Tivoli Christmas Market By Night

Tivoli is an amusement park in Copenhagen, and being the second oldest amusement park in the world, where it was opened in August 1843, this is definitely a place worth visiting. Tivoli is a fun place for both adults and children, where there are rides for all ages, and you can enjoy Denmark’s famous and delicious soft ice (soft ice cream), as well as other savory foods, while intaking the lovely view of the Tivoli Garden.

I’ve never been to Tivoli during the winter season so when i found out they were having a Christmas market during December, i was more than thrilled to see it with my very own eyes. The entrance of Tivoli always amazes me and this time was no different, except it looked even more beautiful with it’s dreamy Christmas lights shining amidst the night. There were also some baby reindeers not long after we walked into Tivoli, which is a fun event for those with children and an opportunity for them to learn about animals. Or you can even stand in que and wait to take a photo with santa clause.

There were a lot of shops selling cute Christmas decorations, and some shops serving hot drinks, such as mulled wine, warm waffles with jam and chocolate sauce, and savory food, to fight off the cold weather. One of the best things about visiting Tivoli at night during Christmas, is just how magical the place turns into, with all the pretty lights shining everywhere.

A few of my favorite spots at Tivoli was the Taj Mahal building lighting up with a beautiful white peacock at the front, the very fairy tale looking swings, and the one that really made me stand still in admiration was the tree that had these lovely red hearts hanging down.

I was also lucky enough to witness the water and light show, just as we were on our way to leave Tivoli, as it was near closing time. The music playing in symphony along with the water, while the lights changed to different colors, was such a beauty.

I will definitely be going back to Tivoli, just a matter of when.

Photo source: all photos by me

A look back into 2013…

Time awaits for nobody and with that, 2 months passed by me in the blink of an eye since my last blog post. As we enter the second month of 2014, i thought it was about time to get back into blogging before my laziness got the best of me.

Looking back, 2013 was indeed a great year, filled with both good and bad times, a balance much needed in order to appreciate even the simplest of things in life. Great adventures took place such as discovering new eateries in the city, spending quality time with loved ones over family gatherings, catching up with friends over coffee by day, and cocktail by night, and spending some alone time by myself to do things i enjoy. Celebrations were in full swing with Chinese New Year, Mid Autumn festival, birthdays, and friends from across the globe coming to visit. Of course, a trip back home to Denmark to see my friends and family over Christmas and New Year, was the best and perfect way to end the year.

I am grateful for every moment shared with my nearest and dearest, as well as every single new friend i befriended, and new experiences that i encountered over the year. Here’s a quick glimpse into my 2013.

My first experience of indulging in a box of macarons from Laduree in Hong Kong, as my BFF knew my love for these gems and gave them to me as a surprise. Trying on my new American Apparel nail polishes and kicking the new year in style with some glitter. As every year, there were gorgeous flower decorated at home to welcome the Chinese New Year. It was also another year of festive Chinese decorations and flowers seen everywhere in the city, and firecrackers could be heard from a distant in our village back in Shenzhen, China. A free heart shaped cookie gifted to me from a staff at Pret A Manger, upon my routine morning coffee run there, really touched my heart and it’s such small gestures that really gets to me. The perks of living in a small city like Hong Kong, are discovering new bars, such as the recent Lily & Bloom, in Lan Kwai Fong, which serves absolutely divine cocktails. The bartender was ever as friendly and surprised me with a cocktail that wasn’t on the menu, when i asked for what cocktails to recommend. My all time fave Japanese Pop singer, Namie Amuro, who i have adored since high school, was finally coming to Hong Kong for her ever first concert, for her 20th anniversary Asia Tour 2013. I was standing and dancing, and singing all the night long to her good old 90s songs, such as Body Feels Exit, Can you celebrate, Dont wanna cry, and many more.

Audrey Hepburn fever in full swing after watching her movie, Sabrina, and spontaneously bought her book “How to be lovely”. The book  is an easy read and great way to look into the life of this stunning and iconic lady during her time. Furniture and home decor shopping is one of my fave past times and i was beyond excited when i spotted these wooden alphabets in the home section of Cotton On. I am still deciding what alphabet to get and in what color. One of my good old friend from Canada was in town, which offered the perfect opportunity to take her around the city, which we both grew up in. A visit to the Man Mo temple seemed like the ideal thing to do after brunch’ing in the area. It was truly fun to rediscover Hong Kong and explore around like a proper tourist. Mothers day was celebrated over steak for dinner and some lovely flowers to surprise her. Topshop had finally come to Hong Kong, where i received their goodie bag with a lipgloss, leaflet, and a magazine. Getting all dressed up in my LBD (little black dress) with cute ruffles and a red clutch, to meet some friends to try out this new Italian restaurant on a Saturday night.

Getting into healthy mode and enjoying my morning hikes again, where my surroundings consist of  lovely flowers and a beautiful scenic view of Hong Kong. That very moment of reaching the top, and breathing in all the fresh air and having the sun beam on my face is priceless. One random trip to Starbucks for my cold lemonade and i met a complete stranger, whom i disguise as Mr. A here, happened to be from my home town, Denmark, and the rest was history. I arranged for a trip up to the peak with Mr. A, upon his request,  and it was an experience that was absolutely unforgettable and worthwhile. We had some delicious steak over red wine, where the night ended with this breath taking night view of Hong Kong, with all the sky scrapers lit up in unison from afar. Celebration for my birthday with close friends over a nice meal and great company, and a surprise of two mini birthday cakes, which just completed this special day of mine. One of my good friend from high school, being as thoughtful as she always is, got me a Tiffany jewelry bowl for my belated birthday. It’s a perfect storage space for my precious Tiffany necklace and bracelet. During the mid September month, along with the moon being fully rounded in shape, it was blatant that Mid Autumn festival was upon us. With my sister and her boyfriend in town, we decided to visit the local Mid Autumn Festival market in Causeway Bay. A market packed with people taking photos everywhere, we patiently savored the moment and enjoyed the sight  of beautiful lanterns designed in all sorts of form, such as dim sum, lotus flowers, Chinese goddesses, and etc. A weekend getaway from the busy city to Lamma island. The peaceful and scenic view of this island, which is only an hour away by boat, never fails to refresh my mind and soul.

Stashing up on my fashion magazines to stay updated on the current fashion trends. Enjoying a quiet weekend on my own over brunch at this new restaurant i discovered, with my fave eggs benedicts and a cup of cappuccino.  I always think that “me time” are very vital and precious, and it’s a good time to reflect on myself. Lying in on a lazy weekend and catching up on my fave old American series, Sex and the City, is the best way to combat the cold winter season. Doing research at home for my up coming Europe trip with a friend, to London and my home town, Copenhagen. Started my health morning breakie at work again, where i have oatmeal topped with a lot of fruits and sunflower seeds. At the Christmas market in Tivoli in Copenhagen, where i was in awe by the sight of this tree filled with hearts and this Christmas tree behind it.

May this year bring everyone even more happy memories and fulfilling experiences to live by. Happy New Year and welcome to 2014!!!

Photo credits: all photos by me

The Danish exploration continues…

And so the great exploration of the Danish heritage continued for the next following 4 days, and that was clearly not enough time for us.  But we did make use of each and every minute where alot of walking was involved. We passed by the City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen) quite a few times as it links to the beginning of Strøget, apparently one of Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping area, where we did some shopping and eating. On the top of my list to show BF was Amalienborg, which is where the Danish royal family resides during the winter season. If you’re lucky, you get to see the soldiers marching and we were just that lucky that day!!!

We made use of time that day and passed by the famous waterfront Nyhavn and took some photos. I wanted to go into one of the local cafes for food but we were just too short of time, sucha bummer considering i’ve never had a meal at Nyhavn before! It’s a place worth going if you are in Copenhagen during the summer and you’ll find the place buzzing with people and  cafes, where you can grab a bite or enjoy a cool beer.

Rådhuspladsen

Soldiers marching at Amalienborg

Nyhavn

As the day came to an end, we decided to go to the famous amusement park Tivoli to get it over and done with, lol. Don’t get me wrong, this place is absolutely worth going, where there are fun rides to try and where the night turns into a romantic fairytale with colorful lights illuminating up the place, and last but not least, they do an amazing show with the fireworks to end the  night.  With that said,  i would personally recommend couples to visit Tivoli during the evening.

Later on, BF got hungry and so we headed to a nearby steak house that i go visit everytime i’m back. It’s called Jensens Bøfhus and they’ve got loads of chains across the country so you’ll find one without a problem. I had my usual steak and baked potatoe with my all time fav Bernaise sauce! I think the sauce originated from France but as a kid, i always thought it was a Danish sauce, lol. BF tried the steak with whisky sauce and i wasn’t too fond of it. Oh, and i tried this really nice raspberry (hindbær in Danish) drink and i highly recommend you to try it. BF tried it and he said it was good too.

The next day we went to visit my brother in Næstved, the Southern part of Copenhagen, and it takes around one hour to get there by train. That day was a particularly special day as it was a joint birthday party for my nephew and nieces, and i haven’t seen them for 3 years!!! Gosh, i miss them heaps. They had a gigantic cake i tell ya, and you may think WOW! But all birthday cakes looks relatively like that to some extent, apart from the sizes, i guess. They also love sticking  all those Danish flags on the cake and i find that really sweet. It’s kinda like the nationalism for your country? hehe

Finally it was back to the big city the next day and our trip was pretty much coming to an end, as much as i didn’t want it to. We decided to stay at the Wake Up Copenhagen hotel on our last night so we could spend some quality time together. It was only 550  kroner so not too bad a deal. It’s also a very comfortable hotel to stay at and i just love it’s Scandinavian design with simplicity and style in mind.  It’s situated right in the city center and close to the airport too, so it’s a winner for sure:)

Lobby/Waiting Area

Bar Lounge

We ended our final night at Hard Rock Cafe for dinner with my family and it was a cosy and lovely night. We called it an early night as we had to catch a 8am flight the next day and with that, it was time for my next stop Dublin, Ireland. Yahooo, i finally get to see BF’s home town and what’s more is that i’ve never ever been to Ireland before!:)