It’s altogether natural to hear a message about the water when setting foot in new precincts. But from the Danes, it was different.

 

‘Go ahead. Drink the water. It’s safe!’ Something about lots of underground springs that made it healthy for all.

 

So, we did. And our tummies were fine for all 14 days. Something about what they do with their public water system we in America should pay attention to. In fact, a bottle of water at the retail counter over there was worldly-priced - at $4, just to make up for their lack of sales, I suppose.

 

On to the Danes. They’re a country of about 5 million souls - and they have 11.5 million licensed bicycles.

 

Oh yes, McDonald’s grease stores are in very few numbers. So you know, they walk erect, have flat stomaches and whisk about life with a look that shows they might be the 5th happiest country of people in the world. (Wait til we get to Sweden and Norway. Surveys show they’re happier yet!)

 

Danes can pay up to 75% of their earned wage to the federal government. Many pay another level of 57%. 

 

Those making $8,000 a year pay 5.8% of their wages.

 

 It’s a socialist country that pools everyones’ money and provides free education (basic years are Ages 6-16), free health care and support services. They’re apparently content with the program because we saw no bedlam in the streets.

 

Trained nursery workers are provided young mothers. Lots of family time is provided by the government. Mom and dad share parenting responsibilities, from the get-go.

 

Danish aren’t church-like. Their predominant religious group is the Lutherans. Only three percent say they get into the sanctuary from time to time. 

 

Lots of windmills in the countryside - 32% of their electrical generation is via wind, followed tby solar, thermo and coal.

 

Denmark is aiming to be a zero-waste country. They have supportive recycling policies and the recyclables get recycled, to about 90% presently. We could take a lesson from that.

 

The countryside is flat and beautiful, perfectly serving electrical generation and agricultural use. Produce, lots of potatoes, legumes, very few row crops, cover the landscape, 

And the rapeseed fields. Like their neighbors in Germany and France, the Danes grow a lot of rape- seed, which is processed into canola oil. Their “waving fields of grain” are a brilliant yellow to go with the backdrop of other green fields.

 

Farming is a big industry in the country, followed by wind electrical generation, container shipping through the Baltic Sea. And toys - Lego calls Denmark home.

 

Copenhagen, a million souls and our first stop, is a wonderful city-by-the-sea. It boasts numerous canals which enable boaters to navigate deep into the city. It made for a wonderful 90-minute cruise one Sunday. And the canals attract the locals too. Lots to do - people to see. Once we got out into the larger bay, our eyes feasted on numerous wonderfully-designed structures housing, performing arts centers, the opera house, museums of all kinds, the library and more. They have their act together in this part of town.

 

We spent a morning with Guide Ida Savel, touring the Danish monarchy and government buildings. She noted Denmark was Member No. 5 of the European Union in 1972, but mostly shared the repoire the Danish monarchy had with their country. 

 

Their young people are drafted into the service at age 18. Others in the work force get a work week of 37 hours.

 

She referred to their tax rate of 75% and reported it is working well. “People still have money left over. There are no poor people. It is very safe and quiet.”

 

As for her? A single complaint is having to climb stairs in her five-story row condo five times a day. It costs her $1,000 rent per month for the three-bedroom unit.

 

It’s worth it, she says. “Location, location.” Her unit faces onto a bay of water.

 

Our third day in Denmark had us on the bus and heading northerly to Arhus, a regional center. At nearby Odense, we visited the childhood home of noted author Hans Christian Andersen, designed into a museum.

 

That was a wonderful visit, connecting with the single author to have his writings transcribed into more languages than any other in the world. Take a guess. How many languages? Try 160.

 

At Arhus, we visited a wonderful collection of completely furnished old Danish townhouses. It would take two days to thoroughly investigate. 

 

Heading further north the next day, we set our sights on Frederickshavn, a jumpoff point by ferry to Sweden, the country of my mother’s mother.