When my wife told me that she wanted to take a few months of work off to take an unpaid internship in Copenhagen (which by the way is one of THE most expensive cities in the world) my anxieties kicked into full gear. A teacher and a social worker’s salary do not exactly scream summers in Europe.
The idea first popped up about two years ago, and as time passed I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. The budget would be an issue. We didn’t know the chances of Annie being accepted by the World Health Organization as an intern. There were just so many things that could have stopped us from getting here.
But here I am writing in Copenhagen surrounded by its grand palaces, old cobble stone streets, complete with modern contemporary design mixed in. I should have never doubted Annie’s determination and drive to get here. So, while she is spending her days at the World Health Organization, I am wandering the city, hanging out in the parks, and trying to take it all in before we have to return to Minneapolis.
Before coming here, Copenhagen, of all the Scandinavian capitals, had held the least interest to me. In my mind it was all about Stockholm and Oslo, and lesser so Helsinki. Denmark and its capital just didn’t make it on my radar. Now I know that was a mistake, and leaving this place is going to be tough.
They say first impressions are important, and Copenhagen has made a great first impression on me. The city is full of impressive architecture from hundreds of years ago, yet feels modern at the same time. You don’t have to go far to find well enjoyed parks and public use spaces. The food and drink is spectacular (but that’s to be expected in the home of Noma. The people are friendly and multi-lingual. Not too mention how easy it is to get around. Copenhagen is true marvel of a city.
Grand Palaces and Modern Design
Moments after getting off the train from the airport, I was greeted with the sites of the King’s New Square (Kongens Nytrov). The square was designed in 1670 and sits just hundreds of yards from one of Copenhagen’s most famous sites, Nyhavn, a waterfront street surrounded by colorful 17th and 18th century townhouses, most holding restaurants now. Also, in the square are an imposing and beautiful theater built in the late 1800s, the famous Hotel D’Angleterre, and the modern chic Magasin Du Nord. Just 15 minutes after landing this square woke me up to the city I was about to spend my summer in.
Bikes, bells, and the Hovding.
Like many of us, I had heard that Copenhagen has an incredible number of bicycles, even to the point that they may have more bikes than people. It didn’t take me a long time to see that this was entirely possible. Wherever I have been inside the city and just outside I have never been far from a bike.
The streets are designed with well thought out bike lanes, even traffic signals for those lanes, and bikers make full use of them. In fact, these bike lanes are more likely to contain traffic jams than the actual roads they take space in. Rush hour in the bike lanes is a thing to behold, and enough to make an American bicycle commuter a little nervous. “Shoulder-to-shoulder” traffic must make for an invigorating commute.
With all this bike traffic Copenhagen residents have a lot of great biking innovations that I would love to bring back to the states. Commuter bikes for the whole family. Pickup like beds for transporting all your stuff. Locks that never need to leave your bike wheels.
But my all-time favorite
Danish biking trend is the airbag.
You might think with all the bike traffic a lot of people would be wearing helmets. Well you would be wrong. It seems while Danes are serious about their biking, they are just as serious about their style, particularly their hair style.
Cue the Hovding. To protect their hair-dos, Danes have innovated away from the classic bicycle helmet and replaced it with an airbag of sorts contained in a round the neck, brace like, contraption. In the event of a crash or wipeout, the Hovding senses its need and springs out like an airbag to enfold the wearers head in a cushion that is advertised as being much more protective than traditional skull protection. It truly must be seen to be believed. Check it out here. Two major downsides though, first it costs nearly 300 Euros, and it’s usable only once.
The King’s Garden, outdoor spaces …….and casual public nudity
The Danes love their parks . It’s really no wonder, with 1/3 of the people living in apartments, and the grey, dark, and long winters, but it still seems to me at first glance that they seem to appreciate their spaces even more than outdoor loving Minnesotans.
I have already spent a lot of time in one park, called The King’s Garden, which surrounds the Rosenburg Castle. Each time I am surrounded by sunbathers, readers, groups of picnickers, and groups playing games like bocce ball or the super popular Kubb. The only thing that they don’t have on Minneapolis parks, is hammock culture. I set mine up one day, and literally within a minute a random Danish guy came up to me and told me “that is the most genius thing I have ever seen.” I’m hoping to start a trend.
One other thing I have learned in all these public spaces is that Danes are not a shy people. In any public space it seems likely to see numerous people in various states of undressing, sunbathing in close to nude, or simply wearing see through clothing. The guys also wear the shortest of shorts to the point that even in my “shorter” shorts, I feel like I am wearing baggy jeans. All this in family settings without any second glances. Certainly, this might tell us something about the repressed, overly embarrassed American mind, but it isn’t something I have talked to anyone about at this point.
Another aspect of life that the Danes are much more relaxed on is drinking. Everywhere we go someone has a bottle of wine, or a six-pack of Carlsberg and are relaxing with a drink out in the fresh air. Seems to not even be a question that this should be just fine.
Speaking of beer…
When it was finally official that I would be spending my summer in Copenhagen, a silly thought entered my head, “but where would I get my craft beer from.” I needn’t have feared in the slightest, I just should have saved more money.
Craft beer is booming in Copenhagen. From the now international Mikkeller to Amager who collaborated with Surly to put out one of my all-time favorites “Todd the Axeman ”. Beer lovers are sure to find more than enough to drink. My new favorite is To Ol, a brewery which until recently was gypsy brewing wherever they could. The two head brewers learned the trade in high school from their physics teacher (see they are much more relaxed) none other than Mikkeller brewer and founder, Mikkell Borg Bjergso.
Sadly, a beer will run about $10 a bottle here, with no real liquor store discount. Not to mention the only real six packs available are varieties like the ever-present Carlsberg and Tuborg. Even a single bottle of Budweiser ( blech….) will run you at least $3. Bring your cash.
It’s been a great two weeks in Copenhagen. With a little more than a month to go I am hoping to see and experience a lot more that I will hope to share with you, so stick around.
Aaron's Summer in Copenhagen 