No curve was too sharp for them and their bicycle. No puddle was deep enough to stop them. -- Friends by Helme Hein

29 October, 2011

The Lakes

At any given time of the week, you can usually find a steady parade of prams and lycra-clad joggers going around the lakes in central Copenhagen. 

 The five lakes are just a block from our house and part of our weekly walking.

 We aren't alone.  Especially on a sunny day, Copenhageners come out to sun themselves just like lizards on a rock.

Cafes and restaurants line the lakes, beckoning tired moms pushing sleeping babies in prams to stop in and warm up with a hot drink. 
 The lakes aren't really more than shallow ponds filled with goose poop, algae, and stray trash, but strangely, they are a beautiful attraction within the hustle and bustle of the city.  

Geese, swans and ducks thrive here.  The rare heron also makes an appearance.

 At sunset, the light settles on the windows of the surrounding apartments buildings, then fades to the glistening lakes. It's a beautiful sight.


19 October, 2011

Airwalker

And one more that never fails to amaze. 

Starting Early

We have a hard time keeping him away from the bikes these days.  I can picture this as part of his video montage after he claims his Olympic gold medal for cycling. 


Bikelover from Jesse Foss on Vimeo.

16 October, 2011

The Strange Country

Really interesting video about Japan. 

Japan is currently offering 10,000 free tickets to visit and share your experiences.  I'm thinking I'll have to do something about that.  Baby's return to his birthplace?  Does that tug at the heartstrings of those handing out tickets?

08 October, 2011

World Cycling Championships

Copenhagen played host to the World Cycling Championships at the end of September.  The city center closed down to traffic as residents, school kids and guests cheered on their countrymen rounding the city streets.  The time trials went right by our house, so Woody and I snuck out to capture a few shots.

This awesome shot was a total fluke.  I took James's camera with me and I know nothing about the features and settings of anything other than a point-and-shoot, but somehow managed to get one sweet shot.  That's Denmark's rider in the Under-23 time trials.
 Most of my shots turned out like this.  These guys were fast--but my photog skills are poor.
These school kids were let out of class to cheer on Denmark.  They also took to chanting "USA! USA!" when the red, white and blue sped past.

 The top riders were followed by motorcycles and cameramen.  Each rider had his/her coach riding behind in a team Skoda, many yelling things like "Alle! Alle!" or "looking good, looking relaxed," or something along those lines in many different languages.

 Swedish rider

 Woody was inspired to train for the 2031 World Cycling Championships (he'll be 20 then). 
On a separate note, I bought this cozy stroller sleeping bag thing to use this winter when we we are out and about.  I never thought I'd be using it daily in August and September.

  Except for car traffic, commuters were mostly able to go about their way on the bike paths. 

07 October, 2011

Making New Friends

Goofball

Rush Hour in Copenhagen

Copenhagen's morning commute:


Bike congestion has become such a problem that the city actually took away a car lane on one of the busiest thoroughfares in order to widen the cycle route!  Three cheers for forward thinking!

Christianshavn and Christiania

Photos from a bike ride to Christianshavn, an island within Copenhagen, home to quaint canal-side brick homes, beautiful parks and free-town Christiania, a sort of autonomous commune that operates free from the Danish authorities.  




The irony of Christiania is that squatters took over a former military site so they could create a peace-loving, yoga-doing, meditating, art-going free-town.  They set their own rules in the city, among them: no stealing, no violence, no hard drugs, no gang colors, and no bulletproof vests. Oh yeah, and no photos taken inside.

A small hippy cafe in Christiania that felt like it could be anywhere in Oregon.

National Opera House