‘Something is rotten in the State of Denmark.’ Is it?

1st of all: Denmark today is a country, sovereign state, parliamentary monarchy and not an island – it consists of many. The Kingdom of Denmark covers the biggest island of the world – Greenland (as the climate change continues, the name will be really spelling…) – , the Faeroes, and besides these two constituent countries, proper Denmark with the peninsula Jutland and many other islands like Zealand with the capital Copenhagen – with the royal Slotsholmen island.

2nd: Denmark again ranks number 1 in the latest UN World Happiness Report. Besides other important factors, measuring happiness comprises important factors like how subjectively people feel about happiness, freedom, living their lifes autonomously, the personal perception of corruption and generosity in a country as well as income, life expectation plus the social network available.

3rd: It is a favorite holiday destination, easy to reach from Germany and lots of vacation houses to rent.

For a first view check out the official website of Denmark.

Our reason to spend our holidays in Denmark, northern Europe? Affordable, never been there (well, Thomas decades ago…), flat. Flat? Well, yeah, this time, why not?

We started our tour via the landline THE Saturday – holidays all over Germany and Bettenwechseltag – and of course faced some heavy traffic. But, we were cool with it, saw the landscape changing… And while driving over the long and impressing Stoebaeltsbroen (FOTO tt) we really felt like coming to a new country. No, no – no worries, not all steel and concrete like the bridge. Arriving at our house after having passed little towns, summer fields, we immediately felt being on vacation – with a wonderful green garden around the house, not a rectangular one with fences around; curves instead and different old and new plants, trees and bushes, tiny hillocks, we were really surprised. Started our speedy have-a-look-around-tour around the house straightaway and we all said ‘Hello’ to our neighbor.

Did we have plans? Yes, we had: Relax. And due to the changeable weather we planned from day to day. Worked out… the sea not far from us, other sights we easily reached by car: little harbors with amazingly excellent fresh fish like you get in Havnebyen e.g.; visited small and very small villages, cottages, mansions… Ah, missed to visit the ‘Hamlet’ castle Kronborg and others, but Dragsholm where we enjoyed the new inspiring Danish Herbal Kitchen a lot – not comparable to anything else we tasted before. Nice add on: it is a hotel also and a circular track leads through the surrounding landscape. A propos tracks: Most of the hiking tracks lead along the coastline as the inner part of Denmark is mostly cultivated.

Nevertheless, there is enough room, even for horse riding. In the State Forests you are allowed to use every path – and there are lots of. The Islandic horses in action do a great job in tölting and/ or passing/ loping through the woods. And luckily, being not too tall on an Islandic horse, we always were able to ride under the boughs… real tölt feelin’.

As the hotel prices in Copenhagen were so unbelievable high *and Rusty wanted to be there too*, we decided to make two day trips, one to visit the famous Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, the other one to Copenhagen to meet friends in the first place. Of course there are galleries and museums to visit.

On the way to the Museum we chose the ferry from Roervig (sorry for the wrong spelling but did not find the typical slashed ‘o’ on my computer…) to Hundested and drove partly along the northern coast into the worst weather we had during our holidays – freezing cold (52 degrees Fahrenheit, strong wind and heavy rain). So had only a short walk at the beach near Gilleleje, topped with great houses. After lunch we headed towards Louisiana, stopped by at the old Cistercian abbey Esrom. Louisiana then: perfect view Swedenwards and the art is just incredible. Start your tour whereever you like, in the older parts or the part with the more modern layout – you always have a terrific walk-through, through different buildings, mixed with art and greens. So, do not forget to visit the garden with art pieces you can touch and feel, step into or step on… just enjoy, unexpectably longer than usual.
Had the chance to see the Poul Gernes exhibition – as we do not know so much about Danish artists in general this has been really an experience; well, the designer Arne Jacobsen nearly everybody knows… discover more of his works live, like the old smoke house and the round house he built in Havnebyen, the National Bank in Copenhagen, … Copies and reproductions of his work are around the world anyway…

Copenhagen – another one hour drive from where we stayed. Passed by at Gitte’s gallery and had a quick glance at the works for the new exhibition, strolled through the quarter – and: found a building looking like a typical one in Miami actually , and other interesting buildings like the ‘Erlöserkirche’ (the tower we mistook for a minaret); thanks to our friend Kay, artist, and for us the perfect trip advisor too, we had a super stroll through the city center; new sensation for us – the HAY Design Warehouse and other interesting spots we do not have here.
Bicycles all over, crowded with tourists – not easy to get along with a dog, actually there were only few Rusty remembers… not allowed to enter restaurants and cafés has been OK that day, we could sit outside most of the time, otherwise… but Kay and his family were so very nice and hosted us all for a tasty diner.

Talking food… surprisingly good stuff in the supermarkets and reasonably priced. Some, but few special shops, eating out however is kind of an investment… ‘Ah, the alcohol is so expensive.’ ‘No, other reasons.’

Weather has been a topic for us as I pointed out before. Rusty loved counting the deer crossing the garden at every time of the day and by the end of our holidays we felt like having had contact with the whole deer population there. Needed the oven sometimes – and of course we were watchin’ the Olympics – from a Danish point of view, did not catch the words but the emotions we could understand; so we missed several disciplines, had a focus on the sports the Danish are good at: Badminton, Badminton, Badminton; handball; water sports, … you know more? ‘Didn’t you watch live streams?’ ‘Hey, it has always been a car drive to buy new bytes… and new bytes..’

Took another way back – had a land-water-land drive, going down to Falster island, schwupps, with the ferry to Rostock and headed to Berlin.

Denmark – islands, happy people, holiday destination. Islands all over, had the impression that they must have a special happiness, more what we call satisfaction (?). Am I right? Or not?

P.S.: Although Europe, they have no Euro there but Danish crones. Do not throw anything at people. Don’t forget your leash, but sometimes just forget it…

P.P.S.: And kisses for the nice Airdale lady in our neighborhood from Rusty…