Flight To Denmark-DIARY

I would like to write about Danish daily life from the resident point of view.

No.51 - No.60　　　(May 2005 - Jul 2005)　Now translating...
No.41 - No.50　　　(Mar 2005 - May 2005)　Now translating...
No.31 - No.40　　　(Dec 2004 - Mar 2005)　Now translating...
No.21 - No.30　　　(Oct 2004 - Dec 2004)
No.11 - No.20　　　(Sep 2004 - Oct 2004)
No.01 - No.10　　　(Aug 2004 - Sep 2004)

No.10 Sep 4, 2004 "Bellvue Beach"

It continues warm and good weather for the last two days. It's difficult to imagine September in Denmark. My wife and I wanted to while away, so we went to Bellvue Beach. It is a resort which Arne Jacobsen designed the whole city plan. It is located near from Copenhagen and is the attractive area for those who love Jacobsen.
(Click on this for further details: ARCHITECTURE)


Soholm, apartments built of bricks. Jacobsen lived the room which was the closest to the sea, and he spent much time seeing the sea and the beautiful garden.	Bellavista. The white of the building makes a beautiful contrast with the blue of the sea. I was so impressed the thing which this modern building was born about seventy years ago.	Bellvue Theater. This was also designed by Jacobsen. The next building is "Restaurant Jacobsen". These three buildings are located within five minutes from the nearest station Klampenborg. They are lined up straightly and the opposite side over the road is the sea.

No.9 Sep 1, 2004 "PP Mobler"

When I got up in this morning, it was raining. Though I felt depressed a little, it isn’t unusual in Denmark. An annual rainfall is not so much and the weather is very changeable, for example it rains for thirty minutes continuously, and then soon becomes blue sky suddenly. I wished today’s weather also did so, my wife and I left for Frederiksborg Castle. This building with Renaissance style is by the small lake. The interior is luxurious certainly, but it is cute at the same time as well as other Danish castles. Though I don’t know well about an art well, we could enjoy seeing it.
And then we visited PP Mobler furniture factory of my dreams in the afternoon. I enjoyed the field where masterpieces would be born.
(Click on this for further details: FURNITURE)


Frederiksborg Castle. You can see it over flowers and the lake.	A panorama of PP Mobler factory. It is located in a quiet residential area. You may overlook it unconsciously because it has no signs.	The situation of inside of the factory. This is the place of polishing. Here is a small factory which has only twenty employees. Danish masterpieces will be shipped from here to all over the world.

No.8 Aug 28, 2004 "In Copenhagen"

My wife and I went to Copenhagen again. We visited "Black Diamond", "The Danish Museum Of Decorative Art", "SAS Royal Hotel", "National Bank" and some design shops etc energetically. Since each place has its own many highlights, I can’t introduce all of them only in this diary. I will show them one by one on their feature pages later on.


Danish Royal Library new building, alias "Black Diamond". This building is alien among many old buildings in Copenhagen. But it is located near a canal, so I can’t feel somewhat. This is an excellent architecture not only outside but also inside. (Click on this for further details:ARCHITECTURE)
The interior of "Bang&Olufsen" shop. This is one of the largest shops in Northern European countries and collaborates with "Fritz Hansen". (Click on this for further details: DESIGN SPOT)	The cafe in The Danish Museum Of Decorative Art. Wegner’s masterpiece PP701 chair is used there generously. You can spend a quiet time there as well as outside. (Click on this for further details: DESIGN SPOT)

No.7 Aug 23, 2004 "Meet Elsinore"

I take "Meet Elsinore" class in my school. Elsinore is an English name of Helsingor where I live. In this class, we visit many people living in Helsingor to listen to their talking and to interview them etc. Today is the first class. We visited "Vestervang Church" which it takes about fifteen minutes’ walk from my school IPC. This church is small but very beautiful.


It’s the first time to see these chairs. A wood part of this chair is soap finished, and seat is covered by excellent fabric. This chair is very comfortable.	This is a photo from low angle. I think that you can see the height of the ceiling. I was impressed the light’s diffused reflection.	The outside. This church is a wooden architecture with a triangle roof in the woods.

No.6 Aug 22, 2004 "Introduction Helsingor where I live"

I didn’t have any plans today. My wife and I walked around in Helsingor town. Helsingor has a population of 60,000 and is a port town 44km north from Copenhagen and 5km from Sweden. Besides one of UNESCO World Heritage, "Kronborg Castle" is here.


Many people are enjoying lunch outside, as if they cherish short summer days. Today is Sunday, so most shops and restaurants are closed. Though this is a small town, but I’m fond of it.	The panorama of Kronborg Castle. There is the sea on the right side, and the town on the left side. This castle is also famous for the stage of "Hamlet", just then the stage which is arranged "Hamlet" for modern drama is held.	The land over the sea is Sweden. There are some people enjoying fishing. This place is very close to Kronborg Castle.

No.5 Aug 21, 2004 "Excursion"

I spent hard times until yesterday. Because of my poor English, I couldn’t understand some teachers’ explanations and other students’ conversation. But teachers and other students are friendly. If my English improved, I could enjoy this life more and more… Today we have an excursion. My feeling is like a kid’s excursion. Today’s course is a fisher town in the north of Sjaelland, Tegners Museum and Louisiana Museum.


Fisher town. Today is Saturday; so many people come here to look for fresh seafood.	Tegners Museum in the grass land of vast extent. You can see many sculptures not only inside the museum but outside.	Louisiana Museum. This is Jorn Utzon’s exhibition; he is a Danish architect famous for Sydney Opera House. Since I didn’t have enough time to watch it, I will visit again while it is open.

No.4 Aug 15, 2004 "IPC-International People’s College"

Finally, my wife and I arrived at IPC where we start our student life again for the first time in nine years. Our new life will start with many students from various countries. IPC’s campus looks like a park. It’s difficult to see in Japan this kind of campus which one-story buildings are built. It takes about fifteen minutes from here to the nearest station. And then twenty minutes from there to Sweden by ferry. The environment is all right to me. It depends on me whether I enjoy this life or not.ROAD TO DENMARK


IPC’s campus.	From another angle.	This campus is full of flowers.

No.3 Aug 14, 2004 "Castle, Forest and Lake"

My wife and I left Copenhagen and moved to a small town Fredensborg which is north from Copenhagen today. There are Fredensborg Castle which is used summer house of the Royal Family and the second largest lake and a forest. They showed me another aspect different from the capital. There is a Danish landscape which most Japanese people imagine. We are going to move to Helsingor and start new student life from tomorrow. We enjoy a transient rest here.


This is the second largest lake, named Esrum, in Denmark. The peaceful scenery spread out before us.	This is a forest which many kinds of trees grow. Here is a suitable jogging course and concourse for local people.	This is a symmetry and handsome castle, Fredensborg Castle.

No.2 Aug 13, 2004 "In Copenhagen"

My wife and I stayed at the youth hostel in Copenhagen from yesterday. This youth hostel is in Amager area which is about 5km from the central of Copenhagen. I felt a bit inconvenient, because my room is small, shower and toilet is outside of the room, but I was happy that I could glance at the good interior everywhere even this kind of accommodation. By the way, Bella Center is near from there. Many exhibitions, for example "Scandinavian Furniture Fair", are held there. I want to introduce Copenhagen with some pictures which I saw for these two days.


This is one of some lounges in this youth hostel. I was impressed blue walls and lamps made of a kind of Japanese paper.	These are a kind of apartments and located about ten minutes’ walk from the central Copenhagen. They build unity of landscape. Each family enjoys decorating their windows.	This is Nyhavn. Most buildings are restaurants. People enjoy drinking Carlsberg there from the afternoon. By the way, Danish beer is much cheaper than other Northern European countries.

No.1 Aug 12, 2004 "Midnight Flight"

At one o’clock midnight. Here was Changi Airport in Singapore. SQ352 took off for Copenhagen. After 12 hours flight, my wife and I are arriving in Denmark which I have been longing for a long time. If I go to there by a direct flight, I can arrive for about eleven and a half hours, but we chose Singapore Airlines because of our budget. That’s why it takes twenty hours including transit time from Japan to Denmark, but we will enjoy the flight time with Singapore Airline’s hospitality.
In the early morning, we arrived at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport. Compared with Changi, I felt Kastrup is fewer colors and more modern than Changi. And you can see PK22 chair designed by Poul Kjaeholm. I was sorry that I couldn’t take pictures because my battery of digital camera was dead then. From now on, I will go there again to take pictures. Look forward to it!


Changi Airport. You can see a famous Danish chair, the Ant chair. I was already met in Changi by Danish products.	Changi Airport is full of colors. You can enjoy free internet, free movies, and free massage etc. I was sorry I could enjoy free internet only because I don’t have enough time to enjoy them.	Surprisingly there is a garden and many carps are swimming in a small pond inside the airport.