by Wesley
Home >> Postcard from Denmark
Denmark is a place I have always wanted to go to. My maternal grandmother’s grandparents made the journey by ship from Denmark to Ellis Island and then traveled to Iowa to make their home in the New World. Thus, I feel a sort of connection to Denmark, just as I do to Germany on my Dad’s side. These trips are a sort of homecoming for me, going to a home I never knew.
We missed out on our first day, which was going to be to the tip of Denmark, but we caught up on the second day and could see everything planned. Denmark is great to see lots of things in little time because it is small and very accessible. From one city to the next it takes you about two hours, which, I think, is reasonable.
We saw Aalborg, a small city but a nice, quaint first stop with its typical architecture. The next day found us in Århus, a bit bigger and more cosmopolitan. It’s Den Gamle By outdoor museum is worth seeing, though a bit tiresome after a while. There is a lovely walk along the river with restaurants and bars to have a beer or sandwich and watch the blond folk go by. From there we went to Odense, Hans Christian Andersen’s birthplace. It’s also worth seeing and doesn’t take too long.
Denmark’s crown jewel, though, is Copenhagen. It is just big enough without being too big and has everything a big city can offer, including long pedestrian shopping areas, museums and concert halls, and old lady stalkers.
We were walking down Strøget when I noticed a lady behind us. I wouldn’t have paid much attention but I had noticed her before in a men’s clothing shop; I’m not sure what she was going to buy there. As we walked along the street, we stopped to see certain shop windows. So did the lady. Where we stopped, she also stopped. Where we did not stop, she didn’t stop either. I turned around and looked at her and she just looked into space. To confirm that she was indeed following us, we ducked behind a van that happened to be parked there. She nonchalantly chased us around the van. Once she couldn’t see us anymore, she kept looking and finally must have assumed that we had stepped into the church, as most tourists would. She went into the church and we quickly made our way along.
I recommend Denmark. But go in the summer, perhaps July would be better, and if you plan on going to the beach, have alternatives. The weather wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t marvelous, either. Go there to be calm and get lots of sleep. You won’t find much past 11 on a weeknight and shops don’t open until 10. Lovely, but sleepy…perfect. Tak!
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2007-09-20 14:00:00 +0200
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I have a half-Danish classmate. She goes to Denmark several times a year and tells us about LegoLand. I would like to go there.
Though it didn’t happen in Denmark, I had my own Danish stalker. His name was Jens Ole and he was blond and tall and lanky. He was 11 and so was I. We were in an international children’s summer camp held in Leeds, England. He followed me everywhere. I couldn’t get rid of him. I was mean to him. I wouldn’t even talk to him. I made faces at him. On the last day of camp, he wanted to say goodbye. I didn’t even look his way. Jens Ole, wherever you are now, I am sorry, forgive me. :-)
I will never forget it … with ticket paid for and in hand, I was waiting at the train station in Brussels on my way to the airport. I was travelling alone, which I have almost always done, but wished that this time I had a friend with me. While waiting on the platform I realized there was a man sending creepy glances my way. I was becoming more and more uncomfortable when I saw a train approaching and saw my escape. When the doors slid open I boarded the car in front of me hoping that if the man was boarding the same train he would take the car that was in front of him and we could travel in different cars. He boarded the car in front of him and for a brief moment I was relieved – until I saw that he was now on the same car. Beginning to panic I left the car and walked to another one, boarded and watched. Again he got on the same car. I tried to trick him by pretending to board another car, and he was right on my heels. I got on, he got on, I got off, he got off. It was almost like we were playing hide and seek except I didn’t want him to find me. I really wasn’t sure at the time what I should do. There weren’t a lot of people on the train but surely if I raised my voice someone would help me, right? Finally, at the last moment before the doors closed I jumped back on the train. He was nowhere to be seen. Finally I had shaken him and I could relax, except … in all my haste and panic I had boarded the wrong train. I was going in the wrong direction and the first stop wasn’t until about 45 minutes later. When I did eventually get to the airport I had missed my flight. What a nightmare!!
I think that the image that I have of the scandinavian people is very near of the Wesley’s image. They are very serious and very individual.
Life there is more spensive, and they are more advanced in a lot of senses (sociality, culture, health, etc). They have less material problems, but I think they have other kind of problems. When human beings have the material problems solved, they begin to worry about other kind of problems.
Is it true the topic that says that scandinavian people commit more suicides that the rest of the european nacionalities?. It is a little sad, if it is true. The weather is also important. I couldn’t live in a place with only four or five hours of dayligth at day.
Maybe Hans Christian Andersen was against the topic of the scandinavian people. He has a lot of imagination, and he could write beautiful histories for children and also for adults. Several of his histories are the most famous in the world, and they have been enjoyed for childrens and adults of hundreds of years.
I only know two cities in the Scandinavian zone (Stocholm and Helsinki). I would like know more about this zone (Norway, Lapon), and also about his people.
If you visit the sweden capital, you must visit the Vasa museum. It is the most original museum that I have never visited. It is about a old boat that failed four hundred years ago. You can find the complete boat in the museum. It is marvelous.
Conchi Calvo
I love those little symbols: æ, ø, and å. They’re so attractive!
Hi everyone.
I completly agree about Denmark, I have read so much about this country and it is wonderful.It is one of the richest countries on Earh.The secret of it is the high taxes their citicens have to pay, nerly 50% goes to the taxes and it makes the country to have a good service, abriilinat national insurance health, university and the population are clever enough to sirvive in another different country, the mayority of them are even able to speak more than one lenguage fluently.
I had a guest the last summer from Denmark and she was wonderful, she explained me everything about her country and she made me feel eager to go there and pay her a visit to know all about the country.
Greetings