The view from Luna Bar in Guanajuato. The very fine Heradura Añejo tequila is what I am drinking.
It has become a wonderful tradition, spending my birthday with the love of my life, my magic Charlene, and then posting a few pictures from the day. You can read about where 901, 902 and 903 took place – this year we got to celebrate my 904th year as a time-traveler in several countries and time zones, fitting for a time-lord!
We were flying to Copenhagen on my actual birthday, April 6, so we had to start the celebration a bit early while we were still in magical Guanajuato. We went to Restaurant Mestizo, a superb restaurant, and I decided that I was going to have fun with food photography! To say I am a little bad at photographing food is like saying the Star Wars prequel movies are a little bad. I suck. They suck! But it was a wonderful meal and great fun! Onwards to Luna Bar in Guanajuato with one of the best views in the city, to enjoy the finest in tequila. Guanajuato is a gorgeous place to spend a birthday, and with the prices of food and drinks there even poor gypsies can afford one day of going to the fancy places!
On the day of my real birthday, we had to get up at 4am to make our early flight from Guanajuato to Los Angeles. It was a strange feeling to leave Guanajuato, it really felt like leaving home. I do not think I have been anywhere in the past many years that I have connected to like this. It felt like home, it felt like leaving home on that morning and I had that feeling of “I cannot wait to return here, to return home”. We made it to the airport and got to watch the beautiful sunrise from the airport and then had an easy flight to LA with Volaris.
In Los Angeles airport, we had about 8 hours to kill before our flight to Copenhagen. Now, there is not a truck load of interesting shit to do in LAX for 8 hours. Because we had to go from terminal 2 to the Tom Bradley international terminal (5 minutes apart but unconnected terminals), we got to spend the first hour in waiting to go through customs just so we could walk from one terminal to the next. LAX, I salute you. After that, we spent most of our time at Starbucks in terminal 2 – a recommended hangout, as it has wifi, power and there are very few people. Finally, after checking in at Tom Bradley terminal, I could get my birthday burger, and a wonderful angus beef burger that was, surprisingly, super awesome, one of the best ever. After a lot of cow, finally it was time to board our plane.
I love Norwegian airlines because they fly direct Los Angeles to Copenhagen in just over 10 hours. Tusind tak Norwegian! I had plans to get hammered on the plane for my birthday, but at this point I was so exhausted I managed one glass of white wine and then hours of hunched over drooling-everywhere airplane sort-a-sleep!
Copenhagen! Cold but wonderfully sunny and so nice to finally be at our destination after about 36 hours of transport mixed in with a lot of queuing and waiting! My dear sister was waiting for us with one of my favourite meals, good old fashioned Danish flæskesteg (pork roast) and my dear mother sent me a cake with my name on it! Tak søs og mor! And Fujifilm Nordic got me a Fujifilm X-Pro2 camera with my name on it (ok, not really a birthday present, but hey I can pretend it is!). So Much Awesomeness!
That is the story of an epic birthday in 3 different countries and way too many time zones. I am writing this from Belgrade, Serbia where we are living for 5 weeks doing the tail-end of my birthday, so really, it is 4 countries! And best of all – I got to spend another birthday with The Magic One! So you must also see the great photo series Charlene took of me on my birthday (the Guanajuato edition).
Oh, those bad food photos and other photos from the day? Here we go:
First attempt at food photography. Tapas at Mestizo restaurant in Guanajuato. My picture is boring but at least I did not screw it up too bad. The food was great.
This is where I really go awesome! Not only is my steak out of focus, the strap is in my shot – well done me! The food, unlike my picture, was awesome!
Panoramic view of magical Guanajuato from Luna Bar, where we went to have more drinks.
The Magic One the love of my life, Guanajuato and white wine. Does not get much better!
Sunrise at the airport in Guanajuato on my actual birthday
Return of the very non-jedi Food Photographer! A bad phone shot of my angus burger in Los Angeles airport on my birthday. Well, at least with the phone I do not get a camera strap in the shot!
After 36 hours of transport – it was so nice of Copenhagen to bring out the flags to celebrate my arrival and birthday!
My sister made us old-skool Danish flæskesteg (pork roast) with potatoes, gravy, chips and rødkål (red cabbage). My poor picture does not do it justice, it was insanely good food!
Finally, for dessert, a cake from my mother with my name on it – and a X-Pro2 camera from Fujifilm, also with my name on it !
Finally, an image from Mexico of birthday boy by Charlene Winfred – many more on her blog.