We’re 21 months deep in this neck of the woods they call parenthood. Supposedly, well clear of that first year parent fog. So, with that now new found clarity (joke), we thought it’s about time to enlighten you on our Reality Vs Those First Time Parent Expectations.
Hopefully you’ve read our first Danish Vibes Post. If you havn’t then you can click right here.
Now you know where to stay, and who to fly with, you need to know how to spend your precious time. So, we’re going to lay it down for you in the second part of our Danish Vibes series.
We were lucky that our visit to Copenhagen coincided with the last weekend of Tivoli Gardens‘ winter season. We were doubly lucky as 2018 is Tivoli’s 175th anniversary. To commemorate this landmark occasion the new winter season was added to it’s jam packed calendar.
Tivoli Gardens is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Opening in 1843, it counted Ol Walt Disney as a regular! They even say that Tivoli was Walt’s inspiration when it came to designing the layout of Disneyland in the 50’s. So we’ve got Georg Carstensen to thank for all those Disney memories we hold so dearly.
Covering around 83,000 square meters Tivoli is full of lush exotic gardens, and a whole host of amusement rides for thrill seekers. As much as we love a thrill or 2, we didn’t manage to get on any of the rides. Riding solo, just isn’t the same, and Em has a few metres to grow yet until he can ride with the big boys. Although, I’m pretty damn sure he would be up for a speeding drop on the oldest ride at Tivoli if we gave him half the chance. The rickety wooden rollercoaster was built back in 1914, and can be seen winding it’s way through the park.
As the park stays open until 10pm it made sense for us to make this our first destination. Just a 14 minute walk from our hotel, we arrived to a “snow” covered park just in time for sunset. The gardens had been transformed into a winter wonderland, with giant snowmen guarding the infamous Tivoli arch.
Coinciding with Copenhagen’s Festival of Light, meant that there were plenty of beautiful installations to illuminate the gardens, along with the obligatory wintery twinkly lights. Making it a perfect baby sensory experience for Emerson.
The Moorish inspired Nimb hotel served as the backdrop to the gardens. It is a spectacular building, which had snow drifts projected onto the grand white building for that extra bit of winter magic. To add to this fairytale setting, 1000’s of lights cover the facade. It was like a scene out of your favourite romantic movie.
In addition to the rides there were an array of Winter themed activities. An Ice rink in front of the Nimb hotel, is Copenhagen’s answer to skating in front of the Rockefeller Centre, and for those who didn’t fancy braving the ice, or dropping from the sky… There was the giant igloo!
Inside this huge round structure; you could have a go on a “toboggan”, ride a white “ice” slide and have mega “snowball” fights with cannons. It was also good to take a little break from the cold, and relax on one of the benches with a hot chocolate, whilst watching the winter themed madness.
It’s not difficult to find somewhere to eat in Tivoli. Although it is difficult to find somewhere to eat that isn’t pricey, and doesn’t mind dining a freezing cold hyperactive baby. After much deliberation, and numb fingers from the subzero temperatures we decided on Prices Diner. There is more to come on this, in the Eat section of our Danish Vibes series, coming soon.
The Entry only ticket (not including rides) cost 200DKK (around £24) for all 3 of us (under 1’s go free.)
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Walking back to our hotel after Tivoli on Friday night, we very nearly walked past this beautiful cathedral, that we were able to see from our room. Stopping at the same time we noticed a hive of activity by the entrance. Being the nosey parkers that we are, we dragged the buggy up the stairs (inconspicuous, I know) for a closer look. The inside of the cathedral was illuminated with red lighting, looking more like a club than a church.
Obviously we went inside! Where we saw a sign that said, “Please no Talking, just listen to the music”. Opening the doors our ears were immediately treated to the sounds of ambient chill out music. The acoustics of the cathedral, coupled with large speakers, red lighting and 100’s of candles made for one of the most surreal experiences.
Making our way down the aisle we saw a DJ sitting on a stool playing his own musical sermon. Whilst his “flock” were taking in the tunes sat on beanbags in the pulpit. As you can imagine this is a mind blown scenario, we had no idea what was going on. The 3 of us were mesmerised, and could have sat there for hours, but we were well aware that it was way past Emerson’s bedtime and he could blow at any minute, so we stayed for 10 minutes then made our way back to the hotel.
After a bit of hunting on the net we found out that God Goes Deep, a non political, and non profit organisation have been putting on these free ambient events inside the cathedral for the past 7 years. The events run from 8pm to midnight on most Fridays (seasonally), so if you’re visiting on a Friday make sure you check out their schedule. Our snooping paid off and we stumbled across one of the most innovative events that we’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
The Church of our Saviour is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic churches. Located in the Christianshavn district, the spire towers above the city at 90 meters. Making it one of Copenhagen’s tallest structures, and you can climb all 400 steps to the top! Which obviously we decided to do!
We love a viewpoint, and have climbed plenty before we had Emerson. So with that much experience, taking a baby with us is easy right? Wrong! Getting Em out of the buggy we started the climb. Hats off to Pete, he was the one who carried Emerson up the tower. Having done barely any exercise since giving birth, wearing a backpack and a huge winter puffa coat, those stairs was pure torture.
We took any opportunity to gaze out a window, or to let people down, just to have a breather. The closer we got to the top of the spire the more narrow the steps become. It was really cosy at points, and many a time I questioned our decision doing this with Em, as I heavy breathed into oncoming tourists faces on their way down!
The tower has the largest carillon system in Europe. I had no idea what a carillon system was don’t be fooled by my subheading. After a quick Google search though, I can tell you it’s a musical instrument. Basically a load of bells! The Church of our Saviour has 48 of these brass beauties, that chime every hour. This made that trip to the top all the more exciting when you’re dealing with the pressure of not being in their vicinity when they go off.
We finally made it to the outside, and got to take advantage of the most incredibly breathtaking (literally, it was freezing up there) views of Copenhagen. You could even see the Øresund Bridge that crosses into Sweden.
Copenhagen has never been on our bucket list until now. We’ve always been a fan of the city break. Getting away for a few nights, and exploring a new destination always does wonders for the soul, and our sanity. For this very reason we always try to book a couple of trips a year. Ok, we hold our hands up, these escapes usually coincided with Arctic Monkeys tour dates, but they were city breaks nevertheless. In between the fan girling, city sights were definitely seen.
With Arctic Monkeys on a hiatus, we only had our Avios reward flights voucher and date of travel to guide us on where to go for our next adventure. Typically we left things to the last minute and the clock was ticking before our reward flights expired. We therefore thought it would be a good idea to kill two birds with one stone, and combine our trip with Pete’s birthday, which conveniently fell on a Saturday. Winning!
Embracing the winter in it’s freezing glory, we decided to go Nordic and the search began for the ideal winter location. After whittling down flight times, Copenhagen was the destination of choice. The flight is just under 2 hours, and the timings are perfect for a short city break. As this is a BA business route there is plenty of choice when searching for the most convenient flight time. The fact that this small city is totally walkable also appealed to us. As we’ve mentioned before walking is Vibes Life Us’ favourite mode of transport.
Landing at 2pm on the Friday, then leaving at 6pm on Sunday, gave us 48 hours to explore Denmark’s beautiful capital. BA have been given a hard rap lately, mainly due to the changes on short haul flights. What!! No free food and drink ?!?! But we couldn’t fault the staff, from check-in to landing they were outstanding.
Emerson is 10 months old, fully mobile, and into everything!! A totally different experience compared to his last flight at 4 months. Gone are the days when he slept most of the way, and when he wasn’t sleeping the order of the day was feeding or changing. So the little touches that BA put on for families go a long way in making the journey a bit easier, and less stressful for us all.
We checked in at Heathrow’s mammoth T5 and were ushered to the designated family zone. Touch! Here, Emerson was made a fuss off and given a sticker that he displayed proudly, along with a BA story book about the adventures of Ollie the pilot. Ever the grateful child, and with an audience he flashed his one tooth grin. He’s cute but I think we need to have a word with him about some how using his gummy charms for an upgrade. I’ve heard that’s where the free foods at!
On board, the parent perks kept coming. If ever there was a reason to have a child it’s to board the plane first, right?! Never mind the anxiety that comes with the gamble on whether the babe is going to drive your fellow passengers crazy, for the entire flight. E was given another little gift; the Sky Flyers Log book. To be signed by the pilot onboard, Emerson’s air miles are clocked for each journey he completes. Pete’s excitement levels went through the roof at the end of the flight. We were invited to squeeze into the cockpit to meet the pilot, where we got him to sign E’s book, and tally up those miles. For the record it’s only 550 miles to Copenhagen.
Copenhagen airport is no Kalamata. With plenty of places to shop and eat, it took us a while to find the lift down to the baggage hall. Once our bags were collected, it was on to the metro. Finding your destination is easy enough in Copenhagen, there are only 2 lines, conveniently called M1 & M2. The airport (Lufthavnen) is at the end of the M1 line. Both lines go through the main city centre, so you really can’t go wrong. Taking the Metro is quick (under 20 minutes), and much cheaper than a taxi at only £3. A ticket to Nørreport is most likely the cheapest thing you will purchase in Copenhagen, it is a notoriously expensive city.
Our hotel was a very convenient 5 minute walk from Nørreport. SKT. Petri is in the heart of the Latin quarter. Situated on a quiet corner, you can reach most landmarks within a 30 minute walk. This stunning design hotel was previously a department store, but now plays host to 288 stylish rooms. The listed building had a total revamp a few years back, and the result is a laid back luxurious vibe. Which we instantly fell in love with.
The main reception lobby is a huge open airy space, with floor to ceiling windows. Monochrome geometric floors and vast circular lamps, give a magnificently luxe result. The black and white theme is off set by bright emerald green sofas, and a light fixture that is covered in jungle greens. Bringing the outdoors inside, the effect is vibrantly beautiful.
We booked a superior room on the 4th floor, with spectacular views overlooking the University of Copenhagen’s old library, and the magnificent Church of our Lady Cathedral. The stark contrast between the old buildings outside, and the super chic design of the room is highlighted perfectly by huge windows. Stretching across the width of the room, with a windowsill wide enough to sit on, It made a perfect spot to take in the Copenhagen skyline. Complemented with a room brewed cuppa, in the handleless mugs. These mugs blew our minds. How can you have a mug with no handle ?!?! Ha Ha.
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We are suckers for boutique styling, and spent half an hour getting “pics for the gram” and making full use of the free Wi-Fi before heading out. Art Deco inspired white wall panelling, a funky edgy mirrored wardrobe, and the beloved emerald green mushroom lamp made this room totally Instagram worthy.
It’s February, Half Term is round the corner and it’s Giveaway time! For this months Giveaway, FUN DMC have kindly given us a family ticket for their Half Term Hip Hop Special on the 18th February. If you haven’t been to a FUN DMC event, have a read of our previous blog post FUN DMC Vibes.
February is notoriously cold and wet! If you’re at a loss on what to do with the kids next week, then Spin Doctor and the Fun DMC crew have got your back! In addition to their Half Term Hip Hop event in Hoxton, on the 18th, they are also running a Free event on the 13th.
The Half Term Special will take place in the Royal Festival Hall, for the Southbank’s Imagine Festival. We were lucky enough to get to interview the guy who has your Half Term kids entertainment on lock. Find out about the origins of FUN DMC, and the beginnings of Spin Doctors Love with Hip Hop, vinyl, and a dream about Barry White.
Details of the giveaway are below.
An Interview with Spin Doctor – Fun DMC founder and Promoter
You’ve probably seen from our previous post Big Fish Little Fish Vibes, that we love a baby rave. We’re in the midst of that first year baby haze, so still working up to that “Im back” drinking sesh. As our willpower is non existent, we need Emerson to escort us when raving to alleviate the urge to get totally annihilated.
That said it’s New Years Eve, and we have to do something !! HAVE TO! In the 16 New Years’ we have spent together, we have never stayed in just the 2 of us. Other than that 1 year when we got a bit carried away dancing in the kitchen to 1Xtra. We got too happy, mixing champs with VSOP and then spent the run up to midnight over the toilet! Rather than at the Garage event we had tickets to in East London. Even last year 5 months pregnant we somehow made it to Shoreditch.
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New Years Eve planning is notoriously hard, its that feeling of necessity that you should be out celebrating, coupled with the logistics aggro that comes with actually going out on NYE. So this year deciding what to do with a baby was always going to be a toughie. Our decision was made when we saw that The Doctors Orders were putting on a New Years Eve event. ‘Fun DMC-A New Years Eve Party where Midday is the new midnight’ even had a countdown to 12pm!! We were sold!! Having been to The Doctors Orders events before we knew the tunes were going to be right up our street. Fun DMC have been putting on daytime block parties, for the whole family since 2014 and the tunes played range from Hip Hop, Funk & Disco, definitely a bit of us.
Pete, and I have quite an eclectic taste in music. We met at a DnB rave, fell in love over our obsession with Eminem, and spent subsequent years chasing Arctic Monkeys around the world. We want to pass our AMAZING (well we think so) taste in music on to Emerson. As a family we’ve raved to hardcore and DnB at BFLF, and listened to a bit of rock and Indie at Meraki Festival. Up until now Emerson has only got down to hip hop in the back of the car. Now its time for Emerson to gain hip hop stripes, hopefully he will be able to breakdance better than his dad. What better place for him to do it than at a block party on New Years Eve.
Emersons wardrobe is insane, he has more clothes than us put together, Im obsessed with buying the little guy fresh garms. We’re also very unorganised, so when it comes to putting his clothes away, the changing table makes a good closet. Meaning a lot of clothes get lost. When we purchased Fun DMC tickets, it was a good time to find that Run DMC TShirt that had been buried. This wasn’t necessary though, as there is a Merchandise stall, where you can buy ‘Fun DMC’ shirts. Theres even matching Tee’s for Mum and Dad (we’re all about that Twinning life). Our favourite Tee was Notorious KID, with that baby with the fro off of Biggies Ready to Die album. Unfortunately its not available in Emerson’s size, soon though soon. In addition to Tshirts, there were giant Gold Chains that Flava Flav would be envious of, and ghetto colouring books.