Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Copenhagen, Day 4

What happened to day 3?  Interviews and then rain so I didn't have much in the way of observations.  Except one: you always know you are getting close to the US embassy in a country as the bike path/road/sidewalk suddenly become blocked with ugly concrete planters.  Today, while walking to the Royal Danish Defence College, I was wondering around the neighboring suburb to waste some time (I got there early), and thought I was running into another US facility.  Nope, close though, as the Israeli Embassy (or residence) was surrounded by various obstacles to make approaching by vehicle quite hard.

Anyhow, what did I learn during my fourth day in Copenhagen:
  • It is just like Lubbock.  It is incredibly flat and incredibly windy at time.  But otherwise not so much unless you can imagine the bikes here to be the equivalent of Chevy Suburbans.
  • It is just like the Island on Lost, as it spontaneously rains even when it is sunny and then stops immediately, almost as if John Locke was anticipating it all.  
  • Last year, I noted that Paris, Berlin and London vary in how much they trust their citizens to pay for the metro/train.  Paris--very untrusting--with very difficult obstacles to surmount if you don't pay.  Berlin--complete trust with the possibility of an inspection.  Copenhagen--same as Berlin.  
  • Train was also funky in that an entire car (or more) was dedicated to bikers and their bikes, with stands built in.  The trains also have "quiet" zones and anti-quiet zones (wifi).  Interestingly, you will find less English in the metro/train system in Copenhagen than in the cities I experienced last year.  They make up for it by using English in the names and advertisements of their shoppes.  The pic here is for boots and shoes, which are semi-underwater here.
  • Truthers are even here.  Ug.  Right outside the Parliament.  
And I went on a canal tour--one of the best values in a town where the food is super-expensive.  

1 comment:

Steve Greene said...

I've been to Copenhagen. I suspect you are the first person to ever write "It's just like Lubbock" in reference to Copenhagen.