My birthday

My birthday this year was completely different from every other I've had so far. Apart from being in a totally different place, it was also the first time I spent it alone. Scary? Sad? No, not at all. It felt good, liberating and just plain awesome to have such a different day. Did I miss my family and friends? Absolutely. Although I was so busy all day I didn't even think too much about it, to be honest. I just really enjoyed my time alone, which is a thing I wish everyone would be able to do: just enjoying your own company. It's a thing I'm learning about myself: I really love spending time alone. Going for walks, going to the cinema, going shopping... You only ever get your time spent and managed as you really want to when you're by yourself. You get things done at your own pace, you go to places and do the things YOU like, without depending on anyone else's wishes. 

So yesterday I was given the day off (!!!) and I just hopped on a train to spend all my day at the Louisiana Museum of Art, in Humlebaek, just 30 minutes north of Copenhagen. Best decision ever, I had the greatest time doing one of my favorite things: looking at art! Just the place itself is worth a visit really. If you don't believe me, just look at the pictures below.

The weather was lovely, despite the cold.

Please go to their store and get lost. I think I might have spent too much time in it but I couldn't help it. And I'm a sucker for tote bags so I bought one as a little birthday present. Getting quite a collection of them actually...

Don't get me started on the sculpture garden... I can see myself spending a whole afternoon here doing a picnic and basking in the sunlight.

My yummy lunch by the sun.

It was so good to see the ocean again.

Spring is starting to show!

And now for some art:

These were part of a new exhibition called "Eye Attack", based on works between the 50's and the 60's of the so called Op Art (Optical Art) and Kinetic Art, ones that appeal to your senses and that are essentially sensorial and visual experiences. Amazing works from more than 40 artists! Just be aware you might feel a little dizzy because of the hypnotic effects... I didn't but I know people who did.

Dreaming of having a living room like this... :)

Some photos from the "Illumination" exhibition below:

Of course I had to take lots of self portraits here, how can you not? I REALLY wanted to see this is one more than any other piece in the museum. After losing the exibithion dedicated to the artist, with many more works, by just a couple of weeks, I felt really sad. But then I realized that one of her installations is still there in the museum's permament collection. So yay! 

If you don't know this installation, it is called Gleaming Lights of the Souls by the artist Yayoi Kusama. Simply outstanding. Google her work, it's brilliant. 

It was past 7 when I left this place, feeling as I needed to sleep 10 hours but also like I've just had one of the best birthdays in my life. And just before getting dark, I was greeted by this sky. A lovely end of the day. 

Bye Louisiana, see you very soon.

Inês