Something to Declare

“There is Nothing Like a Dane” (apologies to Oscar Hammerstein II).

Monday, June 16, 2025

We’ve been here two days, and we’ve come to some conclusions about the local people. Danes are tall, and neither obese nor thin; they are polite, friendly and helpful; they are serene and even-tempered; they are respectful and law-abiding (no one jaywalks or litters); they are ecology-minded (greenery embedded in office buildings).

And they travel a lot by bike (see above)–while also having an excellent and clean public transit system. Danes are also generally English-speaking. They are patient and unhurried (no car horn honking). We like them.

They’re also incredibly high-tech, and cash is barely necessary. I wanted to mail a package to a friend in the States (Hi Jan!), but we were informed that the entire postal system is being phased out. As of this month, no more letter boxes in Denmark, and no snail mail delivery by end of 2025. At present there are, in fact, almost no post offices in Denmark. Everything’s electronic, except for parcel delivery (which is handled by private companies). I was advised to mail my package from Sweden.

Today we tried out the local transit. The subway is run on a quasi-honor system. We traveled from Islands Brygge to the Norreport station, near the Torvehallerne Market.

Meat, fish, cheese, produce, breads, prepared dishes to die (thanks again, Marilyn)!

We got take-out salads for lunch (pasta with chicken, potatoes and kale; tuna with cottage cheese – delish, no kidding!), each covered with pea purée dressing. Way yummy. Local fish: Rødspættefillet (Plaice) and Mørksejloin (Pollock); incredible yellow Baltic potatoes; zucchini, scallions (on steroids! see above), and tomatoes.

Home to dump the groceries, then out again, crossing the Lille (“little”) Langebro bridge (only bikes and pedestrians).

A turn into the street that parallels the Fredericksholm Kanal:

Past the Christiansborg Palace (home of Denmark’s three supreme powers):

To the Museum of Happiness (there really is one). It’s a small museum, created by the Happiness Research Institute (there really is one), a think tank focusing on well-being, happiness and quality of life.

The exhibits include Post-Its by visitors, describing their subjective views of happiness, and the types of smiles, featuring our own Barack Obama.

And things that are the antitheses of happiness:

Are we being a bit political? Deal with it!

Tomorrow, we’re off to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Følg med!