I have just recently returned from a two-week holiday in the Land of the Vikings, known nowadays as Denmark, thus I could not help but clearly observe the Danish way of life. The main thing one would initially notice is surely the peaceful way they live their life. I hate to admit that this is not the case in the majority of Malta, taking into account our lack of patience and our loudness, to name a few.
Primarily, everywhere you look, greenery dominates. In fact, despite Denmark’s large area, the population is only 5.5 million. However, like every other capital city, Copenhagen can be said to be quite densely populated considering its 1.2 million inhabitants. Furthermore, it is not just an environmentally friendly country; a healthy lifestyle is also their priority. Needless to say, you would not find any of the uncountable kiosks selling pastizzi and other fatty food like we have in Malta, in every corner of each town. Instead, the supermarkets are filled with organic food…I even had the chance to try an organic cocktail in a bar (crazy right?!)
Secondly, health goes hand in hand with sports. The mentality there is that if you do not play sports, you are the odd one out; you can therefore imagine how seriously they take their sports. Something that will absolutely catch your eye if you ever visit Denmark is the huge number of cyclists roaming around each town or city. Citizens use their bicycles like we use our cars. There is not a single road that does not tolerate bicycle riders and funnily enough, there were a few occasions where I was about to get knocked down by a bike. In terms of practising sports, the national sport in Denmark is football. Legend says that football actually originated in Denmark during the medieval times when the head of some Danish brigand was used as a ball. As you can see, the old form of football used to allow many ill practices like kicking, punching and biting. Coming to think of it, some things never change… Remember Suarez biting Chiellini? Ouch. Other sports include handball, sailing, badminton, ice hockey and swimming. Proof of their passion for sports is the number of local sports clubs in all cities and most towns.
Thirdly, before visiting Denmark, make sure that you are aware of the fact that considering their incredibly high salaries, the prices are simultaneously high. How do you feel about a 6 Euro can of beer? Obviously, my intention is not to generalize, because not everywhere is the same. In contrast, the sales are actually very satisfactory especially in the affordable shops of Strøget Street. Yes, you guessed it, that is like London’s Oxford Street (but slightly more expensive). Whilst strolling around this street I confirmed another observation — that the Danes mind their own business ONLY (if only this happened in Malta!). The reason behind this is that I actually spotted Hollywood actress Julianne Moore and, weirdly enough, it seemed as if I was the only one who was star-struck.
Additionally, some believe that the Danes’ alleged happiness is all due to the fact that they are capable of creating a good balance between work and leisure. The citizens enjoy flexible working conditions including working from home and numerous childcare centres. Denmark is a country filled with places to visit to just forget your everyday routine. For instance, while I was there I was lucky enough to spend almost a week in a summer house, literally in the middle of nowhere, right next to an astonishing beach which leads to the North Sea. Moreover, it is incredibly easy to visit Sweden even if it is just for one day. All you need to do is catch a train from Copenhagen straight to the beautiful city of Malmo. On the other hand, if you are the type of person who enjoys camping whilst getting immersed into some great music, Roskilde festival is the place for you. This year’s line-up included the Arctic Monkeys, Bastille, Icona Pop as well as the legend himself – Mick Jagger. If you just feel like going absolutely crazy at an amusement park, I suggest Tivoli in the heart of Copenhagen or Bakken in Klampenborg.
All in all, I hope that after going through this article, you have just been urged to Google “flight tickets to Denmark” because I believe that visiting Denmark would surely not disappoint! I mean they call it “The world’s happiest nation” for a reason, right?
