Today is airport day. I have one final breakfast at the hotel, and am unpleasantly surprised at check-out to discover there is a fee after all! It's 95 DKK, or about $16, which is a lot for breakfast. On the other hand, thinking about how much I took advantage of the spread, how expensive food was in town, and how difficult it was to find food I liked, it probably still is a great deal. Interestingly, it's completely on the honour system, I could have told the clerk I didn't have breakfast at all. That was mostly true of the metro system as well. In the last couple of days, there were men checking tickets but you were mostly trusted to pay your way.
One thing I will not miss here in Copenhagen is the smoking. A lot of people here smoke. They also toss their cigarettes into the streets, train tracks, just everywhere. Most streets are cobblestoned so the butts get stuck in the crevices. Really not attractive. They make a lot of noise about being green, conserving energy and water, but don't seem to realise that cigarette butts are horribly polluting.
I got to the airport quite early and was able to get my tax refund (from the amber shop) pretty easily. The terminal area is lined with high-end shops. There is not a lot of seating but the ambiance is quite pleasant and doesn't have nearly the 'cattle call' feel that so many US airports do.
The flight to London is relatively short and the flight to LAX is delayed so I have plenty of time to make the transit. Again, I'm struck by the calmness here at Heathrow, which also has an airy, bright and pleasant feeling to it. The plane is packed and it appears I've been lucky to have no changes to my flights due to the strike.
Once we land at LAX, chaos ensues. It seems like the entire world has just arrived at Tom Bradley terminal at the same time. It takes forever to get through customs and people are cranky and in a bad mood. Ah, good old US of A!
31 May 2010
29 May 2010
Sweden
On my last day in Scandinavia, I head over to Sweden via the Oresund Bridge. You can take the train, bus or car. The train lands you in Malmo, Sweden. Apparently, this town was ruled by the Danish at one point (have I mentioned there's been a lot of fighting between the two countries?) and their castle was built by the same Danish king who originally constructed Kronborg. The town is a cute little place with canals and small pedestrian squares filled with old half-timber buildings. A lot of people are walking around today and there's some kind of demonstration in one of the squares. At the castle, there is a cafe that serves meatballs, gravy and lingonberry jam! I really must have a plate and I have to say, it's absolutely delicious. Much better than what you get at IKEA! :) It's also more to my taste than most of the Danish food I was finding. From the castle, you can see the Turning Torso building by Santiago Calatrava. It's a private building so you can't go in it, but it's very striking, with that 90 degree twist.
Before heading back to Copenhagen, I hop on one of the canal tours that leaves from in front of the train station. There are something like 20 bridges that cross the canal at various points and they all tend to be quite low, requiring ducking of heads. There is a large industrial area of Malmo where it appears the shipping trade was quite prominent. There is also a large park attached to the castle and a windmill! The canal is filled with water birds. Malmo also has quite a few distinct churches visible from the canal.
One last train ride back into town and an afternoon rest. I've been here about a week now and in the last couple of days, I've had 2 women speak to me in Danish and a group of Italian tourists ask me directions on the Metro!
The evening is going to be my second ballet performance, this time the women of the Royal Danish Ballet perform. For dinner, I have probably the cheapest meal of my trip-a hot dog from one of the many carts, and finally ice cream from the Vaffelbageren shop on Nyhavn, which I noticed on my first day. They serve soft serve dipped in chocolate as well as regular ice cream in thin crispy waffle cones. You get 2 or more scoops and they offer whip cream on top!
As I eat my ice cream I stroll the few meters to the ferry landing. As I'm eating, a man rides up in a motorcycle all dressed up from head to toe in protective gear-helmet, jacket, pants. He looked like he could go skiing. He hopped on the ferry, and as I got on myself, I noticed that he had taken off the jacket and pants and was wearing a beautifully tailored suit and tie underneath! What a transformation! The sun is still out while we are all gathering for the performance and across the way from the Opera House in front of the Amalienborg palace complex, is the biggest yacht I have ever seen. It was mentioned in my guidebook that a Russian businessman parks his yacht here, and indeed, this is that yacht.
The women's performance includes Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Fokine, Ashton and again the same contemporary choreographer who also did a men's piece. This night I'm on the other side of the balcony (near where the royal box is) so I have a much better view of right side of the stage (which is always the better view for ballets). The performances are wonderful, and I particularly enjoyed the Ashton piece, with a single dancer performing to a solo piano. There is no royal presence today, so the bows take about half the time! And I'm also pleased that they don't milk the applause like a lot of companies (and particularly the Russians) do.
What a great way to end my visit in Copenhagen. Tomorrow is the long trek through airports back home.
Before heading back to Copenhagen, I hop on one of the canal tours that leaves from in front of the train station. There are something like 20 bridges that cross the canal at various points and they all tend to be quite low, requiring ducking of heads. There is a large industrial area of Malmo where it appears the shipping trade was quite prominent. There is also a large park attached to the castle and a windmill! The canal is filled with water birds. Malmo also has quite a few distinct churches visible from the canal.
One last train ride back into town and an afternoon rest. I've been here about a week now and in the last couple of days, I've had 2 women speak to me in Danish and a group of Italian tourists ask me directions on the Metro!
The evening is going to be my second ballet performance, this time the women of the Royal Danish Ballet perform. For dinner, I have probably the cheapest meal of my trip-a hot dog from one of the many carts, and finally ice cream from the Vaffelbageren shop on Nyhavn, which I noticed on my first day. They serve soft serve dipped in chocolate as well as regular ice cream in thin crispy waffle cones. You get 2 or more scoops and they offer whip cream on top!
As I eat my ice cream I stroll the few meters to the ferry landing. As I'm eating, a man rides up in a motorcycle all dressed up from head to toe in protective gear-helmet, jacket, pants. He looked like he could go skiing. He hopped on the ferry, and as I got on myself, I noticed that he had taken off the jacket and pants and was wearing a beautifully tailored suit and tie underneath! What a transformation! The sun is still out while we are all gathering for the performance and across the way from the Opera House in front of the Amalienborg palace complex, is the biggest yacht I have ever seen. It was mentioned in my guidebook that a Russian businessman parks his yacht here, and indeed, this is that yacht.
The women's performance includes Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Fokine, Ashton and again the same contemporary choreographer who also did a men's piece. This night I'm on the other side of the balcony (near where the royal box is) so I have a much better view of right side of the stage (which is always the better view for ballets). The performances are wonderful, and I particularly enjoyed the Ashton piece, with a single dancer performing to a solo piano. There is no royal presence today, so the bows take about half the time! And I'm also pleased that they don't milk the applause like a lot of companies (and particularly the Russians) do.
What a great way to end my visit in Copenhagen. Tomorrow is the long trek through airports back home.
28 May 2010
Rainy day
At breakfast this morning, I chatted with a fellow American. She had been in London for a business trip and added on a visit to Copenhagen for pleasure. She lives in El Segundo, of all places, just south of LAX. I keep saying it but it's true, small world.
The sun was not shining this morning, so I looked for indoor-ish activities. Yesterday I was at Rosenborg Castle, which has a Botanical Garden next door. There is a large tropical conservatory located there, so why not get some heat and humidity? Added bonus is that it's free. The hotel has free umbrellas so I grabbed one before heading for the Metro to Norreport station and the brief stroll to the Garden. The open area of the garden looks beautiful, with a large pond. Too bad the weather is not conducive to a nice stroll. The conservatory is broken up into different ecosystems, from hot humid to Mediterranean. The hot humid room had carnivorous pitcher plants, papyrus and huge water lilies (with flower buds but they only open at night). The other rooms had mango trees, cork trees, fuschias, orchids, vanilla plants, cinnamon. The information card noted that some of the tropical fruit trees do not bear fruit in this setting.
The Statens Museum for Kunst (National Art Museum) is a short walk from the Garden. The collection is housed in an old structure that has had a modern wing added. The area between the two has been made into a really neat 'sculpture street'. The regular collection is free. The museum highlights Danish art and I have to say, there's a reason you don't really know any Danish artists. They do have a nice gallery in the 'foreign artists' area that groups art by theme-landscapes, genre, portraits, etc. It's a huge room and art of all sizes within each category line the walls. The exhibit currently in the sculpture street is by Tomas Saraceno and consists of spheres of various sizes and materials all tethered at various heights to various parts of the floor, walls and ceiling. Some of the spheres are merely suggestions made of rope. Others are actual biospheres with air plants and a water system. One giant sphere is constructed to allow people inside to bounce around on what looks like a trampoline. A couple of the spheres are weighted down with water and almost seem to be melting into the floor. The effect of all these round objects taking up various parts of the space and connected to it in a somewhat tenuous manner is pretty magical. The museum has a nice little cafe (I had a cold meat board with bread) which has a view of the surrounding grounds.
By the time I walk out of the museum, it's stopped raining, so I decided to head to the Rundetarn, which is an old observatory tower with a nice view over the city. On the way up, there is an old toilet that they have restored for viewing (is this the second or third old toilets I've seen this trip)! There is also a room used to display contemporary art. Apparently the old observatory is open on winter evenings. From the lookout today the Oresund bridge is clearly visible in the distance and you can see Sweden just beyond. The various and diverse old towers (mostly on churches) pop up all around contrasting with the more modern glass boxes.
The Rundetarn is on one of the pedestrian streets and connects to the main area of the Stroget which leads right back to my hotel. After a short afternoon rest, I head to Tivoli. I've been walking by this place all week (because it's right next to the train station) and I've read that Walt Disney got his idea for Disneyland from a visit here. I've been to Disneyland and Tivoli is tiny in comparison (Walt sure took the idea and blew it up). There are rides and one of them looks distinctly like a miniature Small World (it actually takes you through Hans Christian Andersen stories). Their version of the Matterhorn is actually viking/pirate ships. There are lots of food options in Tivoli, from high end to cheap (relatively speaking). I stop at a place called Wagamama which has asian noodles. I know this chain started somewhere else, but is it London? New York? Anyway, it's very popular. I got a huge bowl of ramen which I couldn't begin to finish but they had cut all the noodles! Seriously, don't do that, noodles must be long! The broth is very salty (I've found a lot of the food here is over salted to my taste). However there are no weird sauces and the price is acceptable. While I am having dinner, it starts to pour!! By the time I'm done it's mostly stopped but now there are puddles all over the place to avoid and it's gotten cold. The area next to Wagamama is a whole chinese themed area with a 'dragon' roller coaster and red lanterns. A small pond houses a pirate ship with some kind of restaurant on board. There's another replica of the little mermaid here, donated by the family of the artist. Tivoli has free concerts of various kinds throughout the warmer months and there are already people waiting in line for Alphabeat (never heard of them). The concerts don't start until 10pm, because that's when it finally gets dark.
Tomorrow is my last full day and I'm heading to Sweden plus I have one more ballet performance.
The sun was not shining this morning, so I looked for indoor-ish activities. Yesterday I was at Rosenborg Castle, which has a Botanical Garden next door. There is a large tropical conservatory located there, so why not get some heat and humidity? Added bonus is that it's free. The hotel has free umbrellas so I grabbed one before heading for the Metro to Norreport station and the brief stroll to the Garden. The open area of the garden looks beautiful, with a large pond. Too bad the weather is not conducive to a nice stroll. The conservatory is broken up into different ecosystems, from hot humid to Mediterranean. The hot humid room had carnivorous pitcher plants, papyrus and huge water lilies (with flower buds but they only open at night). The other rooms had mango trees, cork trees, fuschias, orchids, vanilla plants, cinnamon. The information card noted that some of the tropical fruit trees do not bear fruit in this setting.
The Statens Museum for Kunst (National Art Museum) is a short walk from the Garden. The collection is housed in an old structure that has had a modern wing added. The area between the two has been made into a really neat 'sculpture street'. The regular collection is free. The museum highlights Danish art and I have to say, there's a reason you don't really know any Danish artists. They do have a nice gallery in the 'foreign artists' area that groups art by theme-landscapes, genre, portraits, etc. It's a huge room and art of all sizes within each category line the walls. The exhibit currently in the sculpture street is by Tomas Saraceno and consists of spheres of various sizes and materials all tethered at various heights to various parts of the floor, walls and ceiling. Some of the spheres are merely suggestions made of rope. Others are actual biospheres with air plants and a water system. One giant sphere is constructed to allow people inside to bounce around on what looks like a trampoline. A couple of the spheres are weighted down with water and almost seem to be melting into the floor. The effect of all these round objects taking up various parts of the space and connected to it in a somewhat tenuous manner is pretty magical. The museum has a nice little cafe (I had a cold meat board with bread) which has a view of the surrounding grounds.
By the time I walk out of the museum, it's stopped raining, so I decided to head to the Rundetarn, which is an old observatory tower with a nice view over the city. On the way up, there is an old toilet that they have restored for viewing (is this the second or third old toilets I've seen this trip)! There is also a room used to display contemporary art. Apparently the old observatory is open on winter evenings. From the lookout today the Oresund bridge is clearly visible in the distance and you can see Sweden just beyond. The various and diverse old towers (mostly on churches) pop up all around contrasting with the more modern glass boxes.
The Rundetarn is on one of the pedestrian streets and connects to the main area of the Stroget which leads right back to my hotel. After a short afternoon rest, I head to Tivoli. I've been walking by this place all week (because it's right next to the train station) and I've read that Walt Disney got his idea for Disneyland from a visit here. I've been to Disneyland and Tivoli is tiny in comparison (Walt sure took the idea and blew it up). There are rides and one of them looks distinctly like a miniature Small World (it actually takes you through Hans Christian Andersen stories). Their version of the Matterhorn is actually viking/pirate ships. There are lots of food options in Tivoli, from high end to cheap (relatively speaking). I stop at a place called Wagamama which has asian noodles. I know this chain started somewhere else, but is it London? New York? Anyway, it's very popular. I got a huge bowl of ramen which I couldn't begin to finish but they had cut all the noodles! Seriously, don't do that, noodles must be long! The broth is very salty (I've found a lot of the food here is over salted to my taste). However there are no weird sauces and the price is acceptable. While I am having dinner, it starts to pour!! By the time I'm done it's mostly stopped but now there are puddles all over the place to avoid and it's gotten cold. The area next to Wagamama is a whole chinese themed area with a 'dragon' roller coaster and red lanterns. A small pond houses a pirate ship with some kind of restaurant on board. There's another replica of the little mermaid here, donated by the family of the artist. Tivoli has free concerts of various kinds throughout the warmer months and there are already people waiting in line for Alphabeat (never heard of them). The concerts don't start until 10pm, because that's when it finally gets dark.
Tomorrow is my last full day and I'm heading to Sweden plus I have one more ballet performance.
27 May 2010
A different Louisiana
The day started off with a visit to yet another castle. This one is Rosenborg, adjacent to the Botanical Garden and housing the crown jewels. While I was there, I noticed there were a lot of police motorcycles and chauffered limousines in the driveway. I later found out that there was an official Chinese delegation visiting. Not sure what the deal is with the Denmark-China connection.
The castle is filled to the brim with collections-glassware, brass, porcelain, etc, plus the usual tapestries and paintings. The Treasury in the basement though is the most interesting part of the tour. There is a collection of swords and other arms (rather beautiful ones too). A small cellar houses a wine collection which I learned had the oldest wines in Europe (something like 400 years old). Apparently the Queen takes a small pour to ring in the new year. The pour is small because the wine does not taste very good, according to the shop lady. The crown jewels are rather spectacular. There are actually 3 crowns, with one of the older ones encrusted with jewels. They also have a lot of jewelry sets on display including a stunning emerald set.
From the castle, it's an easy walk to the Norreport train station for the ride to the Louisiana Museum in Humlebaek. The museum started in a large home and has been added on to over the years, creating a modernist meandering structure with a beautiful view over the water. The property has several outdoor sculptures on display and is currently featuring an exhibit called Colour in Art. They do a wonderful job describing how different artists used art in different ways throughout the modern history of art from the time of the Impressionists. They do a very nice job with descriptive signage to talk about the significance of art for individual artists on display and there are some wonderful examples by Olafur Eliasson, Emil Nolde, and Dan Flavin, in addition to the expected Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, etc. One artist has created a small room of mirrors and water that endlessly reflects hanging colour changing light bulbs so that when you are in the room, you feel like you are floating in an endless sea of light. It's a wonderful juxtaposition to go from viewing some wild Fauvist paintings to Yves Klein's pure blue canvas to another area with Calder mobiles. Along the path through the exhibit are windowed corridors that show you the sea and sculptures outside. This may be one of the most beautiful museums I've been in and the sky is clear with the astonishingly dramatic clouds that I've seen all week here. The museum has a small cafe with a buffet with some typical Danish dishes, but I'm not much in the mood so lunch is a strawberry tart with an elderflower soda. The shop attached to the museum is filled with Danish-designed goods, clothes, children's toys as well as typical art books and postcards.
After my afternoon respite, I head back out to Stroget for dinner, this time stopping at Europa cafe, which is across the plaza from the Cafe Norden. They have a nice avocado salad with pine nuts, mozzarella, tomatoes and bread that is the perfect size. The cafe is a lingering kind of place, and they provide magazines and newspapers in all languages. I watch as people come in, join friends, sit and chat and eat. A woman shows her friend the crazy shoe that she just bought, another a red dress. On my way back I stop to check out the windows of Royal Copenhagen, Illum (a department store), Georg Jensen (sigh...so pretty and so expensive), Wolford (interesting patterned leggings), and some rather unique fashion boutiques.
The castle is filled to the brim with collections-glassware, brass, porcelain, etc, plus the usual tapestries and paintings. The Treasury in the basement though is the most interesting part of the tour. There is a collection of swords and other arms (rather beautiful ones too). A small cellar houses a wine collection which I learned had the oldest wines in Europe (something like 400 years old). Apparently the Queen takes a small pour to ring in the new year. The pour is small because the wine does not taste very good, according to the shop lady. The crown jewels are rather spectacular. There are actually 3 crowns, with one of the older ones encrusted with jewels. They also have a lot of jewelry sets on display including a stunning emerald set.
From the castle, it's an easy walk to the Norreport train station for the ride to the Louisiana Museum in Humlebaek. The museum started in a large home and has been added on to over the years, creating a modernist meandering structure with a beautiful view over the water. The property has several outdoor sculptures on display and is currently featuring an exhibit called Colour in Art. They do a wonderful job describing how different artists used art in different ways throughout the modern history of art from the time of the Impressionists. They do a very nice job with descriptive signage to talk about the significance of art for individual artists on display and there are some wonderful examples by Olafur Eliasson, Emil Nolde, and Dan Flavin, in addition to the expected Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, etc. One artist has created a small room of mirrors and water that endlessly reflects hanging colour changing light bulbs so that when you are in the room, you feel like you are floating in an endless sea of light. It's a wonderful juxtaposition to go from viewing some wild Fauvist paintings to Yves Klein's pure blue canvas to another area with Calder mobiles. Along the path through the exhibit are windowed corridors that show you the sea and sculptures outside. This may be one of the most beautiful museums I've been in and the sky is clear with the astonishingly dramatic clouds that I've seen all week here. The museum has a small cafe with a buffet with some typical Danish dishes, but I'm not much in the mood so lunch is a strawberry tart with an elderflower soda. The shop attached to the museum is filled with Danish-designed goods, clothes, children's toys as well as typical art books and postcards.
After my afternoon respite, I head back out to Stroget for dinner, this time stopping at Europa cafe, which is across the plaza from the Cafe Norden. They have a nice avocado salad with pine nuts, mozzarella, tomatoes and bread that is the perfect size. The cafe is a lingering kind of place, and they provide magazines and newspapers in all languages. I watch as people come in, join friends, sit and chat and eat. A woman shows her friend the crazy shoe that she just bought, another a red dress. On my way back I stop to check out the windows of Royal Copenhagen, Illum (a department store), Georg Jensen (sigh...so pretty and so expensive), Wolford (interesting patterned leggings), and some rather unique fashion boutiques.
26 May 2010
Ballet with the Queen
Today is the first of the two ballet performances that I will be attending while I'm here. Tonight's show will be all about the men. Because I anticipate a late night, I'm hoping to have a relaxing day. I'm still not sleeping through the night (now I know how babies feel...) and I'm hungry at weird times. I was going to try the Frilandsmuseet (Open Air Museum) today but I think I've had enough historic houses, and I want to send some postcards to my nieces and nephews so I decided to check out the Danish Design Center which is near the train station. The sky is mostly clear today and it's chilly this morning but not as bad as yesterday.
The DDC is in a small modernist little building near the city hall. The exhibition on now is showing some current innovative design coming out of Denmark. I'm not sure these items match up to some of the 60s classics from their fellow countrymen (there is an exhibit of Danish classics in the basement). Since that didn't take long, I notice the 'hop on hop off' buses are lined up near by. They are a reasonable way to see a neighbourhood quickly so I get on the one heading to Christianshaven and the islands adjacent to the city. Christiania is one of the places frequently mentioned in the guidebooks as a hippie haven. They kind of govern themselves. It appears to be a walled off compound of cottages, mobile homes and shacks. The island on which the Opera House is located has a lot of former military barracks and buildings but there are also these little plots of land where apartment dwellers can make a garden. Most of the plots also have a little building that the gardeners have put up to enhance their enjoyment of their little bit of paradise. From the top of the 2 decker bus, we can see right into these gardens and they are just adorable, well maintained, some exceptionally creative.
After a quick (and pricey for what it is) lunch of sausage and bottled water, I head for the shopping street, this time with a goal-find some amber jewelry. The places I've seen so far seem to only offer high priced merchandise. They also all seem to have asian (Chinese?) staff, which I find curious. I pop my head into a couple of places that all have an intimidating air about them, but in the final one I go to, the sales lady asks me where I'm from and it turns out that she is originally from Taiwan. She's been living in Denmark for about 20 years, speaks Danish and English, and told me the reason all the amber shops have chinese staff is because amber is extremely popular with the chinese-speaking tourists! I have a conversation with her mostly in Chinese, helping me find some reasonably priced products and learning how to get a refund on the tax (which like most European countries is high). Who knew that would happen in Denmark??
The sun is coming out so I head to Frederiksberg Have (Garden). It's a peaceful and pretty bit of greenery with lots of water birds (herons, ducks, geese, and somewhere at least one peacock). Not a lot of flowers though, it's mostly lawn, trees, creek. And the lawn is not perfectly manicured. Bulbs have been planted in many areas among the grass and to my eyes there are all kinds of weedy things mixed in there. There is a palace at one end of this garden but it's not open in the way some of the others are. There are a ton of palaces and castles in Copenhagen and surroundings.
I take my usual afternoon respite and dinner is my left over half sandwich from yesterday. The ballet is performing in the new Opera House which is across the water via ferry from the end of Nyhavn, very close and convenient to my hotel. The fee is covered with my transit flex card. The building is a beautiful glass structure with an interior wood enclosed performance space. There are three beautiful dichroic glass globe light chandeliers and the whole place is elegantly minimal. The Danes are not fancy people so the restaurant is a roped off area of the main lobby with minimalist Danish chairs and tables, but serving a fancy 3 course meal. A bar serves alcohol, snacks and hot beverages but there are not a lot of chairs. Turns out Danes are pretty comfortable standing around, as I noticed when the pre-performance lecture was going on, everyone simply gathered around the speaker, standing in an area of the balcony while he talked (in Danish, so I didn't learn anything). Dress code is fairly casual and slightly offbeat. The theatre is a traditional set up, with a horseshoe shaped first balcony, which is where my seats are located. The prices are very reasonable. I'm at the very end of the right hand leg of the balcony. On the other side, the chairs have the royal crown symbol, must be the royal family's box. Turns out, it is, because as an elegant older woman enters the box, everyone in the theatre stands. It's the Queen! Her presence adds a certain energy to the evening.
Tonight's show will have 5 ballets with all men (a woman appears at the end of the final dance). The choreographers are a varied lot-Bournonville, Peter Martins, Jerome Robbins, Jose Limon and someone unknown to me (probably a contemporary Danish dance maker). Wonderful dancers and a nice mix of dance styles. Each bow is to the Queen first, then the audience. And I do mean every single time. At one of the intermissions, I chat with the lady in front of me about the down-to-earth nature of the Danish royals, traveling (she visits the US frequently), the ceilings in the auditorium (she works for Chicago Metallic who made the product they used and is a company I'm familiar with), and living in Denmark. Danes may not be the most gregarious people but they are exceptionally friendly once you start talking to them.
After the curtain falls, those of us who need to make a mad dash for the ferry back to Nyhavn, and I'm now highly anticipating Saturday's performance by the women of the company.
The DDC is in a small modernist little building near the city hall. The exhibition on now is showing some current innovative design coming out of Denmark. I'm not sure these items match up to some of the 60s classics from their fellow countrymen (there is an exhibit of Danish classics in the basement). Since that didn't take long, I notice the 'hop on hop off' buses are lined up near by. They are a reasonable way to see a neighbourhood quickly so I get on the one heading to Christianshaven and the islands adjacent to the city. Christiania is one of the places frequently mentioned in the guidebooks as a hippie haven. They kind of govern themselves. It appears to be a walled off compound of cottages, mobile homes and shacks. The island on which the Opera House is located has a lot of former military barracks and buildings but there are also these little plots of land where apartment dwellers can make a garden. Most of the plots also have a little building that the gardeners have put up to enhance their enjoyment of their little bit of paradise. From the top of the 2 decker bus, we can see right into these gardens and they are just adorable, well maintained, some exceptionally creative.
After a quick (and pricey for what it is) lunch of sausage and bottled water, I head for the shopping street, this time with a goal-find some amber jewelry. The places I've seen so far seem to only offer high priced merchandise. They also all seem to have asian (Chinese?) staff, which I find curious. I pop my head into a couple of places that all have an intimidating air about them, but in the final one I go to, the sales lady asks me where I'm from and it turns out that she is originally from Taiwan. She's been living in Denmark for about 20 years, speaks Danish and English, and told me the reason all the amber shops have chinese staff is because amber is extremely popular with the chinese-speaking tourists! I have a conversation with her mostly in Chinese, helping me find some reasonably priced products and learning how to get a refund on the tax (which like most European countries is high). Who knew that would happen in Denmark??
The sun is coming out so I head to Frederiksberg Have (Garden). It's a peaceful and pretty bit of greenery with lots of water birds (herons, ducks, geese, and somewhere at least one peacock). Not a lot of flowers though, it's mostly lawn, trees, creek. And the lawn is not perfectly manicured. Bulbs have been planted in many areas among the grass and to my eyes there are all kinds of weedy things mixed in there. There is a palace at one end of this garden but it's not open in the way some of the others are. There are a ton of palaces and castles in Copenhagen and surroundings.
I take my usual afternoon respite and dinner is my left over half sandwich from yesterday. The ballet is performing in the new Opera House which is across the water via ferry from the end of Nyhavn, very close and convenient to my hotel. The fee is covered with my transit flex card. The building is a beautiful glass structure with an interior wood enclosed performance space. There are three beautiful dichroic glass globe light chandeliers and the whole place is elegantly minimal. The Danes are not fancy people so the restaurant is a roped off area of the main lobby with minimalist Danish chairs and tables, but serving a fancy 3 course meal. A bar serves alcohol, snacks and hot beverages but there are not a lot of chairs. Turns out Danes are pretty comfortable standing around, as I noticed when the pre-performance lecture was going on, everyone simply gathered around the speaker, standing in an area of the balcony while he talked (in Danish, so I didn't learn anything). Dress code is fairly casual and slightly offbeat. The theatre is a traditional set up, with a horseshoe shaped first balcony, which is where my seats are located. The prices are very reasonable. I'm at the very end of the right hand leg of the balcony. On the other side, the chairs have the royal crown symbol, must be the royal family's box. Turns out, it is, because as an elegant older woman enters the box, everyone in the theatre stands. It's the Queen! Her presence adds a certain energy to the evening.
Tonight's show will have 5 ballets with all men (a woman appears at the end of the final dance). The choreographers are a varied lot-Bournonville, Peter Martins, Jerome Robbins, Jose Limon and someone unknown to me (probably a contemporary Danish dance maker). Wonderful dancers and a nice mix of dance styles. Each bow is to the Queen first, then the audience. And I do mean every single time. At one of the intermissions, I chat with the lady in front of me about the down-to-earth nature of the Danish royals, traveling (she visits the US frequently), the ceilings in the auditorium (she works for Chicago Metallic who made the product they used and is a company I'm familiar with), and living in Denmark. Danes may not be the most gregarious people but they are exceptionally friendly once you start talking to them.
After the curtain falls, those of us who need to make a mad dash for the ferry back to Nyhavn, and I'm now highly anticipating Saturday's performance by the women of the company.
25 May 2010
Hamlet's castle and classic Arne Jacobsen
Today I was determined to figure out the transport system here so after another great breakfast, I headed to the information bureau near the train station. Since today is the first full work day since I arrived, it was finally open and as I hoped, the lady there was able to help me determine the best pass to buy at the station, which is a 7 day flex card for 2 or 3 zones. From my hotel, 3 zones will cover the airport, so I go for that one. This probably would've saved me a lot of money yesterday, oh well. For longer trips out of town, like heading to Helsingor today, I will just need to get an add on ticket. Before I head north though, back to the hotel for gloves, second scarf and hat-it is windy and really cold today! The train to Helsingor passes by some beautiful homes. The landscape here is very flat and the clouds today are spectacular-I don't think I've ever seen clouds like this and they go on for miles and seem to move really fast across the sky.
Kronborg Slot is the Renaissance castle located at the most northern point of the island of Zealand. There is a narrow channel here and you can easily see Sweden on the other side. One of the early Danish kings had the brilliant idea to charge a fee to boats coming through the channel and made a mint, but the place had to be fortified against attack as well (from the Swedes). There is a giant moat, ramparts, cannons, gates, and casements (dungeon), everything you'd want in a good old fortress castle. The private apartments are mostly giant rooms barren of most furniture with some tapestries hanging on the walls and giant fireplaces for warmth. The tapestries and paintings displayed here give you a small history lesson. The casements are rather amazing. They are basically a series of passages and rooms under the castle, pitch black save for some little lights on the walls and the guide's flashlight. A statue of the mythological hero Holger Danske sits in the first room as you enter. This place was used to store food, hold prisoners, house soldiers during war, and it's wonderfully creepy and eerie. A tower leads to the roof and a terrific view across the sound to Sweden. It started raining while I was seeing the castle so the sea is looking particularly fierce, and on the way back to the train station, it started to hail!
Another rest in the afternoon, but this evening I wanted to check out the SAS Royal hotel, near Tivoli. It was designed inside and out by Arne Jacobsen in the late 50s, early 60s and still has most of the original furnishings in the lobby. I chose a different path to stroll down there, this time going by way of Gammel Strand which runs along the canal. The hotel lobby is filled with classic Jacobsen-egg chairs,
swan chairs
, series 7 chairs. They look like they've literally been there since the 60s. The lights are all classics from Louis Poulsen-artichokes and PHs. There is an expensive restaurant on the top floor, but a more reasonable cafe on the ground floor. The waiter there confirms that some of the furniture has been there since the hotel opened and are worth a small fortune. While I eat my chicken club sandwich, I can watch pedestrians stroll by on their way to and from the train station. I have trouble eating a large dinner here, my stomach expects breakfast not a large meal. I've still got half a sandwich left which would make a wonderful dinner or lunch tomorrow, so I take a chance and ask the waiter about wrapping it. It's not typically done here, but after some back and forth, he brings me back my other half neatly wrapped by the chef in foil. Yay!
Rather than walk, I decided to take the train/metro back to the hotel. The crowds here are an interesting mix. There are a lot of tourists-mostly German, some English, French and surprising numbers of chinese speaking groups. People here dress like it's still the 80s (sand washed jeans with slashes, leggings, piercings, etc). Not everyone here is blond and fair, but there are people here who have hair that is almost white. Most people here are average height but there a lot of exceptionally tall ones as well. On the train back, I hear a young Danish man helping a couple of even younger German women navigate the system. Their common language with each other is English, so I'm eavesdropping. Getting off the metro, I hear a couple of young African-American men working out directions, and they sound so exotic here, where everyone speaks English with some sort of accent (to my ears).
Kronborg Slot is the Renaissance castle located at the most northern point of the island of Zealand. There is a narrow channel here and you can easily see Sweden on the other side. One of the early Danish kings had the brilliant idea to charge a fee to boats coming through the channel and made a mint, but the place had to be fortified against attack as well (from the Swedes). There is a giant moat, ramparts, cannons, gates, and casements (dungeon), everything you'd want in a good old fortress castle. The private apartments are mostly giant rooms barren of most furniture with some tapestries hanging on the walls and giant fireplaces for warmth. The tapestries and paintings displayed here give you a small history lesson. The casements are rather amazing. They are basically a series of passages and rooms under the castle, pitch black save for some little lights on the walls and the guide's flashlight. A statue of the mythological hero Holger Danske sits in the first room as you enter. This place was used to store food, hold prisoners, house soldiers during war, and it's wonderfully creepy and eerie. A tower leads to the roof and a terrific view across the sound to Sweden. It started raining while I was seeing the castle so the sea is looking particularly fierce, and on the way back to the train station, it started to hail!
Another rest in the afternoon, but this evening I wanted to check out the SAS Royal hotel, near Tivoli. It was designed inside and out by Arne Jacobsen in the late 50s, early 60s and still has most of the original furnishings in the lobby. I chose a different path to stroll down there, this time going by way of Gammel Strand which runs along the canal. The hotel lobby is filled with classic Jacobsen-egg chairs,
swan chairs, series 7 chairs. They look like they've literally been there since the 60s. The lights are all classics from Louis Poulsen-artichokes and PHs. There is an expensive restaurant on the top floor, but a more reasonable cafe on the ground floor. The waiter there confirms that some of the furniture has been there since the hotel opened and are worth a small fortune. While I eat my chicken club sandwich, I can watch pedestrians stroll by on their way to and from the train station. I have trouble eating a large dinner here, my stomach expects breakfast not a large meal. I've still got half a sandwich left which would make a wonderful dinner or lunch tomorrow, so I take a chance and ask the waiter about wrapping it. It's not typically done here, but after some back and forth, he brings me back my other half neatly wrapped by the chef in foil. Yay!Rather than walk, I decided to take the train/metro back to the hotel. The crowds here are an interesting mix. There are a lot of tourists-mostly German, some English, French and surprising numbers of chinese speaking groups. People here dress like it's still the 80s (sand washed jeans with slashes, leggings, piercings, etc). Not everyone here is blond and fair, but there are people here who have hair that is almost white. Most people here are average height but there a lot of exceptionally tall ones as well. On the train back, I hear a young Danish man helping a couple of even younger German women navigate the system. Their common language with each other is English, so I'm eavesdropping. Getting off the metro, I hear a couple of young African-American men working out directions, and they sound so exotic here, where everyone speaks English with some sort of accent (to my ears).
24 May 2010
Vikings and smorrebord
I slept a little better last night although my body is still totally confused. Another fabulous breakfast buffet (really, one of my favourite things so far!) before heading out to try and get to Roskilde and the Viking Ship Museum. I have to catch the train and I find trains confusing. Maybe it's because I've never lived in a place where they played a significant part of daily life. Give me a subway any day. The Metro near my hotel will take me to the Norreport station and I think I should be able to get the Roskilde train from there, but there isn't anyone to ask. I even had trouble getting my ticket for the Metro. One of the challenging things about Denmark is that, although most everyone speaks English and there are significant amounts of English signage, there are still gaps. Once I get to Norreport, I can't seem to figure out how to get some help! Sheesh. Finally a lady stops and asks if I need help. I have no idea why she is asking (aside from the fact that I look completely baffled) but she and her friend direct me to the ticket kiosk where there are people I can speak to. I get myself a round trip and instructions and start heading to the tracks when I learn the reason for the two ladies' kindness-they offer me a Watchtower to read on the train!
Today is some kind of holiday so when I get to the Roskilde station and again ask someone about a bus to the museum, I learn that the buses are only running infrequently. Oy. Good thing I'm not in a hurry, although it is cold and the bus terminal is not sheltered. They are hardy people these Danes, not sure what they do in winter. The Viking museum has reconstructed 5 ships that were discovered in Roskilde harbour which appear to have been sunk on purpose in order to provide a barricade from invaders. Vikings were mainly from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The ships include a war ship and trading ship and are pretty skeletal, however they are housed in a modernist building with a glass wall overlooking the fjord. On a cloudy day like today, it's quite a dramatic backdrop. A couple of years ago, a group of people reconstructed one of the ships (the war ship) and sailed it from Roskilde all the way to Ireland. Looks like a challenging adventure, because there is no shelter on the boat. There are sails as well as oars to cover all possible weather situations. The museum also has demonstrations of Viking era skills like smithing, bow and arrow making, weaving, etc. The bow and arrow guy set up a small target and was shooting his arrows at it. They do in fact make the 'fffttht' sound that you hear in the movies. Lunch was an unexceptional affair in the little cafe but after lunch the jet lag really hit me and I figured that one of the benefits of traveling on your own is to decide to take a nap in the afternoon.
After a nice nap, I figured I should get out there and get some food but I really didn't want to spend a lot of money again. I strolled down the Stroget, figuring that's the best way to find cheap eats. At the first little square along the street, I popped into Cafe Norden, where you order at the counter and they bring you your selection to your table. I decided to try their smorrebord plate, three open faced sandwich options, shrimp with egg, chicken and bacon, pork. They are served on some hearty breads with tomatoes, and strawberries. The sandwiches are challenging for me because they all come with mayonnaise-y sauces. The ingredients underneath are quite good quality though and the tomato and strawberries are refreshing. The price here is definitely more friendly.
On the way back, I walked down the other side of Nyhavn so I get a nice view of the busy cafe side. The streets along the way back to the hotel have restaurants (including a Nepalese place), shops and galleries making for an interesting selection of windows.
Tomorrow, I'm not taking any chances. I'm going to head to the Central Train Station for help! Apparently the train ticket covers buses, metro as well as the trains, but there is a zone system to navigate and ticket stamping to be done. It's just a little too much for someone used to hopping in a car!
Today is some kind of holiday so when I get to the Roskilde station and again ask someone about a bus to the museum, I learn that the buses are only running infrequently. Oy. Good thing I'm not in a hurry, although it is cold and the bus terminal is not sheltered. They are hardy people these Danes, not sure what they do in winter. The Viking museum has reconstructed 5 ships that were discovered in Roskilde harbour which appear to have been sunk on purpose in order to provide a barricade from invaders. Vikings were mainly from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The ships include a war ship and trading ship and are pretty skeletal, however they are housed in a modernist building with a glass wall overlooking the fjord. On a cloudy day like today, it's quite a dramatic backdrop. A couple of years ago, a group of people reconstructed one of the ships (the war ship) and sailed it from Roskilde all the way to Ireland. Looks like a challenging adventure, because there is no shelter on the boat. There are sails as well as oars to cover all possible weather situations. The museum also has demonstrations of Viking era skills like smithing, bow and arrow making, weaving, etc. The bow and arrow guy set up a small target and was shooting his arrows at it. They do in fact make the 'fffttht' sound that you hear in the movies. Lunch was an unexceptional affair in the little cafe but after lunch the jet lag really hit me and I figured that one of the benefits of traveling on your own is to decide to take a nap in the afternoon.
After a nice nap, I figured I should get out there and get some food but I really didn't want to spend a lot of money again. I strolled down the Stroget, figuring that's the best way to find cheap eats. At the first little square along the street, I popped into Cafe Norden, where you order at the counter and they bring you your selection to your table. I decided to try their smorrebord plate, three open faced sandwich options, shrimp with egg, chicken and bacon, pork. They are served on some hearty breads with tomatoes, and strawberries. The sandwiches are challenging for me because they all come with mayonnaise-y sauces. The ingredients underneath are quite good quality though and the tomato and strawberries are refreshing. The price here is definitely more friendly.
On the way back, I walked down the other side of Nyhavn so I get a nice view of the busy cafe side. The streets along the way back to the hotel have restaurants (including a Nepalese place), shops and galleries making for an interesting selection of windows.
Tomorrow, I'm not taking any chances. I'm going to head to the Central Train Station for help! Apparently the train ticket covers buses, metro as well as the trains, but there is a zone system to navigate and ticket stamping to be done. It's just a little too much for someone used to hopping in a car!
23 May 2010
Missing mermaid
I couldn't sleep so I ended up going down to breakfast quite early this morning. The spread is substantial, I was pleasantly surprised. They had a lot of different breads and pastries, hard boiled eggs, yogurts with toppings, cold cuts, cheeses, jams, orange juice and lots of coffee. After breakfast I decided to head out to the waterfront. It was very quiet at that time of the morning, and especially compared to the night before. Oddly, there were police putting up barracades at places around the harbour although pedestrians were able to walk past. I eventually walked by a long table with lots of people putting out thousands of plastic cups of water and cutting up oranges and bananas. Marathon! What a happy coincidence. A small crowd of people were strolling to this area to sit and wait for the runners so I joined them. About half hour later, the first runners came by with their entourage. Pretty soon the pack was huge. I watched while the largest part of the pack ran by before continuing my stroll up the waterfront and past the Cast Museum with a replica of Michelangelo's David out front. This museum apparently has replicas of all kinds of statues from different eras, but it's only open in the afternoon.
The Amalienborg Palace is located here and is the home of the reigning Queen of Denmark and the future home of the Crown Prince and his family. In fact, the Prince's home is being renovated and is open to the public for viewing before they move in. I decided to kill some time on a lazy Sunday and wait in line. The public rooms are all decorated ornately, with plaster ceilings and gilding. There is a lot of artwork commissioned for the palace, all by contemporary Danish artists. Some of the art referred to contemporary events, others to aspects of the Prince's and Princess' history. This year is the 70th birthday of Queen Margarethe and there is a special exhibit in one of the palaces. Rooms are laid out in historical detail to reflect various former monarchs and a couple of rooms highlight the Queen's history through her clothing (wedding dress, mourning gown, etc). Since the Queen is in residence, the guards (wearing bearskin hats just like the Buckingham Palace guards but with blue uniforms) did a changing ceremony. Unlike at Buckingham Palace, the audience stood practically right next to the guards with only a handful of police to keep people in line.
From the Palace, I headed to Langelinie, which is where the Little Mermaid normally sits. I already knew that she was shipped to Shanghai for the World Expo, but I figured I should at least see where she is normally found. The spot is next to a moated fortress, Kastellet. At the spot where the Mermaid would normally be found, there is a large video monitor installed by chinese artist Ai Wei Wei showing the Mermaid in her pavilion in Shanghai in real time. A couple of little blond Danish girls took turns sitting on a nearby rock posing as the mermaid. Luckily, there is a replica of the Mermaid statue at the entrance to my hotel.
By this time, I'm starving, and there is a little outdoor cafe, Sommerhuset, nearby. I ordered some hot tea and a roastbeef sandwich. The restaurants that have outdoor eating areas all provide fleece blankets for guests to wrap themselves in if they choose. It's a good idea since the temperature is very changeable. After lunch, I strolled back to Kongens Nytorv and the pedestrian-only street called 'Stroget'. Most shops are closed on Sunday so there is not a lot of commerce happening but there are lots of people nonetheless and there are street hustlers working them. My long walk is meant to take me to the information center near Tivoli, but I unhappily discovered it to be closed on Sunday! So, back to the hotel for a rest.
For dinner I decided to stay close and found Cafe Victor referenced in one of my guidebooks. It's on the other side of the square and I can sit at the zinc top bar. I had an excellent halibut with risotto and dill, which is a very popular herb around here. Although the US dollar gets a decent exchange rate with the kroner, food is very expensive.
At 8:00pm it's still very light out, but it's been a long day, so a quiet evening is in store.
The Amalienborg Palace is located here and is the home of the reigning Queen of Denmark and the future home of the Crown Prince and his family. In fact, the Prince's home is being renovated and is open to the public for viewing before they move in. I decided to kill some time on a lazy Sunday and wait in line. The public rooms are all decorated ornately, with plaster ceilings and gilding. There is a lot of artwork commissioned for the palace, all by contemporary Danish artists. Some of the art referred to contemporary events, others to aspects of the Prince's and Princess' history. This year is the 70th birthday of Queen Margarethe and there is a special exhibit in one of the palaces. Rooms are laid out in historical detail to reflect various former monarchs and a couple of rooms highlight the Queen's history through her clothing (wedding dress, mourning gown, etc). Since the Queen is in residence, the guards (wearing bearskin hats just like the Buckingham Palace guards but with blue uniforms) did a changing ceremony. Unlike at Buckingham Palace, the audience stood practically right next to the guards with only a handful of police to keep people in line.
From the Palace, I headed to Langelinie, which is where the Little Mermaid normally sits. I already knew that she was shipped to Shanghai for the World Expo, but I figured I should at least see where she is normally found. The spot is next to a moated fortress, Kastellet. At the spot where the Mermaid would normally be found, there is a large video monitor installed by chinese artist Ai Wei Wei showing the Mermaid in her pavilion in Shanghai in real time. A couple of little blond Danish girls took turns sitting on a nearby rock posing as the mermaid. Luckily, there is a replica of the Mermaid statue at the entrance to my hotel.
By this time, I'm starving, and there is a little outdoor cafe, Sommerhuset, nearby. I ordered some hot tea and a roastbeef sandwich. The restaurants that have outdoor eating areas all provide fleece blankets for guests to wrap themselves in if they choose. It's a good idea since the temperature is very changeable. After lunch, I strolled back to Kongens Nytorv and the pedestrian-only street called 'Stroget'. Most shops are closed on Sunday so there is not a lot of commerce happening but there are lots of people nonetheless and there are street hustlers working them. My long walk is meant to take me to the information center near Tivoli, but I unhappily discovered it to be closed on Sunday! So, back to the hotel for a rest.
For dinner I decided to stay close and found Cafe Victor referenced in one of my guidebooks. It's on the other side of the square and I can sit at the zinc top bar. I had an excellent halibut with risotto and dill, which is a very popular herb around here. Although the US dollar gets a decent exchange rate with the kroner, food is very expensive.
At 8:00pm it's still very light out, but it's been a long day, so a quiet evening is in store.
22 May 2010
Copenhagen!
I arrived in Copenhagen after what seemed like days of travel. The flight across the pond on British Airways was quite nice, since I was bumped up to World Traveller Plus, meaning I got a bigger seat, a little amenities kit, personal video monitor, etc. After a short stop in Heathrow and a quick lunch, I mostly napped on the short flight to Copenhagen (it was still middle of the night as far as my body was concerned). Coincidentally, the two older ladies sitting next to me were Taiwanese Americans who live in Berkeley, here to catch a cruise they were taking with their extended family. Small world.
The first thing I notice at the Copenhagen airport is that they have wood floors. I don't think I've ever seen wood floors at an airport, it's usually fairly unattractive carpet. Nice touch, I feel like I'm in Scandinavia! There is a metro to the city and I notice that my hotel is right near the Kongens Nytorv (King's New Square) stop. It's 34.50 DKK (about $6) to get there on the metro and it's a quick 1/2 hour ride. From the metro exit, Copenhagen is bustling. There is a lot of construction in the streets, lots of bicyclists, and pedestrians. My hotel is down the street past the old Royal Theatre. It's a cute little place, a bit of a smoky smelling hallway and a very small room, but free WiFi and a decent bed. The room overlooks a courtyard with a bird singing the most amazing song.
The hotel receptionist suggests Nyhavn (New Harbour) for a quick dinner. The weather is beautiful! The sun is still out and quite high in the sky (it feels like mid afternoon light to me, but it's early evening). Tons of people are sitting by the Harbour, most of them having a beer or sitting at an outdoor cafe for a meal. After a brief stroll, I notice an ice cream shop that I will have to visit later, but settle for a place called Nyhavn Hereford House and had a shrimp pasta dish.
I'm pretty tired, so any more exploring will have to wait until tomorrow!
The first thing I notice at the Copenhagen airport is that they have wood floors. I don't think I've ever seen wood floors at an airport, it's usually fairly unattractive carpet. Nice touch, I feel like I'm in Scandinavia! There is a metro to the city and I notice that my hotel is right near the Kongens Nytorv (King's New Square) stop. It's 34.50 DKK (about $6) to get there on the metro and it's a quick 1/2 hour ride. From the metro exit, Copenhagen is bustling. There is a lot of construction in the streets, lots of bicyclists, and pedestrians. My hotel is down the street past the old Royal Theatre. It's a cute little place, a bit of a smoky smelling hallway and a very small room, but free WiFi and a decent bed. The room overlooks a courtyard with a bird singing the most amazing song.
The hotel receptionist suggests Nyhavn (New Harbour) for a quick dinner. The weather is beautiful! The sun is still out and quite high in the sky (it feels like mid afternoon light to me, but it's early evening). Tons of people are sitting by the Harbour, most of them having a beer or sitting at an outdoor cafe for a meal. After a brief stroll, I notice an ice cream shop that I will have to visit later, but settle for a place called Nyhavn Hereford House and had a shrimp pasta dish.
I'm pretty tired, so any more exploring will have to wait until tomorrow!
08 May 2010
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
My friend Kathleen and I went to see this company perform at Royce Hall on Friday. They were doing a piece called Orbo Novo by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. This company is becoming well-known for their innovative work with cutting edge dance makers. Last night's piece was no exception. It was an evening length piece built around a talk given by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor at the 2008 TED conference where she described the experience of having a stroke. The thing that made her stroke experience so compelling was her knowledge of the workings of the brain and her ability to describe it as it was happening. Luckily, she was able to recover and write a book 
about this experience. At the beginning of the piece, two dancers sit at the very front of the stage cross-legged and while moving their hands and arms, start reciting Dr. Taylor's description of what happened when a blood vessel burst in her left-hemisphere. As the recitation continues, more dancers join in, now moving their bodies. Eventually, the recitation ends but the dance is just beginning. The stage is set with some very large red metal grids that the dancers move through, around, and over, as well as moving the grids themselves to form various barriers, boxes, or open space. The dancers perform in constantly shifting groups and configurations. The music is a very spare string piece.
The choreographer describes this piece as bridging past and future with the present but my feeling was of watching the inner workings of the brain, as embodied by these beautiful dancers. Sometimes everyone was working well together, sometimes a single dancer had the spotlight, sometimes the movements were beautiful and fluid and other times it was angry, aggressive or painful.
This was one of those inspiring dance evenings where I feel like I want to jump up on stage and join in, although I know I don't have the capacity to do what these performers do.
Apparently this company will be making a regular residency at UCLA, so I look forward to more innovative dance in coming years.
about this experience. At the beginning of the piece, two dancers sit at the very front of the stage cross-legged and while moving their hands and arms, start reciting Dr. Taylor's description of what happened when a blood vessel burst in her left-hemisphere. As the recitation continues, more dancers join in, now moving their bodies. Eventually, the recitation ends but the dance is just beginning. The stage is set with some very large red metal grids that the dancers move through, around, and over, as well as moving the grids themselves to form various barriers, boxes, or open space. The dancers perform in constantly shifting groups and configurations. The music is a very spare string piece. The choreographer describes this piece as bridging past and future with the present but my feeling was of watching the inner workings of the brain, as embodied by these beautiful dancers. Sometimes everyone was working well together, sometimes a single dancer had the spotlight, sometimes the movements were beautiful and fluid and other times it was angry, aggressive or painful.
This was one of those inspiring dance evenings where I feel like I want to jump up on stage and join in, although I know I don't have the capacity to do what these performers do.
Apparently this company will be making a regular residency at UCLA, so I look forward to more innovative dance in coming years.
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