James O'Brien

As I sat at the bar and listened closely to the pre-recorded music playing softly in the background, I recognised the tune instantly. It was Two Little Boys” made famous by Rolf Harris, except this version was in Danish.

Having arrived from Reykjavik an hour or so earlier, I was sitting quietly by myself, enjoying a beer at what I’ve previously described as possibly the best bar in the whole world. The reason I like it so much is that it has “character”. Located straight across the road from the main Copenhagen train station, the bar is decorated with lots of colourful memorabilia.

The crowd is colourful too. The last time I visited was also a Sunday. On that occasion, a Sunday afternoon, Sue and I witnessed some very drunk patrons, and the way in which the bar manager dealt swiftly and decisively with some illicit drug-taking. This time around, the crowd was a little more sedate. Like me, they were there mostly to enjoy the music.

“Two Little Boys” was playing during a break by the main musical attraction of the night. Seated at the far end of the bar, an older man (probably in his 70s) was playing old-time favourites on a keyboard. Occasionally, someone from the audience would get up and sing along to tunes like “Strangers In The Night”, “Volare” and others. I can’t be sure if it was karaoke or if they were regulars, but deep inside I also wanted to get up and sing along too.

With just thirty-six hours in Copenhagen, and having experienced an awful lot over the last few weeks, I thought it was time for a bit of simple relaxation. You’ve got to do that when you travel, particularly if you travel to explore new things, and not just sit on the beach. You’ve got to set aside a day here and there for just sitting on the couch and doing nothing much at all. And that’s how I’ve spent most of my time here.

Other highlights of my time here have been a visit to the swimming pool (just around the corner) and to a nearby Chinese restaurant. One of the great things I love about Sydney (which I haven’t experienced much in Europe) is our access to Asian cuisine. It’s one of the things I miss when I travel. So when I realised the area I was staying in had an abudance of Asian restaurants, I decided to try my luck with some fried dumplings and some BBQ pork. Unfortunately, the food was pretty average, but I did have a nice chat with the owner of the restaurant. When I responded with a “xie xie”, he smiled and asked where I was from. I don’t think it’s a phrase he hears often from “Western” customers. He told me he was from Western China, not far from the border with Vietnam, and that he had been living in Denmark for thirty years.

I’m heading back to Stockholm tomorrow for a few days, which will be fun, and next Monday I’m heading to Turkey. Can’t wait.