Colourful Copenhagen

Colourful Copenhagen

Hej!

It's been a while since I last posted (as usual), but in-between work and doing spells of my uni project I thought I'd give a little update on how I'm finding Copenhagen. I can't believe I've been here 3 months already!

To celebrate, I've put together a list of the most colourful places to see in Copenhagen, which wasn't hard to do. Colourfully-painted streets are everywhere, as many of the cities' buildings are made even prettier with traditional Nordic colours. You never have to go far to spot an amazing place, but these are a few of my favourites...

Nyhavn

A pretty blue Nyhavn building and a 7-11 slushie to match.

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Copenhagen is Nyhavn, the brightly-painted waterfront constructed as early as 1670. I'd definitely recommend a wander down the harbour if you're coming to Copenhagen, as it's full of history, bars and restaurants, and Hans Christian Andersen even lived in two of the buildings. It's also really central, so from here you can easily walk into the middle of the city and go shopping, or go over the bridge into Christiania.






At the moment there's also an art installation along Nyhavn by Ai WeiWei. Installed on the UN's International Refugee Day, Soleil Levant consists of over 3,500 life jackets worn by refugees arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos, and draws attention to the current humanitarian situation throughout the world.

You can also hop on a really interesting boat tour that goes round to visit Andersen's Little Mermaid, which is another must-see, along with the many canals, palaces and listed buildings the tour will show you round.

Palads Teatret

me lookin fly

Stairs image via  Contemporary Art Daily.

Another colourful place to see is Palads Teatret (Palace Theatre), painted in 1988 by Poul Gernes, a Danish artist and graphic designer whose work is super bright and fun.

After having lived in London right before moving here, I'm noticing a lot of differences in lifestyle. Even the thought of cycling to work instead of having to run for the bus and tube makes me feel more relaxed, and the way of life here seems a lot less hectic, which is definitely good for me.

Using a bike to get around is so fun, and there's nothing better on a sunny day than to explore the city by cycling round all the little side streets. (Biking isn't so fun on a night out though, as we're all covered in bruises...)

Overall, Copenhagen is an amazing city and actually rated one of the best places to live in the world (it's not hard to see why)!
I love living here, and that's without even considering the many chilled days we've had lazing in the parks that surround our accommodation, or intern trips to the beach when it gets really warm... Though today it is chucking it down and while the weather is very English in that respect, I'm still missing the Lakes!

Thanks for reading!
Indy xxx

Moving to Copenhagen!

Moving to Copenhagen!

I've just moved to Copenhagen for my next fashion design internship with Anne Sofie Madsen (their stuff is amazing!), with one of my closest friends, Anya.

We flew in on Thursday night and after having a nightmare trying to sort out accommodation, we booked an Airbnb to stay in that morning before we set off to the airport - this is how organised we are...

Travelling just before the weekend was a good idea, as it gives us a couple of days to get used to our surroundings before we start work (a must-do when moving abroad). Here's the lowdown on our first day of exploring our new city.

The amazing architecture of the oldest building in Copenhagen - the Stock Exchange Building, built in 1640. I love the spiral tower, it reminds me of a unicorn's horn! The city is full of beautiful old buildings alongside more contemporary architectural designs, so there's always something inspiring to look up at.

Saying my goodbyes right before I set off to the airport. I'm going to miss my family loads after seeing them for just a few days throughout this whole year, but my internship year is a fab opportunity that allows me to get some much-needed experience in such a fast-paced industry.

Our last-minute Airbnb for the two weeks before our student accommodation is ready is fab, and we couldn't ask for a better place to stay. It's covered in fairy lights and pretty little decorative features, plants and lamps; nobody does interiors better than the Danes.

Colourful, cool street art is everywhere, and we also found some really interesting shots of Earth from space, teamed with little explanations! You wouldn't find this kind of stuff in London...

A colourful little side street found in the centre of the city.

We stumbled upon this cute little pizza restaurant, called Gorm's. The interior was lovely and relaxing, full of candles, foodie books and stripped-back wooden tables. I can tell I'm going to love the whole concept of 'hygge' while I'm here - everything's so chilled and cosy.

We had the 'Denny Special,' an unusual signature pizza by Gorm's, with mozzarella, thin potato slices, rosemary, goats cheese and truffle oil. Potato's not ordinarily something I'd expect on a pizza, but it was thoroughly enjoyed in the restaurant's nice, warm setting, paired with a coffee (and a beer)!

I've also been learning some Danish on my free Duolingo app, and trying to get the hang of it... I'd highly recommend the app, it's easy to use and the activities make languages so quick to learn. Everyone speaks English here, but I feel it's an amazing opportunity to learn a new language in practice.

So that was our first day in Copenhagen - we got a bit of exploring done, while trying not to be ran over by bikes... Bikes are everywhere here, it seems like there's more bikes than people. It's such a good way to get around the city, as each road has a designated bike path that looks a bit like a wider pavement. We can't wait to get our own, it's such an eco-friendly way of getting around and the city is carefully designed with biking in mind.

I'll be posting updates of how settling in and exploring goes, maybe along with some of the updates I promised from my visits around London's exhibitions and shows!

Tak for læsning!
Indy ♡

London Life...

London Life...

Hi guys!

This post comes a bit late with me having been super busy in London, keeping up with a second job on top of my thoroughly enjoyed internship with Parka London. I started the placement back in January as part of my Fashion Design and Marketing course at Northumbria, and couldn't have asked for a better experience for my first time working in industry!

I started off doing marketing work, from writing for Parka Journal - Parka London's lifestyle blog, well worth a read if you're into art exhibitions, city break guides and how to work the classic tomboy style - to putting together branding packs and taking photographs for the blog. The team got started on design for the upcoming season later on in my internship, where I was researching trend, creating moodboards, attending fit meetings and designing outerwear and doing technical drawings.

Image: TimeOut

Living in London brought about a very different kind of lifestyle, as being from the Lake District means I'm used to rolling hills and being surrounded by greenery and sheep. It's a fab place where there's always something going on, and I do think living independently in such a busy city has helped with my 'trying to adult' situation. I also had the privilege of sharing a flat with two of my good friends from uni, so we went exploring on the weekends, and met some great people along the way!







I've now moved out of the city and I'm spending a week at home for Easter with family, which gives me chance to post and update on my three months down south. I'll miss being in the centre of everything happening, always with something to do like exciting exhibitions and shows, but being home is a much welcomed change!

I'll be gradually posting about my adventures around London, from visiting museums to working London Fashion Weekend as part of my internship, along with working on my latest uni design project while I'm on placement year. I know it's late, but I finally have the chance to get some blogging done and don't want to miss out on sharing my experiences! :)

Thanks for reading, and keep posted for updates!
Indy ♡

Moving to London!

Moving to London!

Hi guys!

I haven't posted on here in a while - the past three months at uni have been very hectic, with loads of work to do alongside securing placements for my internship year.

I've also been busy moving out of my flat in Newcastle to spend a lovely Christmas at home, before moving to London to begin my fashion internship!
I had to limit my excessive hoarding habits to just a couple of suitcases, as me and Robbie were getting the train down. We somehow managed to get first class tickets that were cheaper than standard class! A long journey just isn't as much fun without free G&Ts and lots of food.

It was hard to leave family, as is always the case after a fab Christmas, so I've spent ages trying to make my room feel cosy and homely. Living with my friends who are also doing internships, Cat and Anya, further helps alleviate the homesickness, and we've been exploring the area together. Robbie had to go back home yesterday but he's been great at making me feel comfortable here (and helping carry my shopping!), and I'm really happy with my room and our cute little flat!

Despite trying to travel light, I managed to shove enough things in my suitcases to decorate my room a bit. Fairy lights took priority, as they always manage to make a space look much cosier! I've got three sets up on my wall now and they're so pretty.

Anya found this adorable unicorn thing in Poundland(!) and I had to have it. I think it's an earring holder, but typically, I've forgotten to bring all my jewellery - maybe this is an excuse to buy some...

My room isn't massive so shelves make it easier to store things. I wasn't able to bring toooo much anyway - but I made sure to pack the Fjällräven bag and Adidas shoes Robbie got me for Christmas! ♡

My bedside table, which I'm sure won't stay as tidy and clutter-free for long.

Our cute patio will be perfect for chilling at night when the weather gets a bit warmer! For now though, being able to feel my face when I'm outside is a massive improvement on how cold it was up North.

I'm not sure how long I'll be in London for, as I have another internship in Copenhagen later in the year - but I do love it here! I'm so excited to start my placement tomorrow, I've spent the day trying to be organised, making myself a packed lunch and getting everything ready for the morning.

I'll definitely be posting more frequently from now. I say this every time, but it can be one of my resolutions...
In the meantime, I hope you've all had a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Indy ♡