No matter where you go, there you are.

Today I'm going to try to help you learn. That's your fair warning. If you're not into that "learnin'" thing, I suggest closing your browser now.

*Begin enlightening/educational stuff*

On my trip to Denmark, I learned that I didn't know much about Denmark prior to my trip. Sure, I'd heard of Søren Kierkegaard, Hans Christian Andersen, and Hamlet (organized in descending order from most attractive to most fictional--more on them in a future posting). But beyond that, I really didn't know anything.

Here are some things I learned--items that can become new random facts in your collection:

- Danes love their Royal Family. The Queen is more of an international outreach/public relations figurehead than a political leader. She is also an artist. The Crown Prince and Princess are famous for their fairy tale romance. They met at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Most postcard stands are filled with pictures of the happy couple.

- Danish food is excellent! Even local chain restaurants presented their food like fine art. Unfortunately, they also priced it like fine art. It was worth the cost. I am now addicted to Danish pastry (the cheap imitations you get here in the US don't compare). My favorite is like a pecan pie in a pastry shell. Amazing. Danish people are much too thin--it's clear they show insufficient appreciation for their fine pastries. In other food news, smørrebrød (an open sandwich) is great as well. If you're in Copenhagen and want to try this lunchtime treat, try Domhuskælderen. Speaking of restaurants... for some reason, there are many Mexican restaurants in Denmark.

- Danes like bicycles. Bikes are everywhere. They ride them everywhere as well--including on snow and ice-covered cobblestones. It was impressive and distressing at the same time. Be careful not to wander off the pedestrian walkways and onto Danish bike lanes, because the punishment is death (that is, they'll run right over you).

- Danish fashion is very casual. They like to wear funky boots (over their jeans, not under). They also wear kafiyas as scarves. I saw some people with really fake looking tans. It just didn't seem right in such cold weather...

*End enlightening/educational stuff*