Århus 2.0

Danish student cap

I decided to stay in Århus for one more day.  Not getting to bed until late the night before, I slept in until about 10:00, and headed out to find some lunch.  The first thing I noticed was a bunch of young people with what looked all the world like little captain's hats.  Knowing that Danish exams are this week, and noting the age of the wearers, I suspected it was some sort of graduation attire, and indeed it was.  With a bunch of new graduates looking to celebrate, maybe now my attempts at cracking the Danish nightlife will prove more fruitful.  For the time being, however, I headed to the Café Faust, and proceeded to have my first all-Danish dining experience.


The food was Danish, the wait staff and I spoke in Danish, and all-in-all the situation was just very Danish.  I ordered a laks og rejer sandwich (salmon and shrimp sandwich), and a water to go with it.  Let me just make one thing perfectly clear -

THERE IS NO FREE WATER IN A DANISH RESTAURANT.  You will be given a glass with three ice cubes, and a bottle of water (and maybe a lemon slice) for about 20 DKK.  If you really really want water, go ahead and get it.  If any other beverage sounds tasty, however, there's no reason not to order something else.  The ice cube situation is also unconscionable.

Laks og Rejer Sandwich

The sandwich was tasty, and rather filling.  As per Danish custom, it was half-salad, with a tasty bread, smoked salmon, and shrimp with a tasty shrimp sauce.  It was, in terms of flavor, a bit delicate, so I took my time with it and enjoyed the various combinations of flavor.


After lunch, I continued heading west.  Being able to leave my pack in a room and take only what I need has done wonders for my mobility.  I was on my way roughly to Den Gamle By, or The Old Town. 

Den Gamle By

Den Gamle By is a recreation of Danish buildings from various locations and places in the nation's history.  While a guided tour in English was available as I arrived, that didn't seem very immersive to me, so I opted simply to wander around as if I were simply visiting a real town. Different districts of the town were taken from different time-periods, but there were a few common threads.  Most notably, Danish people love their half-timbered buildings.  I'm not sure I saw a single building that wasn't either half-timbered or all-brick.   All-in-all, the place was very relaxing, and an alternate exit led out to a wonderful hillside covered by an arboretum and rock garden.

By this point, the sun had come out for the entire afternoon (a heretofore unexperienced phenomenon!), so I wandered serenely through Århus' cultural district.  A market with fresh strawberries caught my eye, so I stopped in to purchase some supplies for dinner - garlic, onion, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, and strawberries.  Passing by a library, I stopped inside to see if I would be able to find a book without assistance - and I was! :-P

Heading back to the hostel took me back along the canal, and the bright sun and crowds of people mingling compelled me to stay.  I pulled out a book I had just for such an occasion, and began to read and eat strawberries in the warm, late afternoon by the canal.  Occasionally, I would put the book down and people-watch.  As the sun began to set, I headed back to the hostel and made myself dinner, while conversing with a student from Sweden who was making her dinner.  We talked about universities, travel, and cooking - and she let me use a little butter for sautéing my vegetables!

That evening, I went out to the bars to see about social interaction, but alas - 'twas not to be.  Had a tasty varm chocolade, however.