A weekend in Copenhagen

Last weekend I made a short visit to Copenhagen. Favourite band tv-2 played a release concert for their new album in the Copenhagen Operahouse, so there were several reasons to hop over: a tv-2 concert in an incredible venue (have a look inside here).

I hadn’t been in Denmark for several years and it was both nice and weird to be back. It feels very familiar but yet it is no longer my home.

There are a couple of things I noticed (some of them I had missed):

Kaergarden with salt
There is nothing better than fresh baked bread with Kaergarden butter. The good thing is that they salt all butter in Denmark, which just gives it a much better taste.

Gullerodsbrod
Fresh carrotbread. And just the fact that all Danish bakeries are open on Sunday.

Cyclists with helmets
Everyone, children en grownups, is wearing a cycle helmet. I think we have as much cyclists in the Netherlands, and no one here is wearing one.

Great trains
The Danish trains remains one of the most comfortable trains to travel in.

TV-2
It had been a while (March 2009 to be precise) but one never can see enough tv-2 concerts. This one was entertaining too and it was also nice to meet some old Danish friends.

Great design everywhere
From fantastic buildings (Operahouse) to the clocks on the railwaystation to the furniture in the SAS lounge on the airport. The Danes are masters when it comes to beautiful design.

Backpacks
It seems the preferred way of carrying your goods around in Copenhagen.

Sandals with socks
Wrong. Especially in the winter and even worse with white socks. Just don’t do this.

I didn’t have that much time, but did have a walk around town, also to visit one of my favourite buildings in Copenhagen:
Rundertaarnet in Copenhagen

Records shops with Showtime sleeves
It's Showtime in Copenhagen shop windows too

tv-2
TV-2  in Copenhagen Opera House

and a great Danish breakfast.
Danish Breakfast

I stayed in the Cabinn City hotel, which is affordable and has a great location close to the trainstation and Tivoli. Recommended.

Two days in Paris

TV-2 in Paris

How to be impulsive and try something new in six easy steps:

  1. Read on facebook (and yes I want to be your friend too – I am known as Ingrid M van Vliet, the M standing for mad) that TV-2 (danish band extraordinaire) is playing a concert in Paris.
  2. Admit that taking the Eurostar train from London to Paris has long been on your todo list and that this might be a perfect reason to book it, like, now.
  3. Book a ticket for the TV-2 concert in ELYSEE-MONTMARTRE, Paris.
  4. Book your Eurostar ticket and realise that it is only 2 hours and 20 minutes from London St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord by train! Make sure to reserve a window seat.
  5. Visit tripadvisor.com, search for “cheap hotel Gare du Nord, Paris”, read reviews from other travellers, pick a hotel and book it. Realise after you booked it that the hotel is located on Rue de saint Quentin which put a smile on your face.
  6. Start looking forward to the trip and promise yourself to do things like this more often.

Voici, c’est simple!

How does it make me feel …

to go to my very last tv-2 concert tonight ?

Well it’s heartbreaking. And tonight I am not going to sell t-shirts, I will stand before the stage for a last time, and sing along with the songs I know so well. And listen to the lyrics that have been a big part of my daily life in Denmark. I am going to miss them enormously.

Yes dear readers, this would definetely have been a kleenex moment, if this had been a film.

I will try to force them to come to London not too long from now.

1 down, 7 to go

tv-2 - Filmbyen, ?rhus
Steffen Brandt, smiling on stage in Aarhus, actually.

Oh I am so going to miss watching this man on stage. And hearing him and his band live. Good to know they play London every second year. And good to know London has some other interesting men running around to compensate …

for i = 1 to 8

remember to put on black t-shirt in the morning
go to work
try to work
answer all kind of mails from fans through the day (what time does it start, how to find the venue, what merchandise can we buy etc.)
go early from work
if i = 1 then
meetup in the cafe to socialize with other fans
dance and sing and enjoy exclusive fan sneak preview concert

else
take the train to other city
live on fastfood like MacD and Burger K.
work hard and try to enjoy some of the concert while selling t-shirts and stuff
count all the stuff sold and the money and check if numbers match
take train home
end if

find bike and bike home
freeze your *ss off because it is still very cold in Denmark
come home very late
crash in your bed

next i