Travel

Stories of places I’ve been that inspire me whether or not they have anything to do with knitting.

Roskilde in Pictures

| Verónica

{Click on any image for a large-screen view and descriptions}.

Roskilde Kloster is a beautiful monastery formerly for unmarried noble ladies. The town of Roskilde dates back to medieval times. Roskilde is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.
Five Viking ships were sunk in the fjord to create a barrier against invaders. The ships were made out of oak, pine, lime, ash and birch.
The ships were longships, trading ships, warships and fishing vessels. Their sizes varied carrying crews of 5-6 to 30. Top speeds ranged from 8.5 to 20 knots.
Danish kings and queens spanning over 10 centuries are buried at Roskilde Cathedral.
White marble wreath in the chapel of Christian IX (died in 1906).
Queen Margrete I (1412) united Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The original gown was made of fabric woven in Italy at the beginning of the 15th century and is currently located in Uppsala.

Getting Hygge With It

| Verónica

This year, we decided to do something different for Christmas. We wanted to experience cold weather and possibly snow in winter. While the so-called “Winter Texans” flocked south toward the border, we flew north and crossed an ocean to Denmark. We spent most of our time in Copenhagen, which consistently ranks among the top cities in the world for quality of life.

We stayed in a lovely home in the area of Ørestad. It was a short walk to the metro at Bella Center and from there about a 10-15 minute ride to the city center. There were bicycles everywhere, and babies bundled up in thick jumpsuits and wrapped in cozy strollers, renaissance castles, pickled herring, and plenty of varm chokolade. The weather ranged from 43° F during the day to 25° F at night. It was overcast and gloomy and rained half the time, with intermittent moments of sunshine. It was dark by 4 pm. We didn’t get snow. Ironically, it snowed in South Texas while we were in Denmark.

On New Year’s Eve, fireworks exploded throughout the city. They easily continued for over an hour and even lingered for days after. On the first, the streets were littered with cases of exploded fireworks. We have wonderful memories of our Christmas in Denmark.

{Click on any image for a full-screen slide show and to view the descriptions}

Nikolaj Kunsthal was a church in the early 1200s and now houses the Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center.
Statue of Hans Christian Andersen in the Rådhuspladsen (Town Hall Square). Author of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and my favorite, The Princess and the Pea.
Tivoli Gardens amusement park.
Beautiful archway inside Copenhagen City Hall.
Alexander Nevsky Church, the only Russian Orthodox Church in Copenhagen.
Frederikskirke, or the marble church, has one of the largest domes in Europe with a diameter of 105 feet.
The Royal Guard at Amalienborg Palace.
Rosenborg Castle.
Lion statue at the entrance to Rosenborg Castle. A moat surrounds the castle past this entrance.
The throne room in Rosenborg Castle. I told my husband that clearly we needed one in the house. He just gave me a funny look and kept walking.
Nyhavn, a 17th century waterfront that catered to maritime businesses. Quintessential Copenhagen.
The Church of Our Saviour, a baroque church located in the Christianshavn neighborhood. The church spire is 9 meters high. There are 400 steps to the top with the last 150 located outside. We understand that the external spiral staircase was not open. Something about slippery steps and the possibility of plunging to one’s death.
View from Christianshavn waterfront.
We visited the Assistens Cemetery on a cold, rainy day. We found the resting places of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, architect Finn Juhl, and physicist Niels Bohr. I came across this grave decorated with a yarn-wrapped wreath and pom poms.
Beautiful path along the cemetery.
Finn Juhl’s gravesite. I thought it fitting that this bench would be located next to a furniture designer’s resting place.


On a visit to the Design Museum Danmark, we had the pleasure of viewing a special exhibit commemorating the work of Danish architect Finn Juhl. The exhibit Furniture for the Senses, Finn Juhl 100 featured several chairs designed by Juhl and other Danish architects. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Chieftain Chair designed by Finn Juhl in 1949. Very comfortable.
Double Chieftain Chair by Finn Juhl, 1949.
Sløjfestolen, the Bow Chair, 1963, designed by Grete Jalk.
From left, the Drop Chair, Egg Chair and Swan Chair. Designed by Arne Jacobsen, 1957.
Kirsebaer, a lovely textile designed by Marie Gudme Leth, 1946.


And last but not least, here is a sampling of the delicious food we tried during our stay.

Hindbaer Snitter (Danish Raspberry Bars) and other freshly-baked breads at Torvehallerne.
Breakfast at the indoor market – lattes and hot chocolate.
Freshly-baked cinnamon rolls.
The Welsh Rarebit – toasted rye bread, savoury sauce of cheese, organic ham and baked beans.
Copenhagen street food. Not the best photo (taken with iPhone) but a delicious organic hot dog from a street vendor.
Varieties of fudge at Torvehallerne.

Sparkling Glass from Germany

| Verónica

While walking along the endless mazes of the Christmas Markets, we stopped at one booth and watched as a craftsman made beautiful hand blown glass ornaments. These sparkling ornaments now adorn our tree. If you want to see how they are made, this post has more information.

(Click on any thumbnail for a full-screen view).

Supper on South Street

| Verónica

On my trip to Philadelphia, I had a few precious hours on Sunday afternoon in which to soak up as much of the local culture as possible. After a mad dash to the Historic District to visit Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell, I made my way to South Street. South Street is an eclectic, bohemian neighborhood which has managed to maintain a historic look through years of gentrification. Some of the building facades with their stripped paint have a decaying quality while brand new structures like the Whole Foods grocery store serve as a focal point for the funky blend of South Street residents.

As I meandered my way past tiled mosaic exteriors, bars and boutiques, I almost walked past Supper. I had not eaten except for an apple at the airport so I was famished. I took a quick glance at the menu posted on the window and instantly knew I had come to the right place. Supper is a chef-owned restaurant that “serves seasonal farm-direct American cuisine.” Through a partnership with Blue Elephant Farm, a privately owned organic farm, they cook with and serve fresh produce grown exclusively for them.

Providence was with me because it happened to be Restaurant Week and Supper was serving a four-course meal for $35.

The Beverage

River Horse Double Wit, a Belgian style wheat brew with orange peel, lemon peel and coriander. Brewed in Pennsylvania.

The Hors d’oeuvre

Sriracha deviled eggs, freshly-baked rosemary bread and sweet cream butter.

First Course

BE Farm greens and herbs salad with ben’s apples, smoked chicken cracklins, cornbread croutons and buttermilk dressing.

Entree

BE Farms farro risotto with butternut squash, caramelized apple and mint.

Dessert

Butterscotch bread pudding with poached pears and spiced whipped cream.

Location

Supper is located at 926 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, in the South Street Headhouse District.