Copenhagen

One of many "Shop signs'


Another shop sign: this one for a book binder


One of so many great bikes




View of my balcony overlooking the hotel's courtyard


Tranquil canopy bed


Cozy courtyard at the hotel with Rent-a-bikes in background.
At night the staff brought out twinkling lanterns.
It was so damn cozy (Or as the Danes would say : Hygge was achieved! - see notes below)

Design highlights: from Copenhagen

1. Bikes, Bikes, Bikes.
So beautiful I want to photograph them all

2. The houses. Sigh.

3. The 'identification signs' which hang over shops.
An old tradition which adds a sense of whimsy to each place of business.

4. My hotel!
Bertrams Hotel Guldsmeden
5 stars. Highly recommended.
I found this hotel on the internet and was taken with the unusual Bali influenced decor including a canopy bed, lots of wood, and fabulous rugs.
In person it did not disappoint!
The hotel and rooms were incredibly beautiful + tranquil - i think the nicest I've ever seen -- and the staff were great too. Upon arrival we were offered a welcome drink in the lovely courtyard café which I think is a very nice touch. They also had several bikes on hand which could be rented for a day or week. (Without a doubt the best way to get around Copenhagen!)
If you go I recommend requesting a room with a balcony that overlooks the courtyard.
See photo. Sigh.

And now a cultural lesson:
Every detail in the hotel was focused to create hygge which is a very important concept for the Danes.
Hygge is hard to pronounce and impossible to define precisely. Roughly translated, the word means cozy, but it's far more nuanced than that. Incorporating all things warm, fuzzy, and comforting, hygge is a distinctly Danish thing that embodies the highest aspirations of the culture. It's a kind of super-gemütlich state of well-being, an internal feng shui. It's the happy glow you get sitting around a fireplace on a winter evening. Drinking schnapps. Snacking heavily. Lounging in a woolly sweater on a soft Arne Jacobsen "egg" chair and sensing that there is, in fact, nothing rotten in the state of Denmark.
(From Conde Nast traveller)