Stepping out onto the platform high above the Christianshavn
neighborhood of Copenhagen, my nerves started to become rattled as I realized the
floor was actually sloped towards the edge.
Fighting the urge to turn back, I was determined to climb the corkscrew
spire on top of Church of Our Saviour to get one of the most extensive views of
the city. Reaching the top of the spire
90 meters above ground, I was offered breathing views of clouds, with the
streets below barely visible, however, the adventure to the top was still fun.
Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city of Denmark,
with an urban population of just under 2 million people. Because of Copenhagen's northern latitude,
the number of daylight hours varies considerably between summer and winter. For
example, during summer days, the sun can rise as early as 4:30 AM and sets at 10:00
PM, providing 17 and a half hours daylight.
During the winter, the sun might rise at 8:30 AM, while setting at 3:45
PM, providing just over 7 hours of daylight.
And as I observed, the weather can also be very unstable given oceanic
climate and low pressure systems from the Atlantic.
Copenhagen is also consistently ranked high in international
surveys for its quality of life because of their stable economy, strong
education and health services, and one of the most environmentally friendly
cities in the world, even building numerous wind farms in the ocean which
provide 4% of the city’s power. The city
encourages people to exercise regularly, with more bikes on the road than cars,
only Amsterdam has a larger proportion of bicycles. However, it is also one of the world’s most
expensive cities, with more prices double what you would pay in the US, for
example two 9 piece KFC wing meals will set you back 25 Euro, or $33 USD. 
With its numerous museums, new aquarium, and a large
shipping/fishing industry, Copenhagen is not without it odd areas, and one is
particular is Freetown Christiania, a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood
within the city. Consisting of the
former military barracks, many people eventually came into the area and settled
once the abandoned area. Since its
opening, Christiania has been famous for its open cannabis trade, taking place openly
in the area named the 'Green Light District', which no photos are allowed.
It was definitely a different place to visit on a tour of the city, and
even exiting the sign displays that you are entering the EU, however, I was not
given a passport stamp J.
The trip was really nice, and before leaving, I made sure to
have a Carlsberg, a street hot dog which caught my attention upon
arriving at the airport, and of course, a visit to Lego!
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| Having a couple Carlsbergs in Copenhagen |
