Denmark – Think before you drink

What do you think would be the reaction in the US if someone went to a restaurant and were charged $3-$4 a glass for tap water?  Not from Fiji, a glacier, no bubbles just the sink.

We are seasoned travelers and diners as well as kind and considerate to servers and tip well per the country’s customs.  An issue that occurs internationally and nationally is our preference not to drink soda, juice, or milk.  Water is the beverage of choice and being Green do not order bottled water whether from a glass or plastic when there is no need in industrialized counties.  (Can you tell it is a pet peeve?)  We do not drink normal water to save $, thank goodness, because would you believe that in Denmark they CHARGE for tap water.  Not a buck or two, sometimes equaling to $3-$4!!!   We remember this from past visits but it is still stunning.  When we asked one waitress she stated, “I know it is old-fashioned and stupid.”  What is the recourse you say?  Order a glass or wine or beer?  But we still want water also after lots of walking!  In one instance we ordered aperitifs and then we still got hit!

After an enjoyable stay in Malmo we decided to head to Copenhagen for a few days to enjoy some sites.  Upon originally deciding to have a child our intention was to not slow down our very active travels at times, lots of walking and touring.  The child would have to keep up. Foresight could not predict that we would be the ones trying to keep up with the lassie even after over 8 miles of walking throughout a long day.  How did she do it you ask? She is 3 almost 4 and has not done the stroller thing for over a year so one must observe the experts, New Yorkers. On our last trip to NYC they were lined up at Central Park – scooters. In anticipation her younger model was upgraded to the 5-11 year olds’ model with intuitive tilt and lean steering.  At first it seemed a bit of a challenge to coordinate.  Yeah, no.  She is zipping and zooming around, left leg then right, one leg in the air Ballet style, no hands on her tippy toes, and squatting.  Like a youthful pup we have to run her now and again to tire her out and get her to trot at a leisurely pace!

Learning right away from these first few weeks, as we thought we would, some sites would not interest a wee one so it is an art to have fun AND experience culture. We spent one morning on a train trip to a town just outside of Copenhagen famous for it’s Viking Museum and inlet, Roskilde.  Enjoying the tradespeople outside making rope, a kiln, shields, and boats but at waterside deciding to forgo actually entering the museum!  Instead we jettisoned to another super cool playground just next to it and enjoyed the view of the water.  Back in Copenhagen the sights that interested all of us were the Danish National Museum (they have a children’s museum section) and the famous Tivoli Gardens.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

You can see from the photos that Ilaria was thrilled when she was chosen to be in a show at Tivoli.  She was not as stoic as she looks, hyper-focused is her modus operandi, after all the entire show was in Danish!  Seeing it time and time again now on occasions where one would expect visual jubilation she assess the situation and later recounts her enjoyment of what took place.  Some people have mentioned the disappointed of their personal experience seeing the famous “Lille Havfrue”, literally: “the Little Mermaid” a statue based on the Hans Christian Anderson story.  Rick and I had seen the sculpture prior but, believe you me, Ilaria thought it was fantastic exclaiming, “I loved, loved, loved it!” As the sea foam continues to form at the harbor, as in the legend, it lives on in the heart of children.

Next we are heading back to Malmo for more time as well as Rick’s Martial Arts seminar.