Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
This autumn, I spent over two months in the magical city of Copenhagen. It was not the first time that I had visited, we spent a honeymoon weekend there nine years ago, but it was certainly the longest spell that I had been in the city. My reason for being there was that I had been invited to conduct a new production of The Marriage of Figaro at the Royal Danish Opera. I had a super time working with an ideal cast, an excellent stage director, and an absolutely brilliant orchestra. I can imagine nothing better than being immersed in Mozart’s glorious music. We were working in the new theatre which is on the water, and it was a real thrill sometimes to arrive for rehearsal by ferry boat!
A ferry boat in front of the Royal Opera House
Although the rehearsal period was a long and busy one, once we started the run of performances, I had much more time to explore the city and its surroundings. In addition, friends came to visit which gave me the perfect excuse to be a tourist.
The city itself is charming and there are lots of historical buildings all over the centre of town. Sadly, the Bourse which dates from the 17th century and which we saw on our previous visit, burned in April 2024 during renovation work. What is left of it is now cocooned like a Christo installation. Let’s hope that it can be rebuilt, and that its magnificent spire will once more dominate the skyline.
I only visited one royal palace in the city on this trip, but it is truly wonderful. Rosenborg is very close to the middle of town but has a fine park surrounding it. It was built in the Dutch style by King Christian IV as a summer residence in the first quarter of the 17th century. The English composer John Dowland was the court lutenist at the time that the castle was built. Rose Tremain’s excellent novel Music and Silence is set there and tells the story of a fictional successor to Dowland and his not so glamorous life at the Danish Court.
In 2005 during the castle’s restoration, a fascinating discovery was made in the king’s study. Some of the tiles could be lifted and under them were ducts to allow music to waft up from the basement where the court musicians were performing in what I imagine were dark, dank conditions.
The throne room with its grand furniture and silver lions is amazing.
At the opposite end of the room is a a very curious object called the ‘trouser watering chair’ which I suppose the king found an amusing to torment and embarrass a hapless courtier.
It certainly looks innocent enough, but the official description makes clear how it was used:
This armchair from the time of Frederik III, is ingeniously constructed to grab hold of guests using hidden tentacles in the armrests. The bound person would then be subjected to running water, which ran from a container in the backrest through a pipe in the seat. When the victim was released and could stand up again, a toot sounded from a trumpet hidden in the seat: it was not to be kept secret that the person had been for a ride in the king’s ‘trouser watering chair’.
Of course, Denmark is world famous for its pastries which are known there as Viennoiseries. On my way to the Opera, I would pass two of them and naturally I would stop at one of them whenever my will power was at a low ebb. Lagkagahuset is a chain, but the quality is superb. My absolute favourites were their cardamom buns:
Here is a link and a recipe:
https://www.carolinescooking.com/swedish-cardamom-buns/
For the dough
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon fast acting yeast
2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 ½ cups all purpose flour plain flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
For the filling
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
To top
1 egg for eggwash - won't use all
1 teaspoon cane sugar approx - or use pearl sugar if you have
Instructions
Forming dough & first rise (40min)
Warm the milk gently until it just starts to bubble then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once it's tepid, sprinkle the yeast over the top and set aside while you prepare out other ingredients.
Mix together the softened butter, sugar and cardamom. Add the salt to the flour. Mix the butter mixture into the yeast and milk mixture then gradually add the flour. Once combined, turn it out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for around 5 minutes. Note, you can also do the mixing and kneading in a stand mixer.
Put the dough into a clean, lightly-oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm place for around 40 minutes to double in size.
Mixing filling and forming buns
When the dough is almost done with it's first rise, mix together the butter, sugar and cardamom for the filling.
Roll the dough out into a long, thin rectangle, approx 21 in x 7in (52x18cm). Spread the filling evenly over the top then fold the dough to be three layers thick - first fold one third (short end) over to halfway across the rest of the dough, then fold the other side over the top. The layered piece of dough will be roughly square.
Cut the dough into 6 even strips crosswise (so they are joined on either side), trimming slightly on either end if needed. Then, split each strip in the middle almost all the way but leaving the one side joined (see pics above).
Take one piece of dough and twist the two strips together, then tuck one end in between where they join, and loop the other end over and through the middle of the loop you have formed. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Second rise (30min) then baking
Put the formed buns on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment, cover and set aside to prove for around 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F/220C.
Lightly brush each bun with egg-wash, sprinkle over a little sugar then bake for approx 12 mins until golden brown on top. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving (best served warm).
My other favourite bakery was Hart which made a really decadent cardamom croissant which is truly heavenly. Here is a photo that I took one misty morning:
One fine morning, my friend Katrine Gray and I went to Tivoli Gardens. It is a magical place as you can see:
We had great fun and not least because Katrine is making a film to celebrate my upcoming 75th birthday. I got to ride the historic carousels and rediscover my inner child, all of which was caught on camera Also in town was the singer Paul Max Tipton, who has sung the role of Jesus in the St. John Passion with me several times in concert and on CD. He is a terrific friend and travel companion. Courtesy of Katrine, we dined at two splendid restaurants in the city. One was The Pescatarian which has a Michelin star and the other was Anton’s which must be one of the most beautiful, elegant restaurants I’ve ever seen. Here is a link to both places:
Our lunch there was amazing, and I went there later for dinner. The cuisine is very Danish: smörrebröd in many varieties and of course delicious fish.
Later in my time in Copenhagen, I was able to venture further afield and visited Roskilde and Frederiksborg both of which are about an hour from the city centre. On both occasions I was blessed with perfect sunny weather. The Cathedral in Roskilde is where the Danish Royals are buried. As you might expect, it is very imposing and the monuments are a bit over the top. It was a little odd to me that the tomb of Queen Margrethe II is already there even though she is very much alive.
It is covered up at the moment, but one can see the photos of it. Also in Roskilde is the Viking ship Museum which I found fascinating. I had no idea that some Viking ships were very long indeed. It is hard for me to imagine the skill with which they were made given the limited number of tools at their disposal.
Frederiksborg Castle is enormous and as you can see, I was there on a perfect day:
Alas the chapel was closed but I did get to wander in the gardens as well as tour the state rooms. Luckily, at the station there was a branch of Lagkagahuset, so I treated myself to a cardamom bun on the way home!
My last day trip with my college friend Dr. Tim Dornan and his wife Ceri was to Helsongör, the site of Kronborg, the castle where Shakespeare’s Hamlet is set. Here is Tim’s beautiful photo of the castle:
Kronborg Castle. Photo by Dr. Tim Dornan.
As well as the castle, we visited the church where Buxtehude held a position as organist. The instrument he played is still there:
Photo by Dr. Tim Dornan.
and the road outside is named after him:
On our way back to the station we had a late lunch at the Ristorante Amici Miei which I cannot praise too highly. The place was recommended by my good pal Gilbert Martinez, a West Coast transplant who now lives in Copenhagen. He was a goldmine of information on the city he now calls home.
Tim, Ceri and I revisited Anton’s and had a simply glorious dinner. I had been the Best Man at their wedding in York Minster and an important anniversary of theirs is coming up. This was the perfect place to celebrate.
I did visit two other excellent restaurants which served typical Danish fare. One was the Kafe Karla (https://karla.nu/) near the City Hall. Herrings of many varieties were on the menu. David and I went with our friends Nicky and Caddy from London. It was wonderful to see them and the food was splendid. The other was Faergecafé in Christianshavn which was recommended to me by my terrific opera colleague Nick Fletcher. The historic atmosphere of the place is enchanting. Here is a link to their website:
One thing that was extra special was that they made their own aquavit of many different kinds. Nick recommended their horseradish one which was delicious. However, since we were getting ever closer to the holiday season, they had a Christmas one which paired perfectly with their special herring.
This is not their recipe, but it seems very close:
https://arcticgrub.com/homemade-christmas-aquavit/
Christmas Aquavit (Juleakevitt)
1 litre vodka
2 sprigs fresh dill
2 x 3-inch strips lemon peel) no pith
2 x3-inch strips orange peel (no pith)
2 pods star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
3 cardamom seeds, crushed
2 whole cloves
2 whole allspice
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
Directions:
Put vodka, dill, lemon and orange zest in a sealable glass jar. Seal and shake, then let steep at room temperature for one day, or 24-36 hours. Remove the citrus zests and dill and add the spices to the liquid.
Let steep for another 3-7 days, taste every day after the 3rd day and if a stronger flavor is desired, then continue to steep for another week or so. When the aquavit has the taste you want, strain it through a cheesecloth and store in a clean glass bottle at room temp or in the fridge.
I certainly had a terrific time in Copenhagen and hope to revisit before too long. I have so much more to explore and of course there are more bakeries to visit as well!