out of copenhagen

title is a of course an homage to Out of Africa - the renown tale - written by the Danish author Karen Blixen under the name Isak Dinesen... but for today it is also a directive- the delay is over and today we will be getting everyone out of Copenhagen LOL

The morning of our departure we had breakfast downstairs in the Admiral - it was passable but not as good as the one at 71 Nyhavn where we had stayed on our own.  The group identified luggage and boarded a bus for a "city tour." We were not to be boarding the ship until after 2 PM despite the 9 AM departure.

We met our city guide on the bus - the lovely Janelle- whose honeyed voice was the perfect accompaniment to a morning of mostly driving around with a few get out and walking stops along the way and lunch on our own in the heart of town along Stroget.

Our first stop was the Anglican Church and the Little Mermaid (never given a moment of solitude - the poor girl is always surrounded by hordes of tourists)

then on to a tour of the neighborhoods while Janelle gave us the historical perspective of the development of Copenhagen and we past sights no one would have a chance to see on this trip- like Tivoli Gardens, the Rosenborg Castle and the Museum of Art... we did have a quick bathroom stop at the food halls where we had browsed two mornings earlier.

a sculpture seeking awareness for climate change and its effects on the animal populations of the world -

after we stopped and walked near the parliament building we were released for lunch on our own- we returned to an old favorite in Nytorv- for a last traditional Danish lunch-

eventually we met up with the group to pick up the bus and go to the ship... and get settled into our cabins-

once there we saw the Queen's yacht at anchor across from the ship-

we watched as the sun set from the "sun deck" of the ship (reflected on the yacht as night fell)

and as we left the harbor and headed toward open water of the Baltic we waved good by to CPH until the next visit- which we know already will be in 2018 for sure - if not before...

so finally out of Copenhagen we sailed that night for Bornholm Island - still part of Denmark but located near Sweden... we are on our way now....so stay tuned for more- Bornholm is charming and more adventures await!

a very long and very good meal!

So Saturday morning we bid adieu to our "wedding trip" hotel 71 Nyhavn and walked our luggage two blocks to the hotel where the cruise passengers would be staying... check in was hassle free (surprise) but the place was teeming with people - our group is only 98 total so it wasn't just us- this is a big hotel and this is a busy month- 

we went to the room and were pleased to find that we had a view of the water- and "paper island" across the water (the latest hot spot in CPH) 

the view from the room above and below (paper island at 3 o'clock exactly in the below photo) across the water

we decided the weather was iffy and so we would just grab a small lunch at the hotel cafe overlooking the water-  they made me an excellent Aperol Spritz and had very nice oysters (pricey!) and I had a salad and Phil a sandwich I think-

we followed with a lazy afternoon reading until we left for dinner (oh we did pick up our information packet about the city tour the next day and the "bags out" time etc...)

then it was time to head out to dinner at Studio at the Standard- and to meet up with all the Hansens- Poul & Lene and Poul's nephew Martin and Martin's wife Susan and kids Thomas & Emma... three generations of Hansens! (and with regards sent from Poul's mother!)

the is the building where the restaurant is located (along with several other dining venues and music clubs)

we went for the "briefer" menu and the kids were able to limit their course to three  but of course everyone started with "snacks" of a variety of things-

Thomas and Martin are served from the vase on the table LOL- the flower removed and the water used in the small bowl which had

chips and dip below-

quail egg I think- LOL - I do wish you got a summary at the end :-(

ebelskiver and a spread -

very yummy-

 the view from our table- as the sun set!

above-  before using pipette to dress the dish and after (below)

above was my first attempt at panoramic photo.  it was a fail because Susan and Emma somehow went missing - but there it is for what it is worth.  Poul on the left and Lene to the right of Phil and next to Martin, at least are recorded for posterity...

and no it wasn't toothpaste in those containers - it was sweet flavors to put on your madeleines...

BTW here is the menu- LOL

“Just relax – we will take care of the rest”

The Studio 7 course menu and extra servings with white sturgeon caviar and truffle, additional snacks, aperitif, wine pairing, water, coffee and sweets

ABOUT STUD!O

STUD!O is Claus Meyer and Torsten Vildgaard’s gourmet restaurant situated in central Copenhagen in beautiful surroundings at the harbour front. At STUD!O Torsten as head chef lives out his dream for fine dining and hospitality.

The restaurant opened in October 2013 and was after only four months awarded 1 Michelin-star. In October 2014 Studio was named the 3rd best restaurant in Denmark and the 10th best restaurant in the Nordic countries by “White Guide Nordic”. Furthermore Torsten Vildgaard was named chef of the year in Denmark by "Den Danske Spiseguide" (“The Danish restaurant guide). 

STUD!O is a workshop of passion with an inquisitive, curious and playful cuisine, challenging the dogmas in the Nordic kitchen tradition. Torsten himself was a significant part of that as the head chef and driving force at Noma’s test kitchen for 8 years from 2005-2012. STUD!O’s philosophy is more open-minded and out-going, though, and although the DNA is clearly Nordic, Torsten’s love for French and Japanese cooking shines through in the dishes and the presentation.

Hospitality is taken one step further. Guests are invited right into the heart of Studio at the open kitchen where they can experience the chefs in action and see the smiles on their faces when they nail a dish, which is then proudly served.  The chefs enjoy playing with their guest’s expectations of what they think they are about to taste, turning everything upside down and giving everyone a warm, intimate and personal experience.

KEEP TESTING!

from an interview with the chef- 

STUDIO - Studio is head-chef and co-owner Torsten Vildgaard's – studio. He was creative head chef at noma for several years up till recently. All of the food is prepared and served from an open kitchen in the restaurant, which is located on the first floor and with a breathtaking view of Copenhagen harbour. The Studio interior is, just like Almanak, designed by the design team Christina Meyer Bengtson and Ulrik Nordentoft and seats 48 guests and open, Tuesday through Saturday.

Torsten Vildgaard states: "At noma, from 2005-2012, I was deeply involved in developing new dishes, and at Studio we of course will continue this tradition and work intimately with our closest suppliers to create dishes that represent our nature, which no one has tasted before and which many hopefully will want to taste again. But after 8 years at noma I feel a need to look up and widen my perspective. At Studio we will also work with ideas and produce from other landscapes than our own. As long as it enhances good taste, which - along with warm superior service - means more to me than setting an intellectual agenda. Whenever we learn something useful, whether from an Indian mother, a native Bolivian, French cuisine or a stellar chef from San Francisco, we use it and embrace it openly.

The kids were terrific and so patient even though the food was rarely to their liking- and the meal was long and extremely leisurely paced- maybe a tad too much.  It was great to catch up with all the Hansens and see how Thomas and Emma have grown up since the last time we saw them.  Thomas has started gymnasium this year and Emma is part of a Danish national dance team that is competing in a European contest! (video link below - copy and paste into browser)

www.youtube.com/embed/iXdwOFTPgXQ

so next post we are off with the trip activities and on to the ship!

BTW- our ship left quite late the following evening but Martin & Susan watched its progress along the shipping route that they see from their waterfront home in Dragør- and so they took a photo of us as we passed by!

they didn't see us waving and we didn't see them with their large "torch" light on the Danish flag... but it was a classic Danish send off- and I think I have mentioned we are on our way this trip to see the sight where the Dannebrog fell down from heaven and became the oldest national flag (more to follow on that - but 1208 is the date- during a battle in 1208 near a place called "Felin" (Tallinn) during the Estonia campaign of King Valdemar II. The Danes were all but defeated when a lamb-skin banner depicting a white cross falls from the sky and miraculously leads to a Danish victory.