On day 1 of our northern European journey JT and I found ourselves in Copenhagen at 7 am Copenhagen time, 1 am New Jersey time. What followed was a sleepless day whereby we tried might hard to stay awake and absorb some local flavor. Our observations, in no particular order:
1. What’s up with all the 7-11 shops? Is that the best America can show the world? This makes me anxious.
2. Smoking is popular. Listen up, Danes: smoking is bad for you. Cut it out.
3. Bikes are everywhere and with impressive lock systems that simply lock the gears, thus deterring thieves. Cool and no need for bike racks.
4. So much blond hair. Everyone looks like Thor the Viking. Okay, not everyone, but plenty of people.
5. We checked out a grocery store. The melons were small but prices seemed reasonable enough and the bread looked terrific. Plenty of items with funky English names like the Corny Big. Not sure what it is though it would seem to be corny. And big.
6. People are very polite and quite tolerant of the fact that we don’t speak a single word of Danish and find their currency mystifying.
7. The hotel room requires a card to turn on the electricity. Basically ensures that no one leaves the lights on when they leave. Smart and energy efficient.
8. These people love their station wagons. They are everywhere (even the politi drive them), thus leading JT to announce that I had found my people (I love station wagons).
9. The Danish cannot wait in line. Or refuse to wait in line. Either way, that’s a pain in the ass.
10. Danish men in the 20s seem to prefer a mid-thigh short with a cuff that is slightly effeminate. Metrosexual men for the win?
11. For their part, the women seem to enjoy vinyl trousers. If you ask me, it sounds like a chafing incident waiting to happen, but to each her own.
Next stop Oslo.
