Everywhere we went in Copenhagen, but particularly in Norrebro, there were beautiful signs/ symbols of people’s love for Palestine. These are just a few pictures, I could have taken photos all day. Whatever the wretched politicians of the West (and some of their puppet regimes in the global south) might say or do, the vast majority of people want justice and freedom for Palestine
From THE GREAT REPAIR MOVES NORTH, an exhibition at the Form/Design Center in Malmo, Sweden, which focuses on the conflict between ecological balance and uncontrolled growth and advocates a new architectural ethos centered around repair. What we are seeing in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and other parts of the world is not just an attempt to exterminate people but also entire knowledge worlds.
Last day in Malmo: Crispiest fish and chips outside of Borough Market (London) at Bla Hoddans Fisk och Rokeri; two wonderful exhibitions at the Form/Design Center which included THE GREAT REPAIR MOVES NORTH
(sheds light on the conflict between ecological balance and uncontrolled growth and advocates a new architectural ethos centered around repair – they even talked about decolonizing knowledge so obviously I loved it) and FESTIVITAS (a tribute to Swedish crafts where they highlighted weaving and the importance of the warp & weft!); a visit to Apoteket Lejonet – the city’s oldest pharmacy (still in business) with an art-nouveau interior (carved wooden shelves, antique medicine bottles and a glass-plated ceiling); and finally, the best NY cheesecake in town (in the world?) with white chocolate shavings on top at Café Pronto
Yesterday’s adventures in Malmo: Malmöhus Slott – the moated castle that houses the Malmo Museum; the City Library with its contemporary architecture and glass-enclosed, naturally lit space (while I charged my phone, I found an anthology of Tagore’s work which starts with The Post Office); Lilla Torg – a square that dates back to 1592 (some buildings signal its medieval past), now filled with restaurants and craft shops; Stortorget – once the biggest market square in Northern Europe, built in medieval times with its historical Town Hall (from 1544, rebuilt in the 1860s) that is absolutely stunning and a statue of King Karl X Gustav; finally a sumptuous dinner at Mello Yello (I had Mellos Toast, a mix of crayfish and prawns served on dark bread, with cumin-pickled fennel, apple, dill and rye chips)
Yesterday afternoon: we walked from the Turning Torso to Sundspromenaden (the harbourside walk that runs along the water) to Slottsparken, the main park in Malmö. It has a windmill, a moated castle (Malmohus Slott), a cafe in the garden which overflows into a greenhouse (Slottstradgarden Kafe where we had lunch), and the most abundant, colorful flowers that seem to grow organically. Breathtaking!
Hej from Malmo where the Turning Torso, a neo-futurist skyscraper, is ubiquitous and design is everything
Yesterday afternoon we took the metro to Freetown Christiania, a commune in Christianshavn, which began in 1971 as a squatted military base. Pusher Street, famous for its trade of cannabis, which is illegal in Denmark, was just removed in April 2024 to reduce gang activity. This community has its own laws and rules, one of them being to photograph responsibly and avoid taking pictures of its residents. Another is not to run because it creates panic. No violence and no cars. It’s super hippy of course and the wall art in some places is stunning.
This morning we took it easy. Had coffee (hot chocolate for me) with a cardamom bun and some sesame sourdough bread with butter and cheese (unbelievably good) at Collective Bakery which is 3 min from our apt in Norrebro. We walked another few min to Assistens Kirkegard which is both burial ground and green oasis mixed together – 250 years old and the final resting place for famous Danes like Soren Kierkegaard, Hans Christian Andersen and Niels Bohr. What a wonderful morning stroll with the husband.
Finally a picture of me (in one of the countless mirrors one sees on the streets in front of stores) and patterns (as always)
More from yesterday: a secret garden behind a restaurant; a return to Frederik’s Church and its rococo architecture; Kongens Nytorv – the largest square in Copenhagen laid out in the 17th century by King Christian V; Agnete and the Merman – bronze statues submerged in one of the city’s canals depicting a merman and his seven sons, urging his daughter Agnete to return to them (inspired by a Danish folk story, created by Danish sculptor Suste Bonnen); St. Nicholas Church’s 90-meter high spire; and the stork fountain at Hojbro Plads.
Loved the work of Katherine Aertebjerg and Ovartaci at the Nikolaj Kunsthal, a unique modern art gallery inside the former St. Nicholas Church.
In their artwork “imagination is a tool of joy, creativity and liberation, but also the source of dark and angst-ridden sides of the complex human mind. For both artists spirituality, gender, identity, sexuality and transformation are central to their art and way of seeing the world. Both of them also suspend the boundaries between inner and outer worlds in works featuring composite figures of animals and people. Although of different generations, Aertebjerg and Ovartaci approach art as an existential investigation of life.”
Copenhagen adventures today: Torvehallerne – a foodie hot spot where we had a cardamom bun and smorrebrod, open-faced sandwiches that are considered a national dish; the Round Tower; Hojbro Plads; Thorvaldsen Museum which celebrates the work of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (the scale of his scultpures is breathtaking); more in next post.
From our walk yesterday: Frederik’s Church with its spectacular dome; the Royal Danish Playhouse – one of Copenhagen’s most modern buildings, a mix of brick, glass and stainless steel; and finally Nyhavn – the colorful buildings and beautiful harbor that define Copenhagen. The sun was setting by then and the light was pure gold.
Kastellet – a star-shaped fortress that was once part of the city’s defense system and is now famous for its bright red barracks; the Little Mermaid – a bronze statue commissioned by Carl Jacobsen in 1913 that’s become a symbol of the city; the Gefion Fountain – it depicts the Norse goddess Gefjon who plowed the Danish island of Zealand out of Sweden, according to legend, and transformed her own sons into oxen; Amalienborg Palace – where the Danish royal family resides today (we saw the changing of the guard); more in next post.
Today we woke up late (jet lag), had lunch at Mevlana’s and then did this wonderful self-guided tour. We walked a lot. A lot. Here’s where we went: Rosenborg Castle (1600s) and its gardens (known as Kongens Have) – stunning public space where we saw a statue of Hans Christian Andersen; Nyboder – yellow barracks once the homes of Danish sailors and their families, now inhabited by regular folx; more in next post.
