There's something about Mary... and Copenhagen

So, where were we last? Yes, packed and ready to go traipsing off into the wild jungles of... oh, wait. I was going to Copenhagen. What??

Glorious. Flag pole out at the entrance of the King's Garden

In all seriousness, I hadn't given Denmark a second thought in like... ever. Apart from the fact that their crown princess is a Tasmanian stunner, this little gem of a country never crossed my mind. Stereotypically, when one vacations in Europe, the regularly frequented spots are the likes of Italy, Spain, Greece, maybe venturing out to Eastern Europe for the really 'crazy' types. Scandinavia, I dunno.. maybe its just me but the last thing I ever wanted was to spend my summer in freezing temperatures (anything under 20 degrees is cold in my world) when I could be slathered in coconut oil and soaking up the sun on a sandy beach somewhere, perving at men in Calvin Jockey-like swim trunks al a Daniel Craig's baby blues.

Anyway, before I ramble on too much, let me tell you what a surprise Copenhagen gave me *deep sigh*

Champers, courtesy of standout airline, Qatar Airways

• dropped off at the airport

• briefing from Qatar Airways staff on facilities within their business/first class premium lounge.. they have sleeping cubicles. And a masseuse. And a fully equipped spa. And buffet(s). Really?

• get on plane - business class rocks my world. Where were these seats when I was flying back and forth from Sydney, cramped up in economy with throbbing knees and the fear of developing deep vein thrombosis? I was served warm nuts, champagne and a salmon starter. I need to get rich.

• an incredibly comfortable sleep later, BAM, we land in Copenhagen airport. Not much to say, not much to it really.

• hello Thomas from VikingBus (yes, yes, I know). So far, its cold, Im not impressed. Now what? Thomas decides to drive us into Copenhagen city center using the highway route. Silly, considering later during the trip we take the beach route leading to the airport - a MUCH better first impression. 

• And speaking of first impressions... EVERYONE is on a bike. Umm... is this one of those places where absolutely everyone is incredibly healthy and beautiful and no-one is overweight? Yes. Yes it was. 

• arrived at the Kong Frederik hotel ( definitely worth checking out if you're looking to stay in Denmark for any number of days, one of the most charming hotels I've ever stayed at and part of the elite First Hotels chain - http://bit.ly/9V5zUT ) My room was, what I've labelled as, literature chic - pretty self explanatory really. Incredibly comfy bed, all amenities on offer, perfect.

Excuse my jeans and the mess I managed to make 3 minutes after walking into the room

The view to one side of my room - town hall and on the right hand corner, the magical Tivoli Gardens 

The green tower head is only part of the Bank of Denmark building but I still found it charming - no people on the street, 8am

• Get dressed, misjudge the weather due to the glaring sun outside and head out to lunch at Restaurant Orangeriet via, wait for it, bicycle taxi. Must we do this? I asked our tour guide. YES! You must! Answered the contagiously enthusiastic and all round charmer Henrik. Its the Danish way, he says. Fine. 7 minutes of severe frozen wind whiplash, sniffles and ducking to hide my now Copenhagen residing face from the gorgeous locals, swanning about gracefully on their cute bicycles, we reach Orangeriet, which is located in the King's Garden.

A sneak peak from one of the windows at Orangeriet and out onto the King's Gardens where a certain literary legend lives

Aaaaand that's all Im telling you until next time... and it'll be sooner than two weeks, I promise. Work has been hectic and I've been all over the place with business trips, deadlines and trying to stick to my triathlon training (the London Tri, yes. Also, yes, I AM insane). But for the sake of keeping these short *ahem* and sweet, I need to do this in batches and I really dont want to miss out on any of the magical details as it all deserves to be done justice.

So yeah, tune in next time for the fruit display stealing media scum that was with us on the trip, drinking ridiculous amounts of Snâps at lunch (not to be confused with Schnapps) and being rained on during an hour long canal tour, out on the.. erm.. canal, and dinner at one of Europe's first designer hotels, hosted by one of the most gorgeous men I had ever seen *deep breaths* Hai hai for now lovers!