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​I cheated...{and it's not what you think!}

3/25/2017

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...on my Lenten promise and {gasp} I'm not exactly remorseful {eek!}. 

Copenhagen is a foodie's heaven, filled with independent brewers, organic food, donut shops, authentic BBQ southerners would approve of, trendy taco joints, and gourmet hotdogs, plus much more. I honestly had no idea Copenhagen's food scene was so big + widely praised. 

And so, I'm hoping God will forgive my indiscretions, as I fully indulged in many different cuisines this hipster town had to offer. 

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First downfall: the donut. Gets me every time. How can I say no, especially when it was just steps from our hotel {insert crying face}?!
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If you're wondering why I went for the most sugary donut, it's because it was St. Pat's Day, so I had to go green :).

I made up for that donut by splurging on a delicious, organic, gluten-free breakfast with homemade errryyythaang. Even Ross, who had the same meal, was impressed, and he's not one for alternative diets.  
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My second downfall: a traditional Danish lunch, where we leisurely spent 2+ hours just relaxing, learning about the culture from our very kind + animated waiter. The meal starts with herring, moves onto a meat dish, and then finishes off with cheese, which is where I broke my second lenten promise: no dairy {you should really see these horrific videos of poor cows I've been watching... }. 
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The restaurant has been open for 125 years!
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So. Let's talk herring, made into a traditional open-faced mini-sandwich. Woof. The Danish seem to like it, as it's everywhere, but it has to be an acquired taste. 
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The mains were much much better!
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And ending with cheese...sorry Baby J.

Though our traditional meal was worth noting, my favorite food, and probably because it reminded me of home, was at Warpigs, a brewery + restaurant created by Mikkeller + 3 Flloyds, and located in my favorite district: the meat-packing district.
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We were impressed by the array of sauces, as most restaurants in London aren't condiment-friendly {much to my dismay}.
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Another notable restaurant, which I failed to take pictures of was Mother, a popular pizza place also in the meat-packing district! 
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With so many cuisines to offer, Copenhagen seems to be a culinary capital. I was expecting an Amsterdam {nothing to write home about} and left thinking Copenhagen was similar to a Chicago {everything to write about ;)}. 

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Fitting in with the cool kids...

3/23/2017

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Sooo I've come to the conclusion that anyone who lives in Copenhagen is cool. Even after just being in Copenhagen for a couple days, I instantly feel cooler. I am also fully aware that by saying that, I am instantly not cool ;).  

The relaxed, hipster vibe of the "city of smiles" makes it easy to understand why everyone is so.darn.happy {and trendy + environmentally friendly + kind + did I mention cool?!}. 

Consisting of different neighborhoods, Copenhagen's various districts have different atmospheres but all have one thing in common: they are all cool {How many times can I use that adjective? Start counting now...}. 
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Hotel Alexandra
Ok. So I'm fully aware this is not a district, per say, but it should be because I could've hung out in this centrally-located hotel for hours. Located in Vesterbro, Tivoli Gardens, where Walt Disney found his inspiration, is right around the corner, along with numerous restaurants + shopping. The hotel itself is a dream. It's Madmen modern, with an updated take on 1960s chic. The hotel uses minimalistic-earth tones, with simple, yet functional furniture {I want to take all their furniture home with me}. It's green. Literally green with colors from the succulents + cacti decorating the hotel {I want them all!}, but also one of the first environmentally friendly hotels to offer a bar + cafe voucher in exchange for no room service to conserve water + energy. It's just cool and the area surrounding it isn't to be missed. 
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That key is even noteworthy!
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Vesterbo has the cutest storefronts + buildings.

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Nyhaven + City Center
The waterfront is exactly how it looks in pictures, and because of that, it is touristy; however, it is worth seeing. The canal is beautiful + lined with restaurants + street-food carts. It has an upbeat vibe and vibrant colors. 
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I mean, at this point, of course I was picture-happy.
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And though the weather wasn't ideal while we were there, it didn't take away from this city's charm.
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Located near the city center, just across the water, is The Little Mermaid statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale. Though she is small {despite how photos make her look}, she is the most popular attraction from what I've heard + read. She is located in Kastellet, a military fortress, seen below.
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Deep thought for the day- Do you ever wonder how many random pictures you are in as an innocent backgrounder {like the ones below}? I do. All.the.time.
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Meat packing district
Hands down my favorite part of this city, where Chicago's West Loop meets European hipster. Consisting of old warehouses, turned trendy restaurants + breweries, I felt right at home here. We had lunch + dinner in this area one day and it did not disappoint. 

The picture below honestly doesn't do it justice, so be on the look out for my food post about Copenhagen ;). 
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Red light district
Similar to Amsterdam, you can probably take a guess as to what this area contains. However, unlike Amsterdam the area was a bit cleaner. And it had some nice bars to pop into when the weather took a turn for the worst. 
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Freetown Christiania 
Oh myyyy gawwwdd. Known as the "green light" district, this area is a hippy's dream-town + an Instagrammer's paradise: green {for more than one reason} + isolated + oh, so colorful {which is what I loved the most}. Freetown doesn't allow cars, consists of homemade houses, galleries, workshops, boasts many organic, veggie restaurants, and much more. I've never really seen anything like it, even in Amsterdam. And while I wasn't supposed to take any pictures, I really couldn't help myself. This place was unnnnreal {if you haven't yet, go on and click the link to read the history behind Christiania--it is fascinating!}.
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My favorite rainbow, eclectic house!
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Oh, you know, just trying to fit in. I'm going to say it didn't work, but hey, A for effort, right?
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Walking out of Freetown, and seeing the image below, you immediately notice the contrast between the buildings surrounding the special place of Freetown Christiania. 
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The Danish Royal Palace: Amalienborg Palace
The toy soldiers smile. They talk. They laugh. They allow pictures with tourists. Instantly better than the red toy solider's in England who seem to take their job a little too seriously. I absolutely loved seeing the changing of the guard, which happens every day at noon, because there wasn't a gate around the procession, and we could see them up close. 
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So they aren't smiling there, but look how close I am to these little guys! Hi, friends!
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The Marble Church is right by the palace, and is just as regal as the Danish royal fam's home. 
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Torvehallerne 
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A true super market, this boasts many food stalls, both indoor + outdoor, along with trinkets + flowers {my fave!} so visitors can get a taste of Danish food + culture. We only had a quick bite here, a gourmet hotdog, because, well, apparently, that is the popular street-food in Copenhagen.
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These opened-faced sandwiches are a popular Danish lunch. 
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Ok, so the hotdog wasn't my favorite meal, but I won't hold it against this cool {last time, I'll say that, I swear!} city. In fact, it makes me want to go back for a visit to find the best hotdog! 
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    Danielle Marie

    Chicago native. Proud teacher. Wannabe yoga instructor. Life-long learner. Royal & celebrity enthusiast. Foodie. Animal lover. London implant trying to understand a new culture and lifestyle. Follow me and my journey abroad, by subscribing below with your email address. xoxo

    *All views are my own and not reflective of my employer. 

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