The Lakes

6-18-12

With today's beautiful weather, we decided to walk to our next location. This was my favorite part of the city.

Oresund Bridge

6/18/12

This morning, we heard our first presentation on Danish innovation. The lecture focused on the Oresund Bridge that connects Copenhagen to Sweden and the upcoming Fehmarnbelt Tunnel network that will connect the Danish islands to Germany. What I found interesting were the purposes of the projects. My assumption was that these projects were mainly about transportation--creating necessary connections between major population centers. According to Prof. Christian Matthiessen, however, these projects have a much broader goal. The Danes want to create a globally competition economic center. By merging the populations, economic capacity, and research facilities of Copenhagen and southern Sweden, they want to become a stronger global force. By connecting themselves to Hamburg in Germany they can access more consumers and integrate into the European high-speed rail system. My big question was how to overcome the cultural distinctions between the societies. Will these Swedes and Danes identify themselves as part of a Oresund region rather than their native ethnicities? After all, I live in a region identified as the Triangle that emphasizes the same things things that they are hoping to accomplish. I think that the region does a good job of presenting a united front while also celebrating the unique qualities of each city, but we don't have to overcome political and cultural differences. I was also shocked to hear how much the current system of ferries cost in Denmark. To take a car on one of these ferries--within Denmark, to Sweden, to Germany--can cost upwards of US$100. Here we are in North Carolina debating over whether to add any toll to our government-owned ferries, and the Danes are paying huge sums on their privately-run boats. That was a contrast I did not expect.

Talking with one of the presenters (and apparently, my shirt buddy)

The Rain Falls Mainly on the Danes

6/17/12

Our brunch spot

My introduction to Danish food. Love a buffet/smorgasbord.

In front of Nyhavn (the harbor)

Under a bridge on the canal tour

Many of the outdoor cafes included blankets in the seats. While I'm posing for this pic, these blankets definitely came in handy.

Dinner. Chicken sandwich, Danish style.

A great start to my Danish experience came with our first meal: a brunch buffet at a really cool little restaurant in Vesterbro. I tried everything--I'm trying to be daring with my food choices while I'm here. My favorites were the croissants and this little sweet bread that looked like it had zucchini in it. The rest of the day was free, so we spent some time exploring the city. And the weather. Lots of rain. Off and on, then off, then on, then on with wind, then off, then sunny, then rain again--all in like half an hour and then it repeated. It didn't matter to the Danes one bit, they just kept doing their thing. I did get to see beautiful Nyhavn (the harbor), go on a canal tour, see the National Museum, and make some new friends. It turns out that a canal tour boat is an acceptable location for a nap--well, it may not be acceptable, but I definitely nodded off several times. Hello, jetlag! Wrapped up the day with dinner at a cafe on one of the pedestrian streets. I had a chicken sandwich (I know, how daring!), but it tasted really good and was distinctively "Danish." Most of the cafes put a blanket in the chairs at the outside tables for cool weather, and I took advantage. Looking forward to better weather later in the week.

The Sun Came Out!

Beautiful weather this morning. We walked along the Lakes, by far the best spot I've seen in the city. Then, we spent the afternoon at a local school. They served us a great lunch.

I'm here!

Made it! Two flights, a little anxiety, and four hours of sleep later, and I've arrived. First order of business: getting some money. With the kroner currently being about 6 to every U.S. dollar, I'm going to feel flush with cash. Until I buy my first anything. Copenhagen is a very expensive city. There isn't much on our agenda for the day, but I hope to catch a few sites before I succumb to jet lag. Excited to see what the day has in store.

Denmark: Did You Know?

So I've spent a lot of time studying about Denmark in preparation for my trip, but I realize that many people may not be too familiar with this northern European nation.

• 5.5 million people compared to 9.5 million in North Carolina.
• With its small size, Denmark is almost a third the size of North Carolina.
• Danes use the Danish Kroner; one U.S. dollar equals about $5.92DKK.
• Denmark has not taken an official stance on the vinegar-based vs. tomato-based barbecue debate.
• 87% of Danes live in urban areas compared to 69% of North Carolinians
• Denmark's royal family is headed by Queen Margrethe II, though she holds no governmental authority. North Carolina's royal family is currently headed by Roy Williams, who holds significant sway over the month of March.
• Websites that originate in Denmark end in .dk as opposed to the .com, .net, .edu and so forth from American web addresses.
• The Danish people are the descendants of the Vikings.
• Though I have no official statistics on the matter, I believe that absolutely no restaurants in Copenhagen serve sweet tea. (But if one does, I will find it.)