Copenhagen, episode 4. In which I'm culinary for Copenhagen.

Here, Mari is tearing herself away from a Sunday morning browse for a quick pose. The sidewalks and streets are easily turned into casual shopping venues in Copenhagen's Ravnsborggade neighborhood. It's not just local businesses with sidewalk sales, either, but locals setting up collectible and household bursting-at-the-seams sales. Truth be told, Mari and I did a great deal of browsing that morning, but I think Mari made the only purchase from a street vendor, a handcrafted bracelet to add to her "fledgling" jewelry collection.

Those air quotes surrounding my sarcasm may save me a scolding from Mari later.

The Ravnsborggade street market reminded us of weekend shopping along Portobello Road, although not as densely crowded as the London neighborhood. Many local vendors set up tables and stands streetside with tempting treats and, of course, you are more than welcome to browse inside the shops as well. The Copenhagen shops, however, lean more towards secondhand (my favorite!) than antiques, but you'll find a few hidden treasures, too, among the relics.

Click on my YouTube video above to watch some of my video footage from that morning. It's only three minutes long and includes some reflections on our fleamarketing experience as well as some beautiful views of my newest favorite old city.

Aside from the futuristic egg cup I shared with you on Easter, I made a few other purchases for my kitchen and dining room. I don't always search for (or find) collectibles when fleamarketing, but there are certain items that meet my collector's gaze and regardless of their inherent value they become invaluable to me. You have also probably noticed over the years that Mari and I necessarily limit ourselves to small, packable (oh-so-bubble-wrappable) items when we fleamarket travel. Once you have learned to accept that limitation, then the (friendly) sky's the limit (as long as you stay TSA-friendly).

Pictured below are two more purchases I made that Sunday morning. At right are four stacked bright orange melamine plates with a slightly upturned lip on one side. These have become endearingly dubbed our "doughnut" plates because, as you can guess, they are the perfect size to hold a double-chocolate Dunkin' Donuts delight (complete with hole). Yes, that is my favorite doughnut (second only to the Reykjavik DD's double-Nutella variation) despite the fact that DD sanctions simplified spelling.

Don't get me started, but...

...you make a doughnut from "dough," not from "do."

Regardless of the DD chain's grammatical intentions, my favorite doughnut tastes even better when presented (however temporarily) on the citrus hues of my Copenhagen fleamarket find.

Alongside the set of doughnut plates is a pair of blood orange melamine salad tongs picked up at another seductively overstuffed secondhand shop.

I didn't exactly need another set of salad tongs (many a healthily decadent salad is prepared and savored in our home in advance of fleamarket-plated sweet treats), but the artfully simple Danish design struck a cord with me and a little more foodie flair in the kitchen never hurt nobody.

Speaking of foodie, I offer you the remnants of my Saturday evening meal, our first night in Copenhagen.

Beautifully fresh (and fleshily-full when initially served), the entree formerly known as plaice (flounder) meuniere was lightly pan fried with capers, lemon, and browned butter.

The dish is characteristic of the SALT menu which seems to feature traditional local food and recipes, but presented in a modern manner. SALT bar & restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Admiral Hotel with a rotating menu that takes tastefully full advantage of fresh local ingredients. Aside from our extravagantly fresh dinner celebrating our first evening in Copenhagen, Mari and I enjoyed a beautifully bountiful breakfast buffet in the mornings with an abundance of fresh local produce, breads, pastries, and charcuterie (smoked meat and fish for breakfast? yes, please).

Many thanks to my seafood-loving mom for showing me

how to delicately dismember plated piscine prey.

You can access the restaurant site by first visiting the Admiral site or by going directly to the savorily-tempting SALT site. (I'm NOT screaming at you, by the way, it's just how they spell it.)

saltrestaurant.dk/en

More treats from the Danish capital next time.

Copenhagen, episode 3. In which we are hit over the head with local character.

Here I am, again, posing happily at one of many eclectically charming fleamarket stops along Copenhagen's Ravnsborggade Sunday street market. I had just finished trying on those skates, hoping they would give me an advantage over other shoppers, but they were metric and my feet are decidedly and conventionally American.

Mari would NEVER have let me buy roller skates.

Can you imagine the kind of trouble I could get into?!

By the way, you're going to see this snappy little marketing "ensemble" for the next few posts because this all did take place on the same Sunday morning. I'm not sure when I became that guy, you know the one, who wears plaid shirts, but I think it works. Plaid is good for traveling, too, because the pattern hides potential stains that are problematic when you are at the beginning of your travel-laundry-Algebra shirt-wearing-cycle and must wear your plaid shirt with funny little stain one more time four days in the future (Tide stain stick is always a must in my overpacked dopp kit).

Before heading back to our morning flea, I wanted to take a moment and recommend the Admiral Hotel.

Mari and I enjoyed some Copenhagen time pre and post cruise at the Admiral and were thrilled with the location and quality of service but were especially excited to be staying in such a historic building.

Originally constructed as a warehouse for grain storage, the 230-year-old beauty is located right on the harbor with awesomely colorful southeastern views towards the marina and opera house and just a one-mile stroll along the bay from the Little Mermaid statue where busloads of luck-seeking tourists await curious contemplation.

Here's a view of the back of the Copenhagen Opera House as seen from the back of the Admiral.

Simply serenely sublime!

admiralhotel.dk/en

The hotel's website features some beautiful photographs as well as a historic rendering of the bay area. You can also read up on some of the building's history including details of the original "characteristic beams" visible throughout public areas and in most of the 366 guest rooms.

Here's a shot of the character that greeted us as we walked into our first (pre-cruise) room. Mari came up with a great idea to tape a large note to the beam to warn us to duck as we moved about the room. Fortunately, we survived the not-so-subtle charming character pre-cruise and the beams in our post-cruise room were thankfully better suited for early morning restroom visits sans contact lenses.

The Admiral reminded us of the 120-year-old Molino Stucky in Venice where we also enjoyed a stay before a Mediterranean cruise five years ago. That building was originally a flour mill then a pasta factory. Instead of characteristic beams, there was a characteristic "tunnel" quality to the rooms with rounded edges where the ceilings met the walls.

Needless to say, we love character.

One of the things I love about being my own travel guru is the ability to search the internet for precise hotel locations and to see what amenities are available within walking distance of hotel environs: shops, restaurants, markets, churches... palaces...

You may laugh, but we were actually on the same block as the Amalienborg Palace complex, home to the Danish royal family. That's two of the Royal Life Guards standing watch towards the left of my photo. The Guards have served the royal family at the palace since 1785.

A changing of the guard ceremony occurs at noon daily, preceded by a procession from nearby Rosenborg Castle. With the king and queen in residence, this march through town turns tourist spectacle with the addition of the King's Guard and a marching band.

We were, unfortunately, the only royalty in town during our stay, so we marched to the beat of our own drum.

Plan your visit and learn more about the palaces housed in the

pedestrian friendly palace square by visiting the well-documented site.

kongernessamling.dk/en/amalienborg

I know I teased you last time with a short market video, but I promise we'll start there next time as I share a few more treats picked up at Ravnsborggade.