This flight of fancy was a fun afternoon at Ashtons Gastropub in Dublin. ‚Ǩ10 for 3 gin. I tried Blackwoods Vintage which was super paired with lime and tonic. Then Sw4 with lemon. And last Gordons Sloe Gin. I have never had sloe gin and didn’t know it was red. This one was a bit sweet and fruity, which could have been the 3 raspberries in it. Anyway, a fab afternoon with new tastes.

Blackwoods Vintage uses handpicked Shetland botanicals. Shetland is off the north coast of Scotland, towards Norway. The North Sea hits the Atlantic Ocean so there are long winters and short summers. All of this makes for good marketing copy and excellent gin. Taste wise this gin is a smooth citrus with a gentle floral and herbal note. My favourite of the 3, but also the first one I tasted.

Sw4 is a small-batch London Dry Gin from Britain, originally Clapham, South London, postal code SW4. It didn’t seem as smooth as the Blackwoods Vintage but it was definitely pleasant. The lemon slice I added made the lemon and juniper more pronounced. It was definitely piney, which I don’t see as a fault.

Gordon’s Sloe Gin. I had no idea what this was and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a red gin and definitely a tasty winter tipple. A modern-girl’s version of sherry? To make sloe gin, you need sloe berries, sugar and Gordon’s. Gordon’s is your best choice because of the high juniper content. The juniper blends with the fruity flavour of the sloes. You let all the ingredients hang out for 2 months or so and then strain your gin to separate it from the berries. Sloe berries? Yes, those are blackthorn drupes, a small berry that looks a bit like a blueberry and is a relative of the plum. It’s tart like pomegranate. Whoever thought to combine it with gin was a genius.

Ok technically we had more than one day in Copenhagen, but if you’re travelling with a 3-year-old boy then the amount of things you do over 3 days is basically what a couple could do in one.

Click the image to view the photo gallery.

Day One: Fly into Copenhagen
It’s super easy to take the train from the airport into the central station or beyond. In the baggage claim area look for the kiosk to get your train tickets so you can avoid the big lineups in the arrivals area. We stayed in Frederiksberg near the metro station Forum. It was pretty central and we had a lovely Airbnb.

Next, go play! Danes are active and there are a ton of parks, bike and run paths along the canals, and nice places to walk.

Even the tiny playgrounds built into little boulevards or courtyards have fun play structures and many have riding toys and other gems.

Our last-minute, hungry-now meal was at Halifax, which is a gourmet burger joint. Really delicious and pretty fun.

Day Two: Play at the Park

While my husband was busy at work, my son and I went for an adventure to Orstedsparken. There is a really cool playground in the park, millions of bike paths, a lake, and a second smaller playground near a cafe. The beauty of playgrounds in Denmark is that most also have public bathrooms, which is super for little kids.

Orstedsparken also has an exit that leads right to Israels Plads, which is a big public square with an amazing food market. If it’s raining or the weather isn’t great, grab a spot indoors otherwise enjoy sitting in the square watching the world go by.

Alternatively if you are longing for the pet you’ve left at home, Cafe Miao is a cat cafe nearby that serves standard fair (sandwiches and dainties) and has a number of resident cats who enjoy the attention. I’d recommend the food market myself but if you have a little person who needs to be distracted then Cafe Miao is not a bad option.

Vesterbrogade is a street in Frederiksberg with a ton of restaurants and little alleys that offer great options too. Watch for Les Trois Cochons, delicious bistro.

We went to BOB Bistro, which is another gem. Organic and delicious. Plus kid friendly. The kids menu had roast pork and veg. They are a step above.

Day Three: Play at the HUGE Park

Renting bikes is definitely the way to go in Copenhagen. You’ll get around faster than in a car or cab and it’s pretty safe in that most streets have dedicated bike lanes. The best place we found was Baisikeli. They were cheap and cheerful and the bikes were in pretty good condition. They also rent bikes with a kid seat.

After picking up bikes at Baisikeli we cycled out to Kastellet, which is a cool fort (also there are a few playgrounds nearby). We checked out the Little Mermaid along the seawall then stopped at Amalienborg for the changing of the Royal Guard at noon. This is quite a spectacle.

We then cycled over the bridge to Copenhagen Street Food. This is another amazing indoor food market. There are a ton of vendors offering everything from pulled duck to tacos to burgers to salmon to higher-end fare. There is seating indoors and out and if it’s sunny I recommend watching the boats along the canal.

After lunch we rode out to Faelledparken, which is a huge amazing park. The play structure has towers modelled on famous Copenhagen landmarks, and there was a booth set up with buckets of Lego (originally from Denmark). This park has several sections to it and in one area is a massive wading pool that is also open in the off season as a playground. It would be amazing in the summer. There are sand bars, water canons to fire, little bridges and waterfalls. I loved it, and it was a cool fall day so we didn’t even get the full experience.

I then recommend cycling back through the neighbourhood Norrebro. There are lots of hip restaurants and the vibe here is pretty neat. Thai Pan is a little further along the canal and smelled amazing as we drifted by on a mission to cook at home that night.

If you’re looking traditional Danish fare then try Aamanns Deli and Takeaway. The open-faced sandwiches are delicious and the flavour combinations really interesting. Try salmon or herring, or anything on their menu. It’s all delicious.

Day Four: Return

We returned our bikes, returned the rental suite keys and returned ourselves home. It was all very smooth and we can’t wait to visit Copenhagen again, especially in the summer so we can go to the Tivoli amusement park and eat more amazing food.

The complete guide to the burgers of Dingle. It’s a short list. Go to Chewy, a pop-up burger stand beside Dick Mack’s pub and order a double cheeseburger and shoestring fries.

Sure, there may be other places in Dingle that serve a burger, but if you mean business then take your business to Chewy. Run by a man named Aussie, Chewy is a pop-up burger stand beside Dick Mack’s pub that has been around for about 3 weeks. Chewy burgers are made with West Kerry beef and freshly baked Courtney’s brioche buns. Aussie is, hands down, serving the best burger in Dingle.

Dingle is a modest town in County Kerry, Ireland, with several shops and pubs, a whiskey distillery and two Murphy’s Ice Cream parlours. Dingle is a common stop on any tour of the Dingle Peninsula. Follow the stream of tourists up to Dick Mack’s and grab yourself a beer, then slip around the side of the building to Chewy’s.

The double cheeseburger is a massive thing of beauty, and the single is no laughing matter either. The burger and shoestring fries combo is a winner.

You might have a 15-minute wait if there’s a big queue or a larger order before you but don’t falter. This is the burger you want. Stick it out. And when you have that tasty burger and fries in hand then wander across the street to the secret gardens behind the church.

G'wan, give us a follow #cheeseburger #dingle #burger #foodtruck #cheese #WildAtlanticWay #Ireland #kerry

— Chewy (@chewydingle) June 24, 2016

The unrecorded working-class history of Dublin is being recorded.
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Quote:
“Come here to me” is Dublin slang used to mean “Listen to this” or “I’ve something to tell you”. These phrases tend to imply a secretiveness or revelatory importance to the upcoming piece of information.

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