Wandering

Finding the hidden

The opportunities we have to wander, whether in our own backyards or in the cities we find ourselves in, should never be turned down. It's in the alleyways and byways, the shadows and puddles of light, that we find humanity.

In a city like Copenhagen, spread out for kilometers with districts and sections nested together like the architypical Russian doll, some of the greatest treasures are not readily visible from the street. You have to take the turn down into the dark alleys to find the treasure.

The colours are always what you least expect. A rusted yellow, burnt oranges, flag stone greys, with splashes of greens and blues and beiges. There's a lightness and almost serene joy that you encounter, often with a steaming coffee in hand accompanied by the cardamon-infused kanelsnurre. It may be difficult to relay from where I sit now, but, hopefully you get the sense of place it brings.

Copenhagen isn't just about the old and historic buildings either. For every gentle curve of a building's presentation, there's an equal offset of contemporary and modern edifices somewhere else. You see them appear at random, perhaps tucked into the little side streets of Fredericksberg or Nørrebro or Østerbro, a speck of stark modernity in the otherwise neoclassical façades of row houses.

As Emma and I fly home today, perhaps to return again in the coming months, we're blessed for the joys of wandering and discovery. We're delighted to find the quiet spaces, the hidden treasures, the people behind the busyness in this melting pot of international menagerie.

Find those hidden paths, the roads less traveled and don't be afraid to explore a bit. They often lead to discoveries of a human kind, a revelation that you'd not otherwise find amidst the crowds and tumult of the every day. Get out and explore and perhaps, in the discovery of others, you'll find little pieces of yourself as well.

May it ever be so.