biking with vikings

Bicycles rule in Copenhagen (Jyllands-Posten)

Oh, Seattle, why can’t we have this in Seattle?

The bicycle is the most popular means of transport between Copenhagen's residence quarters and the city center in the morning rush hour, a new report from the City of Copenhagen finds.

Traffic on the city's bicycle lanes has increased by 14 percent in the last five years. City politicians are now pushing for better conditions for the town's many bicyclists, who often feel a great deal of strain on the city's streets.

Social Democratic councilwoman Winnie Berndtson told daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende that Copenhagen should become a better bicycle city

(full article/english)

hornbæk - day at the beach

well we didn’t make it to the circus so 1+ hr and 3 trains later, we’re in hornbæk for a beach day. 

 

it was windy but sunny and the sand was nice and warm, malcolm shared his sand toys with other kids.  the water was surprisingly warm (to the touch, we did not go in!).  we had some danish fast-food on the beach before heading home.  a grand day out.

 

triathlon training

perhaps recklessly I’ve signed up for the Hillerød Triathlon 2005 along with my boss Freddy and a few mates from work.  I’ve never done a triathlon before, but (a) it’s a ‘mini triathlon’ (50 km total, only 10k run) and (b) I need a forcing function to train with any regularity.  The triathlon is in August so I have a few months to prepare, which is good , I will need it!

So yesterday/Saturday was our first training day.  My mate Ulrich gave me a lift to the meeting place as my train route to the station where we’d meet – Skovbrynet – was closed for maintenance.  Only four of us there this first time, including the trainer, Steffen Lüders, who is a champion triathlete and member of the Danish Triathlon Team!  I think MS DK has arranged for him to work with us.

We first did a few cycling circuits, then a short run, then more cycling (a bit faster) then another run.  It felt great but I held off on the 2nd run as I am afraid of re-injuring my knee (I had surgery for a torn meniscus in September).

Furesø (english info) where we trained is a beautiful nature preserve with woods surrounding a large lake, and as it is Denmark, there are bike lanes and plenty of well-marked trails through the woods.  It was cool but sunny and plenty warm after the first run!

A bit stiff today after that, but not too bad.  I’m happy that my knee feels fine, I’ll start slowly increasing the distance I can run up to 10km, and I’ve started cycling to work most days, so let the training begin!

vi skal til Tivoli! (we're going to Tivoli)

Friday was ‘Prayer Day’/ national holiday in DK so we took a day trip to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen

(more pictures)

Tivoli has “amusements” in the turn-of-the-century sense, with formal gardens, concerts, beautiful promenades, beer gardens and restaurants as well as rides, cotton candy and all that. Copenhageners rightly treat it as part of their heritage.  In spite of the modern amusements it still retains a nice Victorian feel, and it is very easy for us to reach as it is adjacent to the central train station in Copenhagen.

Today Malcolm had his first roller coaster ride!  He did very well for a 2.5 year-old on the “train” roller coaster, which is gentler than the new, really aggressive rides, but we went together on the ‘teacups’ (not sure what it is really called, it whips you around quite violently, it may have been ‘Snurretoppen/The Spinning Top’) and about halfway through he started crying for Mommy , so we won’t do that one again for a few years! 

He went many times on ‘Traffiken’ (picture above) as well as den lille Flyver (little pilot) planes and ‘Galejen/Tubs Ahoy’ which are little pirate boats that go up and down and around at high-ish speeds.

And on Sunday we’re off to The Circus…

day-tripping i sverige

on saturday we took the train over to Lund in Sweden for sight-seeing.  what a beautiful town.  Apparently it was the capital of Denmark in the old days.

snaps are here.

 

day-tripping i københavn

had a nice day out sightseeing on friday with brett & megan who are visiting from the US (actually they’re taking a ‘vaction from their vacation’ in France and legged it over to denmark for a few days).  snaps are here

Happy Belated Birthday Hans Christian Andersen

well technically it was April 2nd (could’ve sworn it was April 10) but H.C. Andersen is 200 years old this April – lykkelig fødseldag!  Here is a snap I took in Rosenborg on Friday

if you want to know more about Hans Christian Andersen (besides the obvious fairly tales that every child knows) you can start here.

out of the mouths of babes

or, if you’re a Reader’s Digest fan , “kids say the darndest things”.  To whit, this morning:

Malcolm:  “I can climb walls.”

Me: “Eh?  What?”

Malcolm: “I can climb walls.”

Me: “You can climb walls?”

Malcolm: “I caaan’t climb walls.  Spiders can climb walls.  Ants can climb walls. I am too heavy.”

Me: “Oh.”

He runs on like this all the time, like some little logical predicate engine, verbalizing some fact that is learned and new to him but second nature to adults.  It’s fascinating to watch.

jer er syg!

I’ve been sick since we got back from England (Tuesday), some flu bug, nasty and persistent.  It really saps your energy, I’ve missed two days of work and I’m fairly useless this weekend but it is on the wane, which is good as we have guests (Brett & Meghan) coming this weekend!

 

carillon

Beautiful day, beautiful bell carillon from nearby church.  It was a repeated F# tone with an E Maj arpeggio, hard to describe but very subtle and beautiful.  Standing in the warm spring sun in the garden, listening to that w/the birds signing all around while Malcolm played in the sandbox, very nice.

Oh What will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Blaina
Put the vandals in court
Say the bells of Newport
All would be well if, if, if, if
Say the green bells of Cardiff
Why so worried sisters? Why?
Sang the silver bells of Wye
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Oh What will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Blaina

Pete Seeger/Idris Davies – Bells of Rhymney (nicely covered by Robyn Hitchcock, Byrds et al)