Expat in Germany

Monday, November 22, 2010

Top 10 Experiences in Denmark

For me it's what you experience while visiting a place that makes travel so exciting, and sometimes more so than the actual sites themselves. Here are my top 10 experiences while in Denmark for the TBEX Conference.

#1. All the Statues in Odense from Hans Christian Andersen Stories
It's fun to try and figure out which story they're from, plus it keeps Hans Christian Andersen's stories alive! Any idea which story the photo above is from? I confess that I had to ask my guide.

#2. Unique Environmental Initiatives in Denmark

From my short time in Denmark, it appeared to me that the Danish think outside the box. Above is a carbon-neutral skating rink in Odense. Denmark is also home to the world's only carbon neutral beer, Global Ale, by Nørrebro Bryghus and the world's greenest hotel, Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers to name but a few of the unique environmental initiatives currently found in Denmark.

#3. The Copenhagen Cocktail
Another example of innovative Danish thinking, a cocktail named after the capital. It's tasty, but potent with:
5 cl. Bols Genever, 2 cl. Cherry Heering Liqueur, 2 cl. fresh pressed lime juice, 2 cl. sugar syrup (Monin)
1 dash Angostura Bitters. Find out more about The Copenhagen Cocktail and where you can order it.

#4 Bike Rush Hour in Copenhagen
Biking in Copenhagen rush hour was so much fun but not for the faint of heart with almost 40% of the city commuting by bike! The Danes are in good shape and kept whizzing by us. It didn't help that we didn't know the right hand signals either. Fortunately, we all remained unscathed. For more info see: 5 Things You Should Know Before Cycling in Denmark.

#5. Meeting Locals
Meeting locals is always one of my favorite things about traveling and I found the Danes exceptionally friendly. At a kebab shop I was struggling to find the right coins and explained to the cashier that I had only been in Denmark a couple of hours and hadn't figured out the money yet. He took a few minutes to show me all the different coins and the value of each one. Talk about making a good first impression for Denmark! We also had the unique opportunity for a Q&A with circus performers at the TBEX Conference! I've always wondered how circus performers become circus performers so it was great to hear the stories of two performers, both who gave an impromto performance, as seen above. I also had the opportunity to meet many local entrepreneurs who were passionate about their businesses and their country. I don't know the stats on entrepreneurship in Denmark, but it appears to be a very entrepreneurial country.

#6. Walking Around the Lakes in Copenhagen

I confess, the lakes in Copenhagen look more like rivers to me, but regardless they're beautiful and a popular place to go for a run, or if you're feeling less energetic to do some bird watching - I couldn't believe all the swans! I spent several hours just wandering around taking in the ambiance.

#7. J Day in Denmark

J-Day in Denmark marks the first day that Christmas beer is available for sale and its celebration rivals that of New Years Eve. I had so much fun walking the streets and looking for free beer being handed out by guys in blue Santa Clause suits (see above photo) and was lucky enough to score a light-up blue Santa Clause hat, which now sits on my desk as a reminder of this unique Danish celebration.

#8 The Tinderbox in Odense

I may have mentioned once or twice in previous posts how much I love, love The Tinderbox! It's a place where children choose from a variety of costumes, based on Hans Christian Andersen's stories and then bring them to life on life-size sets. It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen for kids!

#9 Train Ride from Copenhagen to Odense

I always think the landscape is the most interesting part of any country and while I'd heard that Denmark is flat, I didn't realize how flat - the highest elevation is 173m! Nonetheless, I enjoyed seeing a bit of the country side.

#10 Travel Writers and Travel Bloggers I Met at TBEX

A special shout out to my Narrative Travel Blogging Workshop Leaders, Lola Akinmade and Andrew Evans who I learned so much from. I am grateful to have had the opportunity for them to critique my work thinking "like a mean editor" I met so many other wonderful travel bloggers and really wherever you go, isn't it really all about the people you meet?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

5 Things You Should Know Before Cycling in Denmark

Cyclist counter showing how many cyclists have passed through at any given time. These are found all over Denmark and really demonstrate the popularity of cycling in Denmark

Cycling in Denmark is a great way to see this incredibly bike friendly country, but there's a few things you should know before you go.

1) Cycling in Denmark: Hand Signals May Be Different
I found this one out by accident while cycling in Copenhagen rush hour. Instead of putting the left hand up to indicate a right turn, most cyclists in Denmark just stick their right hand straight out as indicated below. Also, to indicate "stopping", we saw many cyclists, including our guide, raise his right hand in a stopping gesture. I also saw some cyclists indicate they were stopping as indicated below, so there seems to be a variety of hand signals at play, but worth knowing since...

2) Cycling in Denmark: There are a lot of Cyclists
43% of people living in Copenhagen and the city's goal is to increase this to 50% by 2015. In Odense, Denmark's third largest city, 50% of people cycle. While cycling in the Copenhagen rush hour, it wasn't uncommon for there to be 30 cyclists waiting at a stop light. With so many cyclists, knowing the correct hand signals is essential for safety. Which brings us to #3...

The bike parking lot in front of the Main Train Station in Copenhagen

3) Cycling in Denmark: Danes are Fast Cyclists
Many Danes use cycling as a mode of transport to get to work, school, etc... and often they're in a hurry since they're not just cycling for leisure as is more common in North America. You don't need to worry about keeping up, just stay to the right side of the road, so that faster cyclists can pass you on the left. This also means, that suddenly stopping and pulling out a tourist map in the middle of the bike lane is not a good idea. One local, said that Danes are notorious for yelling at tourists who do this, but then said with a wry grin that it's usually in Danish so they can't understand. I was fortunate enough to make it through cycling in Denmark without getting yelled at, but they have a point. It is the equivalent of stopping your car in the middle of the street to pull out a map, without pulling over, which I wouldn't be so happy about either.

4) Cycling in Denmark: Bikes are Allowed on The Trains
Denmark does an exceptional job of encouraging people to cycle so it's no surprise that bikes are allowed on the trains. As of January 2010 there is no charge to bring your bike on the train around Copenhagen as there previously was, but bikes are only not allowed on trains during peak times. See: Cycling in Denmark: Free to Bring Bike on Train for current info.

These brand new bikes are available for short term rentals in Odense

5) Cycling in Denmark: Free Bikes in Copenhagen
A small deposit will get you a free bike in central Copenhagen. Pick up/drop off is at over 100 locations in the city. The free bike service in Copenhagen is available mid April to November. See: Cycling in Denmark: Free City Bikes for more info. Bike rentals are also another option and are usually reasonably priced. The City of Odense provides two bike rental options. One for just a couple of hours of use with numerous pick up/drop off locations and another one for multiple days use. Bike rentals can easily be found throughout Denmark, including many tourist offices, private companies and hotels. See: Cycling in Denmark: Bike Rentals for a partial list.

You may also be interested in:
My Top Ten Experiences in Denmark
Top 10 Things to Experience in Odense Denmark
The Tinderbox, Where Children's Dreams Come to Life in Denmark

J Day in Denmark

For more information on cycling in Denmark see:

Cycling in Denmark: My Experience

Cycling in Denmark: Official Information

More Tips on Cycling in Denmark from Wonderful Copenhagen

Cycling in Denmark Route Signs

Labels: Copenhagen, cycling in Denmark

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Cycling in Denmark

One of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Copenhagen is that bikes appeared to outnumber cars. Cycling in Denmark just became something I had to do. I didn't have to wait long, as cycling in Denmark was on the agenda for the Sustainability Tour I was already signed up for. We hopped on our bikes and cycled to BioM, an organic restaurant in Copenhagen.


Proof that I survived my first cycling in Copenhagen rush hour experience

After a few tasty organic appetizers, our real adventure began according to our Danish guide -”cycling in Copenhagen rush hour." It quickly became apparent that the Danes are in good shape as they effortlessly whizzed past us on their bikes. At a stop light, it wasn't uncommon for there to be 30 bikes! After the cycling in Denmark part of the tour was over, we each insisted on getting a photo with our bike - proving we had just survived cycling in Copenhagen rush hour. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face!

Cycling along the river in picturesque Odense Denmark

Unknown to me at the time, my cycling in Denmark days were not over. A few days later we set out on a tour of Odense, home to Hans Christian Anderson. There our first stop was to pick up bikes. I was so thrilled to have another opportunity for cycling in Denmark and especially in this picturesque city. It was a Sunday and our guides took us on a bike path by the tree lined river where we stopped and enjoyed a picnic lunch. Cycling in Odense had a much slower and more relaxed pace than bustling Copenhagen. It was the complete opposite experience of cycling in Copenhagen rush hour, but just as enjoyable, if not more so.

While cycling in Denmark I just felt good. Perhaps it was the exercise, the fresh air, doing something local, or knowing you are doing something good for the planet. Who knows, but I wouldn't be surprised if all the cycling the Danes do contributed in part to why Denmark is consistently rated as one of the happiest nations on earth.

Note: the "Sustainable Copenhagen Tour" and "Hans Christian Anderson Tour" were courtesy of Wonderful Copenhagen.

You may also be interested in:
My Top Ten Experiences in Denmark
Top 10 Things to Experience in Odense Denmark
The Tinderbox, Where Children's Dreams Come to Life in Denmark

5 Things You Should Know Before Cycling in Denmark

J Day in Denmark

Labels: Copenhagen, cycling in Denmark, visiting denmark

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

J Day in Denmark

Christmas comes early to Denmark every year. It arrives in Denmark the first Friday in November at 20:59, in the form of “J Day”, which comes from the Danish word for Christmas beer. This is Santa as you’ve never seen him before. Instead of a big ol jolly guy wearing a red suit, “Santa” in Denmark is dressed not only in blue, but in a considerable more risqué blue suit, usually taking the form of blue lingerie topped with a bobbing blue light up Santa cap for the girls and blue boxers for the guys and instead of handing out the infamous blue brew Tubourg, known as the Christmas beer.

What’s so special about the Christmas beer? Well according to Copenhagen local, Lars, who was getting an early start on J Day, it has more alcohol, than regular beer but he wasn’t sure how much more. The bar tender checked for me and it turns out J Day beer has 5.6% alcohol, 1% higher than regular beer. Despite the higher alcohol content Lars admitted he wasn't a fan of the taste of J Day beer, although that didn't stop him from celebrating J Day.

J Day beer is also brewed with a unique blend of ingredients, as we were informed by a local brew master, J Day beer “... is made with all the same ingredients as pumpkin pie – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and of course cloves.” Now, I'm allergic to beer, but my curiosity was so piqued, that I couldn't resist taking a small sip and yes it did indeed remind me of pumpkin pie. Fortunately for me, I don't like pumpkin pie.

One of the many J Day beer trucks handing out free beer, but no skimpy clothing, likely because it was rather cold out.

But what really makes J Day so special are all the celebrations and on occasion, free beer. J Day is a huge celebration rivaling that of New Year’s Eve and celebrated all over Denmark. As we strolled through Strøget, the oldest pedestrian street in Europe, everyone was in a festive mood singing Christmas carols in both Danish and English and trying to score one of the blue light up Santa Hats, which we searched out thanks to a local who showed us where they were handing them out.