A City of Magic

Some cities are more than a place on a map. Copenhagen, my kære København,is definitely one of those. I could go on for hours about how the city is celebrated as a modern world capital, a pioneer in the fields of design, sustainability and gender equality. But to me, this city is a place for life, magic and fairytales.

Here, it’s easy to celebrate a way of life where people strut about in all black everything with just a slight hint of colour in their scarves and boots, chic designer wear that you could never fault for being too blitzy, adding JUST the right amount of glitter to make something stand out. It’s amazing to see small things like jumping on top of a chair into the new year, biking into the sunset, and enjoying cold beers when it’s freezing outside.

Experiences that can wow you range from skinny dipping in near freezing conditions, to planning events WAY in advance, and even knowing which days next month you will be hungover. It’s the everyday moments like sunflowers in the summer, fairy lights and mulled wine in winter — showing the world that the darkest days can be the best time of your life. Being you. Allowing other people to be them. Copenhagen does that, and does it well.

If you walk around Copenhagen, making your way on cobble stoned pavements and passing moody murals, you will hear the faint sound of church bells tolling in the distance. You will pass cozy cafe windows, glowing by candlelight, casting shadows of the sweater-clad impossibly blond and beautiful people inside. Sometimes, the door will swing open and you will catch a whiff of cinnamon and coffee, a silent invitation.

When you take the metro, you are likely to notice people sitting alone together, some looking at the windows vacantly. You will also find a fair amount lost in a book, their reading soujourns broken by small intervals where they smile kindly at strangers and politely make way for others to shuffle in and out.

As you make your way past the commuters, take a moment to look around you. At the the brilliant clear sky that I think has a fair amount of magic added to it, at the thoughtfully planted seasonal flowers around public gardens. Notice the artistic facades, the marble domes peeking into the sky, the piers with ice cream, swans gliding by. Pay attention to the ramps on most roads and elevations for people with children. Keep an eye out for urban work out spaces, creative and smart all at once.

And if it’s a sunny day that you’ve chosen for this walkabout, sit up and observe the gleaming lakes with swans preening on the side, their wings reflecting light.

Take some time to go to the harbour, sit on a wooden pier to enjoy pizza and a beer. Watch sailboats playing a soft symphony with the wind.

Copenhagen is more than a place on a map. It’s a place where you will always be serenaded by water and celebrated by sky. It’s a place I’m fortunate to call my home and a city that I will always believe to be infused with magic.