God Jul

You know, in the twenty and a bit since this Christmas song came out, I just realised nothing much has changed. We're still at war, people still starve and there's still a lot of hate and greed around.

Although next year doesn't look like sunshine and lollipops (a term I borrowed from friend back home), from the heart I hope you all have a peaceful, happy and healthy year and enjoy it with everyone you love.

Julefrokost

Julefrokoster have been going on for weeks and there have been a LOT of very happy Danes around town.

And I know I’ve been a very absent blogger lately. I have many excuses but, I suppose none that good.

Last weekend, my work held its Christmas party. Unlike most, for our Julefrokost, the Big Boss flew all 200 of us all down and back on a charter jet to Majorca, that popular not-so-little island off Spain to celebrate the end of the year.

Not, in my opinion, that it’s one to celebrate. But, for 24 hours I forgot about a certain international crisis, crumbling shares and house prices and potential unemployment and simply lapped up about 10 hours of sunshine, temperatures of a comparatively heatwave-ish 15C, seafood and the most magnificent 5 star accommodation in an old castle perched up on top of a hill.

Yep, this was the room

The terrace - and from what I read, I sat in places Onassis, Pss Grace and Claudia Schiffer sat. I could get used to the lifestyle, I can tell you!

I had three baths - I hadn't had one for 6 months, since Stockholm

I guess I couldn’t have asked for much more

Pavement pizzas

Now, I know some of you think it is becoming my 'fetish' but over the the course of the weekend, there are a lot of 'pavement pizzas' to be found around Copenhagen.

This one greeted me and my bike as I was parking it this morning.

I'm just perplexed about what made it purple. Was it the purple Slurpee from the 7/11 or a cocktail concoction? Or beetroot salad and 83 beers?

Fascinating!

And how did they feel yesterday?? :(

NQDII thinks I'm sick, but I can't help it!!

Vale Jørn

Considering we’re so far away from one another, it’s a bit odd to me that two countries with not much history in common actually share two rather prominent bonds. Mary, of course is the latest, and tragic misfortune pushed well aside, will undoubtedly find herself consort with a few pages of world history in her name. But long before her, there was a Danish architect who entered a competition to design an opera house on Sydney’s harbour.

While other would be iconic artists furnished complete specs into the competition Jørn Utzon threw in a few sketches – and won. (I dare say much to the chagrin of lots of snooty architects around the world). Jørn, the man of that moment, and as it turned out, many difficult and contentious moments, died today in his sleep. (I think that’s an excellent way to go – I must note it down for later).

I’m not overly sad for him. He lived a long life, has a nice family and, happily, has something that will, possible terrorist attacks aside, last much longer than most of us. What a legacy he leaves – his Opera House – something his grandchildren and great grandchildren and those that follow them will always be able to sprout with pride.

I’m a bit of an architecture snob. I’m not mad on many modern constructions and the only modern building I’m proud of in Australia is the Opera House. It’s daring. It’s clean lined and it suits its site spectacularly. Sadly, it’s the only one in the great land down under that’s worth mentioning. Some talk about Parliament House in Canberra but it’s interior is really, really dismal and uninspiring. The ceilings are disgraceful. To be frank, I’m not mad on the Opera House’s interior either but it’s better than Parliament House.



But I digress. Jørn Utzon’s relationship with Australia was fraught with controversy and he ended up leaving, rightly or wrongly, rather peeved. You can read the scandal here. I still can’t work out the whole drama but I do want to thank Mr Utzen profoundly for giving us such a remarkable building.

The term, ‘Danish Design’ is these days a bit of a cliché – it’s used so often but there is something special about it. Even today, cycling around, I always look at the Opera House here and the Black Diamond. They have an appealing presence, to me at least. On a clear day with no clouds and a bright blue sky, these modern buildings on the harbour truly shine. My only concern is that Greenland ice shelf melting and they’ll all (and us) be half submerged in seawater.

From the Marble Church, looking to Amalienborg Palace and then the Opera House

If you want to see some very interesting pictures of the design and building process of the Sydney Opera House, look at these

Poor India

I guess everyone is upset about the events in India.

It makes me angry.

Then I read a headline in a newspaper today where these ridiculous fantatics claimed:

'Stop hating us!'

- I couldn't help but think:

'Well, stop killing us!'

I wonder where this is?

You may or may not have notice I have this map widget on the blog. A dot has appeared off the east coast of the US, out in the middle of the the Atlantic, I guess. It's intrigued me because I didn't know there were any islands around there. Anyone know?

Snow casualties

Not a high-brow post (are there ever any?) but taking Hamish for a walk yesterday, I felt a bit sorry for this freezing freezer and electrical companions. I hope they were meant for a hard rubbish collection and not part of a real-estate move with someone, probably me-like, thinking: 'I'm too tired for more. We'll move those inside in the morning.'