Amalfi Coast--Italy

Bonjourno! 

The next leg of our journey was to the Amalfi Coast.  Amalfi, for those of you that are unfamiliar, is a series of small towns/villages on the west coast of italy, just south of Naples.  Each town is essentially set on a cliff, making for dramatic views and even more dramatic driving.   The first part of the drive across the Italian countryside was tremendously scenic and actually very pleasant---up until we hit Salerno, that is.  Before Salerno, we listened to music, chatted away, checked out the beautiful landscapes and enjoyed ourselves. Once we hit Salerno, all that changed.  The GPS said it was about 12 miles to our destination, which is great when you’re on a regular highway, but the Amalfi Highway is well, a bit more ‘technical’.  The road winds along cliffs and features a series of very tight turns (probably close to 300), up and downhill... So in this situation,12 miles equates to approximately 40 minutes of INTENSE, white knuckle driving. 

For those of you that have driven the ‘Road to Hana’ in Maui, the Amalfi experience is similar, only there are motorcyclists passing like maniacs and full-scale tour busses whipping around corners with a ‘it’s your fault if I hit you, and I ain’t stopping’ mentality.  

Every turn where we made it unscathed became a sigh of relief because you truthfully don’t know what’s coming around the corner until you take it.  Very emotional journey, let me tell ya! A few times, we both had to turn our side mirrors in just to make it past the oncoming traffic.   Jon did all the driving, so he had a reason to be stressed, but I felt like a basket case just being a passenger. I don’t think either one of us really enjoyed the ‘scenic’ drive into Amalfi but, we’re still glad we did it! 

When we got to our destination, the Hotel Aurora, we were exhausted and relieved.  We had found the hotel on Trip Advisor, where it had gotten great reviews and high praises. Once we got to our room, we wondered if we were at the wrong hotel or, if everyone on trip advisor viewed the world through rose-colored glasses. Not sure if it was the cans of Raid in the hallways, view of the cement pier, scent of mildew in the room, or the slate-rock bed, but one night was quite enough for us, so we decided to try our luck in the next town up the road, Positano.   We woke up the next morning, had breakfast, said goodbye to the Hotel Aurora, and headed to our new digs in Positano, the Hotel Pasitea  (great hotel with an awesome terrace/view)!  After some lunch and a little R&R on our patio,  we headed into town to look around and have a snack by the beach, eventually making our way back up the hill for dinner.  The walk up and down the cliff is a REALLY good workout and definitely exhausting - picture the steepest flight of stairs you have climbed and now extend that up the side of a mountain and you will get the idea...You literally earn your meals if you decide to walk ;)

The next day, we took a boat to the Island of Capri.  Boat ride out there was pretty uneventful but, it was nice to be out on the water.   town of Capri was okay--seemed like there was a lot of shopping, which really didn’t interest us much because we’ve had to haul around everything we’ve bought and our suitcases are at maximum capacity (although I could probably justify buying another suitcase if need be). Anyway, the most fun part about our trip to Capri was the boat ride back to Positano!   We met a couple from Vancouver (Denise and Brian) and another couple from NY (Helen and Richie), and had a great time on the boat laughing and chatting with them all the way back to Positano.  Such a good time that we ended up hanging for several drinksafter we got back to shore.  It down-poured outside so, we just kept chatting away.Finally we decided it was time to eat so, we moved on and found a place for dinner called ‘Cafe Positano’.  The food was excellent and the views from their outdoor seating area were impressive as well.  And there it was, another successful night of eating and great company too!

The following day, we agreed to just stay in town and enjoy the day without moving around too much.  We did exactly that and enjoyed every bit of it! We had lunch down the street and found THE BEST Spaghetti Puttanesca around! In fact, after one plate and a pizza, we ordered another plate...  Bummer that we had JUST found this gem of a spot on our last full day in town!  Since it was our last night, we wanted to have a great dinner--so, we made the trek up the hill to have dinner with our new friends, Denise and Brian, and ate at a highly recommended restaurant called Scirocco. There is a reason this is the number one restaurant in this area. It’s truly excellent and the waitstaff is highly entertaining.....a perfect ‘last supper’ to cap off our time in Amalfi. 

The next morning we checked out and made the drive to Napoli where we were off to the next part of our trip.  Now this is the part where I tell you that the next leg of our journey is to Florence, followed by a couple of days in Rome. Well, SURPRISE!   Once we got to the Amalfi coast we decided that 10 days in Italy was enough, decided to change our plans, and booked flights to Spain for our last week of R&R. Oh, the journey! So, we flew out of Napoli, and we are now in Majorca, Spain!

Until next time, ciao!

xx jannine and jon

Southeast Italy--Puglia

Hey Everyone!!

We're in the home stretch now but, still loving every minute!

We arrived in Puglia from London. Flight was great, we landed on time and then went to pick up our rental car. This was the first place where we realized this was really going to be an ‘adventure’ of sorts because no one spoke a lick of English. Either way, we finally got the car and realized quickly that we should probably spend the extra money and get the GPS system. At this point, I should mention that I’ve had several strongly worded disagreements with ‘the voice’. At times I have found myself in an all out argument with ‘her’. That said, she’s been helpful for the most part and, well--she speaks English. 

This section of the trip was dedicated to exploring the heel of the boot. First stop was the Lecce area. The place where we stayed is what they call a ‘masseria’ (translation: farm).  It’s a nice piece of land where they typically grow olive trees and make their own wines etc.. with a property to serve guests.  Gorgeous place and very relaxing.  Once we arrived, we dropped off our stuff and spent the rest of the day in the town of Lecce exploring and scoping out the scene.  Nobody spoke English so, we were just winging it (driving included).  It’s about 2:30pm and we quickly realize that nobody is in the streets of this old town and most of the shops/restaurants are closed with the exception of a few. Come to find out later that places don’t open until 5pm and they stay open until 1am.  Who came up with this system? Either way, while all the Italians were waking up and opening up their doors, we were beat and ready to head back to our farm to eat some dinner.  All in all, it was a beautiful old city and we enjoyed exploring it!  

Dinner at the hotel: Well, eating at the farm was highly recommended and quite the experience.  They had a very welcoming dining room and the menu looked great.  Our waitress hardly spoke English but, the menu had some translations so, it was all good.  We ordered and then saw some kind of stew like dish go by that looked really hearty and good so of course, I had to ask what it was..  She responds--”It’s cavallo” and then proceeded to act it out as if she had reigns in her hands and began galloping.  Ok, crystal clear--you eat horses here.  OMG.  Jon and I look at eat other in shock and we act as if that never happened.  Next thing we know, she is bringing us this dish--’compliments of the chef’.  Oh shizzle. What do we do now?  Neither one of us could get past the idea of eating horse and the whole galloping reenactment really solidified my discomfort with this particular speciality.  All that said, ‘when in Rome...’, so Jon and I made an agreement to at least try it (even though I couldn’t get over the visual in my mind). Honestly, it tasted like stew meat and the potatoes were really good. I probably won’t ever eat it again but, I did do it.  Second night at the restaurant:  So, the food at this restaurant hasn’t been bad, the only problem is, there is a serious language barrier and the translated menu isn’t exactly accurate (I know this due to my experience from the night before...). This particular night, they had a ‘fish soup’ listed.  Naturally, I asked what kind of fish was in the soup and the response was: ‘lobster and shrimp’.  Yum, that sounds awesome--I’ll take one! Our dishes come out and I notice mine is on a PLATE and it’s one shrimp and 4 calamari on a thick green paste.  Right-o.  Wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for ‘soup’ but, it was food and at that point, I was ready to eat.

The next day, we head south along the coast towards Otranto.  Otranto is so quaint and the water is soooooo blue ;) We arrived and found a great spot to have lunch right on the beach.  Probably one of the best lunches we’ve had since being down here. Jon got the mussels in a tomato wine sauce and I got the caprese which was extremely fresh!  Throughout the lunch we have a great conversation in Italian with the waiter (thanks to our Italian dictionary :). Spent the rest of the day walking around the old castles and churches--snapped some great pics and then hit the road.  We both loved Otranto but, that town definitely has something against toilet seats...this was a reoccurring theme.  My thighs are pretty toned at this point from all the squatting--makes no sense.  While in Puglia, we also ventured off to another town called Martina Franca where we stayed at a quaint (and hard to find) bed and breakfast.  We did a lot of walking and had an AMAZING dinner in town.  This little place was called ‘L’Osteria Piazzetta Garibaldi’ -- owned by a husband and wife team.  You will seriously feel like you’re eating at their home.  They were both super warm and their food was excellent.  As we made our way north to Bari, we stopped in a town called Alberobello.  This town is famous for it’s trulli homes and structures.  Cool to see something totally different and unique.  The trulli's make you feel like you're in a real life Smurf's episode (loved that show...)! Overall, we loved this part of our trip! Lots of history, great food, adventure, fun and not overrun with tourists!  Ok--so, I really condensed this post but, hopefully you get the idea and the pictures help too ;) 


Driving in Italy:  I’ve always said that Jon has an aggressive driving style.  Could be because he grew up in Boston...could be something else.  Whatever it is, it REALLY came in handy while driving in Italy.  Jon has become an expert Italian driver and has literally driven us around the entire heel of Italy (and 10 million ‘roundabouts’) and now across the country to the Amalfi Coast!  Not many people can say that... I definitely give him props for his stick shift driving skills, in a foreign land, amongst drivers who don’t obey traffic signs, or laws. Bravo, Giovanni!!


Next post: Amalfi Coast

xxj

 

Belated London post

Sorry for the delay in posting here....we haven’t had a chance to sit down and write out a post for London since we got to Italy....

Last Tuesday we said goodbye to a brief but action-packed three days in London.  Truth be told, we hadn’t even planned to visit until we saw the tour dates for the Roger Waters show, and decided to make it a stop on the tour (so to speak).  I’ve written enough about that concert, so onto the rest of our stay in Jolly Old England.

Day 1:  Took the EuroStar (via The Chunnel) from Paris to London in what has to be the most pleasurable travel experience we’ve had here in Europe.   More on that in an upcoming Airline Ranking post, but suffice to say, EuroStar is a definite challenger for the top airline spot, even though it isn’t an airline.  My first impression of London was a cab ride from Saint Pancras Station to our digs for the next few days, the Park Lane Sheraton....for those of you that have not had the pleasure of taking a cab ride in London, there are two key things you need to know 

1. The cabs all use a car model that is distinctly British, both in appearance and origin (every cab has a ‘Made in Coventry With Pride’ placard in the cab). They are all impeccably clean and odor free.   The passenger area of the cab is super roomy, with a bench in the back and two additional seats that face backward and fold up if nobody is using them.  For a 6’3” guy who has spent a number of hours sandwiched into the back of Chicago cabs with knees pressed against his chest breathing in the sweet, sweet aroma of rotting Crown Victoria upholstery, this is a big deal.
2. The cabbies drive in such a way that you don’t have to hold on to the ‘oh shit handles’ for the majority of the ride. Not to mention, they are consistently able to brake without causing whiplash.  Can we import some of these guys and their cars to the Second City please? 

Upon arrival at the Sheraton we quickly realize that we are staying at a hotel that hasn’t been redecorated since The Blitz. They promptly checked us into a room that smelled like one of Churchill’s cigars and a bathroom that reeked of Mildew... Although we are in an English speaking country, they were apparently unable to read the ‘non-smoking room’ preference on my reservation.  One night in that room and we couldn’t help but ask to be moved.  Not a strong showing, Sheraton. 

Extremely large Fish, and Chips!

Next up, our first cliche London Tourist move: Eating Fish and Chips at a pub.  Generally speaking ‘Fish and Chips’ in the UK and ‘Fish and Chips’ in the US is about the same thing.  Cod, or some other low-end, mild, flaky fish, fried up in batter and served with french fries and tartar sauce.  The key difference is, in the UK, they pretty much serve you the ENTIRE fish, which is a fairly daunting meal (especially if you are a petite person named Jannine).  We did the best we could, but neither of us could finish this monster meal.

While we are talking about food, let’s cover some other ‘traditional’ English fare:

• Sausage and Mash: I ate this at another pub near Oxford Circus, and have to say ‘YUM’! 
• Food in general: Bland (with one exception which we will cover shortly).
• Beer:  I was all fired up to ‘drink a pint’ in a real English Pub.  Now, basically every pub in England serves Guinness, a couple of ‘flavors’ of Fuller’s, perhaps a couple of other local ales, and if you are lucky, Stella, Carlsberg or, some other European urine.  I committed to stay away from the Guinness, and tried to stick to the English brands, if for no other reason than to avoid my second cliche of the trip. Well, let’s just say that I now understand why Fuller’s and the like are not imported to the US----because it tastes like toilet water.  Now you are probably thinking ‘Jon, how do you know what toilet water tastes like - have you drank it before?‘  To which I say, ‘Of course not!   That is a euphemism for something that has a fairly bland taste with just a hint of stale pee.’  Bottom line - English Beer is unimpressive. 

Next day we made our second cliche tourist move, the double decker bus tour.  Did we feel like lame tourists? Yes. But, if there is a better way to get a lay of the city, show it to me.  We had an excellent tour guide who told us such facts:

1. The Queen of England cannot enter the ‘City of London‘ (a section of the overall city) without the Mayor of the city of London escorting her.
2. There are a series of royal parks throughout the city that are now open to the public, but had once been exclusive to the royal family with entrance by a ‘common man’ punishable by death.
3. The original London Bridge (or more accurately, the one that replaced the one that they burnt down) was bought by an American.  It was disassembled and reconstructed in Arizona, where it is the #2 tourist attraction in the US.  For those of you from the US thinking ‘that’s bullshit, there is no way some random British bridge in Arizona is our #2 tourist attraction’, I have to say--I agree 100% and we thought the same thing when we heard it.  However, we were in no position to challenge him.
4. If you become a ‘Freeman‘ of the City of London, you are entitled to the following benefits:
1. Able to get married in the St. Paul’s Cathedral
2. Allowed to walk the streets of the City of London with a drawn sword
3. Allowed to walk your livestock (pigs, cows, horses, etc.) across the London Bridge

.....and, all of this can be yours for the low price of 30 Pounds...a good deal if I have ever heard one.

That night brought us to the Roger Waters concert - well documented here.  The following day was spent shopping (for the most part) in and around Regent Street and Oxford Circle.   It wasn’t until that second day (and a couple of near misses) that we finally started to look the ‘right’ way for oncoming traffic while crossing the street.    Coincidently, this was also the day that we finally noticed that every crosswalk was painted with instructions as to which direction to look when crossing the street.  I can only imagine how many tourists got mowed down before they resorted to literally writing directions as to how to cross the street right there on the pavement.....

So that brings us to our final night in London, which we spent at the Cold War Kids concert.  They were playing at a little venue in London called Shepherd’s Bush Empire.  Prior to the show we took up a recommendation from my boss Stacy, and headed to a small pub in Kensington called the ‘Churchill Arms’, which is of course is a small, traditional looking English pub that is home to some of the best Thai food in London (highly recommended!).  You kinda have to be there to understand how bizarre it is to order thai food surrounded by WWII and soccer memorabilia, but the food was excellent and the place was totally packed... A couple of Pad Thai’s (YUM!) and Fuller’s (bland!), and it was off to the show.  

For those of you that have been to the Riv in Chicago, Shepherd's Bush is pretty much the exact same place with crappier beer and better accents.  Or, said differently, an excellent place to see a concert.  Won’t belabor you with the details, but they put on an excellent show and managed to hit every song we wanted to hear.  Here are a few videos from the show.

So that was London!  We really only scratched the surface but, had a blast and saw two excellent concerts. We’ve now moved onto Italy! Lots to update---will try to post again soon...

Jon & Jannine

p.s. Sorry we couldn't post more pics...blogger is not allowing for uploads right now.

Guest Post: Roger Water's 'The Wall' @ O2 Center, London 5-15-2011

Sunday night we saw a live performance what has been hailed as the 'Greatest Rock Show of all time' - Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' -  performed by none other than Roger Waters himself.  Now, I have been fired up for this for months - I've been known to go on periodic Pink Floyd streaks that border on obsessive, and this was essentially the first and last time this show would be performed live in its entirety for the first time in 30 years (sad-but-true fact: I started reading a 450 page book on the history of Pink Floyd to prepare for the concert.  And, yes, seeing that sentence in writing makes me feel like a a huge douchebag... Apparently I'm a Star Trek Uniform away from the Leonard Nimoy Fan Club).  Jannine on the other hand, was clearly biting the bullet because she saw how much I wanted to go.  That said, I'm not sure she was totally prepared for the spectacle she was going to witness......I think Roger managed to win her over by the end of the show....

Sidebar #1:  I'm writing I wrote this post from a Starbucks in London (on my iPad - dork status confirmed) .  I have seen a few starbucks sprinkled across Europe (airports, some in Paris, etc), however, London is approaching US level store density.  My curiosity finally got the best of me, so I had to check one out to compare and contrast vs the US (Sadly, no iced coffee, which i am dying for).  I considered going all 'in n' out burger' on them and ordering off my own 'secret menu', but the confused look I got when I asked for a 'medium coffee' made me think otherwise.  Bravo on the food selection though, and way better music - Howard Schultz take notice.  Anyway, back to the real post.....

So we hop The Tube to the O2 Center, and grab a bite to eat at Wagamama, which is basically like a Pei Wei, but healthier and more authentic.  It's t-minus 15 minutes to the show, and Jannine wants to eat. I am on the verge of having a nervous-wreck-meltdown because I think we are going to miss the start of the show.  Jannine is trying to figure out why I am so worried about missing the opening, and I try to explain that what we are going to see is more akin to a play or an opera than a concert... 'Would you miss the opening act of a play?!?!' I say, instantly realizing how ridiculous I sound (as an aside, I just ordered my Spock uniform, extra large).  Thankfully, the folks at Wagamama operate at lightening speed and we are in and out in no time (excellent spicy squid, for the record).

Enter the O2 center and I have to say, the place is outstanding.  State of the art entertainment complex with restaurants and the like, and absolutely huge.....I would guess it holds 25k or so.  At a $135 per ticket, my back of the envelope math says Roger is making a sh*tload of money this evening (ironic given what the wall is about).  Anyway, we find our seats on the floor and settle in....

Explosions at the opening of the show

For those of you unfamiliar with the Wall, it is part anti-government/anti-war/'big brother'/fascism protest, part an indemnification of pop/rock star culture, and partly a thinly- veiled story of Roger Waters' childhood and rise to fame. The record has 2 parts, that are meant to be listened to in sequence, which is how it will be played tonight.  

The show starts with Roger dressed in a military costume meant to evoke an image of a Nazi-like ceremony, and the fireworks literally start right away with a fake plane crashing into 'The Wall' and a series of impressive explosions.  

Over the course of the next hour, the wall will be built brick by brick, until it eventually separates the band and the audience completely (meant to symbolize Roger's feeling of isolation from the fans).  

Below: Great renditions of 'Another brick in the wall' and 'Mother' which were highlights the first half of the show.  This lead to the single greatest invention in rock and roll history--'the intermission'.

Another brick in the Wall

'Mother' 

Seriously, this happened

Sidebar 2:  Despite a packed house, the line for the bathroom was only about 5 minutes long, and the line for beer was non-existent.  dunno how this worked, but bravo O2 center. Second, in a country where the price of just about everything can best be described as ''exorbitantly expensive', beer and food at the O2 was surprisingly reasonably priced.  A pint was £4.5 (~$8), which is a fair deal by US concert venue standards.  Again, bravo O2!  Back to the post.

Second half of the show Features an awesome version of 'Comfortably Numb', more militaristic theater, and the spectacular falling of the wall.  The whole performance was something to behold -  a modernized version of the original, updated to reflect the wars of recent times (and even inferences that Apple is the new Big Brother corporate figure) with much more multi-media than I would guess they used in the 80s, but true to the message and the music in the end.   All-in-all awesome stuff....I'm pretty sure that is the last time any of Pink Floyd's members will do a Wall tour, so I'm pretty excited that we got to see it performed In The Flesh.....

Comfortably Numb:

The Wall Comes Down!

Next up, Cold War Kids @ Shepard's Bush Empire, London!


Jon






Here are more Pics of the 'The Wall' concert:

Start of The Show

The Wall Is Almost Complete

The Main Character 'Pink',
Projected on the Wall 

Just a Few Bricks Left....
And A Giant Green Creepy Puppet

Marching Hammers

The Completed Wall During 'Run Like Hell'

Three Days In Paris

Us at the Tour Eiffel

Bonjour!!

After eating at the Cafe Madeleine (named after an old church by our hotel), our Parisian journey started on foot walking through La Concorde and through the Jardins des Tuileries towards La Musee du Louvre (snapping pictures along the way), and continuing  along the Seine river.  Paris is great because no matter where you go, you’re surrounded by historic buildings and plenty of shops/cafes.  On one of the bridges over the Seine, we found a few things...  One was a man trying to channel aliens with his homemade ‘device’ which resembled a microphone stand with two CD’s taped to the top.  I know what you’re thinking but, I’d like to reassure you it was legit since he wrote ‘NASA’ on the base of the ‘stand’ in black magic marker... We also noticed a fence on the bridge full of locks with people’s names etc... The concept was neat so of course, we had to do it!  Now we’re forever in Paris, on the river Seine--which makes me so happy for some reason ;)

Forever on La Seine

After that, we continued down the street to find a bathroom but, instead found a Thai Massage storefront (of course Jon spotted this place from a mile away).....We had to go in and at least inquire.  I’m not much of a massage person but, Jon definitely is and since I’ve known him, he’s always said that the best massage he’s ever had was when he was in Thailand.  Walking into the store, we were greeted by a host of Thai women.  At that point, he was sold (as was I) and we decided to stay - I got a foot and leg massage and Jon got a foot and back massage. They whisked us into the back where we changed into Thai PJ gear and headed back to  a quiet serene room with individual reclining chairs.  We got our waters and felt....relaxed.  That’s when the turbine engine started. AKA: large snoring woman beside us who was apparently VERY relaxed.  She had feet like a Sasquatch and a snore like a lion's roar, but despite this distraction, nothing was going to stop us from enjoying this experience.  I must say, those Thai women really know what they are doing! I thoroughly enjoyed my massage and when Jonny finally came out from his back massage, he looked as if he had been beaten with a stick!  In all reality, he was so relaxed and happy that he looked exhausted (if that’s possible?!).  Anyway, we’ve probably talked about this experience everyday since.  He says that it was comparable to his experience in Thailand which is saying A LOT!  

After our massage, we continued down the street towards Notre Dame.  Before we make it there, we stumble across the “Great Canadian Bar” so, of course a stop was in order.  Even more so when I saw that they served Poutine! It wasn’t even close to as good as the ‘real thing’ but, it was a nice snack and reminder of my ‘home and native land’. Leaving the bar, we are still meandering when Jon starts walking faster and faster. “It’s around here, I know we’re getting closer” he says.  I have no clue what he’s talking about.  Finally he says “The last time I was here I had the best Gyro I’ve ever had in my life and  it was right around here!!” .  Sure enough, we turn the corner down this narrow street concentrated with Greek Gyro shops and he finds ‘the one’.  He orders the sandwich and I must say, I’ve had my share of Gyros but, this one looked extra good.  Sure enough, it's AMAZING!  I’m not sure if was the fries pilled on top or the meat but, whatever it was, it was so delicious!  At this point, Jon has had the best day of his life.  The only thing that would have topped it off would have been a Redsox game and a craft IPA. 

Best Gyro ever...

We get to Notre Dame and it was as breathtaking as I remember.  All the detail and grandeur of that church is just really incredible. This area is packed with busloads of tourists (of course), making even getting around the crowd to get inside the church a challenge. Finally, we get inside and I can't help but think to myself ‘they just don’t build things like this anymore’.  Snap some pics and head out for a stroll around the church. 

Kiss

To top off the day, we head back for another Gyro and sit on the terrace for some people watching.  All in all, a very action packed day full of random stops!

The next day, we grabbed lunch and walked the Champs Elisysee...(essentially full of tourist, similar to Michigan Ave. in Chicago--probably could have skipped this part).  The idea was to walk down the Champs Elisysee since it leads to the Arc de Triomph.  We got there and found out we could walk up to the top so, after a grueling 300 stairs, we made it and saw Paris from above.  Later that night we dined at ‘the Brasserie Flo’.  This was highly recommended to us by several sources. It's a bit hidden but, if you love seafood and champagne as I do, this is the place for you!  We had a nice dinner there and enjoyed the overall experience (minus the entire waitstaff and bartender getting into explosive verbal fights all night--awkward...). 

During our time here, we definitely got our fill of croissants, french onion soup, french fries (fyi--they serve fries with EVERYTHING!), and escargot for Jonny.

Aurevoir, Paris!

p.s. Here are some additional pictures from our time in Paris.

Jean (Jon)

Tour Eiffel

Me with our lock on La Seine

Notre Dame Cathedral

Guest Post: Random Parting thoughts on Danish Culture

Today  Wednesday---we left Copenhagen and Denmark, and as such, I thought I would share some of my observations on Danish culture from our brief, albeit action-packed stay.

Television:  Danish television can best be described as a ‘dog’s breakfast’ of programming.  What do I mean?  Well, lets just say that any 24 hour period on Danish TV stations can literally run the gamut of content......What follows is a real-life example of a programming lineup across a couple of stations available at a random hotel in Copenhagen.

• 9AM:  Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (a film where Jessica Simpson plays a ditzy blond movie star that enlists in the army and goes through basic training....pseudo hilarity ensues).  Yes, such a movie exists and yes, we shamefully admit to watching it.  Imagine ‘Legally Blond’ set at Fort Benning performed with the quality of acting found at a poorly executed 5th grade play.
• 9PM:  South Park.  As an aside, South Park seems to be pretty popular in Denmark.  Besides being on Danish TV, I saw several people watching on tablets/phones.  If this is where the Danes get their dose of American culture, God only knows what these people think of us.....
• Midnight: Flip on the same channel that we watched earlier in the day and what do we find?  Hardcore porn of course...  Based on the quality of the acting and empty plot, I wasn’t sure if we had stumbled upon an as-yet-unwatched scene from ‘Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous’. This however, was in fact an adult film - not in the Skin-a-Max sense, but in the all out, rented from the locked room at the back of the a shady video store sense.....go up one channel, and you guessed in....more of the same.  For those of you counting at home, that is 2 of 10 available chanels.  I can only assume there is big demand here in Denmark...I would love to see the Neilsen ratings for the 12AM hour...  

OK, so I guess the same could be said about the type of variety you would find on US TV, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to draw a connection between Jessica Simpson’s acting and porn. Cut me some slack. 

Cafe/Bar Scene:  So we got to Denmark on a Sunday afternoon, and went for a late brunch.  Everyone was out and about at the cafes, drinking wine and beer and enjoying the weather.  On Monday, we got a late start and headed out around 11 AM.  Everyone was out and about at the cafes, drinking wine and beer and enjoying the weather.  On Tuesday, we got an early start and settled in for lunch in the Christianhavn neighborhood.  Everyone was out and about at the cafes, drinking wine and beer and enjoying the weather.  The Danes either don’t work or, are allowed to have a few drinks at lunch...either way, I appreciate their style!

Late-Night Dining:  There is none.  If you want to eat after 10PM in Denmark, best of luck to you. Your options are:

1. Peanuts from the hotel fridge
2. Grab a hotdog wrapped in a baked on bun with a gelatinous sauce in the middle from 7/11.  

There is a huge business opportunity here, except for the fact that apparently tourists are the only ones that stay up past 10PM (the streets are literally empty after 10pm. Chicken or the egg argument I guess...). 

Much more to share, including restaurant service, tattoos and smoking, but, enough for now...

Until later,

Jon