On our way out of Aarhus we stopped at the Infinite Bridge which is simply a wooden pier but also a work of art in the shape of a circle on Aarhus Bay. It was situated on a beautiful beach with a view of Aarhus in the distance and it was devoid of tourists at that time of day. It was a nice way to capture the beauty of the city before saying goodbye.
It was a nice drive back filled with great – and sometimes deep – conversation. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the connection time with the love of my life….
Back to Torvehallerne food hall in Copenhagen for exploring and because our bodies needed something green; you know, something other than pastry! This time we opted for Smag – a salad kiosk that was healthy(?) and delicious. Happy bodies! We also took some time to wander the hall a bit and check out the different – and unique – kiosks there. The food variety isn’t as extensive as that at Reffen but you can get other Danish good here as well – chocolate, teas, so much coffee, kitchen gear, fruits and veggies.
On our way to lunch we ran into a TON of foot traffic right around the City Hall Square in the city center (called Rådhuspladsen). So many people cheering and with Danish flags. I didn’t have any idea of what was going on so we continued to lunch. Again, thank you Google, as these were locals gathering to see the Danish Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard who would arrive at 1:40 to address the crowd. Well, of course we had to go back to see that! It was so cool to be part of a gathering like that! We arrived just as Jonas (first name basis, huh?) stepped out onto a balcony at City Hall to so many Danes cheering and going crazy! He spoke in Danish to the large crowd and at one point a member of the Danish royal family (we think) joined him. Then he brought out his wife and daughter. Before he went back inside he joined the crowd in singing the Danish national anthem. So happy we got to see this and feel like a local for just a few moments!
We took a brief detour to see just a small portion of the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens. I really wish we’d had more time to spend here but next time, right?
It was finally time to celebrate Gaby’s 21st birthday! I had literally made reservations at a cocktail bar back in May to ensure we had a cool spot to take her. Gaby wanted to have her first (legal) drink with us – what an honor! And her boyfriend Christian would be joining us as he’d just arrived from Denver for a visit. We went to a hip, trendy cocktail bar called bird in the Frederiksberg neighborhood. Per my research, bird focuses on unique cocktails in a low-key atmosphere while vinyl records spin in the background.
The menu is constantly changing so we didn’t really know what drinks to expect but – in order to give Gaby a chance to try a few different things – we all ordered something completely different. And not only were the cocktails super yummy but also just beautiful. See below! And the server was really fun as well – we learned a little bit about Danish drinking culture, including the phrase “Danish Drunk”. Danes can legally drink at 18, open containers are completely legal and Danish Drunk is akin to our “inebriated”.
We really enjoyed our time with Gaby and Christian and, although they left for a romantic dinner on their own, John and I left so grateful for the time with them.
It has been a long day but we needed a little sustenance after our lovely drinks so John and I hopped on the Donkey’s to find an ethnic place. A few misses, we ended up at Tandoori Masala Indian restaurant – the food was great but the service was crappy. Truth.