My first reaction when I passed the airport door and see all that snow was a mixt of sensations between being admired and amazement in the middle of all that agitation with 2 dogs, a suitcase, skykennels and my handbag... My first thought was "Not that cold!"... Yes in my head it should be a huge almost unbearable coldy weather. I even exchange emails with my host who told me it was cold and snowing like it wasn't for a few years and so, for me someone accustomed to beach life and not snowing weather, that means unbearable weather. But I was wrong, I must cretaed this horrible weather to prepare myself, because if I went there with a 'nice idea' I surely would be dissapointed and noticed much more the diference. I know here in Portugal, with mediterranean climate, the weather is different...

Beside I left Lisbon early, around 16h, I arrived Copenhagen very late and lockers service was already closed! This little detail made my trip plans a big turn, because I was supposed to leave the skykennels on the lockers and take the subway to my hosts house... it was 2 skykennels very big apart the weight. With the lockers service closed I needed to change my plans and take a cab and here I tasted for the first time Denmark lifestyle. One cab trip, not very long or extraordinarie trip, I paid almost 35euros!!! Later I had a chance to see that in Denmark the prices are near the double comparatively to Portugal. Even later, when I was talking to my hosts, they told me the crisis - yes that big economical crisis - didn't had big effects in danish lifestyle and only recently people start to feel the effects of the crisis. They also asked me if in Portugal we felt it and who long we had it, etc., which illustrates the effects of the crisis in different countries.
But lets forget crisis and speak something more interessing!

Copenhagen it's a beautiful city full of rivers and brigdes and docks - many of this docks were built by one of the Denmark King - parks, statues covered by snow on that winter day and of course snow!



Seems to me Danish people are proud of their culture and history, once it's commum to see on top of the building an statue of dragon or other national symbol commum in their myths and legends or even to see statue of national figures of danish poet or novelist or writter in the middle of the square been glorified, like in this case: Hans Christian Andersen's Statue surrounded by other statues of his own caracthers creation.




I walk around Copenhagen for almost 7 straight hours, looking for souvenirs, the city and trying to go to the most important places there, and I stablish in my mind next time I only will see museums and I really need to try more typical danish food.
Well, Denmark has a very strong raising pigs and therefore it's very usual to see little kiosks with hot dogs with one amazing sauce maned remoulade which is divine and mandatory to eat!! But danish recipes and tradicional food aren't just sausages, and on saturday dinner, my two hosts prepared specially for me a typical 50 or 60's food, very famous back then. It was small fried meatballs with slices of potatoes oven-cooked with cream sauce. They also introduce on potatoes a small variation and put celery which gave it a nice touche. To drink we had typical beers - my favourite was Didrik and we had also applejack, which was my first time drinking cider and I just love it!
And with all this I spent my day in Copenhagen walking around, still I had strenght enough to see nightlife.

From Copenhagen itself I kept on my memories only good ones. I would like to visit again, attend to museums and taste more Danish food.



My way back trip had a few mishaps... In Copenhagen airport everything was chaotic because of the snow and bad weather and because the airplane maintance forgot to fill the water tank of the airplane and because of all that my flight was delayed almost one hour and half! When I arrived at Palma de Maiorca airport the connection flight was already landing in Portugal and I had to go to Barcelona, where I had to switch terminals and wait another 1h30 minutes to boarding. It was stressful and I only could wish to finally go home.

Beside all this disastre, I had a chance to fly with TAP, a portuguese air company. And yes, what is national is good (I'm sorry for this, but this is a portuguese marketing slogan) and in this particular case it's VERY GOOD! Between all companys I already fly, TAP is by far the best one, not only in physical conditions of the aircraft but also in service of the flight assistances and the food is just divine! I had one sandwich with smoked meat, letture and an special bread... that really made me want to eat more.
And this little details can really make a difference, the food, service and they also had an mag from TAP to offer, with very nice and interessing articles and all this points in favour for TAP put it in another level of excellent. And in my humble opinion, TAP deserved to be mention for that.

Nota: fotos e texto da autoria de Ana Peres. Todos os direitos reservados.

Last weekend I had to fly to Copenhagen and this trip reveled to be unique in same way.

Well, the trip was divided in 2 parts: From Lisbon to 'Palma de Maiorca' and from Palma to Copenhagen and by this I had a chance to experiment 2 types of flying services.

The first part - Lisbon to 'Palma de Maiorca' (from now on refered as PM.) - was supported by this company named Niki, which I never before heard about and I thought it was another low-cost company because the logo of this company is a fly... Not very good for a logo, I might say it!
But to tell the truth, this is not a low-cost company and actually the service its very good. I was surprised, specially with the security measures broadcast on TV, with 3D modells and, by the way, they also have 3D modells of the airplane flying and demonstrates take off and landing. This might confort and be peacefull for all that anxious passengers, because this gives us a sense of control and power knowing exactly what the airplane is doing, which altitude, velocity, etc...
I know the service was not the best I experienced, but this modern stuff gave me a good feeling of flying with them. The only catch was the fly speeking to us in the end of the fligth and came on it's a fly. We always associate it to bad things and the first time I saw the airplane with a fly on it I thought, "This will be a shitty trip!" and it wasn't!

The second part - from PM. to Copenhagen -  was twice longer and made by Air Berlin.
Air Berlin have this airplanes with a few more inchs space between rows and also the corridor it's bigger, giving to the passengers more space to move and relax and therefore more confort! You see, same times an extra inchs its all it takes to make a big diference!!
Because I was travelling with animals, and one of them was with me on cabinet as hand bagadage (known as PET) this animal must go on the floor next to the feets, but in Niki's airplane there was not space enough for the animal and in Air Berlin's airplane it fits like a glove! Giving me a quite and save trip.
I also enjoy - or should I say love - the food service! When I was flying with this company, it was dinner time and because I didn't had eaten almost nothing all day, I decided to recused the sandwich they offered me and order something better. And I was so glad I did this. I order 'sansibar' classics menu which consist on a chickenbreast marinade in cajou on a bed of pasta and spinach with Holland sauce (see here the menu). My choice was perfect and besides being a little hot spicy which i'm not a fan, really conforts me and I enjoy my meal forgetting the hto spice and I didn't regret a bit!!

But until I land in Copenhagen I had even two more new experiences... One of them was using the rest room on a airplane. My past trips had been short ones and therefore I never had to go but now this trip was longer and the connections between flights was so small in time that I didn't have time to rest and relax.
Well here I had the others experience... On my way to the bathroom a girl decide to put her feets on the corridor on the exact moment I was passing by. Can you imagine what happen? Yes I felt - not before I crambled for a few meters - and I actually hurt my finger and it wasn't so bad because another passenger pick me up in time. If he did not grab me I would be hurt big time!!

Forgeting all this adventures had been to arrived Copenhagen, I manage to get there in one piece, as well the 3 dogs that were with me and I was hoping to see snowing like the captian said earlier it would be. And for the first time I saw snowing, I saw snow falling down the sky and I love it!!

Beside that, landing in Copenhagen was the smoothest and well done I ever saw and been in until today!