One of the things that I look forward to the most when I travel to Europe is breakfast! You see, Danes---like most Europeans----eat some really interesting things after crawling out of bed.
(Image by Joit, licensed Creative Commons Attribution)
Most of the morning meals that I've eaten across the Atlantic include really nice breads and cheeses. There are also tons of cold cuts to be found, surrounded by enough granola and yogurt to make even the most committed tree-huggers happy.
Considering my tendency to grab a 12-pack of chocolate mini-donuts and a jumbo Diet Coke at the Quicky-Mart on the way to work, it's pretty obvious why I think European breakfasts are better than sliced toast, can't you!
But the food selection isn't the only thing interesting about Danish breakfasts.
Check this video out to learn more:
Pretty crazy, huh? I mean, here in the good ol' U.S. of A., we've gotten used to plates the size of Rhode Island covered with enough food to feed six small children or three adults when we're eating out at restaurants, haven't we?
And yet most of the Danish restaurants that I ate in served me reasonable sized portions that left me full----instead of busting at the gut----and I was perfectly happy with what I had for dinner.
This has left me thinking about one simple phrase: How much is enough?
Is it necessary for Americans to have six cars, five televisions, and fourteen cell phones per family, or can we live with less? Why is it that Danes seem perfectly happy with smaller meals, smaller cars and smaller toys?
Does that tell us something about our cultures? And if so, what?
Interesting questions, huh?
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
America is a pretty remarkable place, isn't it? We're a nation full of different cultures, religions, ideas, celebrations and values. In almost any state, you can find people who can trace their family's history back to Europe, Africa, Asia, South and Central America, Canada and Australia.
You can worship in Mosques, Cathedrals or Synagogues. You can eat Chinese food, bratwurst, spaghetti, or good ol' fashioned apple pie. You can speak in English, Spanish, Japanese, or Korean while wearing blue jeans or burkas and playing croquet or cricket.
That's why we're sometimes called "The Melting Pot" or "The Tossed Salad," and that's one of the things that makes life so interesting in the U. S. of A.
But what about Denmark? Do they have the same collection of cultures worth celebrating?
Watch this video to learn more:
Pretty amazing, huh? It's hard to believe that until just recently---when immigration from Eastern Europe and the Middle East began to pick up---that Denmark was a nation of mostly Danes! The lack of diversity is really pretty noticeable as you walk on the streets or spend time in public squares.
That's called being homogeneous----and being homogeneous is, in many ways, pretty darn easy. You see, when you're a nation of people who share the same beliefs, languages, cultures and traditions you don't have a whole heck of a lot to fight about, right?!
But is being homogeneous a good thing? Do countries lose a little something when there are only a small handful of different cultures?
Whaddya' think?
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Like many of its neighbors, Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. What made Denmark unusual, though, is that Germany---hoping to show the world that they weren't bullies trying to conquer all of Europe---allowed the Danes to keep their own elected government and their own police force for a long while.
As a result, life in Denmark after the German invasion in 1940 was largely unchanged from the years before the war. While the Germans stationed troops in Denmark and censored newspapers, there was little to make the Danes want to fight back against the Germans.
Over the years, however, many Danes began to resent the German occupation and a resistance movement slowly formed. While this group undertook lots of different tasks ranging from feeding information about the Germans to the Allies and sabotaging German war efforts, the Danish Resistance is best known for their efforts to protect the Jews of Denmark.
Working with fisherman to smuggle Jews out of Denmark and into Sweden, the Danish Resistance rescued all but 500 of Denmark's 7,000-8,000 Jews. The risks of rescuing Jews were great and over 850 Resistance fighters were killed during the war, but their work saved lives.
Learn more about the Danish Resistance fighters by watching these two videos:
The real question becomes what would you have done if you were a Dane living during World War II? Would you have stood up on behalf of the Jews and tried to protect them from being sent to German concentration camps even if it meant risking your life? Or would you have sat on the sidelines, looking out for yourself?
Would your answer have changed if you were a mother or a father?
Really think this one through. While the quick answer might be that you would have stood up for the Jews in the face of the bad treatment they were receiving, would standing up be as easy as it sounds?
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
One of the main advantages of living in a country that is a European Union member nation is the ability to travel easily across borders. Considering how close European countries are to one another, crossing borders without having to stop to have your passport checked is a pretty big deal!
This policy of "invisible borders" is called Schengen, and it is something that Danes living in Copenhagen can experience all the time. You see, Copenhagen---Denmark's capital---sits just across a narrow body of water called the Oresund from southern Sweden, and in 2000, the two countries completed the Oresund Bridge connecting Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmo.
The bridge has literally changed life for both Danes and Swedes---and has strengthened the economy of both countries. Because the journey over the Oresund Bridge only takes 35 minutes by train, people can live in one country and commute to work in the other. Students can also take college classes at universities in both Malmo and Copenhagen.
Heck, goofy American tourists can even travel from Denmark to Sweden for dinner! Don't believe me? Then check out this video:
Pretty interesting stuff, huh? By building a bridge, Denmark and Sweden have made travel for their people easy.
Can you think of other advantages that the EU's invisible borders might provide for countries? For EU residents? What about disadvantages? Are there potential problems in letting people travel freely between countries?
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Probably my favorite thing about my trip to Denmark was a neat City Bike program in Copenhagen. Basically, any where you went in the city, you could find colorful bikes that were available for tourists to rent for 20 Kroner.
After sliding a Kroner coin into a City Bike lock, you could essentially take a bike and ride it around Copenhagen for as long as you wanted! Each bike included a map to popular tourist destinations so you could get to anything that you wanted to see---and feel like a real Dane at the same time! To get your Kroner back, you simply returned the bike to the place where you found it, refastened the lock and your money would be returned.
Renting a bike was the only thing that I really wanted to do when I got to Copenhagen....and my mission was quite successful! Don't believe me? Then check out this video:
So what do you think of Copenhagen's City Bike program? Have you ever seen similar programs in other big cities that you've been to? What would make such a program valuable to tourists? Would you want to see a city by bike?
Would there be any disadvantages to a city bike program?
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from my own personal collection! Cool, huh?
I've got to tell you that when I first went to Denmark with the Center for International Understanding, I was a bit ticked. You see, the agenda that they had set for us was full from the crack of dawn until the crack of dusk.
We were scheduled to get up at 7 each day, get on busses at 8, get shuttled around to meetings (which were almost always held inside colleges), sit and listen attentively for hours and hours and hours, and then be free around 6 pm every night.
"You're kidding!" I shouted when I saw our schedule the first time. "I'm not going to Denmark to sit in college classrooms all day for 10 days. I want more free time to explore. I want to check out Danish restaurants, visit Danish shops, meet some Danish people. How am I supposed to do that if we're stuck in meetings until 6 pm every night?!"
Little did I know that the "crack of dusk" during the summer months in Denmark is COMPLETELY different than the "crack of dusk" here in the good ol' U.S. of A! Instead of stumbling around in the dark for hours after getting out of our sessions, I had at least 4 or 5 good hours of daylight to explore.
No joke---it didn't get dark (in the creepy Halloween evening kind of way) until about 11 pm---and then daylight came back again by 3 am! Even crazier: There were literally HUNDREDS of people hanging out long past my typical bed-time. The town square in Copenhagen---where I spent a bunch of my time each evening hanging out with friends---was constantly crowded with people enjoying the Great Outdoors!
Don't believe me? Then check out this video:
So how would having an extra five hours of daylight change your life? Would it make things better or worse?
Better question (for all those science oriented folk out there): Why, exactly, do countries further north on the globe have long days in the summer and long nights in the winter?
That's something I've never been able to figure out!
Image retrieved from http://www.typepad.com/t/app/weblog/post?blog_id=1341986 on February 7, 2008.
You're not scared of heights, are you?
The only reason I ask is because if you are, you'll miss out on one of Copenhagen's greatests landmarks---Vor Frelsers Kirke. This Lutheran church---known as Our Savior's Church and completed in 1752---has one of the coolest architectural designs that I've ever seen: An outdoor staircase that winds 400 steps to the top of the spire!
The climb is pretty harrowing---I'm not even afraid of heights, but I was hanging on for dear life (and I passed several other tourists who seemed to be frozen in place with fear)----but it was definitely worth the view. From the top, you could look out over the entire city, seeing landmarks like Marmokirken, Alexander Newsky Kirke, and Radhuspladsen.
Very cool.
Want to know more? Then check out these two videos:
View from the ground up:
View from the top:
So why do you think communities invest so much money into the design of their churches? Are churches some of the most beautiful buildings in your community?
What other buildings do you think should be beautiful? Why?
Leave a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://arkitekt-raadgivning.dk/Fotos%20barok/spir.jpg on September 16, 2007.
If you're under the age of 18, it may be hard for you to believe what I'm about to tell you: The Little Mermaid is really something quite different than the Disney flick that you've watched a thousand times!
Instead, the Little Mermaid was a fairy tale about a mermaid willing to give up everything to gain the love of a prince that was written in 1836 by one of Denmark's most famous citizens, HC Andersen. Over time, the story became wildly popular in Denmark and was converted into a ballet performed in Copenhagen.
The story was so inspiring to Carl Jacobsen---the head of the Carlsberg brewery---that he commissioned a sculptor named Edvard Eriksen to make a statue as a form of tribute to the Little Mermaid. Eriksen's statue---which has sat at the opening of Copenhagen's harbor since it was finished in 1913---has since become one of Denmark's most famous landmarks.
Tourists come from all over the world to visit the lovely lady and to get their picture made with her---and protesters regularly vandalize her to draw attention to her cause! She's had her head cut off and her arms removed on more than one occasion. She gets paint thrown on her and has even been blown off her rock once!
Want to learn more about this remarkable landmark? Then check out this video:
What are the most famous landmarks in your city or country? Why do you think that they are so important? What is it about landmarks anyway? Why do we care about statues and sculptures? What do they do for the people of a town or a country? Why should we spend our money on such tributes?
Interesting questions, huh?
Leave a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.cartoondollemporium.com/disney/ariel6.jpg on September 16, 2007.
Have you ever heard of Bluetooth devices? If you haven't, you will---Bluetooth devices are becoming increasingly common in today's digital universe. Bluetooth devices allow people to work without wires!
Bluetooth technology is what's behind those fancy earpieces that people wear so that they don't have to hold their cell phones. It's also becoming more and more common with computers---If you have a Bluetooth enabled computer, you can communicate with other devices without cords. Eventually, almost everything that is currently connected by cord will probably run wirelessly with Bluetooth devices.
Cool, huh?
And Bluetooth technology is a Danish invention! You see, the Danes have done a great job getting involved in the technology industry, knowing that digital inventions and corporations tend to make more money in today's world than any other source of funds. One of the fastest growing sectors of the Danish economy is small technology companies like Bluetooth.
But what makes Bluetooth even more interesting is that the company is named after a Danish king named Harald Bluetooth---and yes, he literally had a blue tooth! Harald ruled Denmark from about 960 AD until about 990 AD. (He was succeeded by a guy named Sweyn the Forkbeard! How cool is that?)
He's actually an important historical figure because he's the king that introduced Christianity to Denmark. Before Bluetooth, the Danes were a polytheistic culture worshipping Viking Gods and Goddesses. After Bluetooth, they were monotheistic like the majority of Europe.
Also interesting is that the Bluetooth logo is a Viking Rune--an ancient form of writing that can be found on Rune Stones throughout the Danish countryside. These rune stones tend to tell about the history of the Viking period in Denmark----and archaeologists have spent hundreds of years studying Runes to learn more about Danish history.
Want to learn more about Bluetooth? Then check out this video:
Can you think of any other inventions or companies that are named after Gods or Goddesses? How about Kings or Queens? Do you know what Nike means?
Leave us a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.macos.utah.edu/documentation/hardware/bluetooth/mainColumnParagraphs/00/image/bluetooth_logo2.png on September 16, 2007.
They say you can learn a lot about a man by the sites he chooses to document on his video blog. If that's right, I must be just plain crazy! You see, for whatever reason I've found yet another video clip in my collection about a Danish Bathroom.
Only this Danish bathroom isn't the nicely kept indoor version. Instead, this is the hard core outdoor porta-potty type covered with grafitti---You know the kind of place that I'm talking about: The ones that you would only step into if you were about to burst.
They're all over the place in Denmark. Want to know why?
Then check out this video:
Can you think of any other ways that life in a city where people got around by bike would have to be different from life in a suburb or in the country-side?
Leave us a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/Content_on_6_25_2001_00_16_24/Porta_Potty.jpgAC79941A-A6DB-4897-BC5AB086AEBEE81D.jpgLarge.jpg on September 15, 2007.
When Shakespeare wrote, ""What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," he was suggesting that names were unimportant, right? Call a rose a pig and it will still be just as beautiful?
Well, that's a message the Danes never received! You see, they did some clever thinking when naming their capital city. Copenhagen is actually a combination of two Danish words: Kobn---which means "merchant," and Havn---which means "harbor."
Merchant Harbor.
Now, why was that naming absolutely brilliant?
Because Denmark is a peninsula surrounded by water---and water was the number one method of travel during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance! Boats were literally everywhere, carrying people and goods from distant lands to new locations. And every time they looked at a map, they saw "Merchant Harbor" highlighted just off the coast of Denmark.
Sounds like an inviting destination for a vessel carrying a load of goods, doesn't it? Kind of like a big fat worm hanging on the end of a hook in front of the hungriest fish in the pond----or one of the greatest advertising campaigns since "Where's the Beef?" "Just Do It," and "Is It In You?"
Want to learn more about this harbor town?
Then check out this video:
Does your city or town's name have an interesting origin? Leave us a comment and tell us what it is! And join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.travelblog.org/Wallpaper/pix/tb_copenhagen_denmark.jpg on September 15, 2007.
Denmark--like the United Kingdom--is known as a constitutional monarchy. Countries that are constitutional monarchies have a king or a queen that is the recognized head of state and an elected Prime Minister that is the head of the government. Most constitutional monarchies also have a Parliment that consists of elected representatives that make decisions for the people.
One of the things that makes Denmark so interesting is that it's ruling family has been in power for almost 1,000 years! That means that Margrethe---the current Queen of Denmark who is remarkably popular---has followed in the footsteps of literally dozens of her ancestors as the leader of the Danes.
When she's in Denmark, Margrethe lives in an interesting palace known as the Amalienborg Slot. The Slot is a collection of four buildings that sit around an octagonal square. The buildings were completed in 1760 and were originally designed to be homes for four wealthy Danish families.
Those plans were ruined in 1794 when Christiansborg Castle---an earlier palace---burned down. Needing a place to live, the Royal family moved into the city!
Today, Amalienborg Slot still serves as the home of the Royal family. It sits just down the street from Marmorkirken Cathedral and is guarded 24 hours a day by special forces known as the Livgarden who wear a navy blue jacket, blue pants and a bearskin hat while marching with machine guns for hours on end!
Sounds cool, doesn't it?
Want to learn more? Then check out these videos:
So what do you think about the Danish monarchy? Do you think it's a good idea for one family to rule a country for as long as the Danish Royal family has? Would that consistency bring any advantages? What about disadvantages?
Leave a comment and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.nipnet.dk/imgme/niels-dk_0516.jpg on September 8, 2007.
One of the most impressive things about the Danish people is their commitment to the environment---and to being energy independent. Unlike the United States, Denmark is a net energy exporter. That means they produce enough energy to meet their own needs and have leftovers to sell to other nations.
Wouldn't that be nice?
Now, the Danes are lucky in that they've discovered oil off of their coast in the North Sea. This oil is one of the major reasons that they are able to be energy independent. But they've also embraced wind farms as a major energy source as well. In fact, wind energy provides almost 25% of Denmark's electricity today----and there are goals to raise that percentage to 50% in the next twenty years.
And the Danes take their wind farms seriously! Almost any where you go, you'll see turbines (which are really nothing like the old fashioned windmills that were used to grind grain) standing up on the horizon. They're pretty advanced pieces of equipment that turn themselves on when the wind is blowing fast enough and off when the wind blows too fast. They also turn automatically when the wind changes directions!
Want to learn more?
Then check out this collection of videos that I made when I visited a wind farm research center called the Risoe National Laboratory outside of Copenhagen:
This commitment to wind energy means that Denmark doesn't pollute when it is creating electricity. Wind energy is clean---unlike the coal that is used to generate most of the electricity in the United States.
But wind energy also means that there are wind turbines all over the countryside as well---and sometimes off the coast too! Do you think this is a good idea? Is being energy independent worth losing places to play? Would you want to deal with the noise of windfarms in your neighborhood?
Leave a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon here on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
That picture is one of mine...Whaddya' think?
I'm pretty certain that y'all have heard the story of the Little Mermaid, right? Made into a classic children's cartoon by Walt Disney's artists, it has become one of the beloved stories of an entire generation of today's children.
What you may not have known is that The Little Mermaid has been a beloved story for hundreds of years! You see, it was written in 1836 by one of Denmark's most famous residents--Hans Christen Andersen. The title in Danish is Den lille havfrue.
Hans Christen---who was born in Odense, Denmark's Bike Friendliest City---is a veritable hero in all of Denmark. Odense has four different statues of him at different stages of his life---and even has a silhouette of Andersen in the streetlights! (That's what you see in the picture for this post.)
Andersen did much of his writing in Copenhagen, having lived there for several years. That explains why one of the most famous landmarks in Copenhagen's Town Hall Square is a giant statue of Hans Christen that people like to have their picture made on! You literally crawl up on the statue and sit on Andersen's lap as if he were Santa Claus!
Don't believe me? Then check out this video:
So what do you think makes The Little Mermaid so popular? After all, it is a story that has lasted for hundreds of years. Why do young readers like it so much?
Leave a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from my own collection---not bad, huh?
A central issue that we spend a lot of time talking about in sixth grade is whether or not Americanization--the adoption of American customs, traditions, music, movies and food--is a good thing or not. You see, many of the world's largest companies are American---and in an effort to make more money, they are opening stores and selling products in places ranging from China to Chile.
That means that when you travel to "foreign" countries, you're likely to see all kinds of stores, shops, foods and products that you're already familiar with! Heck, I spent an entire week in Denmark drinking Diet Cokes! Denmark has also adopted tons of other uniquely American stores and restaurants.
Don't believe me? Then check out this video:
Or take a look at who was performing in Copenhagen during the week I was there:
So my critical question is should we be concerned about Americanization? Is it a good thing that foreign countries are becoming more "American" in their musical, food and shopping tastes? Or does Americanization end up making the world a little more boring?
I asked a Danish friend that same question and she had an interesting answer. She said that she sees Americanization as a neat form of borrowing because Danish people then take American ideas and "tweak" them, making something new---and often better!
I'm not so sure, though.....I love studying new customs, cultures and traditions----and if American ideas continue to become more and more common, there will be fewer unique places in the world.
What do you think? Leave a comment to share your thinking and join us again soon on Get Lost!
Oh yeah...and remember that there are two sides to every story!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.interarteonline.com/Paul_Kaleja/altas/AMERICANIZATION.jpg on July 13, 2007.
You know something, kid----you just stumbled on one of the most interesting websites known to man!
What makes it so interesting?
It includes a collection of videos and images that introduce visitors to the geography of faraway places! You'll be able to learn about foods, clothing, customs and traditions right here. You'll get an up-close and personal view of foreign trains, trams and toilets. You'll study cars and castles and kids and kings and clothing. You'll see landmarks. You'll swim in history.
And most importantly, you'll be able to make comparisons to your own life---and comparisons are cool!
Ready to start learning?
Then just use the links in the sidebar to begin looking around. Our posts are categorized by country and by theme----so if you're interested in people, click people! Care about the environment? Then click environment! The most recent posts are also listed in the sidebar, but don't let that fool you----there are dozens of posts that aren't listed! You can also look at photo albums that we've collected from foreign lands too. Just click the picture icons found at the bottom of the sidebar.
Finally, we'll include links to some of the more popular entries right here on our introduction post. Then, if you only have a few minutes to explore, you can check out what other kids think is cool!
Don't forget to check back often....You'll learn something new every time!
Featured Entries:
Fonden Bycyklen i Kobenhavn: No clue what that means? Then check out the video, yo!
Into the (Bright) Danish Night: So what does night look like where you're from?
Going Green with Danish Wind Farms: Everyone loves a good wind turbine, don't they?
The Land of the Interesting Auto: Ever wondered if they have cars in Denmark? Find out here!
The Beauty of the Danish Toilet: Yes...you read that right. Danish toilets are beautiful!
Denmark's Ristet Hot Dog: Who doesn't like hot dogs?!
Image retrieved from http://www.rikomatic.com/photos/uncategorized/globalkids.jpg on July 10, 2007
I have to confess that I love looking at buildings whenever I'm in a new city. Architecture---the character or style of a building---is just fun to look at. I especially like looking at buildings that are very different from the buildings that I typically see in my hometown.
Some of the neatest buildings in the world can be found in Russia. Colorful round domes are often found on important buildings----like those around the Kremlin and Red Square in the capital city of Moscow.
So imagine my surprise when I walked down the street from the beautiful Marmorkirken and found a building with golden domes! After all, it was the only building in the entire city that had "Russian Looking" domes on top of it.
Learn more about this odd-ball building here:
Can you think of any buildings in the United States that borrow architectural styles from other countries? Think about the United States Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial. Where did we get the ideas for those important buildings?
Are there any buildings in your town that borrow architectural styles from other countries? What about churches? Libraries? Government buildings?
What is the most interesting building in your town? Why?
Looking forward to your responses!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.travellersworldwide.com/Images2000/photos-russia/general/russia.jpg on July 7, 2007.
Denmark has a really interesting religious history, beginning with Norse Gods and Goddesses and ending with the introduction of Christianity by King Harald Bluetooth Gormson at the end of the first century. Like many European nations during the Middle Ages, Denmark began their Christian tradition as dedicated followers of the Catholic Church.
After Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation in Europe by nailing the 95 Thesis to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral in Germany, Denmark threw off the Catholic Church. Lutheranism became the official religion of Denmark in 1534. Today, over 90% of Danes are members of a Protestant Church---but many only attend church on important religious holidays.
As a result of their long Christian tradition, there are many beautiful cathedrals in Denmark. Perhaps the most impressive is Marmorkirken----which means "The Marble Church." Marmorkirken was the idea of King Frederik V, who decided to celebrate the 300 years that his family had ruled Denmark by building a new district in the city of Copenhagen in 1749. This cathedral was placed at the center of the new district----which was convienently named Frederiksstaden in honor of the king!
Plans for the church included an effort to use Norweigan marble for construction. After 20 years, however the costs for the cathedral had risen to unacceptable levels and building was stopped. Over a century later, the church was finally completed using Danish marble. Marmorkirken remains one of the most beautiful churches in Denmark---with an impressive dome that was once the largest in all of Europe.
Don't believe me? Check this out:
So what do you think? Incredible church, huh?
One of the things that I've noticed in my travels is that churches and temples---regardless of religion---are almost always beautiful. Why do you think people invest so much money in churches? Are the churches and temples in your town beautiful too? What other buildings do people tend to invest a lot of money in? Arenas? Sports fields? Parks? Government offices? Libraries? Schools?
Do you think you can learn something about what a society values just by studying their buildings?
Leave a comment to explain your thinking!
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Marble_Church_front.jpg on July 7, 2007
In an earlier entry, I spotlighted one of the ways that the residents of Copenhagen create space for themselves in a big and busy city---by creating buildings that have no corners! Another step taken by the residents of Copenhagen over the centuries was to create buildings that have internal courtyards.
Internal courtyards are exactly what you think they are---open areas in the center of a block of buildings! When you're walking along Copenhagen's streets, you'll often see heavy wooden gates in the middle of a row of apartments or businesses. Those gates are the first sign that an internal courtyard has been built for residents.
Hundreds of years ago, these internal courtyards provided stable space for the animals of homeowners! After all, where were you going to park your horse and keep your chickens if you didn't have an internal courtyard? You wouldn't want your goat running off on you, right? Well neither did the residents of Copenhagen----and internal courtyards were the answer.
Back then, internal courtyards would have been dirty places full of animal bedding and droppings. Today, they are great places to get off the main city streets and take a few deep breaths! Often, they provide parking for residents or customers of businesses. You'll also find that people beautify their internal courtyards too----ivy grows along walls and flowers seem to be everywhere.
Take a look at one internal courtyard that I had a chance to walk through:
All of this has gotten me thinking about the important role that open space plays in the lives of people. I mean, I really like going to the park or sitting next to a lake. Throwing a baseball or a football and running through the grass is something I'm not sure I'd be willing to give up. While the energy of living in a big city seems to be cool, I'm not sure I'd like it so much if I had to resort to internal courtyards for open space.
How about you? How important do you think it is to have open space to play in? Would you be interested in living in an exciting place if it didn't have room to play?
Better question: What makes a place "exciting" to you?! What do you need to have in order to be happy about where you are living?
Good question, huh? Can't wait for your answers....
Signed,
Bam Bam Bigelow
Image retrieved from http://www.pennyhead.com/images/copenhagen.jpg on July 7, 2007
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