On My Way To Work: Copenhagen, Denmark

Photos: author

Never a sunrise person, we tend to have a flattering severe time generally upon a weekends when my warning goes off during 7am. Malcolm, my cat, who final breakfast early, is thrilled, though as we pull upon a unwashed pair of jeans as well as sneakers with holes nearby a toes undiluted for upon foot dogs downtown, we can barely cruise my own sustenance.

I grab a muffin, a handful of vitamins, as well as a bottle of water to hang in my small follower bag as well as pat myself down several times to be certain Ive brought a necessities: klippekort steer pass, Dankort credit/debit card, keys.

Driving in Denmark requires a Danish license not to mention a automobile which is customarily triple a cost it would be in a U.S., plus green taxes which quadruple a sum values so theres a reason many commuters ride a Metro, S-tog, as well as regional trains.

I live a 4 minute travel from a nearest S-tog station, or about a single minute upon my bike. If Im feeling clever or know Ill wish to save time by biking in locale after on, we take my wheels. we unhook them from a bike shelve during a behind of my residence even in a safest suburb, my partner has had his bike stolen from in front of out building, a thick chain cut as well as left as evidence so we regularly park during a behind of a flat now.

Ordrup station, upon a C line of a S-tog, is almost regularly quiet. As we bike down Schioldannsvej to catch a train, Im hit in a face with a smell of lilacs as we pass vast houses surrounded by woven twig fences as well as enormous shrubs. Two dogs live upon a left side, a single black retriever as well as a single scruffy white mutt. When Im walking, we mostly stop to house pet them both.

In a summertime, we diligently watch a sidewalks as well as streets for snails as well as torpedo slugs, an invasive class which take over a! ll upon foot paths as well as yards for a couple of months each summer; though we hate them, we cant bear to kill them.

I wait during a single finish of a height since a cargo cars are typically trustworthy during a front as well as back. When a C steer firm for possibly Ballerup or Frederikssund arrives we have about a minute to scramble to find a cargo steer automobile as well as pull my bikes behind circle between a tire shelve holders. Early in a morning, Im mostly alone as well as lay right next to my bike as we listen to my iPod.

Riding inbound in a mornings as well as sitting alone in a steer is maybe a single of my favorite experiences as a unique introvert expat, because in public, Danes frequency promulgate unless absolutely necessary. While Ive had my share of bizarre movement encounters a woman asking me to stop drumming my foot as well as seeking insulted when we told her to pierce to a still car, of which each steer has during slightest a single a grin tends to go a long way, as does moving out of a approach of a notoriously vast baby buggies as well as passing a couple of coins to a men selling a without a country newspaper.

Mange tak, they regularly say. Many thanks. Det var s lidt, we reply as well as grin even wider. Literally, we am saying, It was only a little thing, or, no problem. The occasional sunrise drunk wanders by with a hulk Carlsberg can twice a distance of his hand, though he keeps to himself as he slumps into a single of a plush blue dais seats. Ive learned to turn aside my eyes, no longer bewildered to see anyone inebriated so early in a day.

We pass by a little pleasing suburbs upon a approach in: a embassy houses bearing shining flags as well as rich expat homes with impeccably manicured lawns during a behind of mill walls in Hellerup incite a mixture of distempered envy as well as wistfulness. On summer Sundays, a busy Charlottenlund flea market is a initial steer upon a trip, filled with bins of childrens plastic toys gleaming in a sunlight, dresse! s upon h angers trustworthy to a chain-link fences blowing in a wind; coming behind even a couple of hours later, a previously busy gravel parking lot is spookily deserted.

Further in, we marvel during a elaborate bubble letters as well as scrawling wall scrawl tags in a Svanemllen steer yards as well as upon a sides of sterport station. When we go underground, we know its time to mount up, shake up my bike lax of its rack, as well as pierce aggressively towards a door, which will soon be packaged full of people trying to get in as well as our, as quickly as possible, no make a difference a tangible crowd or time of day. Exiting a steer can be a sum headache with people pushing for no reason, as well as Im generally blissful my bike keeps during slightest a couple of people out of my way.

My destination, Nrreport station, is a joining of all 3 steer types. When we dont have a strength to lift my bike up dual flights of stairs, we steer it down to a far finish of a height as well as take a conveyor to a belligerent level. we battle with other cyclists as well as mothers for space in a tiny conveyor which invariably reeks of spilled drink dual bikes, a single pram, if were lucky to fist it all in during once as well as once we strech belligerent level, we travel my bike opposite a cobblestones, past a unfeeling as well as flowering plant vendors as well as a mobile polser hotdog cart.

Disobeying a couple of rules, we jump onto my bike in a middle of a crosswalk as well as take off around a exhausted pedestrians, only regulating my hulk childs bike horn to scare off people who step into a bike lane without cause or warning. The other cyclists out so early demeanour so put together, a women scarcely pleasing with hair upon tip of their heads as well as big relaxed layers of dark colors over neat tights as well as leggings, though we power upon my jeans as well as flannel.

From my still suburb of Ordrup to a already busy streets of Nrrebro, it takes only 18 minutes to encounter my dog upon! foot cl ients if Ive brought my bike. And even if it will take me a delayed 40 minutes to ride my dual wheels all a approach home again, if a variable northern weather cooperates, we only competence take value of a sunshine.