Göteborg

It was a dancers' day in Göteborg: In between looking at boats and cute toy stores, we boys auditioned at the opera house, then analyzed the technicality of the movement and complained about sore muscles while having lunch outside in beautiful sunshine. Turns out I will not be spending the summer in this lovely, provincial town, but now I can say I have been to Sweden. Their road signs are red & yellow (more on that later). I ordered a hot chocolate in pretend Danish and it worked!

Light Tunnel

The Metro station at Kongens Nytorv is unique in the fact that there is natural light that goes all the way to the platform three escalators down. Public spaces are traditionally kept clean and neutral, not overbearing in Danish architecture. This metro harbors different shades of silver and grey, with green shimmers here and there. The Metro itself -- voted the best in the world in 2006 -- is a driverless wonder that takes you to the airport in 15 minutes.

Four minutes after I took this picture, I met Camilla for after-work coffee, sitting outside with heaters and blankets. In this climate you take advantage of every sign of sun and warmth, even when it's only 12°C. How Scandinavian of us.

Signs in the Street

Street signs have seldom appealed to me as much as they do here: set on a dark marine blue, the white font is round, compact, yet intensely elegant. The "play zone" sign has similar features: the design is more round than abstract, but also more abstract than representational. I don't know... to me, the scene of the child playing ball on the street is both realistic and clean, personable and universal. A pleasant balance. (Pictures near the new opera house.)

Pushing for a green light in Charlottenlund has a slightly more retro-hipster feel to it. And that where affluence abounds. But you push that button and you're walking directly to the sea. There is so much sky, even when the clouds hang low.

Red & White

The Danes love everything red and white, just like their flag. Those were fluttering on every bus in Copenhagen on Wednesday, for the queen's birthday. She waved to people from her castle. I missed it on the telly. It's a casual nationalism, really: it means, "Welcome home!" Kinda feels like it, I have to say.

Welcome to Denmark

Just on the airplane I learned the phrase, "Disse kvinder kan ikke tale. Det er manniquindukker." And here I arrive at Kastrup airport and was greeted precisely by these women, who cannot speak. Mannequindukker. A great word to add to my Danish vocabulary. To the left of my welcoming committee, I noticed this sign, which spoke to me deeply. I mean, I can, like, totally connect with its message -- a little confusion about left or right, domestic or international, transfer or arrival, and lots of arrows pointing me in good directions, and certainly more window displays.

Signs in the Woods

A walk in the Vienna Woods is fully mediated. Like a king's flag, shape, color, and condition tell us. What?

the DKcosmos

dance dansk dike dam dork debutant diplomat deutschland dadaboy dorian drama doodle dandy dolly darfur dorothy double dutch doctor dromedary daisy dingsbums date doom deary dairy do.

i'm in, flatlining in d.