København

I had an awesome post planned for today - seriously, probably the most awesome post in the history of the universe - but I am cold and tired and generally feel like shit. I will do my best not to sound too grumpy. Evidently people don't especially like hearing bad news when you're on vacation and they're not.

Regardless. I like this city. Most people do, I think. But I REALLY like it. I've tried very hard to find reasons I don't like it, but this has proven a frustrating exercise. The only thing that I knew really about Copenhagen before I came here was that a) it was the capital of Denmark, and that b) it's currently very, very, very trendy in architecture, design, urban planning, and food circles. This made me want to dismiss it as a little too perfect: too many clean streets, too many perfect little squares, too many perfect waterfront apartment buildings, too many contented, perfect-looking Danes whizzing by me single file on their bicycles, too many photonic energy workships. I tried hard to see it as a souless city that was too happily post-industrial, post-racial, post-political, post-everything.

Instead, I found a city with a surprising (?) amount of grit and soul, and a whole lot of really yummy smørebrøds (open-faced sandwiches) to eat. I've seen a lot of really awesome graffiti. I stumbled into what must surely be the coolest bar in the world (even though I never went inside). I was shocked to find an immigrant neighbourhood - Nørrebro, where I'm writing this blog - so close to the city centre, since immigrants have priced out and pushed to the periphery in pretty much every other major European city. I met some squatters. These are all good things.

Smørrebrøds are the cheapest things here to eat, by far: you can get them for as little as 10 kr (~€1.30). Consequently, I ate a lot. It would take me hours to describe every kind of smørrebrød I had, because I definitely had over 10, and maybe over 15. I will however say this: dill pesto may be the most perfect sandwich condiment every created. Yessir.

Tomorrow is a travel day. I'm headed back to Sweden, meeting Cailan and Sarah in Stockholm for a Swedish long weekend. I am very much looking forward to sitting and sleeping on a train for most of my day tomorrow. I think a day spent outside of Scandinavian drizzle will do my cold very good.