Destination Denmark

I had the pleasure of working and living in Denmark for 5 months in 2014...and oh boy what a fantastic little country it is!! As a country it had never been on my "must see" list but after spending a lot of time and money there I would urge anyone to go and check out this little Scandinavian gem.

Firstly Denmark has an area of approx 40,000 sq km (about the same as the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region in NZ) with a population of nearly 6 million (compared to NZ's 4 million), so its small and not too highly populated. It is also extremely flat; Denmark's highest peak "Himmelbjerget" or "The Sky Mountain" has a height of 147 m (482 ft)!! Hardly a bloody mountain!! I had a false preconception that it would be mountainous and cold and full of blond vikings named Sven..I met one blonde chap named Sven who wasn't a Vikings arse hole, but I'd had one or nine beers and am unsure if that was his real name or if we just called him that?

Fun fact: The Danish word for speed is 'Fart'...Don't be alarmed if you get a ticket from the police for excessive 'Farting'.

Anywho I digress...

COPENHAGEN - My favourite capital city in the world...Not just because it is situated on an Island called Zealand but because it has everything a young testosterone fueled munter* from NZ could ever want. Museums, architecture blah blah wank,,,There were two things about Copenhagen that really floated my boat...

i. Kobenhavns Havnebadet or Harbour Baths... Smack bang in the middle of the city canals are 4 free public baths. Some with diving boards that are built like a set of steps up to 5 meters high...others big wooden boardwalks, slides and platforms. The perfect place to bring a cold six pack of beer (or øl in Danish) and do some mean flips and bombs* into the cool inviting water (or Vand in Danish) below.

ii. Christiania or Freetown Christiania....A six pack down and a sinus full of canal water (from excessive bombing), you head a few blocks to the autonomous neighbourhood/commune of Christiania. You can smell and hear the place before you see it. The reek of Marijuana smoke paired with the summertime live music envelopes the small, 34 hectare site. You follow your nose and the reverberations of the sickly sweet bass line and you find yourself on Pusher Street, where Cannabis grows on the side of the road and little street vendors sell bags of Dope, Hash or pre-rolled joints (straight or mixed with tobacco). I nearly shat the bed when I first visualised this un-expected scene. We sat down at a picnic table to watch the live music and second hand smoke Ganja, We were surrounded by people drinking locally brewed beer, eating dishes from the local vendors and playing backgammon and chess. A wonderful, passive and easy going place that locals believe is outside the EU. A must see for anyone visiting Copenhagen.

For 5 days straight my daily routine involved Breakfast, bombs, beer, Christiania, beats, buds, backgammon, beer, sleep.

Copenhagen now has a special place in my heart.

JUTLAND - Jutland is the mainland of Denmark which shares a land border with Germany...and thank science it does, because you jump in the car and drive south and reap the benefits of cheap German booze and food. Where we stayed in Ribe was 45 mins to Germany, needless to say we frequented Germany a lot!! So much so that we learned more German than Danish. A few places I recommend visiting in Jutland are (in alphabetical order):

i. Aalborg - The Street - Jomfru Ane Gade (English: Virgin Anne's Street), is possibly Denmark's most famous street. It is popular with both locals and tourists for its lively atmosphere. It is said to be the street with the longest continuous stretch of restaurants and bars in Denmark. During the day it stinks of stale piss and rotten booze but in the evening the street is busier than a one armed brick layer in Baghdad. Great times to be had!!

ii. Aarhus - Biggest city in Jutland, Aarhus, pronounced 'our house' when spoken is always followed with "in the middle of our street"...

Aarhus...in the middle of our street is a happening place. It is a vibrant urban environment surrounded by the beauty of nature. Aarhus is an open, inclusive city. Young and old, families with children, students, artists, established businesses and start-ups: No matter who you are or where you come from, Aarhus will make you feel at home. I don't frequent museums often but the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum with its eliptical rainbow viewing platform gives you a different outlook and perception through each meter you walk. It is the biggest and most visited museum in Scandinavia. After a colourful walk around the Kunstmuseum and a few bevvies in the adjacent park hit the pubs and clubs to round of a great Aarhus...in the middle of our street experience.

Fun Fact #2 - The Danish word for 'Art' is 'Kunst' ... Enough said...

ii. Ribe - If Copenhagen took my heart then the oldest extant town in Denmark and Scandinavia 'Ribe' took my Soul...and a few million brain cells as well. A quiet little medieval town that resembles something from the iron age, Ribe has character and charm in abundance. The town square is built around a massive old cathedral and the few bars that are there are all in very close proximity to said cathedral. There is a Viking museum and a Viking center which are both well worth the visit...(considering Denmark was the Birthplace of the Vikings). Every May the town hosts the "Tulipanfest" or Tulip Festival and the population grows astronomically!

Tulipanfest is like the Oktoberfest but a lot smaller and with a Danish twist...There were few non Scandinavians present which gave it a really authentic feel. I have also never heard the song "Life is Life" so many times in one long weekend.

This was by far one of the highlights of my time in Denmark. If you ever go to Ribe you have to be there for the celebrations of the Tulipanfest. The town goes off like a cut snake. I recommend staying at Ribe Byferie (www.ribe-byferie.dk/dk) and to choose 'Peppers' www.peppers.dk as your watering hole. Mark and Lykke are the owners and they're awesome. There's even an All Black jersey on the wall donated by yours truly.

So that's my five cents on Denmark. There is a lot more to see and do than what I have written about. I have just shared my few favourite places to give you all a small taste of what Denmark has to offer. If you get the chance spend some time in Denmark. Great people, great places, great times!

USEFUL INFORMATION -

Currency - 1 Danish Krone = NZD 0.21 - USD 0.15 - GBP 0.12

What things cost:

Meal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) kr 60.00-80.00

Domestic Beer (Restaurant/Pub) (0.5 liter draught) k r30.00-50.00

Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) kr 8.00-15.00

Imported Beer (Restaurant/Pub) (0.33 liter bottle) kr 25.00-45.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) kr 10.00-20.00

Cappuccino (regular) kr 25.00-40.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)9. kr 5.00-15.00

Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) kr 50.00-80.00

Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) kr 40.00-45.00

Gasoline (1 liter) kr 9.80-11.50

Dorm bed: kr 150–300

Double room in budget hotel: kr 500–650

Charging up your shit:

Denmark uses the two-pin continental plug like most other European countries – it has two round pins and operates on 230V (volts) and 50Hz (cycles) AC.

Best time to visit - May to October - The Sun barely sets in Denmark in the summer so that's the best time to go...Vice versa the Sun hardly comes up in Winter so unless you're A Vampire or allergic to the Sun stick to the months May - Oct.

Har en skide god tid i Danmark

#Travel #Denmark #Copenhagen #Ribe #Aalborg #Aarhus #Tulipanfest