Christiania!

Thursday night, after all that bike riding, was time for something different. Very different. We were going to Christiania.

Originally a military base, it was decommissioned and abandoned in the 70s. At that time, a group of left-wingers took possession of the space by squatting, declaring the free land of Christiania. Since, its had an at-times uneasy relationship with the Danish government, especially on the topic of drugs. Learn more, if you wish, at www.christiania.org.

We went to see the place and also to have dinner. Place first.

No photos were allowed inside, so I'll have to go with my recollection only. It was a very strange sensation, both very similar and very different all at once. The place seemed a bit overgrown, or had perhaps begun to revert to nature, depending on your perspective. There was also a vigorous and multi-item recycling system in operation. In many ways, it was like a walk through a warehouse district that had had some parks inserted between, including a waterfront. In other ways, I could feel the change in apparent legal status and it felt as though the norms of the place were very foreign. I didn't know what would be allowed and what wouldn't. Very odd.

A place I still haven't wrapped my head around. But I did, for sure, get some tasty vegetarian fare while there.

We went to Morgenstedt.

I got a duo of salads as a starter, with one an apple and poppy salad and the other a red cabbage, cucumber, and tomato salad. Both were bursting with freshness and quite tasty. I particularly appreciated the apple salad, an excellent use of fruit in a savory dish.

My main was the "hot meal," a lentil and cauliflower curry over rice with mixed steamed vegetables. This was also much better than expected and than it looked. The curry was rich, full of flavor, a bit of cauliflower here, some cumin there, and more. But the real coup on the plate were the vegetables. What a mixture, with garbanzo beans, green beans, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, and more. And all so fresh and vibrant, I was hoping there would be more of this!

While we were walking around afterward, I got a Christiania beer to wash down the meal. It was, well, a rather cheap lager. At least it had a cool logo!