When in Rome, do as the Copenhagen cyclists do

In the past week, I've seen more of Copenhagen than I have in the entire month I've been here.  I may have had one or two appointments in parts of the city I didn't know existed, but I owe most of my coverage of new ground to a very important machine:  the bicycle.  I don't think I quite made it clear before that Danes bike everywhere--even in the cold, the rain, and in their business suits and heels (not usually with that particular combination).  Granted, the weather's never humid, and the entire country has the infrastructure to support this healthy habit.  Outside of the city, paved trails connect the various towns, schools, and train stations.  IN the city, there's a vast network of bike lanes (including their own traffic lights!) and confusing blue lanes that guide cyclists across the busiest intersections.  In many places, the pathways are stratified, so the road is 6 cm below the bike line, which is 6 cm below the sidewalks.  It's hardly noticeable, but it does a lot to help keep every commuter in their place. 

Anyone who knows me can guess that I was super excited about trying my hand at city biking, but when I jumped into it on my first day here . . . well, let's just say it was going to be a while before I was comfortable giving it another shot.  I had no idea how intimidating the flow of traffic would be until I was behind the wheels of a purple city bike.

On Saturday, the perfect opportunity arose to get some pedal-sense when some DIS interns were leading a small group of students up the scenic coast through the well-to-do neighborhood of Østerbro.  The route may have been simple, but I was sold to city-biking!  I saw so many new buildings, murals, and parks, all on the backdrop of a chilly fall day made perfect by a social outing.  Plus, we got ice cream from Lydolph Isbar--a shop famous for their giant ice cream cones.  My four scoops were just about too much for me to handle in the end (but thankfully I didn't have a salt-licorice flavor in the mix!).  Maybe it was the whipped cream and jam that Danes traditionally top their is with.

At any rate, I was inspired to spend my Wednesday free-day with a friend of mine, sitting in the saddle and exploring the western neighborhoods: into Nørrebro, and then south through Fredricksburg, Valby, and Vesterbro until returning to the City Centre.  It's amazing what you can find when you're at street level and have the abilities to both move quickly and stop whenever you want:  retro junk shops, creepily awesome cemeteries with famous dead guys (H.C. Andersen, Kierkegaard, and more), the zoo, and even an actual hill or two (no, seriously--you don't know how rare those are)!  Although I do admit, it was a bit tougher without a guide leading us down a specific route, and sometimes you just had to make up rules about how to get around congested intersections and sidewalks plagued with construction.  Besides, that's what everyone else does, and it's safest just to go with the flow.  The cyclists of Copenhagen may be a little insane sometimes, but they know what they're doing--even with the mob mentality they put themselves in.  And after watching their graceful management of these situations, I can't think of a group of people I'd trust more in any traffic situation.

These experiences in the past few days have taught me not only about Copenhagen and how to work my way through its maze, but it also helped me build a stronger connection to the Danish mentality.  The weather may be getting colder, but exploring by bike is definitely something I'll have to do a few more times before I leave this city.  Biking just may be the only way to really live Copenhagen.