I Heart Denmark

First of all: Holy vikings! The men in Denmark are not just good looking. No, they are ridiculously good looking. Is there something in the water? There has to be. How are they all so tall, with such amazing skin, hair and bone structure? And where does the style come from? And the eyes? I have to hand it to them - Denmark leaves even South Africa in the dust. Though I will give the South Africans the better accent of the two....but then again, Denmark has that European sophistication.

Anyway, I LOVED Denmark. Not at first....it took a little time to grow on me, but once it did I was fully invested...I think I am just a fan of Scandinavia in general. It's like Canada but with way more style (and vikings). The main complaint - their bad weather - doesn't bother me in the least. I grew up in Vancouver, so rain and grey skies are my normal. I actually like to be cozy, or as the Danes would say 'hygge' (pronounced hooogelich) despite the fact I have lived in some pretty hot places. There's something so, dare I say romantic, about being snuggled up against the cold with a view of a stunning yet barren crystalline landscape or in the city with their orderly, oh so Scandinavian style of buildings.

While I have been meaning to travel to Denmark for some time, I actually finally made it there thanks to official business. My Masters program decided to hold its annual summer school in Jaegerspris, a beautiful commune (yes, a commune – one of those things I suspect you only find in Scandinavia) about two hours outside Copenhagen. It sits on the coast and the land is home to horses and chickens and little Nordic painted wooden cabins. The beach is exactly how you would picture a perfect Baltic beach to be, wild, tall grass, wind swept, rugged, a little rocky but with clean sand. But, or should I say BUT, in the middle of all this pristine scenery lies a military practice base. My first reaction was 'Denmark has a military'?! Yes, it does. In between seminars, as we lay on this beautiful little beach and occasionally ventured to swim in the icy water, we were not accompanied the sound of the wind rustling in the trees, nor squawking seagulls...no, rather it was machine gun fire and bombs exploding. Until 11 pm. Believe me when I say that it is hard to fall asleep to the pitter patter of an... uzzi. There's something so not soothing about it.

During summer school were were cooked for by a local chef, and boy did we eat well. Danish cheese, yogurt, fish, berries – this is very much my kind of food though it's probably hell for the lactose intolerant. But despite the beauty of the place, and perhaps in part due to its heavy artillery, I was even more excited to check out the cities, Copenhagen and Arhuus. I will start with Aarhus because it was much smaller: It is a cute, cold, and small seaside city four hours drive from Copenhagen over what I believe is one of the world's longest bridges (and what views on the drive!). Because it is home to one, it very much has the feel of a university town. It has some nice old buildings but what I was really excited to check out was the world renowned Contemporary Art Museum. Alas, I made my trek on a Monday, the one day of the week it is closed. So I got to see 'Boy', the giant statue of a crouching boy and 50% the reason for my trip, from the window only. Better than nothing, but not quite what I had hoped for. I also met up with a good friend of my ex who is a professor at the university, and who happens to be married to a Canadian called Sarah ( I like her already) himself. He took me for the Danish food staple lunch of open face sandwiches, pronounced something like “smoooeeerrrbrooeeet”. Heaped with toppings like smoked salmon, herring and other fishy delights, they were awesome. I know I already said this but I will say it again: I really liked Danish food, mostly because fish and cheese are two of my favourite things. What's not to like however, is how expensive food is. I mean, it is crazy. We are verging on Norway and Switzerland territory here. But ghastly prices aside, Arhuus has some great little areas, including a Latin Quarter, canals running through the city centre, an interesting old church...it's a sleepy, Nordic little city that makes for a perfect weekend escape.

The capital Copenhagen on the other hand is far from sleepy. Brimming with gorgeous little neighbourhoods, even the red light district in Vesterbro has charm (albeit also sketchiness). There are so many welcoming cafes and bars, it feels impossible to pick just one per meal. Even the tourist trap areas like Nyhavn harbour are still adorable. I will say however that the Little Mermaid statue in the harbour does live up to its reputation as Europe's most disappointing tourist attraction. During our visit we had the added bonus of the jazz festival, so the city streets were alive with the sound of music and the sight of dancing. And since we managed to hit Copenhagen in the middle of a 36 degree heatwave, this just added to its steamy charm. There are a couple of very Danish palaces to explore (and not a half bad crown prince - vikings again!), and you can even follow the changing of the guard between the two palaces, as they march through the city streets, which we of course did. With their big furry hats I couldn't help but feel bad for the soldiers (who I was shocked to realize are only teenagers) in the 36 degree weather. There's also the huge Street Food Copenhagen market on Paper Island with still more Danish edible delights, and there are some fantastic museums, especially the National Museum brimming with viking treasures – and the Glypokotek, with its collection of Picasso, Degas, Monet and the most Rodin I have ever seen in one place. There's also an old fortress area and windmill by the harbour, a tower to climb at Christianbourg Palace from which you can see the whole city and its many spires below...and if amusement parks are your thing, Tivoli Gardens. Much of the city is dedicated to preserving the memory of local hero Hans Christian Andersen, and you will find little signs of him throughout. I loved his fairy tales when I was little, and felt inspired to reread them after this trip. Even after all these years they are still so beautiful to me. Just in general, it is such a gorgeous place – with canals running throughout, life is lived on the water here. So many little houseboats! The one thing I did not like (well, besides the prices) was the independent city of Christiania. Stinking of weed and cheap incense, dirty, and full of drunks and druggy types stoned out of their minds by 10 am, it was not my kind of place and I couldn't wait to get away. It reminded me of the worst parts of Commercial Drive and I was ready to leave as soon as I arrived. My only other disappointment in Denmark were the supposedly legendary hot dogs. Not that I really like hot dogs anyway, but I was over and over again that I must try these magical street hot dogs. Nyaaah, they were okay, but not amazing.

I have for many years, and my parents before me because they have a house full of it, been obsessed with Danish design. Their furniture is amazing, timeless...to have a house full of their teak is really the dream I think. So peering into the windows of high end furniture stores (I didn't dare go in) was just such a treat. And it's not just furniture (and lighting!) they do well. Their clothes designers are also top notch. It's not just the men who look good – the women are also fantastic dressers, no matter how casual the outfit. Everyone here just oozes style like it is the most natural thing in the world – there definitely is a certain Danish aesthetic. I would in fact argue that even more than the French, it's the Danes who really know how to put together the perfect outfit. Their style is so....just so! And yet unforced – no one looks like they are trying too hard. Whatever 'it' is, they just have it in spades. It is slightly depressing yet also very inspiring to see.

Anyway, Denmark is awesome. It's as simple as that!