I’ve already shared a bit about how the stars seemed to align in my favor to make last month’s international birthday celebration not just possible, but extraordinary.

Like how Chef René Redzepi personally reached out so I could have my birthday dinner at his hard-to-get-into Copenhagen restaurant Noma, currently rated #1 in the world.

And how I was able to use my frequent flyer miles to book a trip on exactly the dates I wanted for only $100.60 in taxes and fees, instead of … gulp!

How, after I bemoaned the fact that a trip to Denmark during the time of year when Tivoli, its top attraction, would be closed, and that it would be depressing to peer through its locked gates, the amusement park announced it would opening several weeks early this year—on April 1, the day after my birthday, making a visit possible.

My trip was filled with many incidents of luck working in my favor, but I thought I should share one more, which occurred at the very end, and demonstrates that what are mishaps for most usually turn out to be gifts for me.

Ah, the power of serendipity!

So after our lengthy lunch the day before our departure at the two-star Michelin restaurant Geranium, we hit the streets of Copenhagen, and came to realize at one point during our wandering that we weren’t that far away from a place where Chef Redzepi had told us that we could find some of the best pastries in town—LilleBROR, connected to Noma’s former pastry chef.

We got there around 4:30 or so, and discovered—all of the pastries were gone.

They generally sell out by 4:00, we were told, and we thought for a moment of returning the following morning before we headed to the airport so we could follow up on Chef Redzepi’s recommendation, but realized … nah. Wasn’t going to happen. The way we were wearing ourselves out by with trudging through the cold, there was no way we’d wake early enough for that. So we figured we’d head home never knowing the taste of LilleBROR. And how likely was it that we’d ever get back to Copenhagen again?

As it turned out, very likely.

When we got to the airport for the next day’s 12:20 p.m. flight, we learned that due to mechanical difficulties, another plane would have to be brought in from Iceland, and our departure was being delayed six hours.

See how lucky we were?

If the flight had been delayed only a few hours, we’d have been trapped at the airport. But with a six-hour delay, and the city center but a 15-minute train ride away, we had time to spend several more hours in Copenhagen, which meant another visit to the Botanical Garden on what turned out to be a much warmer day, and also, we had our shot at LilleBROR—with the round-trip train ticket even paid for by the airline. How great is that?

But I guess, considering my karma, that this sort of thing is to be expected. After all, I’m the guy who had a flight cancelled while on Easter Island, and had an extra night’s meals and lodging there paid for by the airline!

But all that aside … did LilleBROR deliver? It did.

Knowing that we would likely pass this way but once, we ordered as many pastries as we thought we could walk off that day.

Including, since it was Good Friday …

Hot cross bun

Shortbread with caramel, chocolate ganache—and gold flakes

So good we ordered a second to eat on the plane while others suffered the stale indignities served by the airline.

Blueberry-blackberry jelly doughnut

This was filled to ordered, so not only was the flavor of the filling true, but the doughnut never got soggy.

Rhubarb, rose hips, and elderberry

Chocolate chip cookie

According to my wife, a connoisseur of chocolate chip cookies, this was excellent.

We filled a bag with a few more—including a delicate cinnamon monkey bread—then headed back to the airport … but not before getting in one long, last look at Tivoli Gardens.

May all future flight delays be so pleasant!