Copenhagen, Day One - The Generator Hostel

We got into Copenhagen late. Our WOW air flight was delayed by almost two hours, so we didn't arrive at our hostel until the mid afternoon. Interestingly, the flight attendant apologized for the delay by blaming it on "system issues from a few days ago." Could it be that the fledgling air carrier was still affected by the same delay that saw us leave Boston three hours late just three days earlier? 

Yes, I said hostel. I convinced the Old Man to try it out. Accommodations for the two of us for four nights totaled $300, which is almost as cheap as you can get in Copenhagen without getting stabbed. 

 

Our hostel was the Generator Copenhagen, located near to the pretty Nyhavn section of the city. It was also convenient to a metro station (Kogens Nytorv - about 7 minutes by foot) and to a metro/S-Tog station (Norreport - about a 10-minute walk).  

The Generator Copenhagen is part of a chain of 6-8 other Generators, including ones in London and Berlin. The Copenhagen establishment has a huge bar area, a two-level comfy sitting area in front of three large TVs, a computer room, a multipurpose area, and a few cozy "chill zones" where you can just, well, relax! One of them is a room full of colorful hammocks. Should've taken pics for you, but somehow I didn't. Padre may have, but he's currently snoring loudly into my ear as we ride a train. 

 

Here's what our bunks looked like:

I had the top bunk. Below the bed are giant lockers-on-wheels where you can secure your things while sleeping or for when you're on the town. The were really neat and were plenty secure. That's my locker in the picture. My Dad's is to the left, tucked under the bed with a padlock on it. He had forgotten to bring his combination lock from home, so he bought a simple key lock from the front desk, for about $4.00 U.S. 

 

I went out that first night in Copenhagen and returned to the Generator to join Dad for happy hour in the hostel's bar from 9-10 PM. I have to give the Old Man some credit. He could have gotten away with it and I would have been none the wiser. He had dutifully locked his rolling locker before taking a nap, and he locked the key in the locker. With his pants. And his shoes. He had to walk, barefoot, down to the front desk, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and shorts. Half-blind because his glasses were locked up, too. 

 

He asked the clerk if they had any bolt cutters. "Yes," he replied kindly. "Does this happen a lot?" asked the Old Man. "Well, you're the first today,  but you won't be the only one! Would you like to buy a new lock while you're here?"

 

We enjoyed almost our entire stay at the Generator. We met lots of great people (all ages stayed at the hostel, and some families with small kids, too) and our ever-changing allotment of roommates were generally considerate and friendly.  Until the last day. This guy and his girlfriend had the two bunks opposite ours. When Dad first met the guy, he ranted about politics and his love for weed. Two or three times later that night, at around midnight, 2AM and 4AM, he would get up, loudly sort through his things, turn lights on and off, and - worst of all - he would wake up his girlfriend and talk loudly with her for ten minutes before she could get him to shut up. This was the downside to a shared room, but overall my Dad and I would each stay at a hostel again. I took the guy's picture so he will live in infamy for eternity on my blog. 

 

 Eight bunks in our room, though there were also 6-, 4- and two-bunk rooms available for more money. Our room had two showers, a bathroom and a separate sink, with two more showers and bathrooms just down the hall. 

 

Stay tuned for the next installment, when your intrepid heroes explore Kronborg Castle in Helsingor (Elsinore) the setting for Shakespeare's "Hamlet!"