Mid-life gap year Tanya and Craig

Warning, before I begin to tell you about cycling in Copenhagen, this blog contains random images from our time there that are not cycling related. Copenhagen, a city where there are more bikes on the road than cars. A city where cycling infrastructure is as good if not better than it is for cars. I am a nervous road cyclist, having seen and heard too many times the consequence when cars / trucks and bikes meet. I have become very uncomfortable cycling where there is no real separation between bikes and other vehicles. Today we had the pleasure of cycling in Copenhagen. Imagine a separated car-lane wide cycle-way on either side of the road that has no potholes or obstacles and there is no risk to riders of car doors opening.  Then imagine dedicated cycle-way street lighting, intersection traffic lights and dedicated cyclist merging lanes. Then imagine how many more people would ride. Today Craig and I had the pleasure of cycling around Copenhagen in peak hou...

Our interest in Vikings was initially sparked by the TV series of the same name. Then late last year we read Saga Land by Richard Fidler and Kari Gislason a kind of travel journal intertwined with traditional Icelandic Sagas. This then led to reading more Icelandic Sagas in all their brutal glory.      Whilst visiting Denmark it seemed opportune to learn more about the Vikings and see first-hand their ships, burial mounds, artefacts, etc.  Having shared this interest with our very kind friend and host Gitte, we were whisked off to the National Museum of Denmark in Jelling.   Jelling Jelling is on the island of Jutland and was home to the Viking kings, Gorm the Old and his son Harald Bluetooth who built many of the monuments in the area more than 1000 years ago. The most significant of these are the Rune Stones (carved rocks in the form of a tablet).  The oldest rune stone was raised by King Gorm in memory of his wife Thyra. Here the name ...

Denmark is a little country, approximately 2/3 the size of Tasmania or 4/3 the size of the Hunter Valley but with a population of 5.5 million highly educated, socially conscious, culturally engaged people, Denmark is not like anywhere else.    It is a country of soft light, big skies and vibrant green pastures of rye, barley, potatoes, fresh peas and strawberries. This time of year it is also poppy season as it is in much of Europe. It is a nation that makes things both functional and beautiful. It is a nation that does not compromise on crap; rather its people would rather save for a few very special, beautiful and generally Danish designed and made pieces that they will have for many years to come. It is a nation of non-clutterers.  It is a nation of people who punch way above their weight when it comes to influencing the rest of the world, but they do it through non-aggressive means, diplomacy and good design. Climate shaming has b...