The land of H.C. Andersen

Until I saw all the references to Hans Christian Andersen I'd forgotten that he was Danish.  I immediately had the story of "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates" fill my head and I haven't thought of that for years.  The statue of The Little Mermaid at the harbor is 100 years old this year and I can tell you that she is not showing her age at all, still a beautiful maid.

Copenhagen is full of beautiful parks with lakes and fountains.  Walking through them is a joy and though it is definitely autumn there is still plenty of beauty.  There are bicycles in abundance and they are truly a major mode of transportation.  Many streets have separate bike lanes defined by a curb from the car lanes and sometimes another curb that defines the pedestrian way.  Sometimes it is all flat but marked by different kinds of paving stones and sometimes just by paint.  Many of the bicyclists drive very fast so it was a quick learning process of where not to walk.

The bicycles are designed for carrying multiples of kids or groceries or other cargo with large tubs between the bicyclist's seat and the front wheel.  There is even a race for 'cargo' bikes to determine best speed design so don't think of them as slow moving!  One morning a bride was in the tub in her long white gown and the well-dressed groom was happily pedaling them to their destination.

The National Museum is huge and it is free.  Even the special exhibit, Vikings, is free.  The Viking exhibit was a very lengthy history of their lives, their plunders, and their treasures.  The Danes have a law that is several hundred years old that says any treasure found belongs to the State.  Some of the medieval and earlier treasures have, such as pots of silver money ( like a Leprechaun's pot ) have been found hidden under ancient floor boards.  A couple of magnificent gold cloak pins from the Viking era were found at the bottom of a fence post hole.  It was an extensive exhibit and all of the descriptions were in English as well as Danish.

When it rains in Denmark find a space to have some brew.  The weather patterns are known to the natives so just watch for when they vacate the outdoor tables en masse.