Day 9: Trolls, Nordic Hotdogs & more Waffles

Our last full day in Denmark

June 24, 2022

It was our final full day in Denmark but started like most of the others over a morning breakfast at the hotel. Discussing what we would do that day, some of us had heard that there would be a 50 Cent concert at Tivoli that night and toyed with the idea of going if we had the time and could get tickets, however, we first had to decide what to do with our morning, seeing how we didn’t have a lesson until around 2 pm that day. We ultimately decided to go on an impromptu bike ride, with our first stop being Søndermarken - a public park near the Copenhagen Zoo and Frederiks Castle - to debrief on our week and reflect on the program so far since we were nearly halfway done already.

Getting to the park, we had to ride up one of the few - if only - hills we had seen in Copenhagen since we had been there, before finding ourselves in a scenic greenspace that had large open areas and even a subterranean art museum, which was situated in a 3 repurposed cisterns (underground tanks for storing water). While we were reflecting on what we had observed around Copenhagen over the past week, some teenagers had begun playing long ball on one of the large lawns, which we found interesting to watch as well.

Troll Hunting

Once we were done around 11 am, one of our professors suggested we go on a “troll hunt” to find some of the various troll sculptures that could be found around the city and the surrounding area. Created by Thomas Dambo, a Danish artist who uses recycled wood to create these fantastic art installations to highlight environmental issues and encourage people to explore nature (the sculptures can even be found worldwide!).

The first troll we found was named Ivan Evigvår, which was located at Stejlepladsen, a camping area (the sculpture has since been removed and is en route to a new location since the area is undergoing redevelopment). Finding the sculpture did prove a bit difficult, as it was hidden in a clearing among trees and brush, and we ended up having to ask some friendly locals to point us in the right direction before we could find the statue. After taking some pictures, and learning more about the art installation from the information attached and the QR code, which made each sculpture unique.

We then were off to find a second sculpture, which was found over on Amager between a playground and a petting zoo. This troll - Sanka Suttetrold - was lounging and eating a ball of pacifiers, interesting enough, there was even a “deposit” container where new pacifiers could be left. Along the way to find Sanka Suttetrold, we passed through a few interesting areas, such as Fiskerihavnen, a former fishing village that was “self-grown” (unplanned and unsanctioned) as well as some areas that had single-family, detached houses, which was rare.

The University of Copenhagen

Our next stop was at The University of Copenhagen’s southern campus, which featured some innovative public areas, that incorporated shaded structures and bicycle parking. Acting as both a gathering place and a parking area, the “underground” portions provide shaded parking and walkways while maintaining an open connection to the rest of the area. Walking more around the area, we also observed the artistic canals that zigzagged next to, and through, the local developments.

Around 1 pm, we were on-route to our next stop, Havneparken, however after taking the Bryggebridge and Cykelslangen we took a quick stop outside Fisketorvet (the Copenhagen Mall) and observed the bicycle traffic as well as the construction that was going on across the street - the Kaktustårnene apartment complex, where the construction team was placing modular balconies. Vaguely reminiscent of the way the Turning Torso curved in Malmö, it was interesting to see the non-linear design coming to life in front of us.

Decks, Docks & Flip Flops

Arriving at Havneparken (The Harbor Park) - an area where people could sunbathe or go in the water - some of the group decided to go in the water. Since we didn’t have too much time at the waterfront before our lecture (only about half an hour), I decided to find a shaded spot to get some more reading done.

Leaving the harborfront at 1:45 pm, we returned to the DIS classroom to have a short lesson with Charlotte, this time on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as well as learn what upcoming changes Copenhagen is trying to implement to best achieve to meet the goals. Since our lesson was short that day, we were done by 3:45 pm and had the remainder of our final full day in Denmark to ourselves. I decided to return back to Sankt Peders Bageri, this time with a few of my peers, to get an afternoon treat and try some of their other baked goods. Instead of taking our desserts with us, however, we decided to sit at the tables outside of the bakery for a bit, observing the city around us.

A Danish Hotdog for the Road

Returning to the hotel for a bit, I wanted to make sure my bags were organized and packed for our departure the following day before going out for the evening. During my time getting ready, a few group members decided to go to Christiania later, and I thought it would be interesting to go there one more time, especially since I had found out there was another troll sculpture located in the community, however first, I wanted to go to Reffen for dinner to get a Danish hot dog.

On my way to Reffen, my trip was slowed down a bit by some boat traffic just past Inderhavnsbroen, since several boats were passing through the drawbridge to enter the city’s central canal. Around 8 pm, I arrived at Reffen and got a veggie Danish hotdog from Nordic Hotdog, and enjoyed my meal by the waterfront. Once I was done, I biked over to Christiania, arriving a bit after 9 pm to find the third troll, Green George.

Situated between some greenspace and a skateboard park, Green George was sitting with welcoming arms and the message “the world is in our hands”. After taking a few pictures, and walking around an area I hadn’t previously explored, I met up with my other peers who had already been there, and we ended up walking around the community and watching the sunset over the water from one of the many bridges.

By then, seeing how it was 10 pm, we decided against going to the concert at Tivoli, since we were enjoying our time walking around and still wanted to get some dessert. To end our time in Copenhagen, we wrapped up our night by heading over to Nyhavn to go to Vaffelbageren one more time to get another waffle with ice cream (this time I got a waffle with cookies and cream ice cream and Nutella).

After soaking in our final free hours in Denmark, surrounded by bustling streets and restaurants, we decided to head back to the hotel a bit earlier since we had to check out and attend a professional panel before departing for Sweden. On our way back, however, we passed by Tivoli, which at that point was releasing people from the 50 Cent concert, and it was packed! While it would have been fun to go to the concert, there definitely would have been a long wait and maybe a not-so-good seat (so we’ll have to wait for another European adventure!).

Follow along to Day 10!