Games at Malmo Park

What We Saw in Malmö

We spent one day in Malmö. Folkets Park: This is a very cool park – at least, in the summertime. They have concerts and comedy and more as part of something they call ‘Super Duper Summer.’ (Which, by the way, is somewhat strange to see next to a legion of posters with no English on them…

Clock

Reminder of the Day

Yes, a lower housing cost for the day is desirable. However, when a listing says ‘facade improvements,’ this is not just a note to ignore the scaffolding and to climb under plastic sheeting to get to the space. It is also a note that bedtime had better be early, because construction sounds will begin before roosters…

Copenhagen Canal

Surprising Things About Copenhagen

We can’t speak for all of Denmark, since we only visited the one city, but here were 7 things that surprised us about Copenhagen: Everyone speaks English. Seriously: everyone. Some of the people, especially those in the tourism industry, have better English pronunciation and grammar than many of the Americans I know. Everyone bikes. Women…

Dolma

Getting Our Money’s Worth

We were wandering about town one evening in Copenhagen. We had no set destination, but were enjoying the many people, restaurants, and plazas we encountered on each cobblestone street and alley. But we soon grew hungry, so our wandering grew more purposeful: we stopped to peruse menus. Unfortunately, the need to divide the currency listed by 5 did nothing to…

Copenhagen Church

Origins of Hoodies

Yesterday, we made the requisite pilgrimage to the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. It’s an indisputable tourist trap, made even more depressing by the need of most 13- to 30-year-old male visitors to have a photo of themselves groping her. The statue itself is located at the edge of the city, not far from a…

Copenhagen Dessert

What We Ate in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is expensive. Bibi’s Diner: Decent. This story is told elsewhere, but the food itself was solid. We had dolma, tomato/cucumber salad, broccoli salad, cabbage salad, and potato salad, plus something bread-like which I think was chick-pea-based. In that part of town, this seemed to be one of the only affordable places to eat. Aamanns: This was…

Medusa Sculpture

What We Saw in Copenhagen

Royal Library Gardens: It was very relaxing to sit in here. Surprisingly devoid of crowds, it had some pretty trees, a fountain, a statue of Kierkegaard, and a lot of benches. Worth it. The Dome: There was a temporary art installation set up near the water, which looked like a transparent biodome. It was intended to convey a both…

Irish Car

Learning to Drive All Over Again

I have been driving since my mid-teens, and I’ve always considered myself a good driver. Of course, I went through that phase that many young males do—where no speed is too fast—but I fortunately came through it mostly unscathed. I didn’t give a second thought to driving in Ireland. Driving on the left is difficult.…

Kylemore Abbey

What We Saw in Ireland (Outside Dublin)

Glendalough: An old monastic site, this place has church ruins, tower ruins, a river-like thing, and a lake. It’s certainly pretty, but not sure that it merits being singled out as the thing to see. The best part is the elevated wooden walkway on which you can stroll around the lake. And the sheep grazing…

Cassidy's Pub View

What We Ate in Ireland (Outside Dublin)

Glendalough Hotel (Glendalough): Decent, especially for a tourist location. I had a fish cake, and B had spring rolls. Cafe Sol (Kilkenny): Our favorite! I had a quinoa/roasted veggie/pumpkin seed salad, and B had Guinness bangers and mash. Lombard St. Take Away (Waterford): Surprisingly decent. I had curry fries, and B had bacon and cheese…