Copenhagen's Quirkiness

I don't know about anyone else, but before I went to Copenhagen, I had a view of Denmark and Scandinavia, its people, and its culture, in my mind. Tall thin good-looking blond people who are reserved, classy, and only eat (raw?) fish. And of course the Danish, ahhhh the Danish (And you know I mean the pastry right?)!

Is any of this true?

Well, sort of. Lots of the people are beautiful and blond and tall and thin and there is lots of fish on menus, much of it raw or pickled. But that's really just the beginning. Copenhagen is also funny, quirky, beautiful, fascinating, and charming.

In some ways, Copenhagen reminds me of London. The people have this long rich history of their monarchy and they have a love/hate/love relationship with the ruling family. They also don't take themselves too seriously - we all know Brits have among the best sense of humor around, but I found the Danes I encountered to be equally as funny and self-effacing. On my tour of the Christiansborg Palace - a functioning palace for the Danish monarchy right in the historical center of Copenhagen, surrounded by a moat with a bridge and everything - the tour guide, this adorable old woman, lovingly made fun of her country's royal family at every turn. Perhaps the single most visible trademark of the city is the Little Mermaid statue. To celebrate its birthday - yes, Copenhagen celebrates her birthday - they have as many women as years old the statue is (in 2007, 94) jump into the water and form the numbers. As you can plainly see, this is a fun place.

This is just one example.

At the entrance to the Strøget - the main stretch of pedestrianized shopping streets all connected together, there is a golden cow hanging above into the street. I'm not sure if it is a privately-owned fixture or something from the city, but that's pretty funny. This is a city that honors hot dogs as its street snack on nearly every corner, and has statues not of kings and queens but of Hans Christian Andersen. Heck, this place is so classy and cool and fun that even its amusement park - one of the oldest in Europe - is both fun AND pretty, with a lake, gardens, and it's gorgeously lit up at night (see picture, click for full-size).

Adding to Copenhagen's quirkiness is its almost bizarre bridge of old and new. Its train and public transport systems are incredibly modern (the subway cars don't even have drivers!) and Danish design is as cool and ultramodern as its neighbor Sweden. And 7-11s are ubiquitous (in fact, the only place I went to in Europe where I even saw a 7-11, let alone dozens of them!), the main City Hall Square has buildings completely lit up like huge electronic advertisements covering the sides of buildings. Yet at the same time, Copenhagen's age and history shine through. The architecture is beautiful and stately, and the palaces are so numerous that you almost stumble upon them. And perhaps most importantly, to me, the Danish people seemed exceedingly proud of this rich and unique history. And rightfully so.

Copenhagen is expensive, do not get me wrong. Denmark has not adopted the Euro yet, and at only about 5.2 Danish Krones (down from about 5.5 when I was there in August 2007) to the dollar, everything is expensive. A "bargain" for a decent hotel might be about 800 DKK, an "average" price for a sit-down dinner at least 100 DKK. Even a hot dog on the street is about the equivalent of $4-5. Ouch. But there are free things in Copenhagen. Its most famous landmark - the statue of the Little Mermaid - is always free. So is a lovely and humongous botanical garden and the poignant and thought-provoking Museum of Danish Resistance. Finally, the bizarre and curious little "freetown" Christiania is always free to walk through - but I wouldn't say it's particularly family-friendly.

But what Denmark lacks in affordability, it makes up for in charm, kindness, beauty, and uniqueness. The people are friendly, helfpul, unfailingly kind, and all speak English. Yes, the people eat lots of fish - much of it raw - but the food is as diverse as the people and encompasses every cuisine and type of meat. You can't leave Copenhagen without trying at least one kind pølse - aka, hot dog. The rød (or fried on a griddle) was the one I most enjoyed (see picture, click for larger). What other culture provides hot dog carts throughout the city as a means of public assistance for those unable to keep other more professional jobs? While I may not agree with the ultra-socialist political culture, this is a special and unique place where people know how to take themselves lightly, have a good time, but all the while remain refined and classy.

And by the way, in Denmark, pastries aren't called Danish. They're called Wienerbrød - or Vienna Bread. You can tell a bakery (or konditori) by the golden pretzel hanging outside. And let me tell you, you've NEVER tasted anything like it (see picture, click for larger). If you can afford it, get yourself to Copenhagen asap. I, for one, cannot wait to go back.