CK in DK

Camera Issues

2007-07-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Um, well there's a small problem... I can't find my camera and it has the pics from my last crazy week in DK. I am certain it made it back to California with me, but now it has disappeared. When I find it I'll finish off this blog properly.

In other news, I have found an apartment here. Nice and close to the sand huh?

Sankt Hans

2007-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

A Cederhorn Farewell

2007-06-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

LH Summerfest 2007

2007-06-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Møns Klint

2007-06-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

Jættestuen

2007-06-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Grillede Mad

2007-06-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Islands Brygge Park

2007-06-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

A short walk down the street from my apartment is Islands Brygge park. A heat wave combined with the end of school to make this waterside park a very happening place for several nights in a row. Technically it's illegal to swim in the harbor and old-timers will tell you stories about the nasty things they have seen floating in that water, but I guess youngsters (and Americans) are reckless enough to jump in anyway. And yes, the water was cold.

Rød Grød med Fløde - A Shibboleth

2007-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Rød Grød med Fløde is a simple dessert dish consisting of red berries stewed with some sort of starch and sugar, topped with cream. Danes are extremely proud of both their tongue twisting language and their red and white flag, and those two points of pride add up to make this the most patriotic of all desserts. Legend has it that before Germany occupied Denmark during WWII Danish border guards would screen incoming Danes by making them say this dessert name. Apparently even the best German infiltrators couldn't master this vicious combination of d's, r's, and ø's. Luckily it tastes much better than it sounds.

City Fitness

2007-06-15T04:17:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to describe how important the weightroom is in my life. A week without gym time means a grumpy Chris and a month of deprivation is an absolute disaster. When I returned from my three month study abroad trip in Italy (no 'real' gym in sight) I was a wreck both physically and mentally. Friends and family who saw me at the time will probably recall the ghost of my former self that stepped off the plane. For the next several months I had to deal with PTSD-like symptoms while I recovered. My good friend Ben Allen bore the brunt (and consequences) of my "flippant" post-modern tirades and I can't thank him enough for his support.

So anyway, you can imagine that finding a good gym was one of my highest priorities this time around. I was prepared to commute an extra hour or more every day if necessary. But no, this time luck was on my side--bigtime. Just a few hundred meters down the road is City Fitness, one the few hard-core bodybuilding gyms in all of Denmark. This gym has contributed immensely to my quality of life here in DK and I honestly don't know what I would have done without it.

A good gym has all the necessary equipment and adequate space, and a great gym has all that and is populated with respectful and friendly lifters. Suffice it to say that City Fitness has been a great gym. A couple of tidbits: the big white guy with the glasses has won several amateur European championships and the black guy was an Angeleno for many years. I think every last one of them has made the pilgrimmage to Venice Beach.

Copenhagen's Public Infrastructure

2007-06-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

'Rush hour' at the Flintholm S-Tog station:
My friend John pointed out something that I and probably most Copenhagen residents take for granted: Copenhagen's public infrastructure is absolutely massive and it has to be operating at a small fraction of its capacity. The S-Tog and Metro trains are very wide and their seats are actually comfortable; the station platforms are also very spacious and nicely paved; cantilevered glass roofs provide cover at many of the stations; and the list goes on and on.

The 1.2 million* citizens of greater København enjoy a luxurious public transportation system built for at least 5 million**. Rumor has it that that København is destined to become the powerhouse metropolis of Scandinavia, and I'd say the city is well prepared for its destiny, at least in the arena of public transportation.

* - statistikbanken.dk
** - a purely emotional, unsubstantiated claim

Paradis!

2007-06-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ice cream (Dansk = "is") is a cornerstone of summer fun in Danmark. And Paradis is the undisputed champion of all Copenhagen ice cream shops. This franchise, which, by the way, is operated exclusively by cute smiling Danish girls, must have a secret recipe that has the competition permanently dumbfounded. I'll describe it as gelato-esque but somehow better. Nothing else can make a happy Dane happier.

Egeskov

2007-06-12T03:08:00.000-07:00

Egeskov Slot is a very interesting attraction in southern Fyn. It is much more than a well-preserved castle in a picturesque moat. Hedge mazes, tree bridges, playgrounds, flower gardens, pet deer, picnic and camping areas, the list goes on and on. Probably the main attraction is the motorcycle and car museums. Ole is the castle's mechanic and I had the distinct pleasure of receiving a personal in-depth tour. He had some great stories about their accidental discoveries and crazy treasure hunts. Obviously the number one goal after acquiring an old vehicle is getting it running--and Ole's a magician when put to the test.

Løgismose Ost

2007-06-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Cheese has to be one of the most interesting--and oldest--foods in the world. It all starts as milk from a cow, goat or sheep, but thanks to the complexity of the process there are thousands if not millions of varieties available. We visited a Løgismose cheese factory that makes white cheeses. Separate factories make the blue cheeses because the blue cheese culture would basically ruin the white cheese if they used the same equipment. Judging from the taste, it's easy to see why blue cheese culture is more aggressive than the white.

In this particular factory one batch of one type of white cheese is made each day--from cow to container in 48 hours. They were making Feta cheese the day we visited.

I'll try my best to sum up the process:
1. Milk is pumped from the 'cow truck' to storage tanks where it sits for a couple days at the longest. Different regions produce milk with different flavors and certain cheeses are made best with certain milk.
2. The milk is pasteurized and thoroughly filtered. 'Clean' milk is very important because a little bad milk can ruin a lot of cheese.
3. Once it's clean the milk is placed in vats that look a lot like giant homemade ice cream machines.
4. Cheese culture is added to the milk. This is clearly the secret ingredient. Within a couple of hours the milk has hardened and essentially spoiled. It is now cheese.
5. Revolving blades in the vats chop up the fresh cheese so that it can be stuffed into the small tubes you see above on the left. These tubes are then placed in a hot, humid curing chamber overnight.
6. The next morning the cheese is removed from the tubes, cut into little cubes, and packaged in salt water with the contraption you see above.
7. Time to eat! Actually, these cheese experts recommended letting their Feta cheese sit in the fridge for 6 months before opening it. Those little critters in the cheese die and multiply, giving your cheese more and more flavor.

By the way, Løgismose is famous for its smoked cheese. Try it if you can find it. You won't be disappointed.

Touring Syd Fyn

2007-06-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

I had Henrik's BMW R100S for one more day, Ole had his ancient single-cylinder Royal Enfield, and the weather was a cloudless 32 degrees. Going for a ride is pretty much the only option in such a situation. We saw the better half of southern Fyn riding the narrow country roads through allés and forests, past castles, lakes, and flowering fields, up to the highest lookout points where we could see all the way to Jylland.

A Fyn Family

2007-06-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend was spent with a family that lives on the island of Fyn. They are friends with Henrik, Vibeke's husband. I sincerely thank him for first thinking of the idea (of allowing me to ride his motorcycle across Denmark!) and then putting in the effort to arrange everything with May-Britt. And of course I have to thank May-Britt and the gang for allowing me to be a part of the family for the weekend.

Left to right: Ole, me, Cecile, and May-Britt. Ole is a mechanic at Egeskov Castle and May-Britt is an accountant at a cheese powder factory. When the visit was arranged I didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping to simply catch a glimpse into their daily lives and maybe see a little of the countryside. They must have read my mind because that's exactly what we did. Oh, and then I learned a thing or two about smørrebrød, motorcycles, very old cars, the lottery, brown gravy, Pink Panther, Danish politics (May-Britt's version), dish washing, Danish beer NOT made by Carlsberg, smoked cheese, salat (Feta) cheese, cheese powder, tree bridges, Mexican food (with a Danish twist), table manners, hedge mazes, BAMse, Syd Fyn geography, hot air balloons, fire trucks, and why I should never lick my knife.

Københavns Zoo

2007-06-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

I never pass up the opportunity to visit a zoo. I feel like I have a deep, empathetic connection with the animals.

(Sir) Norman Foster has designed a new elephant house for the zoo. The foundations are in place and the walls are on their way up. I hope the elephants will properly appreciate that high-tech asymmetrical domed glass roof protecting them from the inhospitable Danish winter.

But this is what really set Copenhagen's zoo apart. You get to EAT the animals! Yup, here in Danmark we don't beat around the bush: your yummy pølser is made from animal carcasses just like this one. Logically, a bowl of burning charcoal was available for the parents to roast a few while their kids played with the piglets.

IKEA

2007-06-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Ah, IKEA, the Scandinavian mega-institution. A pilgrimmage to the store was absolutely necessary because Ken Maschke, the next exchange worker, will be bringing his wife and TT's apartment simply does not have enough furniture for two people. The twin size bed in particular would have been a little too cozy, more hygge than they bargained for.

Some (actually much) assembly was required after we lugged the 100kg parcels up the stairs. Some grimacing, a lot of grunting, and several beers later I decided that the stylish aesthetic of IKEA furniture does not necessarily mean all of the bolts need to fit into all of the pre-drilled holes. In spite of the spare parts my calculations tend to suggest that the chairs are still functional, barring all Acts of God and any load combo not listed in ASCE 7.

Louisiana

2007-06-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

No, not the US state, the museum. Besides having an outstanding modern art collection Louisiana has probably one of the most hyggelig museum courtyards in the world. But we expect that. This is Denmark after all.

The art, however, is not so hyggelig. That should also be expected because much of the collection is quite new, and contemporary art is not happy art.

The temporary exhibit was a thought-provoking collection by artists in China. Much of the art has been censored within China, and now that the art is traveling around the world you can bet these artists are not exactly best friends with their local authorities.

A sculpture by Anselm Kiefer from the semi-permanent collection. The cockpit was filled with human teeth. I know many of you reading this don't particularly enjoy this type of art, but give it a chance sometime. These artists obviously have a story to tell, so why not listen?

Grille Tid

2007-06-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

June 5th is Denmark's 'Constitution Day.' It's a low-key multipurpose holiday that doubles as Father's Day. And for me it was a perfect opportunity to, you guessed it, grill...again. I am grateful that I just happened to land in a culture that enjoys cooking outdoors. Or at least they humor me and pretend to enjoy it. The novelty on this day was hotdogs "cradled" with bacon.

With low-maintenance food on the grill we had plenty of time for a few rounds of vikingspil. Like most other games of this sort, I've discovered that the rules are different every time you play. And, more often than not, the winner was the one explaining the rules (not that I'm bitter or anything).

A View From the Rundetårn

2007-06-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Rundetårn is a peculiar tower in central København that, among other things, provides a great view of the city's spires. The tower was built with a continuous circular ramp that allowed Christian IV's carriage to go all the way to the top. The ramp is pretty steep and without breaks, and I just have to wonder if there was ever a mishap when the carriage started going back down out of control.

It seems like dawn and dusk are one and the same during the month of June. This photo was taken on a clear night at 11pm. Off in the far distance is Øresund Bridge, the link between Malmö, Sweden and København. The spiral tower is Vor Frelsers on Christianshavn. The glass roof is Magasin, a nice department store smack in the center of town. And I am ashamed to say that I don't know the tower in the foreground. Anyone out there care to help me identify it?

A Beautiful Day in Jylland

2007-06-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

The day after the powerlifting meet I found myself more or less stranded at the beach resort where the team was staying. I could have taken a taxi back to Thisted, but the weather was absolutely perfect so I decided to hike it.

I really did not want the hike to end. If there was ever a time in my travels when I felt like I was 'stopping to smell the roses,' this was it. A profoundly beautiful day and beautiful memories of this remote place out west.

Hitler's Atlantic Wall

2007-06-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

I was totally unprepared for the beachscape that is Denmark's western coastline. The entire length of the beach was littered with the impossibly massive remnants of German bunkers from WWII. Walls a full meter thick, cracking apart, rusting, sinking in the sand.

These bunkers, like most other reminders of the war, are a thorny subject for Danes. They were built by tens of thousands of unemployed Danish workers who didn't have much of a say in the matter. Denmark ultimately footed the bill and they certainly were not cheap. The Atlantic Wall costed more than 300 billion kroner, making it by far the largest construction project in Denmark's history.

World Bench Press Championships

2007-06-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

The IPF World Bench Press Championships were held in Thisted, a small town on the west coast of Jylland. I had a friend lifting and another coaching, and this coincidence of time and space meant that I was obligated to go watch. I had a fantastic time catching up with my old friends and meeting new ones during the "banquet" held after the competition. ("Banquet" hardly describes the scene when you have a room full of drooling powerlifters, many coming off of painfully strict pre-meet diets)

I arrived at the tail end of the event, just in time to see the big guys push 300+ kg off their chests. Impressive.

Iberisk Skovsnegl

2007-05-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

Snails and slugs are a bit of a problem here. After a rain the sidewalk is littered with these not-so-little pests. If you don't keep an eye on the ground you're pretty much guaranteed to step on one. I'm not sure how long ago they arrived, but apparently these slugs have oozed all the way from the Iberian peninsula. There are lots of strategies for keeping slugs out of your garden, but no one has thought of a way to keep slugs out of Denmark.

Roskilde Viking Museum

2007-05-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

These thousand year old scraps of wood once sailed to Ireland and North America to rape and pillage and do other sorts of Viking things. To really 'get it' you have to see the reconstructed ships in person and then try to imagine these tiny things sailing all the way across the Atlantic. I got sea-sick just standing there thinking about it.

The museum has been building new ships using techniques similar to those used a thousand years ago. Later this year they will sail to Ireland using only authentic equipment. No motor, only sails, oars, and luck.

Sometimes I scare myself.

A Beautiful Idea

2007-05-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Dutch are smarter than they look. These clever pee stations should be deployed in every bar district across the globe! Just try to imagine a world without smelly alleys and wet toilet seats. Leave the cramped WC for the ladies, I want to pee under the stars!

Lambic Beer

2007-05-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

As I hope you know, Belgium is world famous for its unique and absolutely delicious beer. Our best discovery was Lambic, a very distinctive type of beer made only in the Brussels area. Virtually all beers are brewed with clinically cultivated brewer's yeast in totally sealed containers. Lambic, in contrast, is left exposed and local airborne wild yeast causes 'spontaneous fermentation.' Also separating it from conventional ales and lagers, Lambic is brewed for three or more years in wooden barrels. I don't mean to insult the beer, but it kinda tastes like a sour wine cooler.

The Gueuze shown in this pic is a mixture of one and three year old Lambic. The combined young and old beer undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle, giving it some nice carbonation. It has a very long shelf life and is supposedly available in the US... I'll see about that soon enough...

Tourist Food of BeNeLux

2007-05-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

There's something special in all corners of Europe, and the corner containing Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg is no exception. For starters, there are several foods from this region that apparently all tourists are required to taste.

My experience with waffles doesn't extend far beyond Eggo and IHOP, but still, I know when I'm eating something good, and Belgian waffles are awesome! They're sold as street food by vendors in the center of Brussels, but we went into a bona fide waffle house to sit down and enjoy the full meal deal.

Frites are available and popular throughout all of BeNeLux. For some unknown reason they're always sold in that cone shaped package. I have to say I just didn't see or taste what all the fuss was about. They did have a nice variety of sauces, but other than that they were just fat french fries. I guess I can see why Europeans would think they're cool though. During my five months in Denmark I have never seen 'real' fries outside of McDonalds.

The Netherlands is famous for its mild cheese, which I have realized is delicious for most Americans and rather boring for most Europeans. Apparently Amsterdam's cheese shops import from the rest of Europe because when we we stepped inside, WHAM! the stench almost knocked us over. I was planning on grilling the guys behind the counter and buying something uniquely Dutch but instead we quickly pointed at a couple of blocks and headed for the door. Of course we chose one of the most offensive (French) cheeses available.

My worries about this fish sandwich were unwarranted. If you appreciate sushi then a sandwich with raw herring will be right up your alley. The 'natives' were eating the little fish straight, no sauce or bread necessary.

Amsterdam Refueling Stations

2007-05-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

No matter where you are in Amsterdam there is never a shortage of places to grab a beer. As you approach the city’s center, the concentration of bars increases until it seems that every other building facilitates the sale of frosty beverages. If DQ is the “Texas Stop Sign,” Heineken (or Amstel), is the “Dutch Stop Sign” – or at least it was for CK and me. On every street, scores of the familiar round signs beckoned us to step inside for a couple drinks. Most of the bars were smaller with a subdued, but very friendly atmosphere. Bar hopping in Amsterdam is a great way to see the city and meet some interesting people, provided that you pace yourself well enough that you can still find your way home!

Amsterdam

2007-05-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

Known most famously among my generation for its relaxed policies on drugs and prostitution, Amsterdam was an obvious choice for a weekend visit. (Just kidding, Mr. and Mrs. K!) …But it’s true that “coffee shops” legally serving (although never advertising) cannabis and magic mushrooms are ever-present, and the red light district is home to some of the most beautiful entertainers that I have ever seen. I wish I could share some pictures of the latter, but there is an unwritten rule forbidding photography in the red light district that is sometimes violently enforced by Russian pimps who lack anything remotely resembling a sense of humor. Still, the atmosphere in the district is fun and largely unthreatening. It reminded me of a cross between Austin’s 6^th street and a zoo with exotic women prowling behind the glass instead of exotic animals. Is it demeaning? Definitely. Did that stop us from looking? Nope.

So, here is rundown of what Amsterdam has to offer besides drugs and prostitution:

Bars – Plentiful and pleasant. See Saturday’s post for details.

Cheese – It stinks! See CK’s post detailing the food of BeNeLux.

The Van Gogh Museum – This was an important visit for me because it helped me to realize that I don’t appreciate visual art for anything other than the technical skill required to paint a realistic-looking scene. No matter how hard I looked at the paintings, the intense sea of emotions that Van Gogh poured into his work seemed to flow right over my head. I could tell that CK was a little frustrated with my lack of appreciation, but he can’t say that I didn’t try! At least I learned how to properly pronounce Gogh, which rhymes with cough, not so.

Canals – Canals are everywhere in this low-lying city, but most notable are 5 concentric canals, known as the Grachtengordel, surrounding the historical center of Amsterdam. The decreasing radii of the canals make it a breeze to find your way to the center of old Amsterdam. Finding your way back, on the other hand, can be a little more troublesome – particularly, for the sobriety impaired…

Bicycles – I thought Copenhagen had a lot of these things, but Amsterdam definitely had Copenhagen beat in this department. The bike parking garage pictured below was 4 levels high, and did not seem to have a single vacant space. One thing that I noticed was that most of the bikes looked pretty crappy compared to the high dollar machines I’m accustomed to seeing in the states. The reason: 80,000 bikes are stolen in Amsterdam each year, and 25,000 end up in the canals. Riding a “beater” discourages theft, and minimizes the potential for economic loss by taking a wrong turn into a canal.

Grafitti "Art" of Copenhagen

2007-05-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

The only evidence of any crime I saw in Copenhagen was graffiti. I in no way condone the destruction of property (public or private), but I have to admit that some of the graffiti that I saw was amusing to me.

The first piece of graffiti I found made me feel right at home. The “Wu Tang Clan” mark is a tribute to a U.S. hip-hop group of that name consisting of 8 living members, plus the late Russell Jones (aka Ol’ Dirty Bastard, aka Big Baby Jesus, aka Dirt McGirt, aka Dirt Dog, aka Osirus). I am not a fan of most hip-hop music, but I am partial to Wu Tang Clan and was very surprised to see a reference to this relatively obscure group.

Reserved...

2007-05-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Reserved for guest blogger Chris Weber

How to Ruin Perfectly Good Ice Cream

2007-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

To support our never-ending quest for calories, CK suggested that we should pick up some Soft Ice (that’s DQ-style ice cream to you ‘mericans) from a nearby mall in Copenhagen. The procedure seemed familiar enough: we each selected our cones, flavor of ice cream, and style of sprinkles. Naively believing that all sprinkles have the same sugary flavor, I selected the most aesthetically pleasing sprinkles. The green and black sprinkles coated the Soft Ice so completely that no Soft Ice was visible until I took the first bite... The sprinkles instantly shocked my tongue with an extremely salty taste accompanied by a hint of bad licorice flavor. The taste was unpleasant enough that I thought that my taste-buds were deceiving me, but a second taste confirmed that I was eating the worst tasting sprinkles in the world. The sprinkles were flavored with saltlakrids, or “salty licorice.” Saltlakrids contains ammonium chloride (NH4Cl or sal ammoniac) in addition to the liquorice root extract, sugar, and starch or gum arabic that are typically found in liquorice. Apparently ammonium chloride does not kill you in small doses, but it does ruin perfectly good Soft Ice.

-CW

It's Burqa Time

2007-05-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I wonder if any other statue in the world has been vandalized more frequently than the Little Mermaid. I mean I'm sure there are many statues out there with more graffiti and general abuse, but this one is clearly special because it's Denmark's #1 tourist attraction. For whatever reason this little lump of bronze is actually important! All it would take is one flood light and a security camera and maybe even a security guard. But no, the authorities continue to allow wild-eyed hooligans to have their way with her in the wee hours of the morning.

Publicly the Danes shake their heads at all this vandalism, but I believe they also appreciate it as a form of civilized protest. She's a sort of socio-political thermostat that whistles when things get a little too close to boiling. I think it's cool--much more civilized than a French riot and probably more effective too.

I am particularly fond of this nondestructive burqa 'vandalism.' It says, "Muslims in Denmark," but what does it mean? The perpetrator was nice enough to leave it ambiguous, allowing us make up our own minds.

Contrasting Codes

2007-05-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

Denmark's building industry is a small fraction of the US's, and so is their design code. At first you may think that's good, it must be simpler and maybe easier. But no, it just stays closer to the fundamental principles--you remember, those magical differential equations from the early years of college. Few official design guides and tables are available, so often we're on our own armed with little more than Mathcad, Excel, and a high quality technical pencil.

In contrast, half of the American code is commentary, included solely to give the how and why. I will definitely return with a deeper appreciation for the stacks of resources that make my life much easier.

Amager Strandpark

2007-05-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Amager Strandpark is a new beach park immediately south of the city center. It reminded me of the Texas beach with its mostly open sand dunes and industrial buildings dotting the horizon. Also like the Texas bays, the water was quite shallow and clean. Not a single soul was fishing, though, which seems odd to me. I know the water is still cold, but you can't tell me there are no catchable (and edible) fish hanging out under that bridge.

Spæncom

2007-05-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

LHAS is currently designing a new factory for Spæncom, a large Danish precast concrete manufacturer. One morning we took a little field trip out to their existing facility--a great dirty old factory guaranteed to satisfy an engineer's craving for big loud contraptions and that beautiful smell of wet cement.

This is a rig used to make prestressed hollow core floor planks, common structural elements used in almost all precast hotels and apartment blocks here and in the US. Those cables are pulled very tight before the concrete is placed and then cut once the concrete has set. They try to contract, placing the planks under a constant compressive 'prestress.' The process of prestressing makes the planks much stronger because concrete can withstand roughly ten times more compressive stress than tension.

Fredag Morgenmad

2007-05-18T04:35:00.000-07:00

Friday breakfast is an important tradition for Leif Hansen's KON group. Fresh brød, smør, and the ubiquitous Nutella. I have always wondered why that chocolicious hazelnut spread isn't a its own food group in America like it is here in Europe.

Motorcycle Hygge

2007-05-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

John has a passion for BMW motorcycles, and so does Henrik, shown here with his 1977 R100S (T?). It was only logical that I should introduce these three and let them take it from there (which they did for hours on end). I'm glad I arranged this meeting because it was certainly the best hygge experience I've had thus far, thanks in no small part to Vibeke's outstanding hospitality and those little cakes from Syd Jylland.

Liquor in the front, Poker in the rear...........It's a party!

2007-05-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Again, thanks to Chris for his hospitality and for risking his reputation as an upstanding young man by introducting me to some of his friends on my day off in Kopenhagen.

We started the day by foraging for food. Although not many restaurants in the area, we walked on down by the canal till we reached the old city and went in to have some of the best pastries I've had on my trip so far. I recommend the Rhubarb thingy. I developed a thing for Rhubarb in england, not neccesarily the texture...like snot...but the tangy taste. I do like tangy. Once we got past wondering if this attractive young lady standing by the side of the street with a questioning look on her face was in distress....I really wanted to help.....we went and bought way too much sugar. We sat on the walls of the canal and ate our spoils, preparing ourselves for the trek into Christiana. I think that's how it is spellt.

Chris did not have a very high opinon of this place due to his last visit here, but after finding beer for the price of what would be a lonestar or PB in a little convenience store, his heart softened. Christriana is a "self governing" part of Kopenhagen. I think the history goes back to squatters setting up in an old army barracks area in the 50s and 60s and making a go of it. You might recall the recent police and protester clashes as reported on the news throughout Europe when the community was up in arms over the demolition of one of these buildings within the little Sovereign nation. Like most things outside the norm of mainstream society, it is both the best and worst of worlds. It attracts your punkers, hippies, tourists or locals who want to go and smoke pot and have fun and other people who are making an honest go of living outside the norm of mass consumerism and impersonal politics. Not that punkers and hippies suck. Well hippies do....but I'm not much for hypocrits. The problem seems that in any place where you are the bastion of your own idea surrounded by people that at best ridicule you, and at worst try to wipe you off the face of the map, be that new developments or active government suppresion, is that you end up spending all your energy in an Us against Them dogfight. And that's what half of Christiana seems. Selling t-shirst and pot-brownies, making money off of tourists while you fight the good fight against consumerism. The other half if quite cool. Buildings and homes that have been adapted by their owners or dwellers to suit their needs without as much adherance to accepted and legal building codes, making for an interesting variety of pads. There's a bunch of families living there in great houses, what looks to be like a townhall for meetings and a school house for the locals and some other public amenity buildings. This is the working part of Christiana. I wonder how you end up becoming a part of it?

After this we worked our way around to downtown. The old part, through the office sections and financial districts till we got through the bustle of shopping time and to a plaza where we sat down and had some beer. An interesting thing about Kopenhagen is that either by design or culture, their zoning is very strict. For a city as old as this, and certainly one as untouched by WWII as this, (ask Chris or any Dane to tell you about the "phone call from Germany"--as an aside, one of the coolest things about DK history is the fact that the night before the Gestapo was meant to round up all the Danish Jews, they were secreted out of the country by a vertible armada of small boats and fishing vessels.) there is very little mixed use. Usually, taking Paris or Berlin again as an example, there is ground floor retail, shops or markets and upper offices and maybe still higher, living quarters. This seems not to be the case here. When its an office building....it's office...when it's government....it's government....(you can tell by the anti G8 graffiti on them). So the feeling is a kind of segmented, divisive downtown. Pretty, but it doesn't feel that lively. But this also might be due to the fact that the infrastruce of DK is massive. They've built their nation and city for an expected population 20 years in the future..and they have the cash to do it, which is totally different than the states where we are crammed into an apocalyptic infrastructure that reached its capacity and stopped working 20 years ago. So at times, it feels a bit empty.

I could talk about the little mermaid, but to compete with CK's comments would be a travesty, as mine could hardle compare. Let's move on to when John and Chris get schooled by 2 Danish shysters.

For dinner and entertainment that night, we walk to the new BoBo neighborhood of Chris's friends. I am a bad person so I don't remember their names, but I do remember loosing money, eating good pizza, having a great non-alcoholic beer, and generally having one of the best nights of my 10 week trip in Europe. We each odered a pizza from the local dudes down the street, stopped at the paki for brews, picked up the pies and sat down for dinner. Chris' friends, a couple, had just bought their pad and were renovating it. They had the largest bathroom I have yet to see in Europe, about the size of one in an American efficiency..(due mostly to the fact that these buildings are all so old that they originally had shared bathrooms on each floor)...and they accomplished this by knocking out a wall and doing a fine job of the finish... nice tile work guys. They both work in the archi-world...the lady friend as an architect....and the boy friend as a drafter / surveyor / project manager. They have a degree in Denmark which is much like an architectural degree, but is not as involved and focuses on the practical side of developement, drafting and project management. Chris Kahanek is very impressed.

After dinner, we sat down to a friendly game of poker. I was unaware that this is one of CK's least enjoyable activites. Mostly he says cause he has resigned himself to always loosing. I dig it cause I'm an excitement junkie. But I suck too. And it wasn't but half an hour till I was out and that I realized that my friends and hosts...1) spoke better english than I did, 2) must watch ESPN poker tournaments every moment they are on, 3) quoted more 80's and 90's pop culture references than you would run across at an over the hill Silverlake hipster party on Saturday night. I advocated a 2nd round, (shouldn't have) and for double the stakes this time. Cause what fun is playing if you are just gonna break even. Better to go out in a blaze of glory yo! I tried not to bluff so much this time, cause I suck and I'm bluffing hands that I couldn't possibly have with the cards that are face up, and I managed to hang in for a while longer, even beating Chris and watching it come down to the two friends duking it out(the boyfriend and another male friend--lady friend is asleep on the couch while we blast Faith no More), on their 11th beer each, the one repeating to the other , "you're such a bad poker player man....you know that....I mean...you suck....how do you live with yourself.....you're a fuckin' liar..." Now they are speaking english mind you...because we are playing poker or for the benefit of their guests I don't know. I suspect that speaking english while playing poker is de-riggeur, all the slang is english anyway. Imagine them having these conversations with Danish accents and the night is complete.

I got home, busted out some more renderings, packed my stuff the next day, cooked CK a breakfast that might make him rethink this marital ( or martial?) plans and then took the train, massive as always, to the airport where they charged me more for my over the weight limit luggage than my flight. When I saw the tiny little turbo-prop non-stop flight to Stuttgart that they were going to cram my shit into, I didn't feel so bad, except that I was worried that it would still fly.

Much thanks to all in DK who showed me a good time. Especially my Louisianna museum tour-guide who met us for dinner and drove us an hour to the DK countryside to look at modern art. I owe you a beer girl.

Toodles

John Zapf

Koooopehae - or that's how they say it....

2007-05-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am honored by the guest blogging spot that Mr. Kahanek has afforded me. I especially appreciate his descriptive use of hyper-cynical. This of course translates to "reality" for me, making interaction with the rest of the world, at times....difficult.

It's been awhile since my trip to Kopenhagen, so I'll have to split it up into the 2 formative experiences....arrival (general appreciation of the city and of CK's appartment)....and when I got my clock cleaned by Americanophiles weilding poker decks.

I came to Kopenhagen via Hamburg, so I took the train, a scant 5 hours from door to door. The train is amazingly pleasant. It's Danish, which means the vast quantities of luxury tax, ie 180% of any vehicle purchase (luxury is defined differently in Europe....probably for the better of the world) go into producing and mainting a public asset. The train is high speed, quiet and comfortable, there were no angry german youths sitting next to me on this trip, brooding about the downfall of their grandfather's dreams that pretended not to speak english when I asked if he "was gonna be an asshole for the whole trip". Only polite passangers of varying nationalities which gives me a change to show off how I know about 1/50th of 3 different languages. I sound like I'm speaking Bladerunner street lingo. The really cool part is when the train boards the ferry and you get to go out on deck and check things out. They've turned the boat into a kind of mall with a bunch of restaurants and duty free stores, so don't bother buying water and a candy bar. You're gonna be stuck behind a 73 year old truck driver buying his monthly stipend of hard liquor.

Once off the boat, you are in Kopenhagen quick enough, and if you are lucky like me, you have what most would assume is a Russian bodyguard or a US Marine waiting for you at the train. Chris is neither of these, although his very open world view, tempered with libertarian American patriotism makes it seem like he has conducted Black Ops in various locales for either of these vocations. We hoofed it to the bus, me lugging all my stuff for the past couple of months, including the 40 pounds of computer gear that I packed into my bag. Chris lives in a residential development. Very nice, very new, lots of families, nothin else goin on. It's almost like Danish master planners looked at Houston and said.....yeah.....that's what we want. There is not much else going on in the hood and it's a bit of a walk to the nearest train. This is kind of interesting as Europe generally gets a good rap about their housing. But what might be a good thing, maybe is just old. When a neighborhood is 50 to 100 years old, buildings change, stores move in, different amenties open to support the local market. With these brand spankin new developements, you get none of that. And in the day and age of building out and low is cheapter, you wonder if these developments will ever engender the kind of density that will turn these projects into Berlin or Paris neighborhoods that people rave about.

After this first introduction, I sit down at Chris's desk and setup my laptop and drives, connect to the internet, not wireless mind you as the IT folks at Thornton Thomasetti have their spies everywhere. I mean....everywhere, and get to work, not to raise my head till my last day in DK.

Pirate Design

2007-05-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Fellow world traveler, UTSOA colleague, Angeleno, motorcyclist, and general iconoclast John Zapf dropped in for a few days. A year ago John started his own architectural rendering studio, Pirate Design. Clever as always, he has set up ten computers back home--a "render farm"--to crunch out his high quality renderings while he travels to Germany and elsewhere to meet face-to-face with his clients. He has landed many jobs recently (probably too many) and while I was at work he slaved away at my kitchen table. In the evening, though, there was still time enough to see the city, meet a few friendly Danes, and have more than a few mind-wrenching hyper-cynical conversations.

The Seine

2007-05-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

The photogenic Seine runs right through the center of Paris. It was packed with those tour boats. I didn't ride one but it probably would have been nice. Probably expensive though. Many of the boats were holding what looked like black tie dinners.

Pâtisseries

2007-05-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

You can find pastry shops just about anywhere in Europe and almost always walk out with something tasty, but these shops in Paris were a step above the rest because of their incredible variety. Every pastry is something totally different and I felt my sweet tooth being pulled in ten directions at once. I was always asking "What's that?" and "How does it taste?" The shop owners appreciated my enthusiasm and kindly helped me with my nonexistent French skills. Don't leave Paris without this experience.

Oh, and for something like this you definitely want to be at least a few blocks away from the nearest tourist trap--the difference in quality, service and price can be startling.

Musée du Louvre

2007-05-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

The Louvre is the most visited art and culture museum in the world. It has one of the oldest and largest collections anywhere. It's really more of a spectacle than a museum. You get the feeling that many of the visitors are there primarily to soak up its overpowering scale and just be a part of the scene. That's fine, I went on a get-in-for-free day and did exactly that. The unfortunate consequence is that the art plays second fiddle to the building and massive crowds. You have to visit, though, because you just have to.

Got Gas?

2007-05-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

After cruising around Paris for a while you start to wonder how can every single avenue and square look so nice, and then that leads to the question of why can't my city back home look this good? Well, first of all, once you get out of the touristy center things quickly start to look much more mundane, and second, Paris has spent exorbitant sums to hide the ugliness of modern urbanity.

Gas stations and parking lots: the titans of urban ugliness, yet absolutely necessary. They're there alright, but they're all hidden underground. Indeed, beauty has its price, and we can start with that sign for 95 octane gasoline: €1.43/L = $7.30/gallon.

Champs-Élysées

2007-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

La plus belle avenue du monde. A very impressive stretch of road running perfectly straight all the way from the Louvre through the Arc de Triomphe to La Défense. They say it has the second most expensive storefront real estate in the world, surpassed only by New York's 5th Avenue. If you have the time and energy, the several kilometers from the Arc to the Louvre should definitely be on the top of your walking list.

The view from the garden in front of the Louvre. Beyond the Arc de Triomphe you can catch a glimpse La Grande Arche, a modern triumphal arch located in La Défense that's twice as tall as the original and is currently being used as an office building.

The Louvre far off in the distance, as seen from beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

Escargot

2007-05-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

One of those things you're supposed to eat while in France. They were not so exciting. Just kind of chewy, reminded me of alligator. They're fun though, you get to use utensils that look like they were stolen from a dentist's office.

Racaille

2007-05-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

After being abused again and again by the outrageous beer prices, we wanted to go to the 'cheaper' part of the city in hopes of finding a pub with remotely normal pricetags. We did in fact find such a bar, but we also stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Earlier in the evening the French government officially announced that Nicolas Sarkozy had won the Presidential election. He is the leader of the UMP, France's largest center/right political party, and he defeated Socialist Ségolène Royal.

Socialists absolutely despise Sarkozy. They call him a Bush clone, and around here that's a truly hateful insult. After the announcement Royal's supporters started to gather in Place de la Bastille to protest. By pure coincidence our target 'cheaper' pubs were in the area...

Walking up the steps out of the Metro at around 22:30, we ran into a crowd of people and initally thought we had found an outdoor concert or festival. It didn't take but half a minute to realize that something was very wrong. Almost everyone--hundreds of people--were standing relatively quiet looking toward the other side of the Place. In another area not so far away people were moving fast doing something strange. A third portion of the square was totally empty. Looking across the emptiness we saw a squad of heavily armored riot police.

I found out later that the group of protesters 'doing something strange' were actually collecting and throwing cobblestones and bottles at the police. Not a good idea. We were standing in the crowd for no more than five minutes when we saw what looked like low flying bottle rockets shot from the police over our heads. Tear gas.

I don't know exactly what sort of 'riot control agent' was used, but it was not fun. Almost instantly tears started flowing out of my eyes like they were water faucets. I didn't know that was even possible. Worse, and longer lasting, my throat started stinging with a pain worse than any sore throat I have ever experienced.

Like everyone else, we ran. Unfortunately we picked the wrong road because the wind carried the gas right along behind us. I caught a good whiff of the gas, but the guys who were up front were choking nonstop. Eventually we reached a point where we could breathe normally and we turned down a side street toward a large boulevard. This is when things got interesting...

Most of the protesters had regrouped on Rue de Lyon, forming a line facing north toward Place de la Bastille. The police were also in a line approximately 50m in front of them. Neither line was moving and the protesters were chanting something about Sarkozy. Apparently the police were not advancing because they were giving the crowd a chance to disperse without more trouble.

The protesters were not ready to call it a night. Slowly their chants grew louder and more forceful. They started tipping over trash and recycle bins. Then, at the front of the crowd, I heard a popping sound. I'd call it similar to the sound made when you uncork a quality French wine. The sound of breaking windows. The police immediately started advancing and the crowd started retreating.

I have to say the next hour and a half was nothing less than a carefully choreographed performance. Once the window breaking started the protesters would work their way down the boulevard, methodically breaking almost every window. At some point they would stop with the windows and re-form a front line. The police would also stop a stone's throw away (literally). The chants and yells would commence and gradually build up. Sometimes they would light trash on fire. Then, once again, the Pop Pop Pop of windows.

We watched the riot work its way down the boulevard from the doorway of a pub that unbelievably stayed open during the entire riot. When the protesters got too close we left, but the bartender stayed with a handful of patrons to weather the storm. As a side note, we were happy to see that the prices were much more reasonable, just as we had been told.

Here you can see a fire in the distance. The police are just on the other side of the fire. Sorry I don't have better pics but I didn't feel like getting arrested.

The protesters were infiltrated by countless undercover cops. This was common knowledge and it was the reason why the protesters behaved in such a controlled manner. They knew exactly what they could get away with: breaking windows and starting trash fires. Looting, torching cars and buildings, attacking bystanders--these actions would have resulted in arrest and jail time.

The protesters thought we were cops (and told us so) because we were watching and not chanting. Once they found out we were American they were very intrigued by our presence. They seemed pleased to have outsiders--particularly Americans--watching them struggle against their own goverment. They must have felt that their effort to attract attention was actually working.

No one was at all hostile towards us Americans. In fact, they were quite friendly, and this shouldn't surprise anyone. Minorities here in Europe dream of a place where they can live the way they want and not have to conform to a foreign society. They believe that in America they can climb as high as they dare and no one will push them down. The American Dream is alive and well. Their words, not mine.

Now I know that riots are a terrible way to promote a cause, but it was still easy to sympathize with their plight. Ancestry means everything here. If your father wasn't a natural born citizen then you are an outsider and in many small ways you will suffer as a result. No one even bothers to deny this and some actually believe that's the way it should be. These racaille protesters were already on edge and now Sarkozy, a politician with a 'tough' attitude toward immigration, is their newly elected President.

The Eiffel Tower

2007-05-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

Ah, the Eiffel Tower. It really is as impressive as it's made out to be, both up close and from afar. I highly recommend picnicking on the lawn in front of the tower at sunset. We stumbled across hundreds of Parisians doing just this one evening and it definitely seemed 'right.'

Arc de Triomphe

2007-05-05T03:58:00.000-07:00

I believe the Arc de Triomphe provides the best view of Paris. Yes, certainly better than that of the Eiffel Tower. The Arc is located in the center of Place de l'Étoile, a roundabout connecting twelve tree-lined avenues. They radiate like spokes in a wagon wheel and no matter which direction you look you always feel like you're at the center. Also, the Arc's viewing platform is at the perfect elevation to see a nice skyline: above the rooftops but below the domes and spires. IMHO photos taken from atop the Eiffel Tower are rather boring because they look like they were taken from an airplane window. Visit the Arc after sunset when the street lights have been turned on. Three thumbs up.

Versailles

2007-05-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Louis XIV thought big, real big, as in all the way to the horizon. That's the end of his palace garden...if there's an end at all. There's certainly no end to the flow of tourists. This place had more tour groups than any other attraction I have ever seen. Did I mention this place is BIG?

We didn't bother going inside due to the long line, but we did wander around a fraction of the garden. In keeping with tradition the main fountains work for only one hour a day--11am to noon--just in time for the tourists to finish their cappucinos and fire up their cameras.

I felt like a flea on the back of a Chia pet. Just add water and voilà!

ch-ch-ch-chia!

Rodin Museum

2007-05-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

My favorite art museums are usually small and dedicated to a single artist. You can walk in knowing absolutely nothing about the artist and leave feeling like you learned something interesting that you might actually remember. Typically the works are presented chronologically and you can see how the art changes to reflect the artist's personal experiences. Paris has at least two such museums for Van Gogh and Rodin. Visit the Louvre for the experience, but also visit these specialty museums for the education.

Le Penseur - The Thinker - Rodin's most popular sculpture. Described as a depiction of Dante pondering his poem in front the Gates of Hell, this work has become an icon representing all (painful?) intellectual activity.

The Polite French

2007-05-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Parisians are not rude--in fact, they're downright friendly. If this surprises you then you're not alone. Based solely on what I heard, I always imagined the French to be rude, aloof, and altogether unwilling to deal with American tourists. So not true!

Many of them could only speak basic English, but without exception they were quite tolerant of my total ignorance of French. A few even took the time to teach me a few words and correct my pronunciation. When the locals have this attitude it doesn't take long before you truly want to learn what has to be one of the most attractive spoken languages.

You hardened skeptics are right: I only spent four nights in Paris, so my opinion is obviously superficial. Maybe if I stayed for a month or two I would see something different, but I just can't see how. I think we all have a subconscious smile-meter that detects the ratio of smiles to frowns on a sidewalk, and in general I felt a very good vibe. I don't feel like I need to return to some of the places I have been, but I will definitely need a Paris Part Deux sometime soon.

Borat Hygge

2007-05-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

I doubt anything could be more Danish than a Hygge night. You just pick a weeknight, invite a few a friends over, cook something, and then watch a movie or play a board game. Yes, a board game is the ultimate hyggelig activity. A similar but different American equivalent would be meeting a few friends for happy hour.

I wanted to taint my Hygge night with a little Americana so we grilled pork ribs and watched Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The ribs and my famous mashed potatoes (always overdosed with garlic, onions, and butter) were very well received. Borat, however, was maybe just a tad over the top.

smart

2007-04-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

DaimerChrysler's smart car always seems to impress Americans. Originally designed by the watchmaker Swatch, its supposed purpose is to transport "two people and a case of beer." In other words, it'll get you around town but don't expect much more. Smart's trademark virtue is that it can be parked head first in a parallel parking spot--a big deal in cramped European cities. The car was recently sent back to the drawing board because it could never turn a profit for the auto maker. Who knows what's next? If they beef it up a little you may find smart v2.0 rolling around a city near you.

Suttetræet

2007-04-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

There's a notorious tree in Frederiksberg Have called the Pacifier Tree. Some kids find it difficult to give up their pacifiers, and apparently this was a good solution for the locals--get the kids to hang their own pacifiers on a tree in the park. It's a rite of passage...into childhood.

Sorry, but there's something just a little eery about a tree loaded down with pacifiers. I definitely had the spooks looking at this thing in the twilight. It was easy to imagine Chucky or a few Gremlins popping out from the darkness ripping into a straggling child or maybe lopping off my leg.

Kongespil

2007-04-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

This pic is not so great, but what you see here is a group of Danes playing 'King's Game' or the 'Viking Game.' This game is essentially the Danish version of horseshoes (you have my sympathy if you've never played horseshoes). As the Danes describe it, you basically throw one piece of wood at another piece of wood. Once you knock over the other team's pins you have to finish by hitting that big kingpin sitting out in the middle. There are a few more rules that make things slightly more complicated, but it's definitely not brain surgery. Perfect for a sunny Saturday afternoon during an April heat wave (note the lightweight jackets).

Øl Fredag

2007-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

In the words of Jeff Foxworthy: You might be in Denmark if... most of your co-workers are part of an official employer sanctioned beer club. Yes, my Fredag Øl Klub meets religiously every Friday at 15:45 to enjoy a refreshing pilsner and discuss weekend plans. There is no bar within a 3km radius and many of us don't have cars, so this is an arrangement that makes more than a lot of sense. I'm hoping that in a few months (when I return to LA) Øl Fredag will become a part of the weekly routine in the lively TT LA office...

A Gaggle of Goslings

2007-04-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

On my way to work one morning I noticed the traffic was backed up much more than usual. After walking on for another block I also had to stop and wait for these troublemakers. They were in no hurry and didn't seem to care that they had rudely interrupted the morning rush hour.

BMW C1-200

2007-04-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

Another quality driving machine from the innovative designers at BMW. Officially a 176cc motorcycle, it's sort of a cross between a scooter and a golf cart. Apparently it's the latest and greatest idea around here. I saw one of these fly by with a girl hanging on for dear life sitting behind that 'roof,' and that's when I knew for certain: anything goes on the streets of Europe.

A Birthday Party

2007-04-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Another Danish birthday party. Don't try to count the candles.

It's always interesting to see what they're going cook up next. Here we see some chili on rice with a big lump of sour cream. The Danes have very fragile tastebuds when it comes to spice, and I was told the sour cream is absolutely necessary to neutralize any renegade chili powder that may have found its way onto the plate. In case you were wondering, YES, I am starting to miss Mexican food.

Soccer in Copenhagen

2007-04-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

To complete my vacation and to celebrate my last night in Copenhagen Chris and I decided to attend a local soccer match between F.C. Copenhagen and F.C. Nordsjaelland. The stadium was some 45 minutes from his apartment so we took the most logical form of transportation, the train. I was a little disappointed in the attendance, being only 8,091 people present, the stadium looked somewhat empty. Without a lot of scoring taking place the singing fans seemed to be the most promising entertainment. Heading into the second half after a scoreless first F.C. Copenhagen’s Jesper Gronkjaer managed to score the only goal of the night, ultimately leading to F.C. Copenhagen’s victory of 1-0. Little did we know the most interesting part of the night still lay ahead...

Awaiting the train at the station flocks of F.C. Copenhagen fans started filling the sidewalks and yelling synchronized chants and fight songs lead by dedicated “yell leaders” with mega phones. I thought to myself these guys know how to support their team and was grateful to be a part of it. The thing is they never stopped. When the train arrived and we crammed in we just sat there…until the police with their riot helmets affixed to their belts soon climbed in too. Their weak attempts at settling this crowd was just enough to get the train rolling. Chris and I got “lucky” and had the privilege of sitting right next to the “yell leader” with the megaphone and all his rowdy friends. These fans chanted, sang, jumped, broke the ceiling, chanted, sang, and jumped all the way back to Copenhagen in pure victorious bliss.

-CB

Cliff's Cost Analysis

2007-04-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

If you have been pondering the thought of embarking on a European vacation and trying to determine how much money it will cost you this should give you a rough estimate. Chris and I explored Germany for a total of six days, Denmark for two, with two additional days flying there and back. The grand total of the entire expedition was approximately $1776. That’s on average about $177/day. Broken down into subcategories you can see exactly how the money was distributed.

Flights $837
Trains/Buses $266
Souvenirs $98
Food $265
Hostels $155
Sightseeing $156

Clearly the largest portion of your money will be spent on travel with food coming in second. The lodging however, is up to the individual. Chris and I stayed in hostels for about €23/night on average, all of which included free breakfast. This option saved us big bucks as opposed to the significantly more expensive hotel option. Hostels also give you the opportunity of meeting some very interesting individuals from all over the world. Staying at Chris’ apartment in Denmark for three nights did however contribute to some additional savings.

-CB

Fun in the Sun

2007-04-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

This April has been the hottest in Germany's recorded history. Bad news: vicious global warming lectures. Good news: fantastic sunny weather.

Doing our part to enjoy the weather, we sought out a huge park in Munich just northeast of the city center, adjacent to the big Ludwig Maximilians Universitat. (By the way, this is where you want to study abroad, trust me).

Yup, the weather was warm alright--warm enough for the old hairy guys to enjoy a game of nude kickball.

Hofbrauhaus

2007-04-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

The courtyard of the Hofbrauhaus, probably Munich's most famous beer garden. What a feel-good atmosphere! No doubt about it, you don't need a drop of alcohol to have good times in a place like this.

Even so, I thought it would be a good idea to taste at least a few liters.

Tobogan Action in Füssen

2007-04-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yet another attraction for the 10 year olds. It's a must-do if you enjoy careening down a hill on a plastic sled at surprisingly high speeds with no steering wheel or safety gear. Small children can ride as long as they can fit on the sled with their parents. If Johnny Knoxville ever produces children he will take them here.

Neuschwanstein

2007-04-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Noy-Shvahn-Stein was totally neat-o. You can easily see why Disney used this place as inspiration for his castle. It's heaven on earth for kids dreaming about chivalrous knights, fair maidens, and fire breathing dragons. The king who built it was obviously dreaming about such things...at least until he was pronounced insane and subsequently murdered. Ah, the good ol' days.

This building is a feat of modern engineering and design, believe it or not. It was built with blazing speed during the 1870's, complete with modern amenities such as electric lighting and indoor plumbing.

Legoland's version.

Ah-Pay

2007-04-17T02:06:00.000-07:00

Presenting the Ape. An infinitely practical van/motorcycle brought to you by the always creative automotive engineers of Italy. I thought this one was particularly cute with a beer flag and a plastic bear stuck to the top. Those of you who were students with me in Italy may remember my Ape incident... Let's just say this: we learned that the wet weight of an Ape is less than my deadlift.

Renewable Energy

2007-04-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

The yellow flowers that populate most of Bavaria's fields are called rapeseed. They're primarily used to make Canola oil, and now they are also used in the production of biodiesel.

Small groups of wind turbines can be found on many of the hilltops throughout the countryside. They look great from a distance with their huge blades revolving lazily and up close they make a very eery low-pitched whoosh.

Environmentalism runs deep in the German ethos. Indeed, environmental purity was a major plank in the Nazi platform. Choose your words carefully or else you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a lecture titled 'The environmental duties of industrialized nations.' In the event of a lecture it's best to smile and nod and never let anyone know you're from Texas.

Biking in Bavaria

2007-04-15T03:16:00.000-07:00

The highlight of my trip to Germany was the day we spent biking outside of Rothenburg. We snagged a couple of bikes for something like $10, filled our backpacks at the local grocery store, and headed for the fields.

Stretches of road were particularly treacherous, like this uphill climb through a field of sheep. I'm thinking this may have been a private road, but since we couldn't read the sign we just went ahead.

The flowering fields, cloudless sky and medieval town were a real treat for the eyes. I hope it's obvious why I give this experience three thumbs up.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

2007-04-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

This city has been restored to pristine condition and has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Germany. It's probably the best place to load up on trinkets, souvenirs, and Christmas decorations.

My advice is to see it as a day trip and spend the night in the 'real' city of Würzburg. Rothenburg is popular with the very old and very young, so when the sun goes down the lights go off. And that means no more beer and ice cream until sunrise.

Würzburg

2007-04-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

We missed our connecting train in Würzburg, so we decided to poke around the town for couple of hours until the next one arrived. It turned out to be a nice little city that provides everything you expect from Bavaria: big cathedrals, a cozy marktplatz, flowering gardens, and a castle on the hill. Definitely worth more than two hours. We almost missed the train again in our effort to see it all at break-neck speed.

A string of powerful bishops called Würzburg home, and the legacy of their wealth is an enormous palace and garden.

Wurst

2007-04-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

You can't visit Germany without learning the word wurst. And let's get this straight: it's pronounced Vurst, not Wurst. Oddly enough, you can never find plain wurst, it's always ____wurst, such as bratwurst (grilled sausage). Anyway, at Brauhaus Sion in Köln we had our first experience with wurst. I can't remember the exact name on the menu, but it was basically meterwurst. The menu recommended one meter for four people. I can pretty much guarantee that 0,25m wurst, a healthy dose of kartoffeln, some mystery gravy, and a few kölsch will send anyone home happy.

Köln

2007-04-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

More than 1,000 RAF bombers destroyed almost all of Cologne in two hours. The famous cathedral was spared, but that's about it. The bridges, always focal points in military strategy, were absolutely pummelled. Here you see the Hohenzollernbrücke bridge destroyed and under water.

And here it is today... with Cliff in the foreground making it look good. After seeing a series of the post-WWII photos it's virtually impossible to comprehend the amount of effort that went into reconstructing this city.

Eurail

2007-04-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I bought a Eurail Pass for my trip to Germany. Eurail can be an extremely good deal if you use it correctly. I bought a six day Denmark/Germany pass, which allows me to travel by train in those two countries for six days in a two month period. The six days do not have to be consecutive and you can ride the train as far as you want, getting on and off as often as you want. It was something like $320, which means each day is worth $53. To put this perspective, a single-use DB ticket costing $50 will allow you to travel across approximately 1/6 of Germany depending on speed of the trains.

So you can see how this is a good deal. In only one of the six days you can get your money's worth by traveling across Denmark and most of Germany, which is basically what I did going from København to Köln. Never forget the downside, though: it's a train... slow, tedious, and often filled with annoying people (a.k.a. children).

Legoland

2007-04-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just in case you didn't know, Lego is a Danish company. There are Legolands all over the world, but we visited the original in Billund--a city three hours and a couple islands west of Copenhagen.

The park had rides, games, shops, etc. aimed at kids, but the enormous Lego models were for everyone, especially people like me. There were probably two dozen scenes like this one, all made of millions of Legos. What you see here is the first ever townscape--a sort of generic Danish town--now 30+ years old.

People laughed when they heard five adults were visiting Legoland with no children, but I didn't care. These little plastic blocks were an integral part of my childhood... literally... when you consider how many I accidentally swallowed. Seriously though, how can they not capture your imagination, old or young? This was yet another religious pilgrimmage for me and kids would have only gotten in the way.

In the end they did get in the way a couple of times, but I tried to play nice. The boy in the horny hat was trying to copy me but it soon became obvious that he wasn't going to match my skillz.

Easter

2007-04-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hitler and the Nazis may have lost the war, but they succeeded in wiping out the entire Jewish population of Rīga. Thousands of Jews, 25,000+ from Rīga alone, were murdered in the forest several kilometers outside of town. It was a simple matter for the Nazis because a local Latvian 'security' team willingly did most of the work. It's easy to overlook, but anti-Semitism was a virulent force far beyond the borders of Nazi Germany.

This pile of rubble was the Jewish synagogue. A few days after the Nazis arrived it was torched... packed tight with Rīga's first victims.

Apart from this one stone plaque, you wouldn't know that this barren wooded park is actually the city's pre-WWII Jewish graveyard. The gravestones were removed and smashed to bits during the war.

The renovated medieval buildings and flashy new cars can't hide the fact that Rīga is still the capitol of a country on the mend. The city is something like half Russian / half Latvian and the two groups have little interaction or respect for one another. The girl working the desk at my hostel couldn't understand why in the world I would want to visit Lithuania--she never bothered because there's nothing there, she says. An Asian staying at my hostel was attacked in broad daylight by a group of Neo-Nazis. Yup, I think it'll be a few more years before the Japanese tour buses start rolling into this town.

Centrāltirgus

2007-04-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

Riga's Central Market has to be one of the biggest I have ever seen. Housed inside five old zepplin hangars, it contains every form of food produced in the waters and fields of Latvia. It's a vibrant place seven days a week with people from all walks of life going about their daily business. The meat pavilion was the most entertaining. I witnessed a butcher with 8 1/2 fingers hack up an entire pig carcass in less than 10 minutes. The guy looked like a crab with a giant right arm and a much smaller left. I would have taken a picture but I was the only tourist in sight and frankly this guy was a little scary.

Many of the items for sale were a little unusual. You can't help but wonder: who eats these and how? Fried? Stewed? Raw?!

Kryžų Kalnas (Hill of Crosses)

2007-04-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

I felt that Good Friday would be an appropriate day to travel to Lithuania and see the famous Hill of Crosses. This was a dawn to dusk trek in spite of the fact that the site is only 130km south of Rīga. My journey started with a slightly shady Russian «ЭKCПPECC» train. Once we departed I realized the train's name of "Express" was in quotes probably to acknowledge the fact that there's nothing fast about a top speed of 60km/h.

Anyway, after the train, a bus, and a 2km hike I finally arrived at this palpably mysterious site. The hill, like others dotting the countryside, has been around since pagan pre-Christian times. It's not a natural formation, but a mound of countless layers of decomposing memorials placed throughout the centuries.

In modern times Lithuanians needed a place to commemorate those who fell in the many conflicts with the Russian Tsars of the 19 century. Such an open display of national sentiment would not have been tolerated in the cities, so this hill became increasingly popular due to its remote location.

More recently, the site was bulldozed repeatedly by the Soviets in the 1960s because Lithuanians were using it to remember those lost during two mass deportations to Siberia (part of the USSR's effort to "Russify" the region). Each time, however, the hill only grew taller as more crosses sprang up.

John Paul II visited in 1993 and ever since then this site has received a constant flow of pilgrims. Today the hill is surrounded by a sprawling sea of crosses with a network of pathways and elaborate shrines to various saints.

Kryžų Kalnas has to be one of the most moving monuments I have ever visited. The small but unique Lithuanian culture used religion as one of several modes of survival while under centuries of oppressive occupation. This site is a physical byproduct of that struggle, with roots reaching back to the very beginning. And so today it is much more than just another religious pilgrimmage site--it's a living monument to victory of the now (finally} flourishing Lithuanian culture.

Art Nouveau Architecture

2007-04-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Before World War I Rīga was a growing industrial city and the wealth of the 'haute' bourgeoisie naturally found its way onto the facades of their new luxury townhomes. Many of the designs were of the Art Nouveau style. I am particularly fond of this short-lived style because so much emphasis was placed on creating something unique, free flowing, and just a little 'off the chain.' ...Not so different from today's avant-garde.

This entryway is something special because it displays the face of Mother Nature and the look of intricately carved wood, both of which are distictly Baltic features. Latvia and Lithuania were the last regions of Europe to adopt Christianity (approx. 12th century), and as a result most of the traditional symbols and icons are distinctly pagan. It's a little eery (and possibly fun) to walk down a dark side street and notice all these symbols normally associated with witchcraft and the devil.

The most famous of the local architects was Mikhail Eisenstein. His son, Sergei, was a pioneer of early cinema. Ironically, Sergei moved to Moscow to make propaganda for the Bolsheviks who despised (and eventually destroyed) the same bourgeoisie that supported his father and fed him as a child.

Latviešu Strēlnieki

2007-04-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Latvian Riflemen have a paradoxical place in the nation's heritage. They were formed with local recruits in 1915 to defend central Latvia from German troops, often bearing the brunt of the heaviest fighting. No one fights harder than the farmer defending his own field, after all. They were military heros of Latvia, but eventually they became disillusioned with their status as cannon-fodder and turned against the Russian Tsar.

The joined the Bolsheviks, playing a key role in Lenin's seizure of power in November 1917. A year later they were given the order to execute the Tsar and his family--a delicate task not suitable for native Russians. Most importantly, they prevented a June 1918 coup that would have surely ended Lenin's reign.

The Latvian Riflemen were instrumental in setting up a regime that would eventually attempt to destroy their homeland's culture. Not surprisingly, today their grandiose Soviet-made statue sits in the middle of a barren bus stop. Still, they disbanded in a positive light and their bravery as Latvian patriots is impossible to ignore. Welcome to the real world where good and evil are as close as yin and yang.

Vol Frelsers Kirke Spire

2007-04-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

The spire of Vol Frelsers Church, located in Christianshavn, is one of the most recognizable features of Copenhagen's skyline. So recognizable, in fact, that the British used it as a target during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. Luckily they only hit one leg of the 10 foot tall statue standing on top of the globe.

It was designed and built in the mid-eighteenth century by the mildly insane architect Laurids de Thurah. Legend has it he jumped off the top after it was discovered that the king wanted the stair to wind to the left, not the right. My how times have changed... You just can't find architects with that level of dedication anymore.

Danish Precast

2007-04-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Precast concrete construction is very common in Denmark. Usually the concrete slabs are cast in a climate controlled warehouse, allowed to cure, and then trucked to the site where they are immediately assembled with a crane. This method of construction works well here because bad weather has little impact on the process. When you build with cast-in-place concrete or even steel you have to be ever mindful of the forecast temperature and humidity. Unexpected freezing temperatures can destroy curing concrete.

Precast buildings, while certainly safe and stable, are basically a house of cards. Shaking the table is definitely a bad idea. Earthquakes never occur in København so this is not a concern, but I don't think we would want to build this same tall precast building in California.

Den Sorte Gryder

2007-04-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

The restaurant chain Den Sorte Gryder sells the biggest burger I have ever seen. ...And let's not forget that I am a native Texan. The basic 'Buggi Burger' has a 300 gram pattie topped with a ridiculous amount of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc., all cemented with gobs of mayo. Even better, the deluxe Buggi ships with two 300 gram patties, bacon, and cheese, weighing in at a massive 1,8 kilos!

Den Sorte Gryder (translates as The Black Pot) is a take-away place, so the usual strategy is to haul your Buggi to the nearest park bench. It's a good idea to eat these outside because things get messy fast. Note that Marianne's Buggi covers her entire lap, and my burger is larger than her head.

I know what you're thinking and you're right. Quantity without quality, all for a suspiciously low price. They tell me it must be German beef.

Øl Time

2007-03-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Just innocently drinking some high quality øl with the guys. Clockwise: me, Jens, Peter, Anders, Henrik. Mini-breweries have become become extremely popular in the past couple of years. The Carlsberg/Tuborg goliath used to run the show almost exclusively, but now it seems like there's a brew made in every town big enough to have its own håndbod team.

The Bike Parade to Bakken

2007-03-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Bakken is København's other amusement park. Less famous, older, cheaper, in the suburbs, and decidedly blue collar, Bakken is the place to go for amusement if you're a local or a drunk Swede. Opening night is celebrated with a massive bike parade from Nørrebro to the famous red gate. Over 5,000 bikes of all shapes, sizes, and vintages make the 10km trip.

This is a Nimbus, the only bike ever designed and manufactured in Denmark. The company shut down many years ago and now these bikes are obvious collectors' items.

If you ever see a bike with this emblem, go ahead and yell out "Hvordan gør det?!" because there's a 99% chance the owner is a proud Dane. Avoid striking up an extended conversation though, because this owner is likely a rabid enthusiast able to drone on for hours about the best bike ever made.

Many of the bikes were works of art, ancient, or just something out of the ordinary, but this one took the cake. Talk about self-expression.

Recruiting for LHAS

2007-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

We recruited for two days this week at Copenhagen's main technical school, DSE, in Lyngby. LHAS is aggressively hiring these days, and you can see the effort in our impressive recruiting display and manpower (um, actually womanpower). I was very pleased with the size of TT's logo on the display and I'd like to take credit for it. I did my best to convince some of these students that they go to California with me and work for TT, but I feel like I just scared them. In hindsight I was probably most effective when I stood quietly so that my fellow recruiters could point at and talk about me.

Dybbølsbro

2007-03-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful morning to be enjoyed before work. This pic means a lot more to me than anyone else because I see this train station twice every day. The station is adjacent to the Dybbølsbro, which means double bridge, as in one for the pedestrians and another for the cars.

Bike theft is a common crime in Denmark, and it's not hard to see why. Many of those bikes are left there night after night and most are not chained to the rack. It's easy to imagine someone with a van stopping in the middle of night to scoop up three or four bikes in less than a minute. Surprisingly, people don't seem to care too much. Losing a bike now and again is just part of living in Copenhagen.

Open Skies

2007-03-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

The EU and US have finally agreed to 'open the skies' and eliminate most of the restrictions on EU-US flights. Starting next March, any US or EU airline can fly from any city, to any city. Also part of the agreement, airlines are now allowed to merge with others outside of their country. This is great news for us trans-Atlantic travelers. The number of EU-US flights is projected to increase by 50% in the next six years, and the increased competition will almost certainly lower prices.

Spring = BBQ

2007-03-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently the mild temperatures of spring have come early this year, and I am not complaining. Danes (Scandinavians in general) greatly appreciate nice sunny weather, and when the sun is out the office is conspicuously quiet because everyone has gone home to their gardens and grills. Jovanco, pictured here, invited me to his house to enjoy one of these first days of spring. Days like today make the remaining three months seem not nearly long enough.

Our Coffee Machine

2007-03-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's a real trooper, let me tell you. All day, every day, it's doing its part to help us survive. The complicated buttons allow you to customize your serving with various amounts of sugar, powdered cream, and chocolate. There's a promising button labeled Espresso, but so far it has only produced a serving of the same old grind. We will keep trying, though, and of course I'll report any new developments.

One Last Night in the Pub

2007-03-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Phil really hit his stride our last night in Dublin. He had an audience of not one, not two, but five lovely Irish ladies for the entire evening. I was impressed, but I think at times he was a little scared. They absolutely melted when he danced for them. These pictures hardly do the evening justice.

Souvenir Hypnosis

2007-03-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true, I caught the souvenir bug while in Dublin. I don't know exactly why, but everything Irish just looked so cool. Plus, they tell me that green is 'my color.' If this happens again I'm going to have serious luggage problems when I go home in July.

Newgrange

2007-03-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

We took a day trip out to the Irish countryside to see the famous Neolithic passage tombs. They're approximately 5000 years old, making them some of the oldest known monuments in the world. The builders of these tombs worshipped the sun and they frequently oriented the passages and openings to interact with sunlight on important days of the solar year. Newgrange is the most famous due to its size and the precise way in which sunlight enters its passage on the dawn of the winter solstice.

We arrived too late to go inside the tombs, so instead we spent a couple of hours walking through the beautiful countryside surrounding them. The weather was bizarre: we had pure sun, sun with snow, sun with rain, clouds with snow, clouds with rain, and back to sunshine...all in the span of three hours.

Tom and Jerry

2007-03-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

When you dig into Irish history you find mostly blood, death, starvation, and general misery. All that suffering must have shaped their light-hearted live-for-today attitudes. Irish monuments and epitaphs are more likely to crack a joke than say something pompous. They're usually tongue-in-cheek, so you have to understand the context, but make a point of reading them and you'll see what I mean.

I ran across this display in Christ Church Cathedral. Where else but Ireland will you find a dead cat and rat displayed on a cathedral wall?

The Truth

2007-03-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is a portion of the very first Guinness newspaper ad from the late 19th century. There are anecdotes of mothers giving it to their babies and hospitals ordering it by the crate.

Quality

2007-03-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Guinness is a brand obsessed with quality. In Ireland all Guinness owned taps are inspected and cleaned monthly by Quality Teams. Here you see me standing proudly next to my van after they nominated me to be an honorary member of the Quality Team.

And for the record, the Guinness in Ireland definitely tastes different and better. I was unable to get a convincing answer as to why, but it's true.

Guinness brews the vast majority of beer sold in Ireland, including Budweiser and Carlsberg. That's called a monopoly.

St. Patrick's Night

2007-03-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

WOW. That's how I usually start when trying to describe the fun I had on the night of St. Patrick's Day. Irish pub culture is amazingly fun. It has been quite difficult to put the total feeling into words.

...But I guess I should try. When you walk into a pub every single person has something fun to say and it takes little if any encouragement to get it out of them. Extreme extroverts, every last one of them. I'm pretty sure the word pretentious doesn't even exist in the Irish dictionary because everyone receives the same arm-over-the-shoulder reception. Friendly is not always an accurate word, though, because these guys have tempers with hair triggers. Luckily they forget their anger as soon as someone puts a fresh beer in their hands. Without a doubt St. Patty's in Dublin will go down as one of my best European experiences.

Who are these guys? What did we talk about? Could they be any more photogenic?

Yes, that 'Killer' tattoo was homemade prison-style. A closeup of that impressive grill is available upon request.

We followed these guys for what must have been a couple miles away from the main tourist zone to a street of clubs populated by locals only. They kept the hike interesting by singing songs, making obscene gestures toward the passing taxis, and of course running with their pants down. Shortly after this photo was taken they took off their shirts in an apparent attempt to better appreciate the rain/snow mix and subzero wind chill. Good times.