On 7th April the British news paper the Guardian ran an article praising the Danish capital. Here is a small excerpt from that article:

Copenhagen really is wonderful, for so many reasons

“Denmark has just come top in the UN’s survey of global happiness – far ahead of 18th-placed Britain. One former Londoner who moved to the Danish capital three years ago can see why

We were not surprised to read last week that the Danes topped the UN’s first World Happiness Report, whereas the Brits managed a less than impressive 18th place. Since moving from Finsbury Park in London to Copenhagen three years ago with my husband Duncan, our quality of life has skyrocketed and our once staunch London loyalism has been replaced by an almost embarrassing enthusiasm for everything “Dansk”.

…..
It’s a gloriously attractive city too, with its rickety historic centre, maze of cobbled streets (including the longest pedestrianised shopping street in Europe) and ancient churches, palaces and government buildings, alongside brave and striking modern interjections such as the ferociously angled extension to the Royal Library, nicknamed the Black Diamond, and Henning Larsen’s Royal Opera House.

And then there’s the fabulous design, which saturates most elements of Danish life. Everywhere you look, from metro stations to schools, friends’ homes and even hairdressers, there are functional and elegant objects. The dining room of our local college is packed with Eames Eiffel chairs while children at the airport get to spill their meals on high chairs designed by Danish design maestro Arne Jacobsen.

It’s not all rosy: sometimes the cost of living leaves you speechless. A takeaway bagel, soft drink and bag of crisps, for example, sets you back £10. The winter months can also be bloody freezing and the hours of darkness long. Most Danes seem to escape to Thailand in November, but when they are at home they embrace the winter by lighting candles at every conceivable opportunity and endeavouring to create a hygge, or cosy atmosphere. They entertain at home a lot, take frequent trips to the cinema and invest in heavy-duty snow boots.

…..
The upside is that once the minute spring has sprung, Danes spend as much time as possible outdoors. There are beautiful parks, where in the summer families grill sausages (the nation’s fast food of choice) on communal barbecues, plus more than 100 public playgrounds and numerous swan-filled lakes.”

Read the entire article here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/07/copenhagen-really-wonderful-reasons

Posted in News