Tuesday 30th January 2018

As before, the room is too warm, or the duvet too thick, and coupled with a mild reaction to Anni’s perfume meant I was up at half four, or awake anyway, listening to the wind rattle some building material on the site outside the window. So I am showered and dressed for half six when the breakfast bar opens; fruit, a bacon roll and lots of coffee and I am ready for the drive to the office. Much safer before seven with almost no cycles about, meaning I don’t have to worry about hitting them when I turn right.

In fact the office is nearly empty, but I can get work done, mails written and so on before people begin to arrive just before eight until the place if full near to nine.

There is work, meetings, phone calls, lunch, more calls, meetings and at three people start to pack up to go home, so I join them, thinking a walk will do by knocked back the world of good.

An uneventful trip back to the hotel, I grab the camera and walk down to the waterfront to the library, DOKK1, a play on words in Danish apparently, but lost on non-speakers. It is a huge building, with huge spaces inside, where rows of neat bookshelves are shadowed by brush concrete walls, or walls with panelling.

I go to the large viewing area at the top, huge plate glass windows offer grand views of the harbour, and young people had set up their laptops by pillars all of which had power points to allow this to happen.

I walk back to the hotel, and I cross the road in front of the hotel, I pass by my mate Shaggy in his car, on the way to meet up. So my plan to have half an hour in the gym scuppered as I am convinced, without any difficulty, to go to the bar for a beer.

We catch up over IPA and peanuts, as my colleagues come back from work. I am ribbed by big Jesper that I am not going to the gym as I said I would. There’s always tomorrow.

We walk down the hill to the smokehouse where we are told there is an offer on ribs, 125Kr, with free side. Too good to refuse. But I do have soda this time!

Shags buys me a coffee, which we drink at a street café overlooking the canal. It is just above freezing and there are heaters, patio heaters and all sorts working overtime to keep us warm. But it was good to watch the world go by, all dressed in thick winter gear.

Back at the hotel I wish Shaggy well, and he drives back home to his family, and me to my room, to write. This,.