Copenhagen, come to fall in love…

Coming to Copenhagen, people learn to love life from the simplest things.

I first visited Copenhagen many years ago, on a day in late summer and early autumn. The sky was still very sunny and very blue, but it turned cold in the afternoon. But that cold did not freeze the fire of eagerness to explore this place in me, a first-time traveler to Scandinavia.

The first impression is the familiar blue color of the Danish beer brand at Copenhagen airport when landing and almost every new visitor wants to do: stand in front of the large billboard with the words "Denmark, the happiest country in the world " and take a souvenir photo. The second impression is the bicycles, a lot of bicycles outside Copenhagen train station, a beautiful and elegant architectural work, but not as big as the central stations of other European capitals.

In the bustling city center, the architecture still has an ancient, mythical look.

The third impression is that it is so peaceful and lovely here, the loveliness of a country where people understand the value of life through the philosophy of “hygge” (ancient Norwegian word roughly meaning “happiness”, emphasizing the feeling of comfort, warmth, joy with loved ones and enjoying small daily joys). They cherish every moment of life, every living space, every day when summer comes and goes, giving way to the chilly autumn and then the cold and wet winter begins.

And the fourth impression, like the size of Copenhagen station, everything here is small, not too big, like the country itself, but it turns out, after being here long enough, talking to the Danes, feeling what is possible with all your heart and soul, you understand that size does not determine stature, but the idea, what it conveys, the inspiration it creates.

These are the small but very pretty streets on the edge of the city where I spent a few nights, to the center only takes a short ride on a fragrant bus and almost all of them are new. These are the bright colors like a lovely and poetic palette on the walls of the houses along the Nyhavn canal, built by King Christian V in 1673, for centuries it served as a commercial port, but now has become the most vibrant place to hang out and hang out in the city. These are the colorful bicycles leaning on the street corners, shops, walls, becoming the symbol of a green city where more than half of Copenhagen's population cycles to work every day.

Colorful houses along the Nyhavn canal

That was the excitement at Tivoli Gardens right in the city center, with charming gardens, a small but lovely lake reflecting the blue sky on the afternoon I came here. It is said that Walt Disney himself came here in 1951, and because he was captivated by the gardens, lights, and family amusement parks, 4 years later, he created Walt Disney Park, a fairy tale world based on the world that existed at Tivoli.

But the most striking symbol of smallness and greatness has to be the statue of the little mermaid in the port of Langelinje outside the city center, which you reach by passing the headquarters of the world’s largest container shipping company, Maersk. The statue, more than 100 years old, was inspired by the fairy tale of the little mermaid by the author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875). The story tells of a mermaid who gives up everything, her life and future, for the sake of her unrequited love for a handsome and young prince. Every morning and evening, she climbs a rock and looks into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man she loves. And then she dissolves into sea foam.

Here, the capital of one of the happiest countries in the world and also small in area, almost all statues and monuments are small. Bo, the manager of the hostel where I spent a few nights in Copenhagen, said that in Denmark, people believe that the intrinsic value of each person or even of a monument does not lie in its form or size. “Ego of each person as well as the size of the statue does not make its value, but what it represents,” he said with a smile. That is why Danes like to live simply and frugally. They promote the enjoyment of life by being in harmony with nature, often traveling, participating in sports activities, having fun with friends and relatives, often sharing stories of life, decorating their houses elegantly, with neat rooms and lots of natural light, they eat food or homemade from natural ingredients, or organic food that is clean and good for the body.

The whole of Copenhagen, green and clean, is thus a large park. Even the Assistens cemetery, where Andersen's very modest grave is located, is as beautiful as a park. On that grave are engraved four lines from his poem “Oldingen” (The Old Man): “The soul that God gave you/Cannot be bought, cannot be lost/Our life on Earth is the seed of immortality/Our bodies die, but our souls live forever.” Shortly before his death from liver cancer, the king of fairy tales told a composer who wanted to write music for his funeral: “Most of the people who walk behind my coffin are children, so write the rhythm of the music to suit the footsteps of children.” Andersen also once said: “Enjoy life. There is too much time to live before you die.”

Frederik's Church

Yes, there is so much time to live before you die, but you have to make the most of it, right here in Copenhagen. I have seen young people here enjoying the last days of summer in the sunshine of a cold afternoon, sitting on the banks of the canals drinking beer, their legs dangling and swinging in the open air, happy laughter echoing everywhere. I have seen artists performing on the famous shopping street Stroget, the pedestrian street that runs from Copenhagen City Hall to Kongens Nytorv (King's New Square), and people passing by stopping to sing along. I have also seen the joyful, bustling, cheerful and musical atmosphere on Paperoen (Paper Island), an island on the east side of Copenhagen harbor, which has for many years become one of Europe's most vibrant culinary and cultural areas. And I also love the small, colorful houses, the art spaces and the free and creative atmosphere of Christiana, the hippie suburb that was founded in 1971 and has been one of Copenhagen’s most visited ever since. And I enjoy life there in my own way: drinking a Carlsberg on the sidewalk of a beer hall, wrapped in a blanket, as the afternoon gets colder.

Later, I had the opportunity to return to this place several times, but I still could not forget the feeling I had on the first day I set foot in Copenhagen in the cold afternoon. Copenhagen is a place we can come and return to many times, even though it is not as big as many other European capitals. But it is the place where we feel free, can live, and enjoy the wonderful things of life in the most carefree way. Copenhagen, come to love...

Source: https://heritagevietnamairlines.com/copenhagen-den-la-de-yeu/