Nearing the end of 2019, we realized that we had not used any of the year to explore Europe – the singular goal of having moved aboard! So, we decided to tick off a bucket list item and book a Christmas holiday to Copenhagen, just in time for the year end.
So, after we finished up the holiday celebrations for our respective work parties, we started our little festive getaway. Upon arrival, we dropped off our bags and immediately headed to the world-famous Christmas markets, affectionately known as julemarkeder. This was where we had our first experience of Danish Glogg, a mulled wine with soaked rasins and almonds, and later we tried it with a shot of spiced rum as well. It was a perfect warm buzz to keep us feeling cozy in the cool winter air! We also sampled some of Denmark’s traditional bacon dishes (one of which was called “Burning Love,” served with potatoes and onion).
So, after we finished up the holiday celebrations for our respective work parties, we started our little festive getaway. Upon arrival, we dropped off our bags and immediately headed to the world-famous Christmas markets, affectionately known as julemarkeder. This was where we had our first experience of Danish Glogg, a mulled wine with soaked rasins and almonds, and later we tried it with a shot of spiced rum as well. It was a perfect warm buzz to keep us feeling cozy in the cool winter air! We also sampled some of Denmark’s traditional bacon dishes (one of which was called “Burning Love,” served with potatoes and onion).
After exploring the markets for a while, we made our way to CopenHot, an outdoor spa specializing in wood-burning hot tubs, which sat directly along the city's canals. With some flip flops and fuzzy hats, we braved the brisk winter air and watched a Copenhagen sunset from within the toasty tubs. Ron even braved the Baltic Sea with a polar bear plunge directly off the docks - something I couldn't even be paid to try! That marked the end of our first day, so it was back to the hotel for a very well deserved (and desperately needed!) night of rest.
The next morning, we made our way to Tivoli, the city-center amusement park. During Christmas each year, the park undergoes a total holiday makeover, complete with decorated trees, string lights and fake snow. We decided to visit the park to get a taste of their Christmas spirit, as being away from our home and our families was starting to steal a bit of our holiday magic! That day, we shared hot chocolate and some warm-roasted Danish almonds (an absolute delicacy!) For dinner, we had a traditional Danish Christmas meal at the Københaver Café, which featured the renowned smørgesbrod, red cabbage and cherry rice pudding.
Next up, we started the morning of Christmas Eve with cakes and coffee for breakfast at La Glace. A canal boat cruise gave us views of Copenhaven from the water, including the Gammon Strand and Nyhavn Canals, as well as a glimse at the Christiantown canals. As everything around town was starting to close up, we took a final tour around the cobbled streets and finished off with a lovely Christmas Eve dinner at the Leonard Christian restaurant in Nyhavn. And of course, tucked into bed watching Die Hard (with Danish subtitles!)
On Christmas day, we packed up our bags, checked out of the hotel and made our way across town to our final destination, Restaurant PUK. Here, we indulged ourselves in what was described as a 3-course meal – but could arguably have been 8 courses – of herring, plaice, shrimp, salmon, duck, pork and more…
All of this gluttonous meal was under the watchful eye of one very knowledgeable and passionate New Zealand foodie, who throughout our meal told us his wild stories of meeting celebrities and of becoming the second ever legally married gay couple in the world (quickly followed by the first ever legally divorced gay couple in the world). Whether the stories were in fact truth – we may never know! But what we do know, Christmas in Copenhagen was a beautiful and inspired experience.
All of this gluttonous meal was under the watchful eye of one very knowledgeable and passionate New Zealand foodie, who throughout our meal told us his wild stories of meeting celebrities and of becoming the second ever legally married gay couple in the world (quickly followed by the first ever legally divorced gay couple in the world). Whether the stories were in fact truth – we may never know! But what we do know, Christmas in Copenhagen was a beautiful and inspired experience.
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