Helsingør, Denmark

On our second day in Denmark, we took the train northbound along the Danish coast to Helsingør, one of the largest cities in Northern Zealand. Helsingør is typically known for Kronborg Castle, the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet, but recently the city completed development of Kulturhavn Kronborg, a new cultural hub on the harbour which has helped update the city's image. The new M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark is worth the trip alone. Designed by the famous Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, the Maritime Museum offers fascinating exhibits about Danish maritime trade and shipping within a brilliant work of architecture. The museum was built sunken into the ground around a former dry dock, to both honour the UNESCO World Heritage status of Kronborg Slot and to give the museum a subterranean, underwater atmosphere reminiscent of life on the water. A visit to Helsingør was the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning in Denmark.

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M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark
Ny Kronborgvej 1
3000 Helsingør
Denmark

Signs of Spring

The best thing about Toronto this time of year is the sheer amount of activity surfacing throughout each pocket of the city. This past Saturday I spent the day outdoors, beginning my weekend with a Jane's Walk of Trinity Bellwoods, West Queen West and Lower Ossington. A really interesting tour, we learned about the gentrification of the neighbourhood, the ubiquitous Victorian bay-and-gable homes that line the residential streets, and the important street artists who've made their mark on the hidden laneways throughout the neighbourhood. Jane's Walks are great opportunities to explore a new part of the city and learn the history behind Toronto's many diverse communities. I highly recommend checking one out this spring.

After finishing the Jane's Walk at the Toronto Flower Market in Shaw Park, I headed to the Art Gallery of Ontario to visit the new Painting Tranquility: Vilhelm Hammershøi exhibit. Hammershøi is one of Denmark's most famous painters, best-known for his paintings of serene interiors and intimate portraits of his wife. I enjoyed the paintings of the familiar streetscapes of Copenhagen and the haunting undertones of his works. For those interested, the exhibit (which is on loan from Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen) is on until June 26th. 

Next door, I checked out OCADU's GradEx 101. GradEx is an annual showcase of student work, and this year marked OCAD University's 101st exhibition. It's amazing to see the new and unique talent coming out of this school - the craftsmanship and creativity put into these final thesis works was remarkable. An overall awesome exhibition in one of my favourite buildings in Toronto.