the real motivation behind our trip to Denmark: BIKES.
My husband is a bike guy and Copenhagen is a bike city. It didn’t take long to do the math, but an international bicycle conference tipped the scales.We called this trip -- work for him, travel for me, play for the boys. It had something for everyone.
When at home, my hubby rides his bike all over town, but I tend to be more reserved. I don’t like to travel busy roads. I dread big intersections. I worry about the gigantic hunks of steal surging by my sweet innocent children.
Copenhagen was a whole
different ball game.
Copenhagen is a city built for bikes, in a country built for bikes.
They call it urban planning on a human scale.
Imagine a city built for people –
not for cars.
Here it sounds revolutionary.
There it just makes sense.
I rode this lovely three speed -- with a basket and a comfortable seat. My boys and hubby were in a Nihola.
On one day of our adventure, we rode our bikes all the way out to the beach. We packed water, and blankets, and sweatshirts, and sunscreen, and snacks and STILL had plenty of room for the wiggly legs of two growing boys. The cover slips on and off to cover the 'bucket' easily – keeping the boys dry during an afternoon rain shower on another day.
I had a delivery truck actually stop and give me the right of way as I turned left in front of him. Wow! It was surreal and wonderfully memorable (perhaps doubly so because of the 70 year old woman who passed me on her bike just afterwards.
I was going too slow… such a tourist).
All this bike riding and I saw very little spandex. The Danes ride as transportation to work, the store, school, to meet friends. It’s part of life, not an activity added to life. Women ride in their high heels and colorful scarves. Men ride in suit and tie. It’s all very fashionable and I loved it. I tried not to stare, but honestly was in awe of these beautiful people. Here’s a video that sums it up perfectly. Thank you Copenhagenize.com: