the light lane

We've been a little cycling obsessed since returning from Denmark (see Rob's blog here)

The biking infrastructure in Copenhagen makes cycling accessible (and safe) for people of any age or experience level. Since returning to North America though, I've been less enthusiastic about getting on a bike.

(traffic light in Copenhagen)

The luxury of raised, dedicated lanes with proper cycling lights is nothing more than simple lines painted on the road here. There is nothing restricting cars, trucks or buses (either parked or moving) from entering the 'bike' lanes which makes me a little uneasy.

I'm not alone. Safety is a huge concern for cyclists especially since thousands of people are injured (or worse) while cycling every year. Building proper bike lanes is expensive and is not happening as quickly as many would hope.

The designers at Altitude Inc. have come up with a possible solution: The Light Lane. A solution that adapts the bike lane to the cyclists rather than the other way around.

Using lasers, the Light Lane projects visible boundary lines for drivers to avoid.

Such a great idea, especially considering lanes like that show in this video called the "stupidest bike lane" are more common than not.

(copenhagen images by me, light lane image from here, story from here)

Bob Dylan: artist

Still a little nostalgic for Copenhagen, I found myself on the website for the Statens Museum (the National Gallery of Denmark). I was excited to learn that they will be exhibiting work by musician/writer/artist Bob Dylan.

The exhibition, which runs from September 2010 to February 2011, features drawings and sketches made while on the road during the period of 1989-1992. Some new pieces will also be introduced, including some acrylic paintings, which will be shown to the public for the first time.

This exhibition documents the artist's progression from drawings and sketches, to canvas, to large scale acrylic paintings. Dylan takes his viewers on tour with him, as witnesses to the people and places he has observed over the years.

"I just draw what’s interesting to me, and then I paint it. Rows of houses, orchard acres, lines of tree trunks, could be anything. I can take a bowl of fruit and turn it into a life and death drama. Women are power figures, so I depict them that way. I can find people to paint in mobile home communities. I could paint bourgeois people too.

I’m not trying to make social comment or fulfil somebody’s vision and I can find subject matter anywhere. I guess in some way that comes out of the folk world that I came up in." Bob Dylan

A selection from the Drawn Blank series is currently being exhibited at the Halcyon Gallery in London until April 10 2010.

images from Halcyon Gallery

a visit: the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen

While we were in Copenhagen, we visited the famous Royal Hotel. The hotel, including the interior and all the furnishings, were designed by Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen. The hotel was completed in 1960 and was the city's first skyscraper.

Much of the interior has changed but the iconic furniture remains.

All the rooms have been updated but one, Room 606, which remains the way Jacobsen designed it. It is available for booking!

The Egg and Swan chairs were designed by Arne Jacobsen especially for the space. The swivel base of the Swan chair allowed the guests to spin in their seats, making them active participants in the atmosphere of the busy hotel.

Along with the Swan chair, the Egg chair is believed to be one of the first upholstered swivel chairs.

The hotel even features Arne Jacobsen's famous Banker Clock. The clock indicates the hour with a blackened square in a stack of twelve boxes. Definitely a piece on my wish list!

(Furniture images by DWR, interior images by me)

Scandinavian inspiration

I could really see myself doing interior styling as a career. It is such an amazing way to combine my love of interior design, photography and magazines.

These are some images from the portfolio of Morten Holtum, a Danish photographer.

His work makes me completely nostalgic for Copenhagen. Living there, it is impossible not to fall in love with the Scandinavian design esthetic; classic pieces combined with clean lines, and strong punches of colour. The Danes brought functional, stylish design to the masses.

Royal Copenhagen dinnerware is so beautiful and timeless.

Great use of Panton chairs.

The combination of white walls and natural wood flooring is so unmistakably Scandinavian.

images by Morten Holtum

the recipe

So I'm embarrassed to admit that before this year, I did not own a copy of Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

The first recipe I tried was her soft boiled egg recipe (or "Oeufs Mollets"). I know this sounds a little nerdy, but I wanted a method that was consistent, despite variable factors such as number of eggs, amount of water or type of stove used.

Tried and true, here is it:

Lower the eggs into the boiling water and boil slowly according to the following table, adding one minute if the eggs are chilled

(* note: her recipe calls for 6 eggs in 2 quarts of boiling water but I've used as little as one egg and the method still works flawlessly!)

US large eggs - 6 minutes

extra large eggs - 6.5 minutes

jumbo eggs - 7 minutes

As soon as the time is up, drain off the boiling water and run cold water into the pan for one minute to set the white and to cool the eggs enough to remove the shells.

Enjoy!

When we were living in Copenhagen this year, we purchased these amazing egg cups designed by Muuto! Only in Scandinavia can they make eating eggs look so stylish!

image by Muuto