SQ A350 Y to Copenhagen: Bicycles, The Little Mermaid, and Lunch at Noma

[yflyer]

My room at the Marriott Copenhagen was on a high floor overlooking the water...



This was a spacious room with 2 queen beds...



The view out the window was just wonderful...



The decor in the room wasn't the most modern or striking, but after a week in the stylish but tiny Moxy, the spaciousness of the room just won me over.



Ironically, now that work was all done, I now had a proper writing desk and work chair...



Wardrobe, with iron and ironing board, as well as mini safe.



The bathroom had a slightly dated design, but was clean, well maintained and spacious.



Toiletries from Acca Kappa and Pecksniff's...



Combined shower and tub.



The executive rooms had bathrooms with separate shower stall and tub, and as Marriott Platinum, I was offered an upgrade to an exec room on check-in, however the upgraded room faced the city, and I declined that in favour of a regular room that faced the waterfront.

Overall, I was happy with my room, and glad to be spending my final night in Copenhagen here.

[yflyer]

On the 2nd last day of my trip, I checked out of the Moxy and checked into the Marriott Copenhagen.



With my conference over, and work all done, this marked the start of the personal segment of my trip, and what better way to do this than to move into a hotel in the city.

Boy was I glad I stayed at the Moxy first, then the Marriott Copenhagen. While the Moxy was fine, the Marriott Copenhagen was just at another level.

The Marriott was located in the centre of the city, along the picturesque waterfront close to Copenhagen harbour.



The hotel public areas were beautiful...




...with full length glass windows that enabled visitors to take in waterfront views...



There was direct access to the waterfront from the hotel lobby...



...with a beautiful pedestrian and bicycle promenade steps away.



Part of the waterway was cordoned off for swimmers...



...who braved the cold weather and even colder water for a dip...



I headed back into the lobby and went up to my room.

[yflyer]

After that, my colleagues and I asked for recommendations for dinner, and we were directed to Halifax Burger Restaurant, just a short walk away...



Once again, the cuisine didn't disappoint...



These were enormous, meaty, burgers, offered with a range of sides and toppings...



The burgers at Halifax were very satisfying, and hit the spot after a night of cocktails at Duck and Cover.

[yflyer]

On one of the evenings, my colleagues and I headed to a bar in Vesterbro, part of the so-called Meatpacking District. When we arrived at the address, we were at first a little lost, as we tried to find the place.

According to Google Maps, we were right there, but where was it?



Turns out it was right under our noses...



This was "Duck and Cover", one of the top bars in Copenhagen...



This was a small bar, but the bartender and cocktails were second to none...



This was a world class mixologist at work...



The cocktails were delicious, with many made with local spirits, such as Snaps...



...and Akvavit...



...I asked about these spirits, and was offered tasting portions of these unfamiliar spirits to try.

A great place to savour top notch cocktails in a refined, understated setting...

[yflyer]

The next couple of days went by in a blur as work picked up pace at the conference and exhibition I was attending at the Bella Centre.



There was actually a hotel right next to the conference centre, the futuristic looking AC Hotel Bella Sky by Marriott...



Many of the conference delegates were actually staying at that hotel. It was very convenient as far as attending the conference was concerned, but there wasn't a whole lot to do in the immediate vicinity, so in retrospect many who stayed there said they would have preferred to stay elsewhere, perhaps in the city for example. So I was quite happy to be at the Moxy, which was just a 10 minute bus ride to the Bella Centre.

As for the work event itself, it was great to be at an in-person event, which felt almost normal, with no mask mandates in force. Throughout the conference, I think I must have spotted at most 3 people wearing masks the whole time. It was nice to see things returning to normal, with the normal rhythms of business returning to the world.



That said, COVID was still very much around. After the event, when I returned home, I learned that 3 of the people I was in contact with at the event had come down with COVID, although thankfully these were relatively mild cases.

While the work days were busy, things usually wound down by the end of each day, and it wasn't a case of all work and no play. At the end of the day, the vibe in the conference and exhibition hall turned more light and social, with drinks and even some entertainment put up by both organisers and exhibitors.

Some of the conference exhibitors definitely had larger marketing / entertainment budgets than others.

Google had a live band and singer perform after hours -- their booth was a busy one...



They also had a couple of bartenders on duty, mixing cocktails for guests...



Now that's the way to make an impression at a trade show!



The event organisers also did their part to ensure that the social aspect of business was not forgetten, by organising a bar takeover of several night spots in Copenhagen, accessible to all event attendees.



I didn't join as I had other business commitments that evening, but I am sure it must have been a memorable night out for everyone who attended!

[yflyer]

I recalled a scene from Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" series, where Tony and chef René Redzepi went to a shooting gallery in Tivoli Gardens...



There was the shooting gallery...



I couldn't resist trying my luck at some target practice...even after all that beer.

Memories of hot muggy days (and mosquito filled nights) at SAF shooting ranges during my NS days came flooding back to me...I hoped I wouldn't be a disgrace to my army buddies...



I picked up the rifle, cocked it and fired away...

As it turned out, I didn't do too badly...though not as well as I had hoped...I was probably swaying a little after all that beer...

I examined the target board, which was presented to me as a souvenir...



"That's terrible!" I remarked to the friendly staff member manning the gallery.

"It's quite good, actually!" he replied, and gave me a few tokens to redeem a small prize...

[yflyer]

I headed into Tivoli Gardens...



What a lovely park...



There was so much history in this amusement park...

The Chinese Pantomime Theatre, where pantomimes and performances were staged...



The Arabian-themed Nimb hotel, built in 1909 by Tivoli's in house architects...



The Ballongyngen (Balloon Swing), a Ferris wheel which first opened during WWII, in 1943...



There were of course also newer rides, including the Himmelskibet, or Skyship, which opened in 2006...



At a terrifying 250m, this was the world's tallest swing ride...



In short, there were rides for young and old here...



Including this wooden roller coaster, built in 1914, with a mountain theme...



...that could have been the inspiration for Disney's Matterhorn rollercoaster ride in Anaheim...



Apart from this antique wooden rollercoaster, there were modern rollercoasters that were as fast and terrifying as any in theme parks anywhere in the world. Something for everyone here, really.

[yflyer]

It was then off to do some work.

In the evening, one of our business partners organised a small reception at Anarkist Bar at Tivoli Gardens.



The beers at Anarkist came from their microbrewery in Odense, and there were many different brews available.



Many were available on tap...



Our reception took place on the upper level private bar area, where 9 beers had been selected for our consumption ("If you want anything else, go downstairs and we will get it for you...")...



At that point, I set my personal goal for the evening, which was to try all 9 beers before the night was out...



Most of the beers were Anarkist's popular brews, but number 3 stood out. Heineken? Strange, especially since Copenhagen was Carlsberg territory! Probably thrown into the mix so that guests would have a familiar reference with which to compare all the others...

I made my way through the list...



Alongside the beer, the kitchen at Anarkist did wonderful pizzas as well...who knew the Danes were also such pizza masters (And also masters of the hamburger, as I would learn later on my trip...)...was there anything that wasn't delicious in this country?



I had a great time chatting with everyone at the reception...being well lubricated with beer certainly helped move the discussions along...

And I was making great progress with the beer too....



I eventually managed to taste all 9 beers, though in order to make it through the evening on my own two feet I had to pull small pours of each, rather than full glasses. I know some folks who could probably have made it through all 9 with full glasses, but such superhuman acts were beyond my capabilities...

And as part of the evening, our hosts gave out tickets to enter Tivoli Gardens. Brilliant!

[yflyer]

The hot dog was so good that I couldn't have just one.

I headed to another hot dog stand I had passed earlier, near the Round Tower...



More mind boggling choices to be made...



I struck jackpot again...I don't think there is any wrong choice when it comes to these amazing hot dogs!



Two hot dogs was about right for lunch. To be frank I could probably have handled a 3rd one too, but good sense prevailed...



DKK 40 (About SGD 7.50) for a hot dog. Not exactly cheap for street food, but the quality was so good, and considering how pricey things were here, almost a bargain!

The other thing you could get here was gourmet coffee out of small vans. There is quite a coffee culture in Copenhagen, with proper espresso dispensed out of real espresso machines built into the back of small vans...perfect on a cold day.

[yflyer]

I was actually in that part of the city to run an errand...

When Mrs yflyer learned that I was going to be in Copenhagen, she asked me to get her clothes from renown fashion designer, Mads Nřrgaard. She was a fan, however they didn't deliver internationally, so here I was at one of his stores in Copenhagen.



Inside, a mind boggling selection of clothing...



To be frank, I felt quite lost...but went about snapping pictures of his clothing and whatsApping them to Mrs yflyer for her feedback.

Eventually we settled for a few of the iconic striped 101 tops, designed by Jorgen Nřrgaard, and introduced in 1967...



...including this classic design...



It would have been much simpler if Mrs yflyer was there, of course...I have no fashion sense when it comes to buying clothing...

With shopping out of the way, I went in search of sustenance...



I headed to one of many hot dog stands dotting the city...



Danish hot dogs are unlike those I have eaten in any other countries...



For a start, there are many different types of sausages and toppings, all of which taste different...



I just picked one at random...



OMG...delicious...they were light, refined and tasty, with a wonderful crunch to the toppings...so different from the heavy, oily hot dogs you had in other countries!

[yflyer]

The next day, I had business meetings in the afternoon, but had a little time in the morning to do a little more sightseeing.

I headed to the Round Tower...



This was a 17th century observation tower, with an astronomical observatory and telescope on it's top.



The interior of the tower was quite unique. Rather than steps, it was a circular slope...



...which wound it's way almost all the way to the top...



Finally, a narrow spiral staircase...



At the top, you were rewarded with spectacular views of the city...



There were few skyscrapers in Copenhagen...what a unique and beautiful skyline, with beautiful spires and towers...



The old astronomical observatory has been preserved...



A look inside the observatory...



One last look around before heading back down...

[yflyer]

After a couple of plates of the marinated and cooked herring, I decided the smoked herring and egg was just too intriguing to pass up.

"Excuse me," I asked the waiter, "how do you eat the smoked herring?"



"You open it up, and then spread the egg over it, like jam..."

"Ah, I see!"



This was quite delicious, with the gooey egg yolk complementing the fine, tender smoked herring very well!

I could not resist a glass of their house white wine to go along with the herring...



This was a wonderful first dinner in Copenhagen, and a relative bargain at DKK 185, or SGD 35.



Thumbs up!

[yflyer]

After my post-run shower, I left the hotel and took the S-train to Nyhavn for an evening meal...



This was where you could also embark on one of the many canal boat tours on offer...



I was already getting a little tired from jet lag, so decided to skip the boat tour and just head for a meal at one of the many restaurants lining the water.

After strolling up and down, and checking online reviews as I walked, I ended up at the herring buffet at Nyhavns Faergekro...



This was an all-you-could-eat spread of different herring preparations: marinated, smoked and cooked, along with a few side dishes...



There were tables inside, but the weather outside was perfect, and most folks sat outside along the water...



Some of the marinated herring selections...



Cooked herring, with potatoes...



There was an intriguing dish of smoked herring, with raw egg on the side...



Many different flavoured schnapps to go with the herring, available by the glass...



With such a huge selection, I would have to pace myself well if I were to try it all...



Plate in hand, I headed to my table outside, and ordered a glass of Schnapps to go with it all.

Yum...this was really good.

I headed back for seconds...another plate with a different selection of herring preparations.

[yflyer]

The bus system here was great too...



Very comfortable buses...



...which even had USB ports...



Apart from the S-train commuter train system, there was also a Metro system, similar to our MRT, in the heart of the city (This would also be extended to Sydhavnen in a few years time)...



This was a very modern system...



With clean, spacious trains...




I didn't see any major traffic jams on the roads while here, and trains and buses were usually not crowded either, although in the morning rush hour, I did find myself in a packed bus on at least one occasion.

What wonderful public transport infrastructure, I marvelled. Between the bikes, trains and metro, I suspect most folks who lived in Copenhagen would have little need for a car when commuting within the city.



The only minor thing that slightly marred the experience for me was the extensive graffiti that could be found both on the exteriors and interiors of the trains here. I guess here in Denmark, and in much of Western Europe, there was much more tolerance of minor mischief like graffiti.


Apart from that, I think Copenhagen really set the standard for what the future of commuting should be in a city. It probably helped that Copenhagen was a fairly small city with between 700,000 to 1 million plus people living here.

[yflyer]

Back in the hotel, I took a hot shower, then prepared to head out again.

After that super expensive taxi ride from the airport, I resolved to use public transport as far as possible for the rest of my trip. This was very possible, given the compact nature of Copenhagen, and the fully integrated transport system here, where buses, trains and the metro all used the same ticketing system. In fact, it is an honour system here, where you don't need to go through turnstiles to board trains etc. The only ticket checks are spot checks by ticket inspectors, which I only encountered once the entire week, while on the metro.

While there are ticketing machines at the train and subway stations, for visitors, there as a mobile app on iPhone or Android that you could download, and pay for by credit card. This would give you 1-4 days of unlimited access to whichever zones you needed. All I had to do was download the app, pay for a the ticket on the app via credit card, and I had full use of Copenhagen's public transport system for the week. Super convenient!



Sydhavn Street train station was just a 5 min walk from the Moxy.



You could see the Moxy from the train platform -- that's how close the station was.



The commuter trains from here to the city ran at very regular intervals.



The trains were very comfortable...



With room for bicycles...



Lots of room -- whole carriages in fact...



Which made sense considering how popular bicycles were here in Copenhagen. Everyone got around on them...



The bicycle culture here wasn't about fitness, or middle-aged men in lycra...it was all about commuting, and the types of bikes and accessories on the road reflected that.



Folks here commuted for both work and play. I think the cool weather definitely helped. This approach would never work in Singapore, with its heat and humidity.