A Day in Aarhus

Aarhus held a sense of mystery for me, being that Cara would only port there once during this contract. Plus, it was the only Danish port in an overwhelmingly Norway-based cruise. I had heard that the city was beautiful, extremely pedestrian, and that there was lots to see!

Kirsty and I got off of Cara in the morning and were immediately offered some Danish bread and butter by the welcome crew. We proceeded to walk towards the main shopping area. One of the first things I saw was this gorgeous canal lined with trees, flanked on either side by cafés with outdoor seating. Though it was only 10 am, the area was teeming with people. We passed the commercial area, which reminded me a bit of SoHo minus the grid, and continued on toward the AROS Art Museum. You know, the one with the rainbow on the roof?

Yeah, that’s the one. It was BEAUTIFUL to see from the outside of the museum. Kirsty and I ascended the stairs into AROS and into a beautiful foyer. A spiral staircase connecting all of the floors was the defining architectural feature. It made me think of the internal structure of the ear. We purchased our tickets and went straight up to the 10th floor. Everyone,Your rainbow panorama did not disappoint!

The best part, besides the orange section, was the fact that the exhibit played up the aspect of temperature. While the red, yellow, and orange half of the panorama radiated heat from the natural sunlight, the cooler colors were further air-conditioned by vents near the floor. This gave viewers a physical stimulus in addition to a visual one, which I thought was super smart.

The rest of the museum only added to my joy. The 9th floor was the “Met” floor, organized into galleries based on paintings’ themes. We saw some lovely work based on nature, light, social gatherings, contrasting perspective, children, animals and humans, religion, etc. There was no photography allowed in this exhibit, which I appreciated because it forced me to just walk and look.

The Australian sculpture Boy, was on display.. This 5 meter-tall boy was so lifelike, it was incredible.

The exhibit Move! was an entire floor dedicated to a gigantic ball-rolling machine, kind of like those machines encased in glass that you can find in San Fransisco…. same idea. There were things written all over the walls, and at the end of the exhibit children could play with lego-esque building materials. Overhead, there was a sign that read, “What does a hero/heroine look like to you?” We could take pictures at this exhibit.

My other favorite exhibit was Tomorrow is the Question, based on how human action is shaping the future. It was full of predictions, it was modern, it was scary and beautiful…. I wish everyone a trip to Aarhus right now, just to see this exhibit. This one was important.

Other fun things about this museum: there was a break room, which was super considerate! It had lovely lounging chairs, great wifi, right outside there were these fun, interactive collage games Kirsty and I played:

In addition, there were many classrooms and play areas where they clearly host art programs for kids. How smart! Start ‘em off when they’re young! Overall, this was one of the top museums I have been to in my life. I loved the variety that AROS was able to provide for viewers, as well as their focus on education and outreach.

Next, Kirsty and I met up with George and we explored. All of the surrounding buildings and landscaping brought a university setting to mind (Who knows, maybe that is where we were?), what with the wide streets and even wider sidewalks, red brick buildings, young people holding coffee cups or scooting around. We passed a dance crew working on a routine in a parking lot. They were being yelled at in English,"CLEANER ARMS!" I thought this was pretty funny. George, who had been to Aarhus on his previous contract, led us through the winding streets to a little vegan café, where we enjoyed they sunny patio, wifi, and vegan noms.

For our final Aarhus activity, we went in search of Danish pastry. After all, we were in Denmark, were we not? George navigated to a bakery that looked like the Santa's workshop of cookie-making. It was so stereotypical bakery, I knew it was a pastry game-changer. The front of the shop contrasted greatly with the baking area; the counter was made of dark wood, the window display that had originally tantalized us from outside was meticulously organized, and the fridge was stocked with upscale waters and a variety of coffee drinks; it was like an upscale coffee shop!

We wanted a Danish, but they didn't have any. So, we asked for a recommendation of the more traditional goods, and left with a cinnamon roll, a sandwich-type cookie, and some raspberry-flavored fudge t h i n g. The cinnamon roll changed my life, I quite enjoyed the cookie, the fudge t h i n g I tried and the rest went to George. I think George left it alone as well.

As we were sailing away, out of the corner of my eye I saw the famous Iceberg houses, right alongside the harbor! These were some beautiful and creative apartment buildings that I had found captivating during my research of Aarhus, but I hadn't thought that I would actually see them.

Until we meet again, Aarhus! I wish I had more time to explore, but other ports are calling. Next up: Stavanger, Oslo, Gothenburg, and Copenhagen!