Day Out in Denmark Finding Giants

An Open-Air Sculpture Hunt for Giants
SUSTAINABLE SUMMER FUN OUTSIDE COPENHAGEN

Looking for a fabulous way to spend a day exploring the countryside around Copenhagen? Let’s go looking for giants! Danish artist Thomas Dambo has hidden 6 Forgotten Giants in green spaces southwest of the city.

Most are hidden within one to two kilometers from a train station making it possible to ride your bicycle to your treasure hunt. We rented an electric car and carpooled with friends for the day as we wanted to bring along our portable grill, pølsers and picnic provisions.

With littles in tow, we found that targeting three giants made for a perfect half-day outing. We had plenty of time to seek and to find and play along the way. We stopped mid-hunt to grill hot dogs and roast marshmallows and play football. With children ranging in ages from 5 to 11, our day out tracking down these friendly beasts took us about 4-5 hours with a planned picnic in the middle.

Don’t have a car? Just visiting Copenhagen? Rent a bicycle and follow the map below. You can take your bike right on the S-trains. This route starts at Copenhagen’s Central Station but can start anywhere and jump in at any stop.

MAP KEY:
RED = S-tog or S-trains
BLUE = Bicycle routes between
GREEN = The 6 Forgotten Giants

#1 Sovende Louis | Sleeping Louis | Rødovre

Closest to Copenhagen, Sleepy Louis lounges lazily waiting for you to wake him. He is the only giant that you can crawl right inside. But beware – he might wake at any moment!

TRAIN: Take B-line towards Høje Tåstrup
STOP: Brøndbyøster Station
DISTANCE TO GIANT: 1.4 km
PARKING: Take first left after Absalon Camping, park at left end of lot.

TIP: Follow the paved path past fitness station. Look for a trail up towards your left after the bend.

I have a big bunch of siblings, but we are hidden from people. They call us The Forgotten Giants. My sister Trine sits in Avedøre. In the field behind the hill where there are sheep and cows.”
#2 Bakke top Trine | Hilltop Trine | Quark Naturcenter in Hvidovre

Hilltop Trine is huge. She leans against a hillock in Hvidovre with an outstretched hand waiting to hold you. Her size makes your littles look Lilleputian by contrast. This is a perfect place for a picnic if it pleases your people. A fire pit for roasting pølsers or marshmallows is available. Enjoy at nearby picnic tables or play in the shelters. Bring your own supplies.

BIKE: There is no direct train connection to Hilltop Trine. Take the easy flat bike ride, nearly a straight between the 2 giants.
DISTANCE BETWEEN GIANTS: 5.3 km
PARKING: From Byvej turn right into Filmbyen. Park on the left before fences, walk down path along the field to the Naturcenter.

TIP: Trine hides on the back of the hill behind the chicken coops. To reserve the shelters and get a key for the toilets – reserve ahead with Quark Naturcenter. (As of 21st June, all slots for the summer are booked.)

#3 OSCAR UNDER BROEN | Oscar under the Bridge | Ishøj Strand

Say goodbye to Trine and get on your bike towards the Avedøre Station. Hop on the A-line train here towards Sølrod Strand and pop off at Ishøj. Oscar hides under the bridge near the beach. Carefully climb down and find him hanging out by the water. Cool off in the surf at the beach or grab an ice cream or ice coffee at Ka’nalu Café right at Ishøj Strandpark.

TRAIN: Take A-line towards Sølrod Strand Station
STOP: Get on Avedøre Station, get off Ishøj Station.
DISTANCE FROM GIANT: 1.8 km
PARKING: If driving, park car at Ishøj Strand.

TIP: Walk towards playground and café and continue down the path until the first bridge. Take a right and look under.

Want to really go for it and catch all 6 in one day? You can do it! It is about 5 km from Oscar to the Vallensbæk Mose where you can find Lille Tilde and Thomas on the Mountain. See more about these magical giants and meet Teddy Friendly here on our first day out.

Found some yourself? Who is your favorite? I think I love Trine and Tilde the best. Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin

Day out In Denmark Finding Giants | Oregon Girl Around the World

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STREET ART PARIS Walking Tour | Learn Techniques, Styles and Artists | Oregon Girl Around the World

Take a Walking Tour of Street Art in Paris

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF ART ON THE STREETS
See another side of Paris in the Street Art

I love street art. The democracy of it. The freedom. From simple tagging to large-scale commissioned murals, street art has become a familiar fixture in our modern world. Learning a little more about the techniques, iconography, and motivations of the artists themselves can help give you an understanding of the public art you come across in your own city and on your travels abroad.

Street art is, first of all, the only worldwide movement. I place my artwork in front of you, whether you like it or not, it’s there. You can look at it, it’s free and it’s for everybody.”

And if those travels find you in Paris, I can highly recommend taking one of the Underground Paris walking tours with Street Art Paris. Different tours are offered each focusing on art in specific parts of the city. Lasting about two hours – where you will be walking, talking, looking, and discussing. And if you’ve been listening and engaging, you should come away with a language for reading street art. A street art literacy per se. For Paris. And around the world. As it turns out, this language is fairly universal.

Post updated: May 2018

TAKE A STREET ART TOUR IN PARIS WITH UNDERGROUND PARIS | Oregon Girl Around the World
Large-scale stencil
Rue des Cinq Diamants | Buttes-aux-Cailles | Paris

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On the Surface

On the surface, life is normal here. We are still our same American family of five. Here in this different place. Here in Denmark. On the surface, it looks nice. It seems that we can see things and do things that we haven’t seen or done before and share them here with you. On the surface, it looks like sunshine and roses. Sometimes it is. Sometimes below the surface, we’re just sleepwalking. Moving through the motions of a day from sun up to sun down whilst the world works and does and becomes. Sometimes I feel like I have to scratch off the surface to reveal the winning code, the lottery winner. Maybe we didn’t buy the ticket today though. What did we do? I sometimes wonder at the end of the day. But you can’t win if you don’t buy the ticket.

Yesterday – I bought the ticket. And I definitely won. My personal lottery that is. Those who know me know that art, especially public art, is something very important to me. Public art in the form of outdoor sculpture galleries, murals, architecture, street art and even well executed colorful graffiti. The earth without ART is just… eh. Yesterday, I attended the closing afternoon of Danish photographer Søren Solkær‘s excellent exhibition SurfaceAn enormous, in scale and presentation, portrait series pointed at street artists all over the world and in every iteration – from street “taggers” to muralists to installation artists to graffiti kings. Yesterday Søren himself led a public tour through the Oksnehallen culture center‘s display of his works. Hearing how and where and why and who from the artist himself made the images come to life and engendered a respect for the work required to undertake such a project.

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