To Copenhagen

I got a coach from Brighton to Heathrow at 9.30am but just outside of Brighton the driver informed us that three lanes were closed at a section of the M25 motorway so we'd have to take a much slower route "through the houses". He stressed that he didn't know when we'd arrive but guessed at about noon. We had been due to arrive at 11.25am and I had until 12.40pm to get to my gate after going through security so I was still relaxed, especially as I'd already checked in. However when it got to midday and we still weren't there, I began to get a little nervous. We pulled up at Terminal 5 at 12.10pm and I rushed to security hoping there wouldn't be a massive queue. Luckily I got to the gate with 10 minutes to spare but it did mean I had no time to get lunch (or breakfast). I had a window seat and spent most of the flight enjoying the scenery as it was nice and clear.

In Copenhagen I took the train to Forum station and waited an hour or so for my friends to arrive after work. I first met Maiken and Cecilie in December in Thailand and we spent a few days exploring Koh Lanta together. They invited me to stay with them while I was back in Europe, so I happily took them up on their kind offer. While waiting for them, I sat and had a coffee. It may sound stupid but it was weird being mistaken for Danish and spoken to in another language repeatedly. In Asia I'm never mistaken for a local so I'm either spoken to in English or not at all.

They arrived just after 6pm and we went to Maiken's lovely apartment nearby to leave my bag and pick up my bicycle for the weekend. I was amazed at how many bikes there are around the city. Almost every road has a large bike lane and there are hundreds of bikes parked everywhere. We rode to the old harbour and had a beer in the sunshine before going to a restaurant they'd booked to meet Maiken's boyfriend.

The restaurant served traditional Danish food with a modern take and it was all delicious and in a great setting. Afterwards we met some of their friends at a bar and ended up in a fun gay bar and left around 3am. It was a fantastic night and so great to see my friends after six months!