Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
A few years, the Danish population was proclaimed the planet’s “happiest” race.
Apparently, the Danes found this quite amusing. Their country has a high cost of living. The weather’s not exactly post-card pretty. They envy the Swedes’ and Norwegians’ longevity.
What the country does have is a good sense of humor.
In Copenhagen, on the first stop of my Baltic cruise, I asked a gallery docent if indeed the Danish people were a cheerful lot.
“Oh, we’re very happy,” she replied. “We’re happy we didn’t go on the Euro.
Apparently Danes don’t suffer fools – or PIGS – gladly.
About Copenhagen: it’s a lovely town, as one gets to see all kinds of architecture that survived the two great ways (Denmark being spared physical atrocity). Getting around is easy, as it’s not hard to find an English speaker. Cheap it isn’t: a two-zone bus ride back to the cruise terminal was $5 apiece.
Here’s an interesting contrast. At about the same time that the cycle of violence began in Norway, I was walking around the grounds of the Danish royal palace (four buildings, actually, laid out in a circle). Tourists can walk right up to the buildings, cars are free to enter and exit the royal cul-de-sac. Not a sign of security anywhere.
The nobles themselves seem unaffected by the times – to the public, at least. Members of the royal family are known to duck out a palace side door and go for a jog along the waterfront. My tour guide said a group of Americans on a recent visit couldn’t understand the tall stranger who was tagging along at the rear of their tour group. Turns out, it was the queen.
The day’s highlight was a visit to Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the great art gallery established by Carl Jacobsen, the Danish brewer. If you’re a Gauguin aficionado, this is the place to be – 20 paintings in one gallery along; 40 works in all by the great man. Plus some van Gogh’s too boot.
The city has a very “mixed” feeling to it – “mixed” in the sense of how European nobility intermeshes. Not far from the Little Mermaid states is an Anglican church (Danes and Brits sharing royal bloodlines – one of Victoria’s daughters having married into the family). Same reason for the nearby Russian Orthodox church (Nicolas and Alexandra). Arguably the most striking structures in town: the towering coil-spired Lutheran churches, Denmark’s predominant faith.
Final note: I’m filing this from the “Queens Room” of our ship. It’s a ballroom on formal nights. Right now, a decidedly effeminate crewman with a German accent (think Dieter and “Sprockets”) is trying to teach a group of elderly British women how to line-dance (granted, not America’s greatest export).
Making its first appearance on this voyage: the sun. Couldn’t ask for a more pleasant day on the Baltic.
Tomorrow’s highlight: a one-day stop in Stockholm. We’ll tour the city in the morning. In the afternoon, I’m taking my father to the Grand Hotel for a cocktail, if they’ll let us in. As a midshipsman on the battleship Iowa some 55 years ago, he didn’t have the leisure time to go into the Swedish capital and follow Garbo’s trail.
Tomorrow, I hope to provide him that bookend.
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Mar '11
Re: Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
National pride compels me to add that the wife of the heir and mother of his children, Princess Mary, hails from Tasmania. Good to see the Danish royal family bringing some new genes into their pool.
Apr '11
Re: Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
Cue the jokes about the Tasmanian gene pool ;-)
We love Tasmania -- we really do.
Feb '11
Re: Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
Copenhagen is where I was stuck for a week after 9/11. Not a bad place to be stuck and great city to walk in. Always something great to see around every corner. I also got a sense of what it was like to always be on the losing side in wars. The Danes always sided with the French against the Brits and got whittled down to the tip of a peninsula and some islands.
Jun '10
Re: Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
Don't forget Greenland, Bucko, could be the jewel in the crown.
May '10
Re: Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
A sweet story, and I am gladdened to hear your Dad gets to go back to the Grand Hotel.
Also, if you are up to climbing quite a few stairs, the view from the top of the Townhall in Stockholm across the archipelago is amazing. (The Gold Room where they have the Nobel Prize dinners is worth checking out.)
The Vasa Museum for the extraordinary 15th century ship recovered from the habour.
http://www.visitstockholm.com/en/To-Do/Attractions/the-city-hall/145
http://international.stockholm.se/Tourism-and-history/The-Famous-City-Hall/
http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/
Use the T-bana underground train system to get around quickly
http://sl.se/en/Visitor/Plan-your-journey/
Apr '11
Re: Not on the Euro . . . and Lovin' It
Ditto Talleyrand: a tour through the City Hall is worth the time as is the Vasa. A walk through Gamla Stan would be nice, too.