Spring Break Day 2: Copenhagen

So today has been a very long day.  Started at 7am, figured out how to use the shower (Scandinavian design is fantastic.  So much more livable than France, but some things are not exactly intuitive in how one uses them, like the shower, or the faucet, or the spray bottle for oil and vinegar...), then had a typical Danish breakfast of various types of rolls and cheese, jam, or flat chocolate!  Delicious! (even the gouda with stinging nettles).  We got on the road by around 8:30 and were off to Copenhagen, arriving in a little over an hour and a half.  First we stopped at the house where my grandfather and great uncle (Olaf's grandfather) grew up in Hellerup, a very nice residential district on the north side of Copenhagen.  After that we went to small memorial garden where many of my relatives are buried.  Seeing my last name on a grave stone is very odd (even more so for Olaf' and his son, who were named after relatives buried there).  However, it's not as uncommon of a last name in Scandinavia, and there are apparently many other Svens here, including many unknown ones living in Denmark (however most are not related).  

We then proceeded south, visiting the very famous Little Mermaid statue (nice but not incredibly impressive), then proceeded to walk around the old town, climbing the Roundtower, eating lunch at Nyhavn.  We then walked around and saw more sights in the old town like the City Hall, Parliament, and a very interestingly redesigned waterfront on the harbor, and major modern architectural redevelopment that has occurred over the past 10 years or so.  After this, we walked back north along the harbor, took the very new driverless metro system (you can watch out the front as you go!), then back to the car to drive home.  

Right before lunch, we passed through the square where the main palace of the Queen is located, and this was right at the time of the changing of the guard, however, today is an important day in Danish history, as April 9th was the day the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940.  It is still remember as a day of mourning, as before noon, all the flags are at half mast.  However, when the guard changes, they symbolically raise the flag.  One thing that fascinates me about Europe is how the war is still very much in the public consciousness, even with 65 years of peace and "European Integration".  It was a moving and powerful sight to see the guards, marching from a long distance away in silence, with only a drum to keep the pace of the march.

Another issue that I have talked about with my cousins quite a bit is the legal and widespread abuse of alcohol by teenagers here.  Apparently there is no drinking age, only an age to buy (16) and this results in Danish teens drinking at twice the level of their Swedish counterparts (legal drinking age is 20).  Something you wouldn't know about Danish culture from the outside, but a HUGE problem here (saw some of it going on in Copenhagen on the side of the canals.  Very strange sight).  

Sleep now.  Biking around Odense and Funen tomorrow.