Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

È primavera!!!


È primavera! E cosa fanno i danesi quando è primavera? Si spogliano pur di esporre ogni centimetro di pelle al sole? Si, ma non solo. Bevono anche per strada e non solo chiusi in casa? Si, ma non solo. In primavera, i veri danesi rifanno il look al giardino e/o ne approfittano per rinnovare parte della casa. A me sono toccate entrambe le cose.
La parte della casa che ho contribuito a distruggere (da vero eroe moderno, preparando il rinnovamento...) era una veranda che abbiamo scoperto essersi retta per anni su di fondamenta sghembe, livellate con fogli di pubblicità (tipo le offerte della settimana) pressati uno contro l'altro. Alla faccia della qualità made in Denmark...
Ma andiamo con ordine. Come buon danese, il primo e piú importante attrezzo della vita quotidiana è un buon trailer, un rimorchietto che di solito viene usato per andare in Germania e caricarci alcol a basso prezzo.


Dopo viene la parte divertente, cioè la distruzione della struttura in legno ormai marcio, che viene giù che è un piacere.

Naturalmente, è un lavoro da uomini duri, con muscoli e cervello, come il marcantonio della foto.

Il trailer poi viene progressivamente riempito e portato alla discarica.

Ora vorrei sfatare un mito. I danesi non riciclano. Sono tutte bufale. Se fuori dai condomini di Copenhagen vedete ogni tanto due/tre cassonetti separati, dovete sapere che era un progetto pilota per la separazione dei rifiuti, ora sospeso. Se poi ve lo vendono come “alla fine aprono tutti i sacchetti e fanno lo scanner del codice a barre uno a uno e poi lo mettono nel cassonetto giusto”, dovete sapere che il motivo per cui il progetto era sospeso era che un giornalista aveva scoperto che poi mettevano tutto insieme (senza scansionare uno per uno)...Ogni buon danese butta tutto insieme (a parte il vetro) nello stesso sacchetto, tipicamente sotto il lavandino.

Dicevamo che il trailer viene portato alla discarica (che in danese si dice affald). Cioè, ad uno spiazzo a cielo aperto dove (lì sì) diversi materiali vengono messi in diversi containers (sabbia, pietre da costruzione, metallo, carta, strumenti elettronici). 

Si può sia depositare che prendere, il che lo trovo piuttosto hippy e mi piace. “La pietra scartata dai costruttori è diventata pietra d'angolo”, no? E a chi non piacerebbe essere quella pietra? E comunque, svelti, che le anche i containers sono a cielo aperto...

In fondo, la Danimarca è solo il paese con probabilmente la più alta concentrazione si pale eoliche per abitante.

Perchè dovrebbe tirare vento?
Un abbraccio a tutti e...riciclate!
Francesco

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Sopra la panca la capra...

...beh non so voi, ma io non mi ricordo mai cosa fa la capra, se campa o se crepa, e soprattutto dove.

Ma...(incredibile ma vero, era l'introduzione)...so dove balleranno le mucche e quando!
Forse anche a voi sarà capitato di recente di bere del buon latte danese e di vedere questa immagine sul cartone, che dice "Vieni a vedere le mucche che ballano!" (PS per chi avesse voglia di imparare il danese, c'è sempre il mio blog lezionididanese.blogspot.com)
Comunque, "Settembre andiamo, è tempo di migrar", chi non se lo ricorda? Eh si perché le mucche a settembre e vengono portate al chiuso per passare l'inverno al caldo.
Poi quando la stagione migliore arriva anche qui, prima o poi e con moooolta pazienza vengono lasciate libere di scorrazzare nei prati per tutta la stagione estiva.
Insomma, come reagiremmo noi se potessimo uscire dopo sei mesi di galera? Non so voi, ma io probabilmente come una mucca dopo sei mesi in una stalla.
Eh si perchè le mucche hanno una gran voglia di sgranchirsi le gambe o per per meglio dire..."ballano"! E visto che la Danimarca è un paese per famiglie, il tutto si è trasformato in un evento per famiglie. Ogni anno, in occasione dell'apertura della stalla, tante famiglie ma non solo si riuniscono sui prati delle fattorie e guardano le mucche ballare. (In forndo, è una giornata all'aria aperta e per quanto mi riguarda, è da un po' che non vedo niente ti così rurale, e la cosa mi manca. Le caprette che andavo a trovare quando avevo cinque anni sull'argine della Parma con i miei nonni non ci sono più da almeno 25 anni...)

Come essere sicuri di non mancare?
Arla Food, il gigante danese del latte e derivati, apre le porte delle proprie fattorie ecologiche per quello che si chiama l'Arla Økodag e quest'anno cade il 22 Aprile.

Come fare per vedere le mucche che ballano? 
Niente di più semplice. Prendere il vestito della festa, possibilmente bianco e...nooooo! Andate sul sito di Arla, cercate la fattoria più vicna a voi, cercare nell'armadio o chiedete ai vicini se hanno vestiti da buttare via o magari vi possono prestare qualche vestito che loro stessi hanno usato per in queste occasioni e...sperate di avere il raffreddore!

Buona giornata delle mucche danzanti a tutti!

Francesco




Monday, March 12, 2012

Prague Day 2


Going at Bernardo’s office for lunch, I walked through what I think is one of the city’s best streets: Vinoradska, but more on that later.

Starting from the metro station Mustek, very central, I walked up Vaclavste namesti until the national museum and then, with the main railway station on my left, I waited a second before taking up Vinoradska.
I looked down, from the national museum along the avenue that eventually flows into Na Prikope. No wonder that Russians thought the national museum to be Parliament, and therefore surrounded it with tanks when they invaded the country in 1968. The national museum is not only magnificent, it dominates the town, whose eyes can’t help looking at it.

Then I walked down a passage underground, which communicated the sidewalks at opposite sides of the Museum metro stop. There smells like pizza and kebab and bakery and underground. It is incredibly lively, with students buying snacks on their way home, workers buying something to fry on a pan, employees having something to eat and a chat.
I remember in Parma, we used to have one of those, by the remains of the Roman bridge under Piazza della Ghiaia. When I was a child, I remember it was full of lights, underground, with a bar and a shoe store. I remember I used to ask myself how could a bridge stand under another bridge. It was by the underground market, with a preponderant smell of cheese. I have not been there under for a while, perhaps because last time I went, there was no store left.

Like I was saying, I repute Vinoradska one of the bests in town, because it has the splendor of Prague, without the touristic touch of the centre. The result is a truly authentic street: old people passing from the baker to the butcher with the bags of their daily shopping, mixed up with the new middle-class symbols, such as night clubs advertising “Russian Ladies Night”, and modern totems such as gay clubs.
It feels as if the “socialist architects” felt that it would be a shame to interrupt the street’s harmony, so the main street of this neighborhood, which ends in to the very graveyard where Kafka is buried, has the character of Prague which fortunately the architectonic real-socialism left nearly untouched, although sometimes they cannot hold a grip and had to leave a mark somehow.


In streets like this, time seems to have past fast. One has to go to side streets in order to get a fairer vision of how time really past: renovated buildings lay aside untouched and needing-renovation ones.


Prague Day 1 and Night 2


Where were we? Oh yes, free vodka. Knowing that you have a time and date where to be at a certain point of the day tends to organize the whole day all around it.
I woke up late, bought a sandwich at a Tesco supermarket that is now in a building that must have been a market of sort, and walk up and down on Prague’s bridges. There is no closer feeling to freedom, than eating your sandwich while walking in a beautiful day.


I feel like if the water is the true soul of Prague: the river looks the same at all times. So are Prague’s art nouveau buildings. I am amazed by how architectonically consistent this city is: all buildings may look alike one another, with some exceptions like that pearl called Mala Strana. Yet, all buildings surprise the eye with great door, carefully symmetric balconies, shining decorations art nouveau. So does the river, every wave, every moment.
Eventually, night, H&M, and free vodka.

Nothing is better than vodka to cut one’s indecisions loose.

After a short discussion

Bernardo and Marie decided who gets what: dress for her, red trousers for him.




Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Prague Day 1, after Night 1

However you slice it, Prague is wonderful, great vibes and great people, at least so far. The apartment's cat minds minds her own business and has not marked my luggage, yet, which is a plus (besides, in case she did, we would probably have rabbit, for dinner...). Sun is shining and that helps, too.

Tonight I have bartered off an invitation to the grand opening of a new H&M into town. 

H&M??? Why???

Well, to start, the event has captured the attention of local fashion bloggers, because it is apparently the result of a new venture between H&M and the italian brand MARNI. However, I am not going there to meet up with local bloggers and discuss of fashion...
Despite the tempting 25 % discount on all the stock, only for today, this is neither the reason why I am going...

Attracting men at a women's night is a matter of fine psychology. Women would likely prefer to be accompanied by women: no boring-looking men around, freedom of chat, interesting and interested conversation about that lovely dressed that you have been wanting for a while.

But here comes the true Czech genius: the organization offers free Vodka!

This country has a bright future ahead.

Some days in...Prague! Night one

Well events do not only is not only in Denmark, right?
After a weekend in Copenhagen, I have landed yesterday night in Prague.

The flight from CPH was ten minutes earlier and I was welcomed on the plain by the greatest anti-steward I could imagine: tall, built, with a hint of a tatoo that I could see on his neck (and which in my head it became a big tatoo of a dragon or a snake that I would see better when he will rip his shirt and hijack the plane). He asked me if I wanted something to drink. I played the macho card: "Beer". "Excellent choice, sir". So far so good.

I need some money and I decide to withdraw some cash instead of changing my Kroner at the local currency exchange office...I am an independent traveller and I have a credit card and I can take care of it.
So I choose the Unicredit's booth with instructinos in Italian (you know...heart's calling), I asked 2000 local crowns and of course the machine gives me ... one big 2000-crown bill. The bus ticket for the town is 32 crowns...

Of course, who would think that a newly arrived tourist at the airport needs small.
Luckily, local currency exchange office was still open...



Friday, March 2, 2012

Run in Viborg!


It is spring and it is time to run!

The area around Viborg will host a season of runs, marathons, urban trails, runs through swamps and old mines, duathlon...everything a sport lover can desire in the great surrounding of one of the oldest towns in the country!


Sounds cool. What is the first run?
Hungry for running? You've got your occasion to put yourself to the test!
The running season starts with the Urban Trail, 10.6 km in the very Viborg!
You'll start on Sunday March 11, at 10am, here.
Fee: 295 Kr

Where to sign-up?
You may check the official website for more information, in Danish of course.
Generally:
- every runs takes place at a different location, you may find the calendar of incoming runs here;
- you can become member of the club "I love run in Viborg", or even find the running club closer to you;
- you can make your personal training table, by seeing who trains where and when, by clicking here, and selecting the day (ugedag) and the town (by) on the left
- yet, you still have to sign up for every run separately (fees are variable). Check the calendar to keep up to date!


Have a good run! And let us know how it went by leaving a comment to this post!


Run in Viborg!


It is spring and it is time to run!

The area around Viborg will host a season of runs, marathons, urban trails, runs through swamps and old mines, duathlon...everything a sport lover can desire in the great surrounding of one of the oldest towns in the country!


Sounds cool. What is the first run?
Hungry for running? You've got your occasion to put yourself to the test!
The running season starts with the Urban Trail, 10.6 km in the very Viborg!
You'll start on Sunday March 11, at 10am, here.
Fee: 295 Kr

Where to sign-up?
You may check the official website for more information, in Danish of course.
Generally:
- every runs takes place at a different location, you may find the calendar of incoming runs here;
- you can become member of the club "I love run in Viborg", or even find the running club closer to you;
- you can make your personal training table, by seeing who trains where and when, by clicking here, and selecting the day (ugedag) and the town (by) on the left
- yet, you still have to sign up for every run separately (fees are variable). Check the calendar to keep up to date!


Have a good run! And let us know how it went by leaving a comment to this post!