I have been very fortunate to have visited quite a few countries in my life. Whenever I visit a new country, I have an internal system I use to assess what it has to offer. Since I am staying in Copenhagen for quite a while, the categories I will use to assess Denmark are: Architecture, Food, and Transportation.
Food:
I was a bit skeptical about the food at first. Something I was worried about was the inclusion of vegetarian food. But not to worry, Copenhagen seems to have plenty of options. The most common foods I have noticed on the streets are are kebabs, hot dogs, and ice cream. Some of the hot dogs are called “French hotdogs” and are inserted into the bread, rather than sitting on the bun.
After a good hot dog, there is an abundance of ice cream. Pretty much everywhere I turn there has been ice cream. I have tried many new flavors like hazelnut, pear, milk, and elderberry. It is also common to get scoops of ice cream with a blob of vanilla soft serve ice cream on top
A really cool place I found is called Reffen on the island of Refshaleøen. It is an outdoor food court with food stands from all over the world, so you can have an Iranian dinner with an Italian Dessert.
Notes:
- In Europe eggs do not need to be refrigerated.
- Some additives in candy that are legal in the U.S., such as Red #40, are illegal here.
- Rather than throwing away the near expired food, it is marked down in order to sell it faster, and produce less waste.
Architecture:
The architecture is exquisite! All of the old buildings are so charming and made of mainly brick. Even newer buildings are still made of brick to integrate well with the older buildings. There are many beautiful churches all over the city with tall spires. But probably my favorite building here so far is the Black Diamond Library. It is actually two libraries combined, the Black Diamond is the new, modern addition with a tunnel that connects it to the old Royal Library. I have been hanging out in the older part of the library more, and have been working on a plein air painting of the inside. Something I love most about the building is the use of bricks upon the windows. They flow in a circular pattern elegantly dividing each glass panel.
Transportation:
If there is one word I would use to describe Copenhagen’s transportation system, it is efficient. I do not drive at home regularly so I rely on the metro and bus system. In Minneapolis one might have to wait for a bus for 30 minutes, and if I miss it then I wait another 30. But here it’s about 2-5 minutes average when waiting for a bus in the city. Even when traveling outside of the big city, the trains are extremely fast in time and in speed. The DSB app is used to book tickets and it is extremely organized and helpful. Without the DSB app I do not believe I would be able to get from point A to point B.
Notes:
- Buses and the metro are respected by the people and kept clean
- The stop lights to cross the bike path and street do not turn green at the same time. So pay attention to which lights are green before you walk
- Trains are so smooth I can barely feel them moving
