I’ve been in Copenhagen two years now. Looking back, so much has happened, lots of things have changed, I’ve changed, people have come and gone . . .

I think these last two years have been about, well, love. I came here for love, and I stayed because I learned I could love life. Really love life. Love the way the cold grips tighter than I’d ever known, love sitting in my favourite bar and laughing with my friends, love the gentle undulation of change and growth unfolding inside me. . . and love just being!

Wherever you are, whoever you are . . . thanks so much for staying with me! Have a wonderful 2008.

Just read a beautiful post over at Dave Moulton’s Bike Blog. Dave is a bike frame builder of some repute and his knowledge of the history of competitive cycling appears to be second to none.

In today’s post, he recounts the story of two great French cyclists of the 1960s and 1970s, Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor. While Anquetil was the more successful rider, winning the Tour de France five times, Poulidor was regarded with greater affection by the French public and press. Known as Pou-Pou, he was often described as the ‘Eternal Second’, and his futile quest to win Le Tour captivated the country. The pair’s rivalry prevented them from becoming friends until long after their careers had ended. Sadly, that friendship was cut short by Anquetil’s death from stomach cancer in 1987. The day before he died he told Poulidor: “Once again my friend, you will be second to me.”

The picture above shows the pair’s famous elbow-to-elbow duel on the Puy-de-Dome mountain in the ’67 Tour. Poulidor is on the right.

#jacques anquetil #raymond poulidor #tour de france

A while ago I posted up a song – Smyrneiko Minore by Marika Papagika – from a compilation of obscure world music called Black Mirror. Also on that CD, which is absolutely brilliant by the way, is a beautiful song by a young Swedish boy called Christer Falkenstrom. I couldn’t find out much about him, but here he is in action in a Swedish film from the 40s. The oddness on display here is dreamlike and kind of heartwarming.

If I could ever use the phrase ‘keeping it real’ without puking up my intestines I would probably use it in reference to these boys. So much energy, and raw schmizzle. Genius. This is from their third album, Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever, which came out back in May.

I took a walk, headed out to who knows where. I walked and walked, and the seasons changed; I watched the sun revolve and the flowers blossom and wilt, and the snow fall, fall, fall. My walk did not end, and all the things I saw, I remember, and all the voices too. That walk became its own purpose, its own meaning . . . it was the only thing I understood. . . that all there was was to walk, one foot in front of the other . . . no path, only movement, all around, and onwards, onwards.

I’ve spent the past two days ‘off-site’ working with colleagues to try and develop a concept for a product. The idea is that a different environment will reduce the number of possible distractions, and focus our minds on the task in hand. It hasn’t really worked. We’ve paced around this sterile, bland room for hours on end, occasionally listening in to the people in the rooms either side, staring out the window or waiting for the muffins to arrive. Are we shit at our jobs, or is the brief cack? Dunno.

The idea that creativity can be teased out simply through supplanting one room for another is a bit simplistic I reckon. The truth is we’re stuck; collectively and individually. As a result, I’m resorting to a tried and tested method . . . I’m off down the pub.

I write ads for a living but, sadly, I doubt I’ll ever get to work on a product as fundamentally bizarre as Roadkill toys. Instead, someone else had that pleasure . . .

Simple and funny. Marvellous ad!

I’ll be playing some at Kalaset on Sunday afternoon if anyone is in the neighbourhood. I think I start at about 11am so I’ll be ‘entertaining’ the brunch crowd. I’m going to do a random giveaway of things in my room so if anyone comes up and says ‘can i feel in your magic bag’ they might get lucky. So far there’s a hack-e-sack in there. And a nice candle. Anyway, see you there.

Some of my favourite pics from the past couple of years ; these kind of sum up life in this city for me . . .

1. One lonely morning, 2. City fragment, 3. Hold fast, 4. Boots blue and scarf, 5. Sunday afternoon taking photos with my best friend, 6. Bus stop, 7. This is Copenhagen, 8. Bend, 9. Simplicity, 10. What solace there was, 11. Dude, 12. Tea . . ., 13. Hat, scarf, leather jacket and bags of style, 14. Blurred, sun, bike, girl, 15. På vej hjem, 16. Every day I fall in love a little, 17. Soon I will be 20, 18. Drink, 19. Pia and Malene, 20. Forward motion, 21. Blue shadow, 22. Stroll, 23. At a junction, 24. Rooftop silhouette, 25. Jaegersborggade