København Exodus

Tuesday was spent hanging out with Sammy in town and then at her house, before grabbing pizza on the incredibly sunny hot 5pm bike ride to the beach to meet Lis and Nadine, along with Nadines mother.  Lis and Nadine swam, I paddled up to my knees and Sam dipped a toe in the Baltic Sea.

Nadine and her lovely mother went to have dinner in Christiania, so Lis, Sam and I stayed at the beach a little longer, then cycled back to Sams apartment.  Sam and I took different routes back, and I totally won.  Later we went to retro for a drink and a chat and then we had our final goodbye with Nadine.  Yes, I did cry, but she lives in Berlin, so I will visit for sure.

Lis and I ended up staying at Sams house on her last night but I got the short straw and had to sleep on a very shallow leather sofa.  Then in the morning, we awoke, had a scrumptious breakfast and hung out a little bit before taking Sams bags to the metro station.  I am going to Boston in September, so hope is still there for our friendship.  Afterwards, me and Lis walked back to get our bikes and then decided to cycle to the beach and swim.  It was ridiculously hot, cycling along the beach path was a little bit like a movie, but I don't know which one.  And we swam! And I was wearing my clothes.  Which promptly dried once I was no longer in the sea.  Cycled back to Lissy's for her to have a shower, then to mine for shower, dinner, Wimbledon watching and beeerrrr.

Thursday was a chill day, throwing out all kinds of crap so I don't pack it on Tuesday.  Then I get the news that Simon is leaving to go home and then to Italy, and that this is goodbye for us also!  Gosh, what a lot of goodbyes.  I've not seen a lot of Simon recently, but if I stretch my mind back over the year, we had a lovely time living together and he is a top guy.  But again, this is less of a real goodbye, due to him being in NYC at the same time as me in September, and me definitely returning to Copenhagen at some point!  Later that evening, I met Elisabeth on Nørrebro Bridge and we drank self-popping Champagne and talked.  A man cycled past us beating his handlebars with the hugest grin in the world on his face.  I think he was also singing?  Anyways, basically the happiest man I have ever seen.  Then a man walked past looking in the bins for recyclable and therefore profit-making plastic bottles and he told us to have a good evening (in danish, of course). And THEN a group of men walked past and one stopped directly in front of us, curtseyed a few times, then told us 'det er meget meget hyggeligt', and then strolled onward.  We headed onward ourselves, to       Gefährlich (German for 'dangerous') a small cafe/restaurant/bar/gallery in the heart of Nørrebro.  We had fancy drinks (1 each) and a little dance.  Then a drunken girl did not understand the concept of personal space or not lurching towards another persons mouth, so we left.

There were no goodbyes on Friday, and I met Elisabeth in the evening and we decided to cycle all the way to Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid), supposedly Copenhagen's number one tourist attraction, which both of us had avoided seeing until Friday.

We drank some wine and watched some tourists try to make the jump over the sea, so as to stand next to the statue.  We then went to Cafe Retro for free jazz, but missed it.  So just sat and chatted, before unlocking our bikes to ride home (Elisabeths last ride home).  This morning I went to Frankrigsgade to help her clean and take her to the airport.  Was sad.   Sydney is a long way away.  Yes I cried (AGAIN) and continued to after I walked away from her.  Teary eyed all the way home.  Now I am the last left in København, and I feel like I am in limbo, between two worlds, but don't fully belong in either anymore.  I am very apprehensive about returning to England, even though there are many wonderful things to look forward to, and so very upset that this part of my life is over.  Even if I return to Denmark, it will never be the same again.

Humidity = 89%

Looking through my patterns of blogging over this year is pretty shocking for me. 10 post in September, down to 0 in March.  This isn't linked to what I was doing, but to how lazy i was feeling. Now that I am free from academic commitments, I aim to write down all the little but pleasant things I do.

Sunday, although rather un-hungover, I didn't do any essay writing. I tried to tidy, and lay around a lot.
Monday was all about the essay-writing, getting it finished and handing it in. But the Faculty of Theology at KU really don't want you to hand in your essays - they close their offices at 12 noon and forget to tell you loads of other stuff you have to do in order to hand it in.  So I had to go back on Tuesday morning (the day when it was 89% humidity in Copenhagen) and hand it in to a very nice man who made lots of weird jokes, but was nice.

Monday afternoon was 30kr Champagne with Elisabeth, sat with our legs dangling over the canal in Christianshavn, then a BBQ by the harbourside. And then an insane thunder storm which I totally got caught cycling in.
Tuesday afternoon was FARVEL TOM.  Tom from New Zealand has gone.  Doubt he reads this, but I'll miss you Tom.  The goodbyes are gonna just keep coming, until I am the only one left in the city.  Had dinner at Nadines new pad, with Elisabeth and Hannah, and then sat on Ryans (Nadines housemate) balcony watching the world go by.
Today I have spent my first proper day of freedom in bed, because it is too humid to even move. Hope that eases up.

Distortion

This blog post is probably going to blow all your minds a little bit. So get ready.

This week (1st - 5th June) was Distortion.  A 5 day festival in Copenhagen that is street-parties all day until 10pm, and then massive raves until 5am.  Each day the parties are in a different neighbourhood of the city.

Wednesday CITY
I was a little too excited on Wednesday.  Me and Lis met very early in town (which was the busiest I have ever seen it) for ice cream and queuing for an art opening of one of Elisabeth's friends (1st in line) - plus Urban Outfitters were giving out free stuff.

After everyone had loaded up on the free stuff, we headed back to Sams for a bit and saw this little street party kicking off on the street corner.  I sat in Sam's front window, hanging my legs, and saw a tour boat come under the bridge.  The bar staff at this party (wearing sailor costumes) started throwing beers to the people in the boat.

THEEEEENNNN, we headed through town to find a hoppin party - thats right.  Nytorv was absolutely crammed and some dudes had parked their boombox-cargo bike hybrid in the middle of the crossroads and some dude was doing some very expressive dance moves to Rihanna.

We found a huge party next to Vor Frue Kirke and KU international office.

 Charlotte

 Me and Sam were wondering where our friend Davide was.  I took a picture above my head of the crowds. And I found him (above, centre).

I also got kicked with broken glass, and started to bleed quite a lot from my ankle.  My sock turned red, and it hurt to stand.  So I went home.

Thursday  NØRREBRO 
But I was much more excited for Thursday.  My favourite neighbourhood, amazing weather.  Sam and Charlotte came round mine to hang out, then SIMON JENSEN returned from Germany!!!!  Here is a sign I made for his bedroom door.

Some others joined us at my apartment and then we trekked up the road to find the party.  Bumped into lovely Shane (left on Friday) and lovely Tom (leaving on Tuesday). Booooooooo.

 Charlotte

 Bikes

 Pretty Sun

 Sam with my beercan on her head

 Norrebrogade

 (from L to R): 2 randomers, Berny, Charlotte, Nicola and Vincent

 Lis and Sam

 Sankt Hans Torv

Tom

 Charlotte

We danced on a tank for a while and watched these boys climb the traffic lights.  Then some other stuff happened which I cannot be bothered to type right now.

So me and Lis went to find the Paint Party.

 The floor

 Lis painting

 Wall of paint

 Simple solitude

 Davide and Lis

When we arrived back at the party area, this is what we encountered.  Hundreds of drunk people sitting on curbsides with their friends, piles and piles of rubbish, and a camera that woudnt focus.

We met the others again at Durum Bar (best falafel in Copenhagen) for dinner/breakfast.  And then headed homeward.

Walking home.

Friday VESTERBRO

I attempted to study hard on Friday, but failed pretty miserably.  Simon was all smug and headed out for an afternoon of fun and sun in Vesterbro.  Eventually I decided to just go, because I wasn't being productive.  Met Lis and cycled down to the parties.  There were so many people, it was a little terrifying. And we saw some prostitutes and a transvestite dancing together.  We found a tiny sidestreet with a hip hop DJ and some wild dancing going on.

Then me and Lis went to explore what else Vesterbro had to offer.

Saturday ISLANDS BRYGGE and KODBYEN

I worked so hard all day so that I could allow myself to go to the last real day of Distortion.

 Sam and Vincent

 Kodbyen

 Julian and Vincent dancing in the sky

 Floating man

At about 1am ish I went back into town to meet Tom at a bar.  Took me ages to find, but got there, bought an overpriced drink and walked home via Stroget with Charlotte at 4am.  Most disgusting sight of my life.