2025年7月3日 高稅收用得其所

相約住在倫敦的朋友同遊 Copenhagen 和附近城市，參觀多個地方，吃了多餐，第一個印象是服務人員都有禮有笑容，沒有急趕快手做完想長話短說的態度。

第二是處處都寫得清清楚楚，是那位丹麥建築師的設計，而內𥚃的不同裝置如燈飾、藝術品等等，亦列明是由那些丹麥工藝師所做，那尊重和欣賞自家人的風氣，顯而易見。

以丹麥只有五百多萬人口，能培育出各類人材，不能不說政策成功。

遊走了一個星期，對這個國家和友善人民有很好印象，於是細看書本，好奇想知道為何丹麥會有優良政策，平和民風。

原來丹麥在十三世紀時國力最強盛，有大片國土，亦統治挪威和瑞典兩國，然後十五世紀後開始打敗仗，先後失去兩國。

到1864年被Prussia （德國前身）取得南部兩大片土地，失去40%人民，成為現在的細小國土，只有五百萬人口的單一種族國家。這個敗仗，對丹麥人打擊很大，人民很自卑。

那時一位牧師哲人，想到以這數量人口，往後國家富強安穩，得全民有思考能力，能討論政策，成為一個commited community，大家分享經驗互相支持才成，追求cooperation 和equality 這兩大理念。

首先是教育，在各遍遠地區建特殊學校，收十幾歲的少年入住入讀一年，基本知識外，主力教人際關係，各項美術、音樂、手工藝、農耕等科目以啓發潛能，和最重要的辯論和哲學兩科，令年輕人思考，和有表達能力。

這學校，到目前有七十五所，近年又加建為成年人而設的類似學校，讓任何年紀的成年人可以持續學習。

合適有理念的教育，的確是為國為民的最重要投資。

Tour of Denmark, around Copenhagen, eating & others 8/8

Admiralgade 26, yellow tail

Admiralgade 26, mackerel

Admiralgade 26, seared cod

Admiralgade 26, grilled eggplant

Roughly 20 years new Nordic cuisine started to take shape in Copenhagen, the aim is to encourage using local and seasonal ingredients, and cook well. Like most northern European countries, Denmark went through the post war industrialisation, women joined the work force and focus is on efficiency and cooking interest dwindled. 

Pluto, confit quail thigh

Pluto, ham cheese waffle

Pluto, raw beef salad

 

The pioneers of this movement made a lot of effort, from opening restaurant, pastry shop to talking to chefs and wholesalers in the area to work together. Also went to school and on TV to give demonstrations. The thinking was it should be tackled from all area, not just by one restaurant. 

Kanalen, pheasant and corn

Kanalen, summer deer in cherry sauce

Kanalen, meat skewer, cheese popadam

 Kanalhuset lunch, Smorrbrod : herring, plaice, roast beef

I can see the result now, lots of pastry, bread, cake shops, most restaurants serve tasty and well presented dishes. Very easy to find organic produces in supermarkets, and I feel eating very well. Eating in restaurants is more expensive then other European countries as VAT on food and drink is 25%. 

 

Spiseloppen, various starters

Spiseloppen, veal & kale

Spiseloppen, chicken & green sauce

 

Being a capital, Copenhagen is surprisingly not crowded, with wide roads, not many cars, most citizens ride bikes, and a lot of squares, parks and canals, it is a very very pleasant city to wander around. City centre is lined with well preserved elegant old buildings, and at the edges are new buildings of eye catching designs that still merge well into the whole picture. I left very impressed with Copenhagen city management. 

 

Kødbyens Fiskebar seafood, monk fish

Kødbyens Fiskebar seafood, grilled yellow tail head

Kødbyens Fiskebar seafood, squid in broth

 

Roskilde Cafe Knarr, using local and Viking brought in ingredients

 

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, olive oil icecream on chocolate mousse with sweet chili sauce

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, grilled pork taco

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, grilled pork taco

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, monk fish cheek on green salsa

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, pulled pork in crisp ball

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, Langoustine cerviche

SANCHEZ VESTERBRO, Langoustine cerviche

Hart Bakery cardamon croissant bun

Nord Magasine, chocolate mousse cake

Buker bakery, pistachio croissant

Tour of Denmark, around Copenhagen 7/8

Dragor - On the last morning of the trip it is finally a normal Danish day, cloudy with rain, the past 6 continuous full sunny days are unusual, we are so lucky.

The plan is to go the the airport, left our suitcases at the locker and go to nearby seaside town Dragor for a walk around.

The old town around the harbour still has a lots of very old, some thatched, well maintained small fisherman cottages, linked by cobblestone paths, and lined by tall flowering beautifully hollyhocks, so pretty.

The smoke house Rogeri has very good big fat whole smoked mackerel and other smoked seafood, and their fried fish ball is famous too, very good boney texture.

Walked along the coast to the fort, owned by a hotel, for a panoramic view of the harbour, and the bridge that connects to Malmo, Sweden.

Tour of Denmark, around Copenhagen 6/8

Nordhavn area of Copenhagen used to be an industrial area, now reborn into modern water side living and working area.

The most eye catching are these two ex-concrete silos being converted into office building.

Other idea include concrete rectangular warehouse modified to apartments, with different ceiling heights.

At the water edge is a partitioned area for swimming, with sauna and a gym too. Nearby is a parking building with a long flight of steps inviting people to walk up to use the rooftop exercise area.

Most apartments have good size balconies, the whole living concept is to spend time outside or take part in outdoor activities within easy reach.

A ferry ride away is Copenhill, an icon that can be seen from far away. It is a huge furnace for burning rubbish that generates a lot of electricity, only clean air is released.

It is the tallest building in Copenhagen, and since there is no hill around, a genius idea is to turn the sloping side of the building into a ski slope, with proper ski chairs to get up. A good way for local to practise before heading abroad into real snow skiing.

The vertical face of the building is mounted with rock climbing studs. All wonderful ideas to encourage people to participate in different outdoor activities.

Tour of Denmark, around Copenhagen, Roskilde 5/8

Roskilde is a 40 minutes train trip to north west of Copenhagen, famous for a UNESCO Cathedral and Viking ship museum.

Roskilde cathedral was built in the 13th C, the first example of brick built cathedral in Scandinavia, and in gothic style.

The size is impressive and the lines made by bricks is attractive. The other reason that it is listed as an UNESCO site is because each wings have chapels built in different eras to house the tombs of the royal family, built in the most opulent style of that era, fascinating to see that in the many styles in the same building.

Viking ship museum displays 5 ships built a thousand years ago by Viking, from carrying cargo, general sailing to military uses.

They were sunk, when too old and hard to fix, in the straight and easy to sail channel to avoid being attacked. They were found in the 60’s and a slow long 30 plus years process of digging them up piece by piece, preserve the wood and rebuild to guesstimated size and shape.

What I learned most is the history of Viking, how these Scandinavian people were so strong from 800 to 1100AD, gradually united tribal groups in that area into the 3 countries now. And spread their power to England and northern Europe, leaving their language and building style behind.