Bringing joy: A grey and rainy January day in Copenhagen
The January blues are well documented, and there are countless articles with coping strategies readily available. This article, however, is not an attempt to compete in that category, more to recount and share a recent experience of how a dismally grey, bitterly cold, and rainy January day was easily turned around enjoying a low budget day trip into Copenhagen. I hope it inspires you to try something similar.
On a gloomy day in early January, waking up and checking the local Danish weather forecast for the day may not exactly help you to feel uplifted. ‘Constant light rain forecast for the next 12 hours, 10-20mph winds, temperature 2C; wind chill is making it feel like -11C, sunset 16:12’, you have a challenge on your hands. Especially when committed to entertaining your teenage student daughter visiting from Scotland. Both of you with a bank balance severely depleted post-Christmas, and 4 weeks still to survive until pay day.
First course of action; dig out appropriate clothing, including hat, scarf, gloves and ideally many light layers under a nice warm coat. If there is one thing I have learnt from my Danish experience so far, in addition to the famous Danish phrase that ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing’, is the knowledge from personal experience that, although it may be -11C outside, its practically +100C inside any major Copenhagen department store or shopping centre- and let me tell you- CPH Airport is equally guilty, so you’ll be stripping off quicker than you know it once inside. The joys of a super-efficient national heating system!
Amalienborg palace square is always worth a visit, rain, or shine, even just to marvel at the sentries. The Royal Lifeguard change at 12 noon is particularly impressive if the Kings’ Guard is on duty, which happens when the King himself is in residence. As the winter home of the Danish royal family from September to April there’s a higher probability of seeing this at this time of year than over the summer months. If the King is not in residence there is still a daily changing of the guard at 12 noon, but it is a quiet affair (Lieutenant’s Guard or Palace Guard depending on whom, if anyone, is in residence)
The Kings’ Guard marches daily through the city from the Lifeguard’s Barracks at Rosenborg Palace just before 1130, through the streets of the city centre past the round tower and Kongens Nytorv in full parade uniform. They really are a remarkable sight, and it’s hard to miss them as you can usually hear them before you see them. They are literally a full marching band so it’s a moving concert all the way. As a UK citizen I am constantly amazed at how accessible this is to both the Danish population, and tourists alike. There’s minimal police escort, you can walk along beside them: it’s amazing. Once they reach the square at Amalienborg at noon, there is the full guard change ceremony which is again accessible and free of charge to all. First the ceremonial changing of the flags, and while the officers go off to report to the King, the band of the Royal Lifeguards performs an open-air concert on the square. Free open-air concert fit for a King: what’s not to like and enjoy?
If the weather outside becomes unbearable, I can highly recommend a visit to another Copenhagen institution. La Glace. The oldest and best-known confectioner in Denmark, opening in 1870 and situated just off Strøget on Skoubogade 3. The window displays are just the start and it’s quite likely you’ll be drooling within minutes.
The bonus of a visit in January is that you can head straight in and find a table easily. There are no queues of tourists and visitors, which in the summer usually extends way outside along the street, even in early morning.
Although this is by no means an inexpensive coffee shop, let me share a tip with you. Order the hot chocolate. I can guarantee this will be the best and richest hot chocolate you have ever tasted; it is liquid velvet and served in silver jugs with a bowl of fresh whipped cream. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better- you get a free refill! Just head back up to the counter and present your empty jug and the staff will happily refill it for you at no cost. In addition, it’s so calorie laden it definitely fills you up, so you won’t need to buy lunch! To ease the guilt of indulgence it’s worth staggering up the few stairs to the mezzanine level gift shop afterwards – even if just to marvel at the incredibly detailed and perfect edible creations on display.
If it’s still miserable outside (quite likely in January!) a short stroll from La Glace, you can find the Illums Bolighus flagship store back on Strøget. My favourite way to pass time is to start on the top floor and ideally in the lighting department. I adore gazing at the various Louis Poulsen Artichoke lamps suspended from the ceiling in a line at the back of the store. At upwards of 8,000 Euros per lamp it’s the nearest I will get to any one of them, but they are icons of Danish design and things of beauty. A tour of the upper levels of Illums Bolighus is also a free tour of contemporary Danish furniture design. Great for inspiration or daydreaming…or both!
A day in Copenhagen would not be complete without finishing with a stroll down Nyhavn. All the boats are still adorned with twinkling lights which makes the 3pm gloom feel somehow magical. Known for overpriced tourist bars and restaurants, again January throws up good deals. Somehow, I managed to ‘accidentally’ find a Gløgg stall, still holding out post-Christmas, and at only 40DKK per cup (half the price of pre-Christmas at Tivoli), complete with fruit and almonds, it would have been rude not to. The perfect way to warm up cold hands, even if I didn’t realise at the time that it did break my attempt at ‘dry January’. Oh well, there’s always next year……
