Wandering

Burano - Split - Prague / Whitby / London / Beverley / Venice / Monterosso al Mare / Parma / Alberobello / Copenhagen / Zadar / Budapest / Krakow / Vienna / Prague

Small streets are one of my favourite things to wander around and to photograph, and I think are often overlooked by people when visiting places or even walking around familiar towns and cities. In recent years, I have found several photo and travel blogs that have inspired me to step away from the beaten track and see what else is on offer...and I've found that it doesn't have to be a million miles off the tourist trail, often a hundred metres or so and you're in what feels like a different place. These quiet, often narrow back and side streets are where you might be able to find some lovely local people, hanging out in front of their houses or shops, chatting to neighbours. It's where you might be able to smell what is being cooked for dinner, a truly authentic dish. Where you are more likely to hear snippets of the native language rather than your own. And also where there might be more people-free photo opportunities!

However, it's not always essential to get away from the crowds. Sometimes it's just as nice to be amongst the masses, among the excitement, and let's face it, typical tourist and travel routes aren't frequented by thousands for no reason!

København

Four days in the beautiful little Danish capital.

I stayed in the Islands Brygge area with one of my best friends from university, Jenny. Half Danish and having lived there for five months already, she made the perfect guide.

Copnehagen struck me as a very homely city. I don't know if it was because I was with Jenny but it didn't feel like a hugely foreign country. I felt quite comfortable straight away, and I found it so relaxing to be somewhere that felt safe, and being able to let myself become absorbed in conversation and really enjoy my surroundings. 

Jenny and I took similar courses at university, and both studied in the same city in Italy for a year, so we've shared a lot as far as new experiences go, both good and bad. To be able to see her and reminisce about all those experiences, how they've affected our perspective, and really talk about how we feel about our lives now and the directions we're going in was quite therapeutic. I am lucky enough to have lots of people around me to talk things through with, loving and supporting family and friends, but there's nothing quite like that kind of chat with someone who's 'been there and done that' at the same time, as it were. I think we both really needed that.

We occupied ourselves with lots of walking, thanks to the (mostly) lovely weather, seeing sights such as the Little Mermaid, took advantage of the abundance of delicious danish pastries, and visited some of the most notable buildings and monuments in the city. Here is a small selection...

Views from the outside steps of the Church of Our Saviour. Not for the faint hearted or vertigo sufferers, the steps start off in the bell tower and continue on the outside, winding around the spire. 

Part of the International Sand Sculpture Festival, at Havnegade. 

Den lille havfrue - The Little Mermaid, the iconic statue of Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale.

A traditional Danish kanelsnegle - cinnamon bun. So incredibly tasty!

Sun filling an exhibition hall in the National Gallery.

An evening stroll through Rosenborg Palace Garden, in glorious sunshine.

Nyhavn, possibly one of the most photographed and recognised areas of Copenhagen. It certainly doesn't disspoint; there are dozens of cafes and restaurants from which to sit and watch the world go by, or ice cream and waffle shops from which to buy some sweet treats and sit on the harbourside, as I did.

Palace and church towers in the sunset, at about 10pm. I was so pleased at how long it stayed light, and warm. Made for a very pleasant walk home. 

Breakfast on Islands Brygge on my last day. A morning dip in a cold harbour followed by lazing in the sunshine was the perfect end to my trip!

Looking ahead...

In just over three weeks I'll be heading to Copenhagen, so have recently started doing a bit of research into what to do and what not to miss.

First on the list is a climb up a tower, or anything to be able to see a view like this:

photo found here

I'm pretty sure there will be quite a lot of catching up and chatting to be done, so a small list of good cafes and bars will be in order. There are few things better than a drink in the sun and a good seat from which to watch a city go by.

by Cindy Fonvig at Spotted By Locals

photo found here

Nyhavn is apparently another must-see, and having looked at photos I shall definitely try and fit that into my trip. Coloured buildings, a stroll around the harbour and hopefully some sunshine will do very nicely. 

from Tilt Them, a blog of tilt shift photographs

Copenhagen has 350km of cycle paths, and around a third of people there cycle every day, making it one of the cycling capitals of Europe. I'll be finding a bike from somewhere and doing a lot of exploring on two wheels.

(probably not managing to look anywhere near as stylish as most of the Danes)

photo found here

Do you have any tips for a first trip to Copenhagen?