If Carlsberg Made Beautiful People…
advertisment
More in SHORT BREAKS
back-up- Can a City Girl Become a Country Girl?
- Paradise Just Off the Costa del Sol
- Resting Banker Girl and Her Mountain Men
- Hedgie Hangs at Duke's
- Resting Banker Girl Sleeps in Belgravia
- The Desperate Bankers Club Does Paris
- Babes in Amsterdam
- Hedgie Gets Playful at the Met
- Hedgie Stays at The Halkin
- Delight and Decadence at The Draycott
Related Content
- "You're Beautiful; You're Hired!" (03/08/2009)
- A Beautiful Day for a Dem.nstration (02/04/2009)
Helena Christensen isn’t the only one; there are more where she came from. And the men are just as gorgeous.
It all began when I landed in Copenhagen and followed instructions to take the train across the Oresund Bridge to Malmo. I hate the term 'second city' because it sounds like a consolation prize, and Malmo isn’t.
Laid back and charming, it packs a delightful punch for a small Swede (only 250,000 people). After my eyes had adjusted to the blinding light of platinum blonde hair, I set off for a wander. For me, the soul of a city lies in observing its people, so I headed for Lilla Torg, a charming square full of restaurants and outdoor cafes.
Surrounded by 16th century buildings and an endless parade of fresh, rosy-cheeked people (they are very organically inclined), I didn’t need to move far. You can if you want. You can see castles, churches, markets and take a canal boat trip or hang out at the buzzy Western Harbour. I did visit the amazing Turning Torso building: consisting of nine cubes, it has a 90-degree twist from the bottom to the top of its 54 stories. I also popped into Form, the design centre. Aside from being a lovely old building, it showcases the best in Scandinavian design.
But there was more to do. I had to get to sleep and head back across the bridge to Copenhagen for the second part of my two-city visit. Would there be more blondes? And would there be any fat people? I hadn’t found any so far. The Danish capital’s quality of life is repeatedly quoted in surveys: in Monocle magazine’s 2008 survey of the world’s Most Liveable Cities, Copenhagen emerged the winner ahead of stiff competition including Munich, Paris, Melbourne and Zurich.
Copenhagen is one of the most chilled cities I’ve visited, and it’s no surprise why. It’s easy to get around. Bicycles rule no matter whether you’re rich or poor (and the gap between the two is relatively small here), and the city’s planners have made sure it all works smoothly. And because there are fewer impediments to reaching their destination, people are more relaxed. And not fat. I really tried hard to find them, but aside from a few sturdy sorts who could pass for British pub furniture, there weren’t any.
As for the city itself, what’s not to like? It’s all here: stunning architecture in the form of Jean Nouvel’s amazing 'blue cube' concert hall, the Black Diamond extension to the library, and the new National Theatre. The city’s leafy grand boulevards and mansions convey the hauteur of the 16th arrondissement in Paris and hark back to Denmark’s past. It also has Michelin stars: 14 of them, most notably the two given to Noma, making it one of the world’s hottest dining destinations.
Meanwhile there is funky modern Copenhagen: the city’s hipsters head to Vesterbro to the ecological (they are very eco here) Bio Mio restaurant in the 1920’s Bosch warehouse. A former slaughterhouse, now café, Karierre has a counter that moves from side to side, not ideal for the overly refreshed. If you want to feel like a glamorous character in a Rothman’s commercial, have a martini in the 1960’s Radisson SAS hotel, a homage to the 'godfather of Danish design' Arne Jacobson. Room 606 is perfectly preserved with the original furniture.
If shopping floats your boat then bring your plastic: it’s all here, especially if you’re a fan of Danish design and fashion. Have a Danish brunch in Sebastapol or Pussy Galore in funky Norrebro while you browse the boutiques, or do as the perfectly formed, beautiful families do and buy a huge ice cream to stroll around with.
Despite being supposedly the happiest people in Europe, they do seem to die early, but then Copenhagen is not a bad place to be if you’re here for a good time, not a long time.
Ms R flew to Copenhagen with SAS and her two-city visit was organized by VisitDenmark.com.
Laid back and charming, it packs a delightful punch for a small Swede (only 250,000 people). After my eyes had adjusted to the blinding light of platinum blonde hair, I set off for a wander. For me, the soul of a city lies in observing its people, so I headed for Lilla Torg, a charming square full of restaurants and outdoor cafes.
Surrounded by 16th century buildings and an endless parade of fresh, rosy-cheeked people (they are very organically inclined), I didn’t need to move far. You can if you want. You can see castles, churches, markets and take a canal boat trip or hang out at the buzzy Western Harbour. I did visit the amazing Turning Torso building: consisting of nine cubes, it has a 90-degree twist from the bottom to the top of its 54 stories. I also popped into Form, the design centre. Aside from being a lovely old building, it showcases the best in Scandinavian design.
But there was more to do. I had to get to sleep and head back across the bridge to Copenhagen for the second part of my two-city visit. Would there be more blondes? And would there be any fat people? I hadn’t found any so far. The Danish capital’s quality of life is repeatedly quoted in surveys: in Monocle magazine’s 2008 survey of the world’s Most Liveable Cities, Copenhagen emerged the winner ahead of stiff competition including Munich, Paris, Melbourne and Zurich.
Copenhagen is one of the most chilled cities I’ve visited, and it’s no surprise why. It’s easy to get around. Bicycles rule no matter whether you’re rich or poor (and the gap between the two is relatively small here), and the city’s planners have made sure it all works smoothly. And because there are fewer impediments to reaching their destination, people are more relaxed. And not fat. I really tried hard to find them, but aside from a few sturdy sorts who could pass for British pub furniture, there weren’t any.
As for the city itself, what’s not to like? It’s all here: stunning architecture in the form of Jean Nouvel’s amazing 'blue cube' concert hall, the Black Diamond extension to the library, and the new National Theatre. The city’s leafy grand boulevards and mansions convey the hauteur of the 16th arrondissement in Paris and hark back to Denmark’s past. It also has Michelin stars: 14 of them, most notably the two given to Noma, making it one of the world’s hottest dining destinations.
Meanwhile there is funky modern Copenhagen: the city’s hipsters head to Vesterbro to the ecological (they are very eco here) Bio Mio restaurant in the 1920’s Bosch warehouse. A former slaughterhouse, now café, Karierre has a counter that moves from side to side, not ideal for the overly refreshed. If you want to feel like a glamorous character in a Rothman’s commercial, have a martini in the 1960’s Radisson SAS hotel, a homage to the 'godfather of Danish design' Arne Jacobson. Room 606 is perfectly preserved with the original furniture.
If shopping floats your boat then bring your plastic: it’s all here, especially if you’re a fan of Danish design and fashion. Have a Danish brunch in Sebastapol or Pussy Galore in funky Norrebro while you browse the boutiques, or do as the perfectly formed, beautiful families do and buy a huge ice cream to stroll around with.
Despite being supposedly the happiest people in Europe, they do seem to die early, but then Copenhagen is not a bad place to be if you’re here for a good time, not a long time.
Ms R flew to Copenhagen with SAS and her two-city visit was organized by VisitDenmark.com.
Here Is The Writer : Ms Robinson
Ms Robinson was once a copywriter who wrote award winning ads and had eight hour lunches. Weary of the sex, glamour and lavish parties, she switched to corporate communications where she held the hands of executives and banned them from writing this execrable sentence: "In this ever changing world, the only constant is change itself." These days she writes for an increasing variety of people and has ghostwritten several books but if she told you who for, she'd have to kill you. Click here to read her blog, Woman of Experience.
view more articles by Ms Robinson
