Copenhagen: Pigeons and northern light

28 May 2009

I arrived in Copenhagen last night at midnight for a brief, two-day stay. I'm serving here on an external advisory committee for a new research center "CISBO."

Although Europe seems small compared to the US, the trip still took serious time. The flight from Sevilla to Barcelona was 90 minutes. Then I had a few hour scheduled layover before a 2.5 h flight to Copenhagen. We were delayed departing Barcelona for an hour and the ride over the Alps was turbulent. Still, it was nice to arrive here and not have to deal with jet lag.

I'm staying at a nice harbor-side hotel, the Copenhagen Strand. I have a tiny room on the 5th floor with a little balcony. This morning, I was surprised to find a nesting pigeon with two small chicks on the balcony just outside my window! I even got to see the mom feed the babies, but she wouldn't do so for the camera.

Copenhagen is much more modern than Sevilla and feels less friendly (although not "unfriendly") on the street. People are bundled up more against the cooler temperatures and strong winds. The walkers' paces are much faster and there are more people walking alone. The streets are bigger and the traffic is faster. Even the bicyclists seem in a serious hurry compared with the more leisurely feel of Sevilla. Stereotypes often are based on kernels of truth!

After an intense day of presentations and discussion, we were treated to an excellent dinner at Le Sommelier. As we walked from the hotel to the restaurant, we were also treated to the magic of the late-afternoon light of Denmark.