| | Aug 21, 2009 - Frederikshavn | I'm on the ferry, heading to Gothenburg. I just finished a smorgasbord lunch after stocking up on Swdish chocolate in the duty free shop, so I'm a happy camper. I was able to get a lot of my editing done and now I can just sit back and relax. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only American on-board. In fact, the ship is pretty deserted.
One of the things I've really liked about traveling in Denmark is that I blend-in and don't stick out as an American tourist. Everywhere I go, people just start speaking to me in Danish. One girl in a shop even told me "You look more Danish than I do and I was born here" (well, she was half-Egyptian, but still..).
I had a great time in Denmark and hope to come back someday. I really like this little country, below are some of my favorite and not so favorite things about Denmark:
What I love about Denmark:
- The people. They are so friendly and seem pretty happy (there was a survey a few years ago which rated the Danes as the happiest people on Earth, and it seems to be true). I asked Erik and Ule about this and they said "Most content" would be more appropriate. They don't seem to have high expectations and are happy with what they have. Most seem to be content living life without the need to have a big mercedes or the newest big screen TV. They are also an incredibly good-looking people. Most everyone seems fit, healthy, tan and blonde. They also dress very well. Not flashy, but in clothes that look good on them and fit well. You don't see a lot of the sloppy, baggy look here.
- The food. I love Frikadella, open faced sandwiches, potatoes, the ice cream, chocolate and all the pastries. What we call Danish, they call 'Wienerbrod" (Vienna bread). There are bakeries everywhere, filled with lot's of tasty goodness. It's one place outside the U.S. where you can get a decent burger. They also have great coffee; there is only one Starbucks in the whole country (in the Copenhagen airport), but they have a lot of cafes and coffee houses of their own, scattered everywhere, serving good expresso. My local Barista at Diva in Seattle told me before this trip, that Danish baristas often win 1st prize in the world barista competitions.
- The public transportation. You can take a train, metro, bus or bike anywhere you need to go. The public transport system in Copenhagen is one of the best I've seen. You really don't need a car at all, and everyone either takes pubic transport or bikes. In fact, most everyone bikes here; businessmen in suits, grandparents, pregnant women, teenage girls in heels and miniskirts. There are bicycles everywhere here (it helps that the country is basically flat).
- Everything seems so well-run, organized and clean - you gotta love that (well, at least I do).
- The weather (in Summer). It's pretty much like being in Seattle in the summer; perfect when it's sunny with gorgeous blue, blue, blue, sky, long days and really long, lingering twilights. It's even further north than seattle, so the days are even longer and the twilights even more prolonged. When it's sunny, there really is no place like Seattle in the summer, and the same goes for Denmark.
What I don't like about Denmark (really, is there anything not to like about this country?) Ok, there are a few things:
- The food. Fish, fish and more fish. Everywhere you go, fish. If it comes from the sea, they eat it. Lot's of herring, salmon and cod (blech).
- The cost. Everything here is REALLY expensive. A latte is about $7 and gasoline is over twice what we pay. If you buy a car, you will pay about 300% in taxes, basically, getting 1 car for the price of 3. It's a good thing I"m not a big drinker, because alcohol is heavily taxed and booze is incredibly expensive. A beer in a cafe is about $8. There's a price to pay for all this efficiency.
-The showers. What is it with the 'wet' showers they have here? No shower curtain, and usually, no lip, so when you take a shower, half the bathroom gets wet. Even if you're really careful, the floor still gets soaked. This seems so very 'un-Scandinavian'. I mean, why have a shower that swamps the whole bathroom? Maybe they think that the bathroom should be cleaned after each shower, so getting everything wet ensures you have to wipe it up and therefore, clean it? I don't know...
- The weather (much of the year). I really can't complain about this, since it's summer, which is the best time to be here and the weather has been great. But for a lot of the year, it's pretty much like Seattle; lot's of gray, rainy days, so if you don't like this, you probably won't like Denmark. The weather is the biggest complaint people have here.
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