Summer is here! (finally!)

Since the day we returned from our western Denmark trip, it is finally summer here in Copenhagen. It's been sunny and warm for the last few days and it does feel like summer! The high temperatures are in the upper 70's (25-26c), and it feels quite warm by Copenhagen standard. But I know this is nothing compared to what it is like back home in New York or in Tokyo if it feels totally comfortable in the apartment without an air conditioner - in fact, most houses here don't have air conditioning. We'll see how long this "summer" will last.

Anyway, we've been busy going out and having some fun to take advantage of this weather!

On Monday, we visited our favorite park from last year in our old neighborhood. The park, so-called the "Farm House", has its usual playground amenities such as a sandbox, swings and bikes to ride, but it also houses some farm animals such as goats, chickens (roosters), pigs, rabbits, and a cow. You can go in the fence to pet and feed the goats as you wish (people usually bring uncooked spaghettis to feed the goats). Mio was too afraid to do this last year, but this year, she voluntarily went in, and she showed no fear - she was happily petting and feeding the goats. What a difference a year makes!

Yesterday, I rode the bike with the kids in the trailer for the first time this year, and ventured out to a park in Vesterbro area. Vesterbro is an area that used to be the red-light district of Copenhagen, but it has been cleaned up to a great extent in the recent years, and it is now one of the hippest and trendiest places in Copenhagen - not that I got to explore the trendy shops or restaurants or cafes...

Back to the park. I went to the park because it has this nice toddler pool right in the park, and it was a perfect day for it.  The playground part was great, too, and the kids enjoyed going back and forth from the pool to the playground. 

Today was back to our old standby - the Ørstedsparken. But it was quite special because....

  

Mio rode a two-wheeled bike, unassisted, for the first time!!

Check this out!

And the thing is, neither I or Jonathan once helped her ride a bike without the training wheels. She just learned it by herself! The key is, the "balance bike" - a two-wheeled bike without the pedals. She has been practicing riding those in the park since we got to Copenhagen in June, and a month and a half later, she can ride a real two-wheeled bike! We were so proud of her, and she was very proud of herself, too!