Shedding winter

January and February were colder and snowier than usual in Copenhagen. It felt like proper winter — or at least more wintery than England or Vancouver.

Laura holds out a mitten-ed hand to be tucked into her parka cuff

Heavy duty winter wear was pulled out of storage. Tractors were fitted with ploughs. Bike lanes were cleared and salted, often far earlier than sidewalks (if pedestrian pathways were cleared at all). Cross country skiers relished not having to travel to Sweden. Children went sledding down Denmark’s negligible hills. Neighbour kids built a make-shift ramp on the driveway to the building’s underground parking. And the snow from the above ground parking lot was piled into a dirty mound taller than my head.

Although the temperatures still aren’t breaking into double digits, the snow and ice are melting. Tiny snow drops and anemone are popping up. Chunky knits and bulky mitts have been packed away. Kayakers far hardier than we are have returned to paddling. Spring is creeping in.

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The Great Round Pancake Taste Test

Pre-made æbleskiver (round Danish pancakes served at Christmas) in a baking dish

If you’ve been in Denmark around Christmas, you’ve almost certainly eaten æbleskiver. These pancake-like globes are ubiquitous at Christmas markets and frequently paired with gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine).

Using a buttermilk batter, they’re cooked in spherical pans and flavoured with cardamom and lemon zest. For those of us without the necessary cooking equipment or desire for home-baking, they’re also widely available in supermarket freezers. Inspired by Epicurious’ Taste Panel series, I decided to taste-test (and rank) as many premade æbeskiver as I could get my hands on — with surprisingly uninspiring results.

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Misdirected books and social media melodrama

I could not have predicted the tempest in a teapot arising from an article I wrote about a local bookshop accidentally receiving a shipment meant for Kenya. Last Week in Denmark’s social media team posted it on Facebook (link to the post below) and the comments started rolling in.

Most of them positive, but, of course, it’s the negative ones that stung and stick in my mind. I’ve had adverse interactions before on Facebook that were much ruder (which is a huge reason why I don’t use Facebook much anymore). It’s a relief none of the comments were misogynistic or deeply unpleasant, they were just keyboard warrior fare.

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It’s just like riding a bike

Laura with her first (and only) race bike on Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge

Like most suburban kids, I grew up riding a bike (photo of Little Laura and her big glasses below for proof!). Then periodically cycled to friends’ houses and school and things as a teenager. And promptly forgot all about all things bike-related after moving to Edmonton for university.

When we lived in North Vancouver, Tony and I counted several strong cyclists amongst our close friends. Those friends and a truely awesome bike shop (shout out to Obsession: Bikes) prompted me to get a serious bicycle, complete with clip-in pedals (which proved to be the bane of my cycling existence) and proper kit. (If you look closely the jersey in the photo of me and my Trek on the Lions Gate Bridge says “North Shore Triathlon Club”, which is how we were introduced to the aforementioned strong cyclists we still call friends).

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Starting again (again)

The author (Laura) grinning with a Christianshavn canal and clear blue skies in the background. Showing how delightful it is to be back in Denmark.
Hej fra Christianshavn! Det er dejligt at være tilbage i Danmark! (Hello from Christianshaven! It’s delightful to be back in Denmark!)

Another (much welcome) relocation. Another temporary flat (thankfully quite comfortable). Another monsoon of admin (visas, residency registrations, bank accounts, insurance, it feels like the list never ends).

New streets to learn. New transit options to figure out (so many Metro stops opened in 2024!). New paths to explore (and familiar ones to retread).

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