Bagerier – Warning – this post is NOT gluten-free.

On January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 By oregongirlaroundtheworldIn Bageri, Bagerier, Bakeries, Copenhagen, Expat, København2 Comments

Bakeries Around the World You Have to See Before You Die. By definition, I don’t like bucket lists. Why does impending death have to be motivator to seek out the new or unique. Nomenclature aside, these lists can be a good reference point for said seeking, whatever IT is that you are seeking. It is not difficult for me to seek out bread, anywhere I go. But if I am going to ingest all that gluten, I would prefer it be the tastiest darn gluten around. Did you look at the list? If you live in these cities or have visited these cities – you may contest their selections by pushing for your own local favorite. Please, feel free to share yours in a reply below. Personally I loved La Pâtisserie des Rèves (literally pastry of dreams) and everyone must see the iconic pastel macarons at Ladurée in Paris (J’adore the St. Germain location). The best darn baguette we ever ate was from Le Grenier à Pain, located a block-ish from the Abbesses Metro stop on Montmartre, near our flat we had taken for my birthday trip in 2010. In Portland, Oregon, my go-to is St. Honoré, not only because it was walk-able from my house, but the bread is superb – warm, fresh chouquettes by the bag please. You will notice a pattern here. Your favorites are all FRENCH bakeries, you may be thinking. It’s because I didn’t know DANISH bakeries before coming here. I have not yet been to the Copenhagen contingent from the above list – Conditoriet La Glace – but it is definitely a priority now.

One of the things that I love about Danish bageri’s has to be all the good grains and seeds they use. While you wait for your coffee at the little Meyers Bageri outpost on Classengade in Østerbro, there is a window where you can watch the bakers calmly working down below. On the board is large smiley face and the list of all the breads they must bake that day. As I watched, the baker scooped healthy quantities of oats, seeds, grains and gracefully spread them down on his work surface, as if painting his canvas. Into the bed of crunchy goodness he plunk a soft-ish lump of leavened dough – it seemed much looser than I would have deemed easy to seed. Rolling and scooping and prodding, he covered that loaf in the grains and oats and seeds – carefully picked up the seeded goo with his hands and placed it gingerly on a board, which was then in a turn, swifted directly into the large ovens behind him. I imagined my epic Pinterest-fail efforts to do the same – envisioning flour, seeds, grains and goo all over the counter, floor, oven AND myself. His performance was impressive. Bottom line. He must have felt my semi-tranced bread awe because he self-consciously looked up at the window and nodded. Oh – coffee’s ready, time to go. Probably best.

Meyers Bageri on Classengade in Østerbro

If you follow food shows or food culture, call yourself a “foodie” perchance? then you are probably familiar with the name Meyers from Meyers Bageri. None other than Claus Meyer, self-labeled gastronomic entrepreneur and co-owner of #1 restaurant in the WORLD – Noma. No, ma… I haven’t eaten there yet. Have to save half our salary and book months in advance – besides, I’m waiting for you! Just kidding – I’ll take you to the bakery though! No wonder the bread is good.

But Classengade, while in my ‘hood, is not as close as a block away (anything that ends in “gade” means street here, for those who don’t know). And why tromp all the way down there, when just a block away is a bageri equally as yummy and just as organic with a cozy place to sit and watch the bikes and people and ever-changing weather through the window. Det Rene Brød. Their classic pretzel shaped neon illuminates the block – calling to you… come here, it’s warm, it’s cozy, it smells fantastic, it’s delicious. It will probably be my undoing.

Det Rene Brød's red neon bageri sign illuminates Rosenvængets Allé — Det Rene Brød’s red neon bageri sign illuminates Rosenvængets Allé

Det Rene Brød means “The Pure Bread.” They are 100% okologisk. (Organic – it’s big here, really big. I thought it was big in Oregon. Easy to find an excellent selection of okologisk produce, meats and BREAD.) Back when we were first in our unfurnished flat with no wi-fi, we would come connect at Det Rene Brød and enjoy a kanelsnegl (direct translation: cinnamon snail aka cinnamon roll), or a frøsnapper (twisty, flaky, poppy and sesame-seeded, lightly sweetened deliciousness), or a pretty pink hindbær snitte (raspberry chopper = best darn spelt-flour pop tart in the world) or just a simple pain au chocolate. A cortado espresso to balance the sweet and life is good. This is one of my definitions of happiness in Denmark.

Enjoying her favorite - the Hindbær Snitte - we call it a "spelt pop tart" — Enjoying her favorite – the Hindbær Snitte – we call it a “spelt pop tart”

Bon Appetit!

Both Meyers Bageri and Det Rene Brød have amazing frøsnappers.

Royals

On January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 By oregongirlaroundtheworldIn Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, Danish, Danish Royals, Denmark, Expat, Gard Hussar, København, Queen Margrethe II, Royal, Royals6 Comments

Me? I’m a Royals fan. Sure. First Major League Baseball game I ever attended was watching the Kansas City Royals at Royals Stadium with cousins in the 1980’s. I was born in Kansas City. Does it get any more royal than that? It was the 80’s – George Brett was king – how could you not love them?

Oh – you mean ROYALTY. Like Queens and Kings and princes and princesses and such? Hunh. Yeah, I’ve heard of them. I will admit that I WAS devastated when I heard of Lady Di passing away. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I had just gotten married and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. I still have the newspaper. It was devastating. (isk – that’s Danish for ish) Since then (1997) I have paid little attention. It’s not exactly pertinent to a middle class domestic engineer with three children in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon.

BUT – I don’t live in Portland, Oregon anymore. I live in Copenhagen, Denmark now. The land of Hans Christian Andersen, Swan Lake in my backyard (literally there are lots and lots of swans on the lakes only a block from my home here), Tivoli and yes… ROYALS. And I don’t think they play baseball. Maybe they do? I’m guessing no. So not knowing a TON about the current Danish Royal Family, I will admit that I am impressed with the amount of castles or “slots” around here that are still active. Like Royal people still live there and are active there, as evidenced by the very official guard type people in fancy hats that stand watch at their fronts. They might look like they are 18, but they are capital O-fficial. And they have guns. As an American where guns are such a hotbed issue ALL THE TIME, this makes me uncomfortable, but that is another debate. Today we saw the Queen. The Queen of Denmark. And she was lovely and waved – not the elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist I was expecting… but a lovely sweet demure wave.

I have to thank Your Danish Life, The Expat Magazine for highlighting the event on my Copenhagen Expats Facebook page. I pulled my 8-year old daughter out of school (she missed music and Danish class ironically) for an adjunct education in Danish culture full of music and fancy costumes and impressive heel-clicking. It was awesome. Why? I don’t know exactly, besides a “when in Copenhagen?” kind of answer. A Danish journalist stopped the wee lass and I at the Amalienborg after the show and asked us precisely that. You can read our response here. I can only relate the level of pomp and circumstance to an American Veteran’s Day parade or funereal procession of U.S. military precision. Having multiple family members (including my late dad who we called Colonel) in the U.S. Army and other branches, it is what I know and am familiar with. Today was similar, but different. Like almost everything here of course.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset — Queen Margrethe II of Denmark – January 7, 2015 Copenhagen Denmark

I would say though, that today was a home run with the wee lass. The home team performed well, pitched a perfect game and we loved the song for the 7^th inning stretch. Translation – a band atop fancy horses playing famous tunes while clopping along cobblestone streets leading a gold coach straight out of Cinderella holding the QUEEN. The REAL QUEEN. Of a COUNTRY. Wauw. (wow.) Just Wauw.

Parkering

On January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 By oregongirlaroundtheworldIn Copenhagen, Danish, Expat, København, Parking4 Comments

No, it’s not a fancy kind of jewelry. Its not something you do in deference to your goofy friend named Parker. (ie; “Chris – stop “Parkering” – you look ridiculous.”) It’s not a circular playground. It’s Parking. In Denmark. Seems straight-forward – right? Now that you know what it means – of course it’s PARKING. Makes sense. Right?

"Boarding and alighting allowed?" What does that mean? Am I doing it? Is the right hours for alighting? I feel like alighting something. — “Boarding and alighting allowed?” What does that mean? Am I doing it? Is it the correct hours for alighting? I feel like alighting something.

HA! Got you! (Or me rather, it got me. It did. It has. It will again I am sure.) Not straight forward. Lots of translation required. And I have failed multiple attempts at that translation.

Loading and unloading allowed apparently. What is the parenthesis for? A different day? And only in this 18m?

Where do you have to pay for parking? Just about EVERYWHERE. When do you have to pay? ALWAYS! Ok, you get Saturday night after 5pm through Sunday as a break. Find one of these machines – press the British flag button so as to understand slightly what you are paying for.

You can only use a European debit card that has the chip/pin system. That took us a month to get. Your average American bank does not just give those out. Most US banks don’t even have them yet. Get with the system US banks! Or Danish Kroner, the machines also take Danish Kroner. (Danes do not accept Euros here and no where else in the world accepts DKK. There are holes in some of the Kroner. And the paper money is pretty. Prettier than our plain green bucks stateside. The kids think they are cool.) Plunk in your coins or code in your pin and get your ticket. Place it in the window and make sure you read ALL THE SIGNS. And don’t park past the yellow triangle on the street. Else…. TICKET!

Do I have to pay for parking at the grocery store in the suburbs near the childrens’ school? No. BUT. You have to make sure you change the little dial-y clock ticker thing in your front window. (A parking disc I’m told.)

Yep. Maybe you know these. Maybe you’ve been here. Maybe you live here. Maybe some other country that you have visited uses these. WE DON’T HAVE THESE in Oregon. Do other US states or American cities use these? I had never seen them before coming to Denmark. So ok. Change the dial to the time you park. You get one hour gratis at the grocery store. “Great!” I think. I saw that 1 time gratis sign. (In my head I may have said – so next time, its not free?) You might get more free time elsewhere – just make sure you figure it out and set your dial before you leave your car and return before allotted time. Else…. TICKET!

Back to the grocery store. Groceries are very expensive here and there are apparently government limitations on the grandness (or not so grandness) of grocery purveyors physical establishments – they can only be so big. So as to make the best use of space, they sell things in smaller containers. MILK. For instance. You can only buy 1 quart of milk at a time. This is challenging for a family with growing children who probably go through a quart a meal. Or more. I am constantly buying, carrying up 5 flights of stairs, lots of MILK. Thankfully it is delicious milk. As is the smør (butter), yoghurt, cheese and all other dairy. Happy cows make happy cheese. Did I hear that somewhere? ANYWAY – I digress. I had some time to wander the aisles of SuperBest – which is lovely grocer I will add. I used my currency converter and google translate apps to really strategically shop and do my best to make at least two days worth of meals out for 450 DKK (about $75.00 USD). Feeling quite pleased with myself for procuring the organic produce, good Danish pork loin, MILK (maybe some Haribo gummy treats for the kids and some adult beverages) and more, etc., etc., et al. All of this, in definitely under one hour. GRATIS, remember? I return to my vehicle to find a farging parking ticket. It is very nicely placed in a little plastic sleeve right under the windshield wiper by the dial-y thing. I quickly scan the lot for a sign I may have missed. Did I park in the handicapped spot or other specialty labeled zone?

Was this the target Danish aliens zone? No. I don’t think so? I quickly head into the nearest shop and say “Unskyld. (excuse me?) Can you help me? Do you know why I received this ticket?”

“Oh.”Pause, looks at co-worker. “Did you move the parking dial on your window?”

Heavy sigh. “No.”

“So sorry, you have to do that EVERY TIME. They are very strict.”

No kidding. Boo. How much was the ticket you wonder? 650 DKK!!! ($110 USD) Just think what groceries I could have bought with THAT! Or what other piece of IKEA furniture I could have procured. I was really coveting the Vittjsö, even though I can’t pronounce it. Boo. Balloon deflated. But, bootstraps pulled up. Marching on. Remember to move your dial-y thing. Whatever that is in your life. We all have one right?

Helpful links that I maybe should have looked at that hopefully will help you!

All this leads to the fact that we should probably ditch the car and just ride our bikes like the other half of the Copenhageners! Except don’t miss these signs!