by Pete Barba

Dad joke warning (🤣). Gløgg – it’s not the sound that the drain makes when you are about to have a problem, but rather a delicious mulled red wine with almonds and raisins to warm you when strolling through snowy Christmas markets.  It’s a cousin of the Vin Chaud we had in France and we are resolved to make this treat a new tradition at home.

Copenhagen – a Venice of the North.  Canals wind their way past historic and stylish modern buildings, and there’s a car free city center where you can walk for miles.  It’s the most bike friendly city in the world, and the people who live there not only survive the long cold winter but actually thrive in the harsh weather.

We went to Copenhagen because I wanted to experience one of the happiest cultures on the planet.  How could people who live in the cold snowy north, where the sun barely rises above the horizon mid winter, be so happy?  We live in California.  It’s sunny.  ALWAYS.  Snow is a novelty.  If it’s below 60 or above 90, we stay inside.  What can we learn from this society?

Our first impression was one of awe.  A clean, friendly and efficient airport.  A metro that costs practically nothing, yet runs like clockwork every 3 minutes from the airport to downtown.  Bikes everywhere, with bike lanes that are separate from the cars.  Few cars on the road and the ones that are there are quiet and respectful of pedestrians and bikes alike.  This is society that works well for the people and the common good.  Sure everything is expensive, the taxes are incredibly high, and you have to move your body via walking or biking in the freezing cold to get anywhere, but people are happy, harmonious and healthy.  

Unfortunately, illness struck again.  This time Gwyn got the crud, with a hacking cough, fatigue and sore throat, so unfortunately she didn’t get to enjoy Copenhagen as much as she wanted.  But that didn’t stop us from making the best of the situation.  The first day we dragged Gwyn on a walking exploration of the city, which probably wasn’t the best thing we should have done for her.  This is the trouble with having a father as a doctor, if you’re not actively dying, I assume that you’ll be ok and that discomfort is a temporary situation.  It’s kind of like the mechanic whose car is always making weird sounds.  Doctors and nurses don’t do well with taking care of our own unless it’s serious.

Nevertheless, on our first walk we saw the famous statue of The Little Mermaid (the Hans Christian Anderson story, not the Disney version), frozen fountains (our California kids had never seen a frozen body of water before) and cute little neighborhoods painted in bright colors that fight off the dull winter grey.  After nearly freezing to death, we stopped at Gasoline Grill for a burger.  We had heard that this place made good burgers, but we have high standards.  After all, the burger is as American as you can get when it comes to food.  Drew, our resident food critic, proclaimed it was the best burger of his life. 

After the mouth-watering burger, we retired back to our apartment for the long cold night.  Despite being far from home, we celebrate the holiday season with travel-friendly decorations and by watching Christmas movies like Home Alone.  This movie felt more pertinent than ever, not just because we are traveling this year, but also because the kids had to learn to be self-sufficient in Paris.  

To rewind, it was a cold and romantic evening in Paris.  The kids didn’t want to go out for a walk, so Kate and I decided to go for dinner without them.  Lest you think we are irresponsible parents, we were staying at a very upscale apartment with 24 hr security and were on the 5th floor. They were safe.  Wouldn’t you know it, the apartment below us decided to use sparklers on a birthday cake and proceeded to set off the fire alarm.  Our kids knew exactly what to do, they calmly left the apartment, took the stairs (not the elevator) and found a group of people outside with whom to wait.  Unfortunately, our instructions didn’t include remembering the room key, a jacket and shoes.  Thankfully they remained calm and found the security guard who let them back in the apartment, but it was a good lesson learned about self sufficiency.  Also a good lesson for Kate and I to state what we think is obvious when we run through “what if” scenarios.

Our second day in Copenhagen, Gwyn was too sick to do much (probably due to the icy “death march” the day prior), so Kate stayed home with computer work (and a good book).  Meanwhile, Drew and I had a father/son day.  Despite being barely above zero, we decided to explore the biking culture of the Danes.  We peddled our way around the city, covering 10+ miles in a few hours.  With our expanded reach, we were able to get out of the old city and explore the waterfront and new architecture that makes Copenhagen famous.  The waterfront is lined with bike and walking trails, weaving in and out of unique modern architecture.  Despite being cold much of the year, there are public swimming areas, playgrounds and exercise areas that are free to use.  There’s minimal homelessness, no litter, and everything is clean and orderly.  With 4 layers of clothes on, we remained warm, helped by a mid-ride snack of coffee and french onion soup.  (Interesting that it was the best French onion soup we’ve had, even though we no longer were in France.  I heard that the chef was French).  By this point, I was starting to figure out why the Danes are so happy.

Our third day was a slow day.  Gwyn sick on the couch, Kate doing the ever present task of  laundry, Drew doing school, and I was doing my ongoing job of trip planning.  It’s interesting that despite traveling full time, we have to spend a significant amount of time planning the next steps in our travels.  It’s a weird feeling sitting in snowy Copenhagen, planning the hot and steamy Cambodia part of our trip.  When you travel 24/7/365, not every day is full of excitement; there’s always schooling, planning and laundry to be done.  We did go out for a traditional lunch of Smørrebrød, the traditional Danish open-faced sandwich.  These sandwiches are works of art, piled high with simple but fresh and delicious ingredients. The melding of smoked salmon, soft cheese, pickles veggies and dill, all served on rye bread filled our bellies and our hearts with the culture of Copenhagen.  If sandwiches were this good at home, I would eat sandwiches more. 

After lunch Kate and Drew explored the Rosenborg Castle and viewed the Crown Jewels of Denmark.  Those two can’t get enough of fancy houses and the creative inspiration they provide!

Our final day in Copenhagen was full of Christmas magic as we visited the second oldest amusement park in the world, Tivoli Gardens.  Sure Disney is bigger, newer, and is more well known, but I think Tivoli Gardens has Disney beat hands down (Gwyn strongly disagrees).  It oozes old world charm around every corner.  No cartoon characters, but rather Christmas garland, lights and trees galore.  The rides are far more scary; no silly American rules prevent you from getting motion sick while spinning in all 3 axis at the same time for a solid 5 minutes.  It has one of the oldest running wooden roller coasters in the world which is controlled by an operator using a hand brake!  That’s definitely not OSHA compliant.  To close out the day, there was a water, fog, laser, and music spectacular that made us hum The Nutcracker all the way home. 

Between the wintry weather, Christmas markets, and Tivoli Gardens, we were immersed in the Christmas spirit during our time in Copenhagen.  The city is beautiful, the people are friendly and the food is spectacular.  It is no wonder that they are some of the happiest people on Earth.  They love being outside no matter the weather, they are constantly moving their bodies, their society and government work for them, and while they pay high taxes, their money goes towards things that make them happy like easy transportation, clean and beautiful parks and a societal safety net that prevents people from being hungry, homeless or sick.  Don’t believe me?  Look it up, or better yet, go look for yourself.  You won’t regret it.

As if Copenhagen (at nearly the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska) wasn’t cold and dark enough, we left Denmark and headed north to a land where the next sunrise is weeks away, reindeer are both a form of transportation as well as dinner, and ice isn’t something you put in your drink, but rather your shelter for the night.  Next week, check back here to read about our adventures above the Arctic Circle, including puppy time, fuzzy horses, and mysterious lights that dance.

Thanks for reading to the end.  Next up: Kiruna, Sweden!  Don’t forget to check out our past stories and subscribe for future articles as well.  Find us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content!  Please note that any links or business names provided are for information only, we did not receive any compensation for our opinions or recommendations. As always, if you are planning a trip to any location we visit we are happy to provide more details and opinions, so feel free to contact us.