There was much less snow when I arrived in Denmark but it did snow while I was there. And, right enough. Eight o’clock in the morning folk where out there shovelling away to their heart content. Of course not only are the roads kept clear but they have special small machines to deal with the pavements too.
I took a walk down Stroget, the main pedestrian street in Copenhagen. Not worth the bother, in my un humble opinion. If you want to enjoy the real thing. Just almost any side street will do, and you will find lots of tiny shops with anything from vintage to designer clothes, stamps and so on. Many of these are down a few steps in the cellar. Reminds me a little of Amsterdam. Happy to say too that that I did not encounter too many chain stores of UK/US variety.
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February 28, 2009 – 11:00 am
‘Oh horror! Oh disgrace! Unpatriotic! Prison for life!’ Was the common cry. And oh how I laughed and laughed and laughed.
Very naughty! Most unpatriotic! But then I’ve always had a challenge with that kind of stuff. What do you expect from a wandering-half- Jew like me. In any case I’m also only half Danish and I don’t even know which half is what? 
Actually this was the first attempt on The Little Mermaid’s life in a long series.-
She’s had her arm sawn off but returned.
In 1998 she lost her head again which was found and replaced. –Wish I could do that!
She’s had her hair painted red and a bra painted on.
The entire statue was blasted of the rock with dynamite.
She’s been draped in a Burka in opposition to Turkey joining the European Union.
She’s been painted green and pink.
And in 2007 some fashionista’s decided to clothe her in a Muslim dress with head scarf and all.
In any case, the statue that everyone comes to stare at is not even the original ( hidden away, somewhere safe) so what’s the big fuss about?
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February 25, 2009 – 6:20 pm
Just returned from an all too brief visit to the old country. < ?xml:namespace prefix ="" o />
Funny how a place becomes so much more attractive when you no longer live there. When I was at school all I ever thought about was getting away. Away from the cold, the wind, the boring people, the too much beer and snaps, the nothing-ever-happens- here. Basically the “ little Denmark” syndrome. Nowadays, and I’m talking mostly Copenhagen, it’s a happening, multicultural melting pot.
Oh and I do love those great little trolleys at the airport. Just a basket at the top and bottom, for small hand luggage.
Hell. I wasn’t supposed to say this! Flying! How can a committed environmentalist like me do such a thing? Mea culpa entirely. I love the train and was determined to use it. Unfortunately, when it came down to cost, travelling from Scotland where I live to Denmark by train, was double the price of flying!
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February 4, 2009 – 9:41 am
Mat Harvey, Totnes based Transition performance poet does a great one on Traydio ( like an audio Tube) in their December edition.
Having recently recovered from post traumatic Transition disorder in the belief that world olive oil supplies were about to run out he became inspired by a recent Schumacher conference on the theme of” Less is More”. And came up with a poem.
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December 15, 2008 – 11:36 pm
Copenhagen , was recently named world cycle capital.!
No great surprise to me. Being half Danish, that fair city was my home town for many years , so I am quite familiar with its bike culture..
To tell the truth, I was never a big fan. Funny thing is I’m not entirely sure why? My Danish mother always said: “ All Danes are born on a bicycle”. I certainly wasn’t.
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November 27, 2008 – 12:26 am
Do you love your garden shed? Well, here’s news for you. You may soon be able to get your electricity from a mini nuclear power plant no larger than…you guessed it…your own garden shed! Those wise scientists at Los Alamos have been playing their “ little Strangelove games” again. Having had the enormous pleasure of creating Little Boy, the first atom bomb, which killed approximately 200,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they are now rubbing their hands in glee, shouting in unison: “ It’s small ! It’s safe! It’s cheap! And will soon be rolled out on the world’s “catwalks.”
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November 21, 2008 – 9:07 am
President-elect Obama just managed to outsmart the folks at 350.org
As you know by now there has been a huge campaign to encourage Obama to go to Poland, to re-engage the United States in the forthcoming UN Climate talks.
He just found his own way to do this, without getting on a plane. Read More »
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November 9, 2008 – 5:23 pm
Welcome to Reality, Mr. President-Elect
by Bill McKibben
Our eight-year interlude from reality draws to a close, and the job of cleaning up begins. The trouble is, we’re not just cleaning up after a failed US presidency. We’re cleaning up after a two-century binge.
Barack Obama won an historic victory this week, and with it the right to take office under the most difficult circumstances since Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Maybe more difficult, because while both FDR and Obama had financial meltdowns to deal with, Obama also faces the meltdown meltdown - the rapid disintegration of the planet’s climate system that threatens to challenge the very foundations of our civilization.
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November 6, 2008 – 5:03 pm
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Obama’s win is a fresh start for US relations with the world. Let’s help turn the page and send a global message of hope and invitation to work together to the new President — it will be displayed on a giant wall in Washington DC:
Take Action Now
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After 8 long years of Bush – a fresh start! Entrenched interests stand in the way, but Obama’s victory brings a chance for the US to finally join with the world community to take on pressing challenges on climate change, human rights, and peace.
Let’s seize this opportunity to create a major global moment of unity, reconciliation and hope by sending a million messages of warm congratulations and invitation to work together to the new President and the American people.
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November 1, 2008 – 10:55 pm
Summary:
Holyrood 350 is a response to the recognition that we have to reduce CO2 concentrations from the current 387ppm to 350ppm, in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. Since international negotiations currently seek to set a ceiling of 450ppm, while carbon emissions continue to rise rapidly, Holyrood 350 is seeking backing from as many political parties, environmental and social organisations, community groups, religious groups, trade unions and ordinary people as possible. We seek to persuade the Scottish Government and MSPs of all parties to introduce legislation to stop accelerating climate change by radically reducing our carbon emissions and so setting an example for the rest of the world to follow.
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