Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen - OH Christmas Beer, OH Christmas Beeeer.....

So the other weekend, Peter and I went to Copenhagen. It was supposed to be "Keslake Chronicles, chapter 3 - attack of the little mermaid", but Fiona was called off to New York suddenly and couldn't come.

But not to worry. The Christmas Beer had arrived.

The reason for our trip was to visit a friend who was spending a sebatical from his job, so had come to this wonderful southern Scandinavian city to work a little and teach at the University of Copenhagen. Generously, he accomodated us in a lovely hotel where he was staying. Despite arriving at around midnight on friday, after a hellish flight from Heathrow (yes, even Heathrow on a friday night is insane) the lure of the Christmas beer was intense, like an alcoholic pheramone wafting sinisterly accross the city. Of course when we arrived, we had no idea that the 20,000 drunken louts wandering around singing Danish Carols and muppet songs (I'm sure I heard menuma nup) had just popped the CB launch, we just thought that the Danish enjoyed their friday nights out a bit too much.


However, we did stay indoors and sleep, because we knew that the next day would be an adventure. And yes, a famous five/ Nancy Drew kind of adventure at that.

Fresh into the morning we rented bikes and headed out with Rob to tour the city. One of the good things about having a guide who is a profeessor of Architecture, is that you get to experience the gammet of the most interesting buildings and places. We did everything on the tourist tral, and even the some, spending a good half hour cycling along the wooded trails around the back of the fortress, through the squatters settlement at Christiania, and even a ferry ride to see the little Mermaid. It was a really fabulous way to see the city. RA RA RA!

This is the dummy tree, where parents bring their toddlers to wean them off their dummies. Thoughtfully, they tie them to a tree for us all to enjoy. GROSS.
A quick coffee with Pussy Galore









The evening was spent hanging around bars scoffing as much Christmas beer as we could possibly get into ourselves. The premise of the CB is simple. Every year around this time, the breweries make a special Christmas Beer; a JINGLE BEER, a brew similar to a lager, but filled with special herbs and spices, and at 1 minute to 9 on this certain friday before Christmas, bars accross Copenhagen release it to an eagerly awaiting crowd of revellers desperate for their hit of Christmas Cheer. It's a very tasty sup, I might just add, worthy of spending most of the weekend either pissed on it, or hungover from it.





Some Kimmy we met on the street on our travels. Everyone is FOUFY and glamorous and beautiful.

So the question I'm putting forward today, almost Carrie Bradshawesque, is how many pints can you have before your intentions turn from "having a drink" to "getting pissed"? I'm going to say 2 at this stage, possibly to make myself feel better about myself, but might need to amend this because the Christmas Season is really starting to kick in.