Jan 19

Jan 19 Land of Reasonable People

In our two weeks in Scandinavia last summer, we found that it lives up to its reputation. These three countries are beautiful, mild, culturally rich, beautifully designed, expensive, and often nude. But what struck me most was how reasonable the people are. The Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians are quite different in culture and tradition, of course. But they share a common propensity for good reason and sound decisions. They have informed, rational conversations. They are healthy, but still enjoy good food. They invent new solutions to old problems. They honor ancient traditions while keeping a modern point of view. They’re rarely frivolous, but usually fun. How nice it was to spend time among such people!

Tak and Skål!

Denmark

I’m about a quarter Danish, but this ancestry was the most important to me growing up. My mom, whose dad Peter Jensen immigrated from Denmark, told us amazing stories about this magical land on the North Sea. Some of those stories might have been true! But what mattered was the idea of the place.

Denmark is a bit of an ideal for educated, progressive Americans. It’s the land of stylish furniture, delicious pastries, thoughtful toys, tragic fairy tales, and a government that takes care of its people. The Danes are always at the top of the list of ‘world’s happiest people,’ but when asked they explain that it’s only because they have reasonable expectations for life. A typical aspiration is something like a night of hygge (now trendy enough I don’t need to explain it) or an afternoon drinking a beer with friends along the harbor. This isn’t a new revelation, but it’s an important reminder. We still have much we can learn from the Danes.

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The Little Mermaid statue overlooks the sea at Langelinie in Copenhagen, representing a character from a Hans Christian Anderson tale. Although she is only four feet tall—or maybe because she’s so small—this sculpture has a strong emotional power in person.

Laura, Al, and I pose on the Copenhagen harbor outside the opera house. The dome we are holding between our heads is Frederiks Kirke, or the Marble Church.

Commuters ride bikes in Copenhagen. This is a common way to get around, and a popular alternative to cars among people of all ages and fitness. The reasonable Danes don’t wear helmets because they don’t crash.

You can rent electric boats and float along Copenhagen Harbor. Here a happy group of friends enjoys the sight of the Royal Danish Opera House, which was designed by Danish architects, of course—and whose high cost is often debated by the frugal Danes!

My mom’s cousin Lisbeth came from Viborg to have dinner and a walk with us in Randers. Lisbeth is wonderful company and educated us on many Danish things—which makes sense, because she’s a teacher.

Lisbeth, Laura, and Al stand by the great horse of Randers. My grandpa Peter Jensen was a Queen’s Hussar in Denmark before emigrating to the U.S., where he became a horse trainer. Family legend said he was a member of the ‘landed gentry’ before Germans stole their horses. Lisbeth explained, “No, they were probably ordinary farmers like everyone else.” Reasonable.

Fredensborg Palace on the island of Zealand is the spring and summer residence of the Danish royal family. Danes seem proud of their cultural heritage and capable of enjoying royal traditions in a modern world.

Al appreciates a painting of the queen inside Frederiksborg Slot, a castle that is now a Danish art museum.

You can swim in Copenhagen Harbor! And we did! Once the Harbor was too polluted to swim, so the Danes quite reasonably decided to clean it up. Now you see lots of bathers on a warm sunny day.

Sunrise in a wildlife preserve outside Randers. My family had a farm somewhere out here in the Jutland peninsula, but I’m not sure yet where.

Copenhagen Canal

I remember how my grandfather, Peter Jensen, used to enjoy just sitting in a pleasant place. We witnessed the same kind of Danish relaxation all along the harbor and canals.

Frederiksborg Carillon

Listen to the carillon at Frederiksborg Slot! King Frederick II of Denmark and Norway had the castle built on an old estate in the mid-1500s.

Norway

Norway may be the most surprising Scandinavian country to a typical tourist. Did you know that Norway is one of the world’s richest nations, thanks to vast oil reserves in the North Sea? Did you know that electric cars are more common in Norway than any other country? (And how do these two facts add up, you ask.) Did you know Norway only became a fully independent country in 1905?

On this trip, we spent the most time in Norway, many days looking at mountains and fjords. The scenery and scale of the place rivals anything I have seen. But the cities and towns are marvelous (and incredibly tidy!) and the Norwegians are fiercely proud of their young nation and ancient land.

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The Sverd i fjell (swords in rock) monument stands near Stavanger, Norway. Although the Vikings were large, they did not wield swords of this size.

Al and Laura present Dalsnibba, in the mountains of central Norway. The grand, steep curve of landscape is a recurring pattern in this country. It makes the world seem enormous, which it is and is not at the same time.

Laura and Al peek through the window in Edvard Grieg’s studio at Troldhaugen. You can see the inspiration for his composition!

Edvard Grieg was diminutive in stature but giant in his impact on music and Norwegian culture.

Dinner with Kiwi Tom in a dungeon under a farm in Bergen.

Cows on a Norwegian glacier.

Al stands above the town of Geiranger and the fjord that made it such a popular tourist destination.

Here is that distinctive shape again, overlooking Geiranger. Did you know that the angle of the mountain typically continues below the water in a fjord? So you can approximate how deep it is—which is often very deep indeed!

This is the Norwegian flag from a boat, with the horizon not quite level. Did you know that Norway became a fully independent nation in 1905? Before then, the Danes and Swedes traded off ruling this vast country of stoic people.

Leikanger on the Sognefjord is the most peaceful place I’ve ever been. I took this photo from a small working farm up the hill. See the video of Inga playing the accordion at the end of this series.

Houses near Televag illustrate a quality that really stands out in Norway… tidiness! Throughout most of the country, all the houses are perfectly kept and wonderfully tidy. By the way, a white house was once a symbol of wealth in Norway because the color is more expensive to maintain.

They love bikes in Norway too! But perhaps less so than in Denmark. This two-wheeler in Lillehammer reflects a certain Norse spirit. The pipes are not functional.

Viking ships were remarkably seaworthy, light, and maneuverable, which is how these people got so many places. This restored ship lies in an Oslo museum.

The Vigeland sculpture park in Oslo is a celebration of the cycle of life. Like so much Scandinavian art, it’s quite moving in person. It also shows how comfortable (and reasonable) Scandinavians are with nudity.

Tak for mad! cry the sheep, at a farm near Bergen.

Inga helps her mom run a family farm, along with Inga’s two sons, raising sheep and making fruit wine. We learned that Inga also plays Norwegian folk songs on accordion!

Geiranger Port

The ferries of Norway have nifty aprons they lift at port, as you see here approaching Geiranger.

Sing along to the Norwegian folk song ‘Oldefar,’ at a cafe in Televag.

Tak for mad! cry the sheep, at a farm near Bergen.

Inga helps her mom run a family farm, along with Inga’s two sons, raising sheep and making fruit wine. We learned that Inga also plays Norwegian folk songs on accordion!

Sing along to the Norwegian folk song ‘Oldefar,’ at a cafe in Televag.

Sweden

We were only in Sweden for a couple of days, so I’m hoping we have a chance to return soon. You could spend a week just exploring the archipelago where Stockholm rises. I did learn one thing in our short stay: We all need a little more ‘fika’ in our lives.

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The most surprising quality of Stockholm was its stunning beauty. It has all the grandeur of the great capitals of Europe—I guess because it is one! This is just a random cell phone picture from Lake Malaren. Any fool could take it—and this fool did!

Gamla Stan, the Old Town, is the medieval city center of Stockholm. It transcends its touristy nature with a mystery and beauty, especially on a peaceful night like this one.

We had a delicious dinner here in Stockholm! You also get a peek at the old row houses of this color-coordinated city.

If you look at the Scandinavian flags together, you’ll see that they are a matched set, with different colors on the same cross. They are like siblings, sometimes bickering but always united. BTW, Scandinavia refers only to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The others up there are called ‘nordic’ countries.

Laura did not win a Nobel Prize (yet) but she did visit the Stockholm City Hall where the prizes are celebrated.

The Vasa is a neat old ship in a museum in Stockholm. It sunk on its maiden voyage in 1628. The ship was built by Swedes and piloted by a Dane, and they still argue over whose fault it was.

Ice bars are ridiculous but also fun. Scandinavians do a certain amount of ridiculous things, but in a reasonable way. This ice bar was Minnesota themed, in a sort of reversal of the usual homage.