day features at least one display of not just one or two types of clouds but many types and colors all at once. You may have noticed them in a few of my prior entries.

This entry and tomorrow’s will feature many images of Danish clouds. I was inspired to do these two entries after going to the National Art Museum (Statens Museum for Kunst) in Copenhagen on Friday. There I saw four paintings by three different Danish artists that featured the kinds of clouds I’m talking about. I’ll include those four different paintings as well.

You are going to need a good-sized screen to see these as they are meant to be seen. Click on the images a couple of times to get to the largest view.

Assistants Cemetery

acase — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:48:44 +0000

On our first walk around Copenhagen we went through the aforementioned Assistens Kirkegård cemetery where Niels Bohr and Hans Christian Andersen are laid to rest. This place is incredible. It has atmosphere and then some. There is a rich flavor to the entire cemetery. The greens are lush, the trees old, and the varieties endless.

Around one corner you may find a couple having a picnic. Around another you may find curious tombstones in a unique setup. Some gravestones have runes on them as well. I’m not sure if they are Viking, Anglo-Saxon, or, more likely, Younger Futhark or Rok.

The only thing that disappointed was the graffiti. Niels Bohr’s tombstone is a mess on the backside (not pictured). You can see what Hans Christian Andersen’s currently looks like below.

The graffiti relates to The People’s House Copenhagen located at Jagtvej 69. I don’t know all the details but apparently the government sold the building, and the new owners are going to demolish it against the wishes of many people.

This is the front of Niels Bohr’s gravestone. The graffiti on the backside contains several English curse words. I have no idea why.

Pictures from Copenhagen, Denmark

acase — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:34:22 +0000

How can I possibly have pictures from Copenhagen already when we don’t arrive for another three and half weeks? Well, thanks to information provided by Copenhagen Insider, aerial photos are possible even if you are on the other side of the world. So I took a few pictures to share with you of our future lodgings and the neighborhood.

Although I’m not 100% certain, I’m pretty sure part of the above is our apartment building. We are on the 4th floor. There appears to be a nice courtyard, garden, green area, whatever you want to call it, behind the place. We will be in a part of town called Norrebro. According to one of my guidebooks, Norrebro “is a lively, multicultural part of the city with plenty of bars, cafes, and alternative shopping centres.” In this part of town is the Assistens Kirkegard which is a famous cemetery. My guidebook goes on to state that “it is a wonderful place to relax or take a romantic walk. The churchyard is beautiful and is located in the trendy Norrebro district.” Sounds good.

My other guidebook says, “Norrebro is one of the most delectable nightlife destinations in the city and it is also a cutting-edge fashion centre.” It also provides more details on the famous, leafy cemetery including who is buried there. I will be living in the same neighborhood as the remains of Hans Christian Andersen and Niels Bohr. Cool. In Paris I’ll be in the same neighborhood as Jim Morrison. Last year, on our trip to Japan, we were next to Tokyo’s most famous cemetery as well. Ending up close to famous grave yards seems to be an unintended commonality on our travels.

Less than a block from our apartment is a reservoir called the Sortedam So. You can see people walking along it in the above picture confirming what my guidebook says. “You can lounge along their grassy banks or enjoy the scenic view from the bridges that cross them.” I’ll post that scenic view from the bridge for you here in a month or less. Stay tuned.

A short walk over the bridge will have us spilling into the Botanisk Have (pictured above from a bird’s eye view) which my guidebook describes as “among the prettiest outdoor spaces in the city, these gardens are studded with lakes, bridges, and lovely flowerbeds. Climb the winding staircase for a great view of the exotic trees below. A geological and botanical museum are also here.” Needless to say, I can hardly wait.