I arrive in the early morning feeling exhausted after 12 hours of flights, but there’s no time to waste and after a quick shower I head out to explore. My first stop is the Grundtvig Church, a massive brick structure with vaulted arched ceilings. There’s a large group of people waiting outside for the doors to open, but I manage to sneak in a side door and have the place to myself for 5 minutes beforehand.
I head back to the heart of Copenhagen, where the Amalienborg Palace stands as the official residence of the Danish royal family. Built in the 1700s, it’s a complex of four identical mansions surrounding an open square. Standing watch outside, the Royal Life Guards—dressed in their blue uniforms and tall bearskin hats—stand watch in a centuries-old tradition. Their presence isn’t just ceremonial; these young men are trained soldiers tasked with protecting the monarchy. I ask one of them if it’s ok to take his photograph and he gives me a brief, stern nod stating, “Of course”. When I’m done, he marches closer to me and glances at the images on my camera. He quietly introduces himself as Mads and whispers his Instagram account handle for me to send them to. I give him the thumbs up before he briskly marches back to his post.
It’s time for lunch and I opt for Aamann Deli which is known for smorrebrod, a small Danish open-faced sandwich. It’s delicious and filling despite its size. I have a minor heart attack when I get the bill and realize my sandwich has just cost me $27 CAD 😳 Wow! I knew Denmark was expensive but this is nuts. How does anyone afford to live here?
My question is answered when I have a chat with a local I meet in the grounds of the Rosenborg Castle. Locals are taxed a whopping 47%, but post secondary schooling along with health care is free. Five weeks of paid vacation is mandatory and each university student receives a “salary” of approximately $1200 CAD a month while attending school. There’s virtually no crime, doesn’t appear to be a drug or homeless problem from what I’ve seen and it’s been voted the happiest country on the planet by its residents numerous times. The city is very clean with little vehicular traffic and bicycles used as the main transportation. Everyone rides; businessmen, small children, the elderly, babies in seats on the handlebars, women in flowing skirts. And there’s every type of bicycle you can imagine; mountain bikes, racing bikes, cruiser bikes, electric bikes, cargo bikes that are popular with families (think kids piled in front, as well as for carrying groceries, dogs, or even furniture).
I’ve booked a late afternoon canal cruise on a small boat with, Hey Captain, to get a water view of the city and I find my captain, Helene, waiting for me. She’s a university student studying medical engineering and this is her summer job. I’m joined by a Brazilian couple with their three adult sons and we all pile into the boat and set off. Helene is full of interesting information and has lots of questions for us as well. We disembark at an abandoned fort that’s only accessible by water and wander through the creepy dank hallways, peaking into dimly lit rooms. There’s a barely legible map painted on one wall that was used by the Nazis during World War II. Once back on board we visit neighbourhoods that have been created along the canals. Each one has been carefully planned so the residents have access to a shopping area, restaurants, and a roped-off swimming spot with public saunas built on the water. The goal is to plan neighbourhoods where the residents commune with one another in public to create a happy, and healthy population.
