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What a day! We'd feared the Ascension Day public 'holy day' would cramp our plans. It spoiled my riding plans and made buying a stamp for Milla's postcard difficult but it also gave us a first hand experience of Danish leisure time. The weather turned on it's charms as well and you couldn't have asked for better conditions - cloudless blue skies and temps in the high teens.
A day of fun for the kids was planned from the get go, but we also wanted to check out Freetown Christiana - a self proclaimed autonomous community. It was established in the 70's and grew out of a hippy ethos of each individual living their life with the community in mind. It also is the place to score soft drugs. I don't think the legal reality matches the ideals but they do try to maintain independance from Copenhagen's local government and fall under the national jurisdiction but also try to pretend they are an independant staden - FreeTown. When you leave the walled area of Christiana the sign reads "you are now entering the EU". I can't help but think that for all the best intentions it is somewhat of a
place to score pot and the local police will let it slide, within reason. Apparently there have been clashes with police in the past. While we might have spent more time there in 1998, my paternal ears pricked up with the kids in tow and the vibe wasn't that cool.
What was COOL was the Experimentarium! A kiddie-friendly science centre that had so many awesome and interesting experiments and activities. We spent 3 hours there and the kids didn't want to leave. If it wasn't our last day and so bloody beautiful outside, perhaps we would have stayed longer.
We hit the experimentarium at 10.30 and the canal area was abandoned but when we emerged after lunch the docks and old wharehouses were pumping. Deck chairs, street food, backgammon and the georgeously hip were sunning by the canal, sipping thier Carlsberg (or IPA it seems is the more popular option) from plastic cups and this felt like an awesome way to spend ascension day. Unfortunately we had plans (and a tight schedule), so off to the Tivoli Gardens we went.
Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park and entertainment precinct in the heart of the Copenhagen. As it
was a public holiday the place was heaving with people. There was the Gymnastikken Dag on the main stage - looked like a Danish Eisteddfod with dozens of dancing kids. Despite the crowds the vibe is very chilled. Everyone is so calm and ordered. Can they be this nice?
I'm going to miss Copenhagen. Not only is this a "bike city" and not only are the people friendly, considerate and hotter than average and not only do they have one of the best Gini Coefficients (measure of income inequality - lower the better) in the developed world but you can also have a beer with your sandwich at any cafe or sandwich bar or pick up a beer when you top up your travel card at 7-11 or the corner kiosk. Not unussual for Europe but a welcomed convenience when you're in holiday mode.
We are all very tired at the moment. Plenty of walking and a bit of jetlag not helped by an early northern sunrise. Copenhagen's sunrise (and sunset) has taken some adjusting and it's about to get more extreme in Stockholm - sunset at 9.30 and sunrise at 4.30. Aye caramba!
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