More minutiae about our flat

For my first official post I thought I would fill in a few other comments about our flat that Collin may have missed. He has mentioned a few of the funkier aspects of our flat which we have to get used to. I will record a few of the things Danes do well.

• Our first night coming back into the flat was a bit of an experience as the foyer and hallway were pitch black, and we couldn't figure out how to turn lights on, or why no lights were on in the first place. After a harrowing trip up three flights of stairs in the dark, many fumblings with the key at our door, and eventually using the cell phone as a flashlight we finally made our way back into our flat. The next day, in what passes as daylight here, we examined the hallway more closely and noticed every floor had what looks like a doorbell on it, but that actually turns on a light which then shuts off eventually on its own. Very energy efficient. And very effective. Our subsequent trips back at night were much smoother…and how smart to not just have a hallway light that is always on.

• Before coming here I was resigned to the fact that our shower would have no water pressure and intermittent hot water. I was completely wrong. Other than the small darkness of the shower – due to a heavy, dark shower curtain that is fashioned well within the bathtub – the water is HOT with fantastic pressure. And not only that, but with the way you turn the water on and off, you only need to set the temperature once. Now every time we use the shower it is the exact same temperature. My only complaint is the ultra-hard water is wreaking havoc on my hair. I finally purchased a hair dryer which I thought would help me smooth out this dry tough mess, but sadly it does not. I will have to search around for better shampoos and conditioners, I suppose.

• Another positive note related to the bathroom…I don’t know if it is actually heated or if it is due to geniusly placed pipes carrying hot water, but our tiled bathroom floor is consistently warmer than the rest of the floors in the flat. There is no gauge for adjusting the heat, but it is quite a nice treat each morning to walk in there and feel the warm floor. I could get used to that!

• This one can be good or bad depending on your style…but it is a new experience for us. Danish bed linens (at least in this flat) looks something like this. 

There is no fitted sheet. The bottom sheet is flat and, instead of being tucked into the mattress, it is just tucked into the thin (1 inch) mattress that sits on top of the actual mattress. This means if you move around in your sleep a lot, it often comes undone. Then on top of that there is no top sheet. Instead there are two thin duvets with duvet covers. This is the part that has me and Collin in disagreement. Each duvet is roughly twin-sized, and they lay side by side. I love it because it means we each have our own, so he can wrap his up and tug it as much as he wants and it doesn't affect mine. He does not love it because he wraps his up and tugs it a lot and because it doesn't get tucked in like a sheet it does not stay in one place. On top of the two duvets is a comforter which goes over the whole bed just like one in the US. Overall, other than the bottom sheet not being fitted, I like the setup. Luckily by the time summer and warmer temperatures roll around we will be in an apartment with our own bed and linens, and can use all the fitted and top sheets we want. I do miss my pillow!