Wow the people are friendly here we had just stepped onto the streets of the Town Hall Square and started to unfold our map when it first happened. "Can I help you find something? the man asked? His sincerity and friendliness caught both of us off guard. We weren't lost and didn't even have a question and yet this very nice stranger had stopped to offer help. Wow I am impressed. We need more people in this world that will step up like this. I smiled at him and we both thanked him and said we were just getting our bearings before heading into the Old Town.
But as it turned out that kindness from strangers is not a random thing they do in a Danish capital. Its a way of life that we encountered more often in our 9 hours we had here than anywhere else in the world we have traveled. The people we met seemed happy. They rode bicycles to work- women in dresses, men in suits- and looked effortlessly stylish. The city of Copenhagen was spotlessly clean and very charming. By the end of our day if I had to live in another country, Denmark would be my choice.
This morning was a lovely sunny morning as we walked through the Old Town to Gammel Strand to catch one of the canal tours. We found seats by the open windows and were ready for our 1 hour excursion. Our friendly guide provided a triple language narration in English, Danish and Spanish. My mission today was to see 'The Little Mermaid" Sculpture. She was a gift from a Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen to the City of Copenhagen. Unveiled on 23 August 1913. The sculpture is made of bronze and granite and was inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale about a mermaid who gives up everything to be united with a young handsome prince on land. Every morning and evening she swims to the surface from the bottom of the sea and perched on her rock in the water, she stares longingly towards the shore hoping to catch a glimpse of her beloved prince. The little mermaid has several times been the victim of vandalism. Twice she has lost her head and once the arm was sawed off, and several times she has ad paint poured on her. But they said every time she is rescued and restored, so she can stay in her place by the water and bid us travellers a welcome to Copenhagen Harbour.
After a few hours
Oh what a day... I am pooped. 20 miles we walked
Thanks for joining us. Your travel Buds, Leslee & Bob
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