8 Heart of glass Christensen reflects reflects Christensen AUGUST 2017

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In the swing Helena of behind and in front on life the camera Fully focused Norway’s architectural heritage heritage architectural Norway’s From camels to sharks sharks camels to From NEW YORK EILAT

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| BEAUTIFUL BERGEN BEAUTIFUL

| Tales to tell tell to Tales Blast from the past Blast from erent kind of paradise kind of paradise erent A diff Munich a new way way Munich a new FOR THE MODERN TRAVELER FROM SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES ELISABETH MOSS ELISABETH CLASSIC CARS CLASSIC SOMMARØY SLOWLY DOES IT DOES SLOWLY

8 FOR THE MODERN TRAVELER FROM SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES | AUGUST 2017 XxxxMeet HELENAXXXXXXXXXX CHRISTENSEN

GLOBAL CITIZEN Part of the global modeling royalty, Helena Christensen somehow manages to keep out of the spotlight on the streets of New York and reveals that despite her hectic career, there’s nothing she loves more than being on the go.

By Sam Eichblatt Photos by Christy Bush

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AUGUST 2017 SCANDINAVIANTRAVELER.COM 59 Meet HELENA CHRISTENSEN

‘My first When I refer to her cohort of super- travel models – memorably dubbed The Magnif- cent Seven by the New York Times in 1996 – as “iconic,” she all but rolls her eyes and memories says dryly, “Well, we got lucky – I think that’s more the word.” are mostly The model, photographer and co- founder of NYLON magazine has had here are few cities in the world where a many diferent roles during her career, but about woman with a face as recognizable as Hel- through out her life, travel has been a con- ena Christensen’s can stroll up the side- stant. waiting on walk and slip into a busy café in the mid- She starts by telling me that her mother Tdle of the afternoon without attracting any worked in the fnancial department of SAS standby’ attention. for 30 years, so the family often traveled, New York, however, adopts a studied spending most summers in Peru, her indiference to fame, which probably ex- mother’s home country, but also back- plains why so many well-known people packing through Thailand for extended airport departure lounge, dressed to the make their home here – for the chance to periods, places that introduced her to cul- nines but ready to backpack the globe. walk the streets like an ordinary person for tures and ways of life far removed from These trips shaped Christensen’s early a while, no matter how exceptional the her “structured and mellow” middle-class view of the world and awareness of her rest of their life may be. childhood. own privilege, where she stepped out of And, perhaps precisely because she has “We got discounted employee tickets, everyday life in Denmark “where every- been in the public eye for so long – Chris- so my frst travel memories are mostly one was home for dinner at 6pm” and en- tensen has regularly graced the covers of about waiting on standby to see if they had tered another, where she played with gyp- magazines and fronted campaigns for enough seats,” she laughs. “And we would sy children and street dogs by the river in three decades – her real-life persona is dis- always be dressed up nicely, in case we Lima. armingly warm, unassuming and earthy. had to be seated in business class. Some- “It opened up my understanding,” she Wearing a chunky wool cardigan over a times, they’d only have space for two, so says. “Seeing mothers begging with their simple sundress, she greets me with a hug, we would go separately. So here we were, kids on the streets of Lima left a heaviness jokingly orders an acquaintance sitting this little perfectly-dressed family, all in my heart because that was something next to us to make room for her “big ass” standing waiting until the last second, we would never see in Denmark. So from and happily grabs a stool by the window to with our hearts beating anxiously!” an early age, I felt that sense of injustice, sip her green tea and watch the world pass There is something endearing about but also a sense of the beauty in the by. this image of the Christensen family in an world.”

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In addition to her photography and modeling career, Christensen is known for her extensive humanitarian work.

AUGUST 2017 SCANDINAVIANTRAVELER.COM 61 Meet HELENA CHRISTENSEN

‘I love living in New York, but Copenhagen is one of the coolest cities in the nd then, at an age when her Helena’s top three world’ girlfriends were going on to places around the world their frst jobs or higher education, Christensen, who La Colombe d’Or Hotel originally wanted to study (Provence) A archaeology, was catapulted into a very In Saint Paul-de-Vence, diferent world – international modeling. this is a gorgeous old Initially, it was tough, with back-to-back farmhouse that was turned long-haul fights and cheap hotels where, into a boutique hotel a long WHO SHE IS AND in the pre-internet, pre-smartphone time ago and has an art 1990s, she needed phone cards to talk to collection that is out of this WHAT SHE DOES her parents in Denmark because the hotel world. phone was so expensive. It was a dramatic 1 Place du Général de Gaulle Helena Christensen awakening for the 18-year-old, who stayed Saint-Paul-de-Vence Age: 48 in touch with her friends by writing epic la-colombe-dor.com Lives: New York, also has a cottage on the letters, illustrated with hand drawings of northern coast of Denmark the places she’d been. Upstate New York Family: Mingus (son) As her career took of, the hotel rooms The Hudson Valley and the Career highlights: got nicer and travel became more com- Catskills Mountains are Working with some of the most legendary fortable, but she never got more than a beautiful areas just a few photographers in the business, such as Herb glimpse of each location. hours’ drive from New York Ritts (who directed ’s Wicked Game “We always moved so fast,” she says. “It City where the mountains, music video), for was in one day, out the next. You would valleys and rivers make you Italian Vogue, Irving Penn and get in the car, go to the shoot and get back feel like you are one with Helmut Newton. Creative director on the plane. I’d be in a hotel room that nature. of NYLON magazine, Strangelove was so beautiful, looking at the fruit bowl perfume and SEiMEi organic juice and the fowers, and thinking, this still Harbor Island, the Bahamas company. As an Oxfam and feels lonely, just lonely in a diferent way.” This is a little gem of an UNHCR Ambassador and In the midst of it, however, she also island with the most beauti- photographer, Christensen has managed to backpack around the world, ful beach that stretches so far traveled to Kenya, Peru, which would generate some of her favorite for some 5km with colonial Nepal, Colombia and Ukraine. memories during stints in the Pacifc. houses in pastel colors and “I’ve always felt connected to Australia, lovely little restaurants. and New Zealand is ridiculously beautiful. harbourislandguide.com

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Photo by Photo 1

A ’s New York

Hudson River park and piers 1 On Wednesday evenings, there’s dan- cing out on Pier 45, which is wonderful to watch. Anyone can come and dance and there’s old music playing from speakers. It feels like you’re back in the 1930s. hudsonriverpark.org

The secret garden next to the Church of St Luke in the Fields A lovely little blooming garden, full of doves and colorful birds and magical but- terflies. I love taking photos of all the dif- A keen traveler since childhood, Christensen still loves to see other parts of the world. ferent roses – there’s always a sweet scent coming from them. 487 Hudson Street • stlukeinthefields.org

I hardly knew where to point the camera ten to someone’s frst record and there’s a EN Japanese Brasserie because it would almost hurt your eyes, whole diferent sort of energy – that’s what A wonderful Japanese restaurant on the the beauty of nature. It’s stunning, but still it’s like to travel with the UN. There are no corner of Leroy and Hudson Street, with a kind of raw and wild.” amenities, no luxuries.” magnificent interior and jazz playing. Even after nearly two decades as a resi- 435 Hudson St • enjb.com hristensen moved frst to Los dent of New York, Christensen’s bond to Angeles and then New York Denmark remains strong. “I love living in The Waverly Inn during her fve-year relationship New York, but Copenhagen is one of the On the corner of Bank and Waverly, this with the American actor Nor- coolest cities in the world. I’m proud of is a cozy old tavern in a townhouse that man Reedus. She gave birth to coming from there – it’s like when you Ctheir son, Mingus, in 2000. hear someone else talk lovingly of your dates back to 1844 with booths and fire- places. It gives you an amazing atmos- She has lived in the city ever since, but child. It almost makes me tear up when phere and delicious food all at once. travels regularly to Denmark for modeling other people love it there too.” 16 Bank Street • waverlynyc.com work, visiting family and for the humani- tarian projects she carries out as a photo- rowing up in a small country grapher for Oxfam and the UN Refugee with such a beautiful natural The Elk Coffee Shop and General Store Agency (UNHCR) to raise awareness for landscape and coastline has My neighborhood café, which serves issues including climate change in Peru indelibly shaped her, she says, the most delicious, very healthy, locally- and the crises facing people displaced by along with the fairytale history sourced food – my favorite thing on the the confict between Russia and Ukraine. Gof Scandinavia. “It felt like a magical place menu is the market bowl with a fried egg “We are very much there, in the mo- when I was growing up and it has kind of and avocado. The decor was inspired by ment with people,” she says. “We take become that place for a lot of other people the owner’s roots in the Pacific Northwest trains, stay in basic hotels and I carry my who visit it now and fnd out how special it and the café has a focus on social re- own equipment. That’s how I like doing it is. My family is still there, so for me, New sponsibility and sustainable practices. because it reminds me of when I was frst York is where my soul is, but Denmark is 128 Charles Street • theelknyc.com starting out. It’s almost like when you lis- where my heart will always be.”

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Louisiana museum 3 Located 40km up the coast north of Copenhagen, this is possibly the most beautiful museum of contemporary art in the world, set in a natural setting that will blow your mind. Humlebæk • louisiana.dk

Helena’s Danish delights Helena Christensen may spend more time in New York Freetown Christiania than Copenhagen these days, but the Danish capital is still The city’s alternative, green, very close to her heart. Here are fve of her favorite places. car-free neighborhood, established in a disused army barracks by a community of 2 hippies in 1971. It operates The King’s Garden independently of the govern- 1 Kongens Have, the King’s ment and is a very interesting Garden, is a beautiful, magical and cool experience. Go to Helena garden in the middle of the city Christensen Spiseloppen for dinner and then with a fairytale castle, a lake with walk around the lake and enjoy swans and a glorious rose all of the unique houses. garden. visitcopenhagen.com parkmuseerne.dk Thorvaldsen Museum Christianshavn A most wonderful museum 2 This is Copenhagen’s old with giant plaster statues and maritime neighborhood that has cobalt blue walls. You will be quaint cobblestone streets and enchanted by this place. canals with colorful little boats. Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2 visitcopenhagen.com thorvaldsensmuseum.dk

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