Day Trip to Denmark

Let’s go to Denmark for the day! Sounds so exotic but if you live in Laholm, situated on the west coast of Sweden, it does not take too much effort. Climb in the car, drive 40 minutes to the Swedish town called Helsingborg, buy a ferry ticket (round trip costs the equivalent of 10 US dollars), enjoy the 20 minutes ferry ride and you are abroad. Growing up, we used to do this a few times each year. Last Tuesday my family and I went again. It was a walk down memory lane. Some things seem so obvious but when I think of it, they may appear a bit amusing or even odd.

First of all, the ferry ride feels a lot shorter than it did when I was a child. When I was younger we had time to:  visit the restrooms, eat a sandwich, take a look at the shops onboard, decide what candy we were going to buy on the way home, go up on the deck, complain it’s too windy and cold, walk down again and be ready for the exit. Now I felt we only had time for a fraction of that! According to my family, we had time to do all that because the adults planned it well and execute the plans fast. Hm…I think the boats drove slower back in the day. Another thing that is very interesting is that during the first half of the crossing, while being in Swedish waters, you can buy tobacco products. When reaching Danish waters, you can buy alcohol. It’s always been like that. It’s due to custom and tax regulations.

Street in Helsingör

When the ferry finish crossing the strait called Öresund, and reach the Danish city of Helsingör, everyone exits and heads for the main street, where all the best shops and restaurants are. When I was a child, the Swedish currency was stronger than the Danish and we were allowed to buy toys etc. Nowadays it’s the opposite, the Danish is stronger. And okay, as everyone knows, I don’t like stuff, so as an adult I am actually enjoying the sights, smells, and sunshine. Hurrah for being finally being some sort of grownup!

Denmark is known for a few dishes and one is the red hotdog called “pölsa”. It’s pretty tasty. You generally buy it off the street from a cart. This time we opted for sitting down at a café and I ordered a fish dish, pretty typical for Denmark. I was not very hungry so I shamelessly ordered a kids meal. And a Danish beer. Yes no shame and my parents thought it was hilarious.

Although this is a city filled with tourists and not mainly Danes, you can easily understand why Danes are some of the happiest people on earth. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. Even the people in the stores and restaurants are laid back. And for my international readers, a Dane and a Swede can communicate using only his and her own mother tongue. It’s different, but similar enough that we can communicate. We just think they speak Swedish sounding like they jammed a fist in their mouths, but they may say the same about us.

We continued to walk around the shops and visited a few wine cellars. When the Swedish krona was stronger than the Danish currency, many Swedes crossed the strait and bought wine and beer in Helsingör. And hauled it all back over the waters, a feat in itself. Nowadays it’s not so cheap but some still buy their alcohol there. We don’t anymore. We buy our alcohol in Germany instead where it’s still cheap for us :)

"Is"

After letting the lunch settle, it’s time for ice cream. Or “is” as it’s called in Danish. There is one Danish ice cream parlor we ALWAYS go to. It’s very close to the docks. It’s a very old fashion parlor. You only have a few flavors to choose from. Later they ask if you want whipped cream and strawberry jam over the ice cream. As a grand finale they jam a little pastry on top. Yes indeed. I must say it's an enjoyable treat. However, after talking it over with my travel companions, we realized the ice cream is not very flavorful and we basically only go there because we have ALWAYS done so. Mom and dad went there as little kids. Prince Charles of United Kingdom has eaten there. Saw his picture on the wall. So although it’s not amazing, I will most likely take eventual kids of mine there too in the future.

Kronberg/Hamlet Castle

Strolling down in the sunshine closer to the ferry, to the left is the Hamlet Castle. Yeah, for reals! Kronborg is the name of the castle and it’s where Shakespeare’s play Hamlet took place. I could pretend to be smart and give the cliff notes on Hamlet, but all that comes to mind is a ghost, Hamlet’s father and a sword. We have always passed the castle and I never thought much about it. When I have had foreign guests visiting, I have kind of realized the magnitude of having the Hamlet Castle close by.

Back on the ferry, as a young child, this was the time to buy the candy you decided on during the crossing over to Denmark. I remember one favorite was a soft plastic box looking like a small suitcase which had various candies in it. That should have been a sign of my future life as a vagabond. As an adult, I spent the time sitting on the deck in the sun with my mom. As always we talk about how close Denmark and Sweden are in proximity. When I was little I was afraid of ferries and always thought they would sink. But I was a swimmer at the time and armed with the knowledge that I could swim across the strait if need be, I participated in these outings. Yeah, right…

It’s very exciting to be able to go to another country just for the day. So dear friends, if you come visit me, I could most likely treat you to a day like this. You can choose if you wish to experience my childhood and pick out toys in Helsingör and candy on the ferry. Or stroll around, order a beer with your kids meal and enjoy the sunshine.