where's wolmut?: cycling copenhagen

paris meets amsterdam

rosenborg castle

biking like locals

emil says:

solid last stop on the trip was copenhagen. i had never heard much in the way of anything positive or negative about this place but i must report this is an almost top 5 urban stop on our trip. along with sydney, tokyo, buenos aires, paris, barcelona and amsterdam the canal and waterway intensive copenhagen is right up there at the top of the list. you gotta love a metropolis that boasts more bikes than cars, and where cyclists have their own 'bike highways'. it's a bit presumptuous of me to call a population 'happy' but they really don't seem to mind tax rates north of 50% and to the contrary seem to love and thrive within this system of wealth redistribution. the food scene here is amongst the best in the world. and the hippy-drug-based non-commercial area of christiana is an eye-opening social experiment that makes burningman a 365 day a year way of life. if i wasn't stuck in a semi-clean, semi-frat house youth hostel writing this due to the outrageous cost structure here, it would make the cut on the top 5 urban centers list.

hans christian andersen's little mermaid- the symbol of copenhagen

royal palace and frederiks church

laurel says:

copenhagen is a real find. it is paris meets amsterdam- a rather fab combination . i am shocked this place has not made its way onto the a-list of euro destinations because in my opinion it is one of the most charming cities in the world. taking in the delish food and hipster vibe was the perfect way to wrap up our round the world tour. and of course the best way to explore the city is on a bike. in this town bikes outnumber cars and there are dedicated bike lanes, bike traffic lights and even bike super highways to help you get around. and the danes are happy as clams. they pay the highest tax rate in the world- up to 70% depending on your income. but in return they have free healthcare, free university education, state sponsored pensions and just about every other social welfare benefit you could imagine. it may sound like i am describing mitt romney's own personal hell, yet the danes rank in the top 5 happiest nations on earth year in and year out. they have one of the smallest income disparity gaps in the world and they have an expression: 'few have too much but many have enough.' maybe they are onto something.