Christmas is less than two months away and the start of Advent a lot closer. If this is your first Christmas in Denmark or you want to know a bit more about how to celebrate in a more Danish way then my seventeen page ebook is what you need. It also includes handy tips to find ‘food from home’.
New Year’s Eve can also be somewhat of an eyeopener if it is your first time!
To get hold of this free guide click here!
If you are a long time reader of this blog you will know that I have posted before about my fantastic hairdresser, Sharon Hatting. Over the years Sharon has become a good friend of mine as well as my talented hairdresser. The balayage colour she does for me never ceases to make me very happy and feel like a superstar (see my last one below). I have another in the diary to brighten me up just before Christmas.
Since the 1st of November Sharon has become one of the two hairdressers in a new salon called Kesh, just on the edge of Frederiksberg and Nørrebro at Ahlmannsgade 1 kld. The location is easy to get to on the 8A bus and from next summer it will be a few steps from the new metro stations at Nuuks Plads on the new Ring Line.
The salon is brand new and has been started and is owned by a lady called Frederikke Darkner. Kesh is quite a unique concept developed by Frederikke. She has a strong background in hairdressing with experience from around the world including working on Broadway in New York City.
As one a small number of certified green hair salons in Copenhagen, Kesh use only products from John Masters Organics and Ingredien. They are safe for both people and the environment. As a bit of an environmentalists this is a big plus point for me as well as the fact that I have eczema on my scalp and often find that I have a flair up after using certain products.
It is also a place for you to relax, located in a cosy basement and they want you to take the time to switch off and concentrate on yourself when you are there. If you wish you can place your phone in a charger in the back and forget about the world for the time you are being pampered. They also guarantee that you will be the sole focus of your hairdresser during that time as they only have one client each at a time even if you are having a colour.
In a time when we are constantly bombarded with things from our smart phones and the world around us, what they are doing at Kesh is a real refreshing change.
When I popped in last week to visit Sharon and Frederikke in the new salon and to chat about my new colour, I was delighted by the little touches around the place. Instead of the bog standard hairdressing gown you are usually put into, at Kesh you get to feel very special when they offer you one of the jewel coloured gowns made from repurposed sari materials (and the cushions in the relaxation area are also made from this fabric).
Frederikke also offers free relaxation classes with a technique called heartfulness and you can read more about that on their website.
I see whenever people review Sharon on her Facebook page the overriding sentiment is that not only does she give you a great haircut but that she really listens to what you want but also advises you if there is a better way to get the results. Sharon is able to speak in both English and Danish so language is no barrier, wherever you come from.
You can read more about the salon and make your appointment with either Sharon or Frederikke here. They are offering 20% off a haircut for the whole of November.
I have teamed up with Welcome Group Consulting to offer readers of Dejlige Days a 10% discount for their new Spouse Connect courses launching on 19 November with morning and afternoon classes available. (use the code DejligeD10 at the checkout).
There are three courses:
Career Coaching Course (details here)
Danish Language and Culture (details here)
Spouse Connect Danish Language and Culture (details here)
All start on 19 November.
Here is what they say about these valuable courses.
There are as many spouses in Copenhagen as there are nice places to meet and have wonderful experiences. If you want to strengthen your Danish language and your understanding of Danish culture, or if you are into coffee meet ups, exhibitions, celebrations, or play dates with the kids, then the answer is Spouse Connect.
Social life, career and language
Studieskolen are ready to bring you together with like-minded people through interesting Spouse Events, we provide you with Career Coaching, and we also offer you Danish Language & Culture.The purpose of Spouse Connect is simply to provide you with a fun, versatile, socially and hopefully long-term stay in Denmark.
You can also read more about the course in the CPH Post here
A few weeks ago I went to the opening of Owl Books, a new English language book shop close to Ny Ellebjerg station in Valby. The shop is beautiful and light so the books look like jewels on the shelves.
Owl Books sell, in the main, children’s books but there are a few adult books on the shelves. I loved the selection as there were a number of books I’d never seen before and it was even better as I rarely get the chance to browse. Their prices are also reasonable even compared to online booksellers.
They also offer a mail order service and they are planning to launch some events and readings in the shop as time goes on. At the launch event there was a kids’ craft activity run by Three Little Stars Handmade (see their Facebook page here).
You can read all about them on their website and see more on Instagram.
Address: Poppelstykket 38, 2450 København SV
In case you missed a previous post about the adult crafting group, Craftenhagen, that I run, I thought I’d post an updated one
. I took the organising of the monthly crafting meet up from Valentina Fussell, who hosted it in her home, after she and her family returned to the US a couple of years ago. I love the group as it means that we can try different crafts without having to make the commitment to buying a lot of materials if the craft isn’t for you. It really doesn’t matter if you have done the craft before or even if you are particularly good at it, it’s just fun to try something new and spend an evening chatting with people whilst being creative.
We meet monthly in a community room in Nordhavn and examples of crafts we have tried over the last twelve months include Lino printing, shaker cards , fancy pom poms, decoupage Easter eggs and sugar paste flowers to name just a few.
The group is not run for profit and the price covers all the materials (sometimes equipment you get to take home so you can do more) and some light snacks and non alcoholic drinks.
We have a Facebook page where you can join the next event and there are two more dates booked to take us up to the end of the year. We have two Christmas based projects for the next two meeting.
Often the craft is suggested and then demonstrated by one of the members and sometimes we have an expert crafter come in and show us their passion.
We’d love to see some more people come along so if it sounds interesting pop over to the Facebook page to find out more. One thing I ask is please only sign up (and leave yourself signed up if your plans change) if you seriously intend on coming along.
The next two events are November 15th (details here) when we’ll be making decoration such as the ones above and then another Christmas related project on December 13th
When I saw the pictures of the food in Mahalle, a Lebanese cafe in Copenhagen, it was straight onto my to go list. I had wanted to try the signature dish out for a while and I when I found myself close to the Mahalle in the city on Nansensgade, I thought I should give it ago (they also have the original location still in Nørrebro).
I arrived just after midday and whilst I was tempted by one of their mezze plate I decided to go for the halloumi salad (which isn’t really a salad as you will see) and also the citrus salad. The prices of the two dishes on the menu suggested they were not enormous helpings but as it turned out I ended up with a lot of food!
Whilst I was waiting for my food I admired all the gorgeous little touches all around the small basement cafe. 
Then my food arrived and I involuntarily said ‘wow!’ The ‘salad’ was a warm flatbread with a generous spread of delicious hummus, each segment topped with fried salty halloumi, a slice of avocado and a generous topping of pomegranate seeds, sumac, sesame and fresh mint. The citrus salad was a mix of orange, grapefruit and lime again topped with pomegranate seeds and mint with nuts and something wonderfully sweet.
As you can see I couldn’t manage it all but it was truly amazing! I wished I’d tried the lemonade with mint or one of the specialist teas. Definitely next time!
Whenever I go to a modern art exhibition I am aware of how little I understand it all yet I still enjoy exploring the works. As we have a year pass for the Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) I went along to see the exhibition by Danh Vo called Take My Breath Away, which is run in collaboration with the Guggenheim in New York. I found the exhibition a mixed experience for me – some of it I found baffling (even with the explanation in the guide) and some I liked.
This chandelier was probably the stand out piece for me (and as the SMK used it in the promotional materials it is obviously something that appeals to the most people). It was a chandelier which was in a photograph documenting the signing of the Paris Peace Accord which ended the Vietnam War. You can read more about this piece here.
I particularly liked the paper lampshade display in the Sculpture Street in the centre of the museum. You can read more about the entire exhibition here and it runs until the 2 December.
I do love the SMK’s building and regardless of the current exhibition, it is a relaxing and peaceful place to have a wander around. It is interesting to head up to the suspended walkways and see the museum from a different angle. The Kafeteria (another part of the museum that Dahn Vo had worked on) offers superb food and drink (you can see one of our visits here).
I thought I’d go into some more details about the places featured in this video. So in order of appearance, here we go.
We start in Værnedamsvej, which is also know as Little France. This street is full of many French inspired shops and cafes as well as some really interesting boutique. In the video and here I share my favourites but I would urge you to explore yourself to find your favourites.
This is a really gorgeous little cafe on Værnedamsvej. It does get busy and it isn’t possible to reserve a table but it is definitely worth it. The decor Granola is inspired by the 1950s and also has a little bit of a French vibe, especially on the menu. The brunch menu is delicious as are the milkshakes.
I have been a fan of this shop for a long time. I love the combination of new interior pieces and the vintage items they have. Everything has been selected and curated with an enormous amount of care and taste. Every time I go in here I want to buy everything! Such a wonderful place to buy something unusual for your home.
This little florist located under one of my favourite murals in the city is an oasis of beautiful flowers and plants. I love how they really capture every season with the flowers they have. This is a real Instagram pretty spot.
Whilst Danish fashion is often very monochrome this little clothing boutique breaks to norm on this. They clothes are bright and funky but not just for young people. I bought a jumper from here a few years ago and I wore it constantly. It was a bit more expensive than I usually spend on a top but the cost to wear ratio was extremely high!
This tiny coffee shop has only five seats and upstairs in the city’s smallest hotel with just one room, the perfect place for a romantic getaway. Unique and usual, a great place to stop off for a coffee.
Next we move onto Gammel Kongevej or the Old Kings Road. Hundreds of years ago this was the carriage route to the King’s country residence but now is a thriving street full of businesses. There are a lot of new and fashionable places opening up. In some cases they have replaced older established places which have sadly closed down due to aging owners or lack of interest in the kind of business , which I think is a shame new places are unlikely to have the same kind of longevity.
This is a charity shop which is looking at tackling how secondhand clothes are sold. Run by the Salvation Army, they sell high end secondhand clothes at realistic prices. So you can get your hands on a Ganni dress for 350dkk rather than the original price of three times that. Bargain for the customer but also a win for the charity. The thing I like best about this place is the repurposing of old clothes. Sometimes they have donations which have wear and tear which means they can’t really be sold as they are so the volunteers and staff here take the good parts of the fabric and create amazing bags and other items from them.
This brown pub (one in which you can smoke) has been here since 1916 and the owner tells me he’s not planning on going anywhere soon, despite various offers to buy the place. It attracts a very mixed bag of local residents and is something of a treasure in the street. If you don’t want to sit inside they have a small outside seating area where you can enjoy a slow beer (something this place is famous for).
Alhambravej Antikvariat
This is a tiny secondhand book store just off Gammel Kongevej. It is really eccentric and a little spot of nostalgia.
Prik
This Aladdin’s cave of toys is just such a delight. It reminds me of a shop in London’s Chelsea that my Nan would take me to in the early 1980’s called Tiger Tiger. This place sells the kinds of toys that adults remember and that children of today still get joy from. There are dressing up clothes, toy kitchen paraphernalia, handmade dolls clothes and tons of sparkly things. I love that they have lots of little pocket money bits and bobs.
This is another old establishment in the area, having been here since 1902. They have very old advertising painting on the outside covered with perspective to protect them from the elements. The restaurant offers traditional Danish meals and a lovely places to experience this kind of food and drink.
This is one of the ubiquitous sushi chains but my favourite location. I live just around the corner when we first moved here and I have many memories of this place from sitting here in those early days watching Danish life go passed, to introducing my son to sushi aged 7 months, his fifth birthday celebration here to the less fun experience of him starting to have an adverse reaction to his MMR vaccination whilst we were collecting a takeaway.
This was the original location, which opened in 2011 of this lovely ceramic painting cafe. Unleash your creativity here and collect the finished item a week later. Also now in Østerbro and coming to Århus soon.
Another place with a soft spot in my heart. This unique coffee shop opened in 2013 and has quickly become a jewel in Gammel Kongevej’s crown. The coffee and food here is wonderful but it is the atmosphere that makes it special. The decor is inspired by the parlour of the matriarch, Maude, from the popular Danish TV show Matador. It is unapologetically feminine but so cosy.
Finally we head to some of my favourite green spaces. First the small park by the Rådhus named after the founder of Tivoli, Georg Carstensen. This place was where my son learned to ride his bike, laid in the sun when he had chicken pox and needed some fresh air away from the general population, built snowmen and enjoyed the late spring blossom whilst listening to the bells from the tower at the Rådhus, which marked his bedtime at 8pm.
Then onto Frederiksberg Have and the secret garden of Haveselskabets Have.
You can find all the places here on this map.
I hope you enjoyed the video and this little personal run down.
I made a fun video about what we bought in ICA in Sweden. Enjoy me mispronounce some more Swedish!
