The Hygge Motherload: Denmark

July 6, 2019July 6, 2019 NanLeave a comment

Those that know me know that I am a complete hygge nut. During the fall and winter months, you will find our apartment full of candle light, hot tea and fluffy blankets. Hygge calms my almost-always-on-the-go mind and relaxes our day into night. Squirms even seems to understand the queue it’s time to wind down the day when the candles are lit.

(If you are unfamiliar with hygge, do yourself a favor and order this book.)*

Denmark is the birthplace of hygge, so when the hubster had a conference in Copenhagen, Squirms and I insisted we join.

I have thought a lot about what I want you to know about our trip to Denmark and I keep coming back to one thing… it’s the feeling that Denmark gave me that stands out. It is an uncomplicated country. While modern in every aspect of the word, and perhaps advanced in comparison, Denmark has slowed down. Everywhere you turn, people are enjoying nature, simple pleasures, and each other. Picnics, kite flying, hand holding, book reading and lounging in the sun, the Danish dig the uncomplicated things in life. Rarely do you see a cell phone in someone’s hands. Possibly the reason they are voted “Happiest Country in the World”.

We spent three days in Denmark’s countryside before heading to Copenhagen. To honor this country, we did as the Danish do. We sat on grass, had picnics, explored forests, and walked through nature preserves. We ate more fruit and veggies than normal. Our meals were fresh. The result: We feel better and more connected.

We walked up a 120 meter Forest Tower to see over the trees, went to a castle with stunning grounds, stayed the night at another castle, and searched for Giants (we found three!) ♥️

Here is the cool thing about Denmark’s laid back culture… hygge can be implemented anywhere. Light a candle or bake a cake, turn off all electronics for the night or weekend. Set the intention to slow down and enjoy what follows.

Stop #13: Santiago Bernabeu: Linea 10

April 19, 2019April 19, 2019 NanLeave a comment

The number one thing most people associate with Madrid is the futbol team, Real Madrid. They are a top-ranking soccer team that, up until this season, had the most popular player in the sport, Cristiano Ronaldo, on the roster.

The stadium they play in is HUGE and modern and shares its name with the metro stop, Santiago Bernabeu. It’s only natural then, that for this metro challenge, we visited Bernabeu stadium and watched a Real Madrid game.

There is nothing like a futbol game in Madrid. This is our second one and the enthusiasm is electric. The chanting is loud and contagious and the game is entertaining to watch too 🙂

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The stadium is settled in a cute neighborhood with a lot of restaurants, beauty salons and shops. It is a busy neighborhood that has a certain American feel to it. Maybe it’s because of the Tony Roma’s across the street or because English can be heard in the crowd. Either way, there is something comforting about the area.

We ate dinner at a Japanese fusion restaurant, Yakitoro, which came recommended by a friend. We were told that the food was delicious, but odd. Food is served family style, so my adventurous husband and I were going to have to agree on what to order 🙂

We started the dinner with a tomato salad with ginger. I don’t typically like ginger, but this was unbelievable. Very mild and clean. We followed it with sea bass ceviche (my favorite), Japanese fish tartar with spinach tempura and asparagus ice cream. Yep, you read that correctly. Asparagus ice cream. 😳. Our dessert? Spicy citrus cotton candy, which was amazing.

The best part of the evening though? Yakitoro itself. The wait staff were as good as they could get. They loved Squirms and talked to her regularly. They even called her by name! The restaurant was clean and the other patrons were chatty. It was a wonderful meal and atmosphere.

The only negative? The menu is extensive and we had to make sacrifices on what to sample 🙂