Bye! Copenhagen, Denmark - Hello Again! Hamburg, Germany

Woke up early to say bye to Elke before she left for work and then spent a few hours catching up on the blog and other computer work. It's been a very eventful few days and very exciting as well. So great to have visited two new countries, had some wonderful food, enjoyed visiting a friend and just getting to walk around a historic city. I saw beautiful and diverse architecture from the extremely modern black marble new library called the "Black Diamond" to the one of the greatest examples of Danish Rococo architecture the

There is so much about Copenhagen that is fascinating and I found these 10 facts online:

Ten fun facts about Denmark

Fact 1:
Denmark was the first European country to abolish slavery.

Fact 2:
The "Dannebrog" is the oldest national flag in the world.

Fact 3:
The average tax rate in Denmark is 49%.

Fact 4:
Danes eat more pasta than any other people.

Fact 5:
There is not a single mountain in Denmark. The closest thing is a 170 meters high hill called Møllehøj.

Fact 6:
Denmark has been a member of the EU since 1973 and of NATO since 1949.

Fact 7:
Denmark is the fifth largest exporter of food in the world. (Denmark has a diverse economy, but one that relies almost entirely on human resources, as there are few natural resources available. Denmark's nominal GDP was estimated to be $333,238 million, the 32nd largest in the world. It has the world's lowest level of income inequality, according to the World Bank Gini (%), and the world's highest minimum wage, according to the IMF. As of June 2010 the unemployment rate is at 7.4%, which is below the EU average of 9.6%. The US is Denmark's largest non-European trading partner, accounting for around 5% of total Danish merchandise trade. Aircraft, computers, machinery, and instruments are among the major US exports to Denmark. There are several hundred US-owned companies in Denmark, some of them just registered for tax purposes, which is beneficial for holding companies. Among major Danish exports to the U.S. are industrial machinery, chemical products, furniture, pharmaceuticals, Lego and canned ham and pork.)

 

Fact 8:
Only three Danish films have sold more than one million tickets.

Fact 9:
Denmark came up with Lego. (The Lego Company is based out of Denmark, and the word Lego comes from the Danish word Leg Godt which means “play well”. 7 LEGO sets are being sold by retailers every second around the world, and more than 400 billion LEGO bricks have been already produced since 1949. Stacked on top of each other, this is enough to connect the Earth and the Moon ten times over!  The number of combinations you can build are practically endless. With just six 8-stud LEGO bricks you can build over 102 million combinations! Multiply it by different possible LEGO uses and you get unlimited possibilities!  It is also estimated that there are about 50-60 Lego bricks for every person on the planet, and children around the world spend 5 billion hours a year playing with LEGO bricks.)

Fact 10:
Denmark has been inhabited since about 12,500 BC.

An additional fun facts like Christmas tree exports: (Danish Christmas trees have become a real export success. In 2012, Denmark is exported 11 million trees, and the prospect is for a continued increase in exports in the coming years. In particular, there are high expectations for the Eastern European market. "The Christmas tree industry generates more than a billion kroner in revenue for Denmark, and it's an upward curve if we look ahead," said Martin Petersen, chairman of the industry association Danish Christmas Trees. Petersen has been growing Christmas trees himself for a number of years in Outrup near Varde. Denmark currently exports its Christmas trees to some 35 countries, of which Germany is by far the biggest customer. "Denmark is in a strong position because the climate is favourable for growing Christmas trees and we are well advanced in our research. This has been beneficial in areas such as soil preparation and the development of trees, where pests like lice struggle to thrive," explained Petersen.)

 

I got to the train station early so I had a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of the old wooden ceiling beams, stained glass windows and large, gold chandeliers. The station was completed in 1911 but has had several modernizations to meet the needs of more travelers and engineering inventions.

The train was a half hour late but other than that the trip went smoothly and it was so exciting when the train drove right onto the ferry where we had to exit and walk around upstairs until we arrived in Germany and got back on the train which drove slowly off.

I arrived about 5:00pm and found my way to the hotel which is owned by the same company who runs the hotel I stayed in last week. It's around the corner and very clean like the other.

So after a dinner and a quick stop at the grocery store for water and yogurt I'm back in my room and ready for bed.