Some weeks ago I went to a thrift/vintage store. If you know anything about me and my $50 wardrobe you'd know that I was in my zone. It was a specially nice shop with all sorts of endearing knick-knacks but there is always something about vintage post cards that fascinate me. Back in school, in Pittsburgh, I always go to the thrift store and flip through the old-school post card bin. Unlike the photoshopped, cheesy collages and overly lit scenery that is characteristic of postcards today, old post cards are just cute. Some have charming drawings of different places, or simple black and white photographs of important things. They depict something society holds valuable and suspend a moment of time into palpable histories. You flip them around and they have messages from unknown authors. It's like delving into a story book. you can see how much I like post cards by looking at some of the ones I have collected or leaving me your address so I can send yah one. I found this two post cards above at the thrift store that day, which are now my favorite ones ever: ships! It made me think of what is relevant to Danish history how that has impacting the Danish culture today.
Of course, the post cards lightly aim at the importance of Copenhagen for being a Harbor city. The center, and all of Denmark, pretty much sits on the water. From school I can get to water in like 7 minutes on my bicycle. What better way to put this concept into one word than the one thing that makes the Danish history look so appealing and Danish men so sexy: The Vikings. The word Viking in Danish sorta means People of the Bay and their legacy was often as both plundering barbarians scaring most of Europe or talented merchant traders. Which is to me the ultimate irony since Danes are often times so so passive and nice. As great seafarers, the Viking settlements were usually placed alongside Denmark’s coastline where the fleets of Viking ships were harboured at the shores. From very early history, Denmark has had very important ties to the water!
Now in Denmark, water utilities compete to supply the tastiest water, and restaurants serve it with pride. Denmark has some of the cleanest water in the world. People drink it from the tap, people bathe in it on the harbor. It has become a part of the cultural tradition. Clean water has a major significance for the health of the population. The cleaner the drinking water and the better the sewerage system, the more life quality is improved for a country’s inhabitants. Water is also an important factor in how Danes spend their spare time. Denmark has one of Europe’s longest coastlines. Totalling 7,300 kilometres, it is twice as long as the coastline of France. My host dad is always telling me how people from Germany want to own summer houses in the Danish coastlines. And from the family albums I have seen, Danish beaches are absolutely beautiful. In Denmark one is never more than 52 kilometres from the sea, and the vast majority of the time a lot closer. Danes have a deep association with water.
Especially in the capital, architects have exploited the social importance of water in recent years. The municipality has constructed harbour baths in several locations. Buildings are designed to public access of the harbor is an essential paradigm, and places along the water are accessible and enjoyable. I really couldn't be happier about that. In Miami water is definitely important as well but here water is a cultural and environmental asset, before it ever is economic. This is the way it should be. Look at some of the pictures I've taken when the beautiful sceneries of water in Copenhagen have stolen my attention:
Of course, the post cards lightly aim at the importance of Copenhagen for being a Harbor city. The center, and all of Denmark, pretty much sits on the water. From school I can get to water in like 7 minutes on my bicycle. What better way to put this concept into one word than the one thing that makes the Danish history look so appealing and Danish men so sexy: The Vikings. The word Viking in Danish sorta means People of the Bay and their legacy was often as both plundering barbarians scaring most of Europe or talented merchant traders. Which is to me the ultimate irony since Danes are often times so so passive and nice. As great seafarers, the Viking settlements were usually placed alongside Denmark’s coastline where the fleets of Viking ships were harboured at the shores. From very early history, Denmark has had very important ties to the water!
Now in Denmark, water utilities compete to supply the tastiest water, and restaurants serve it with pride. Denmark has some of the cleanest water in the world. People drink it from the tap, people bathe in it on the harbor. It has become a part of the cultural tradition. Clean water has a major significance for the health of the population. The cleaner the drinking water and the better the sewerage system, the more life quality is improved for a country’s inhabitants. Water is also an important factor in how Danes spend their spare time. Denmark has one of Europe’s longest coastlines. Totalling 7,300 kilometres, it is twice as long as the coastline of France. My host dad is always telling me how people from Germany want to own summer houses in the Danish coastlines. And from the family albums I have seen, Danish beaches are absolutely beautiful. In Denmark one is never more than 52 kilometres from the sea, and the vast majority of the time a lot closer. Danes have a deep association with water.
Especially in the capital, architects have exploited the social importance of water in recent years. The municipality has constructed harbour baths in several locations. Buildings are designed to public access of the harbor is an essential paradigm, and places along the water are accessible and enjoyable. I really couldn't be happier about that. In Miami water is definitely important as well but here water is a cultural and environmental asset, before it ever is economic. This is the way it should be. Look at some of the pictures I've taken when the beautiful sceneries of water in Copenhagen have stolen my attention: