Matt Gedye

Bikes, Carlsbergs, and the Øresund

I’ve been a Scandophile for many years. I suspect my fascination with this part of Northern Europe began when I was about eleven and I read my first Horrible Histories book - The Vicious Vikings. However, truth be told, it’s the landscape, particularly in Norway, that began to really capture my imagination as I got older. More recently, though, it’s been the way of life, not just in Scandinavia, but in the Nordic countries in general that I’ve come to idolise and desired to experience. So when I was sitting in a meeting with my soon-to-be PhD supervisors in February 2023 and they suggested I apply for the dual scholarship with the University of Copenhagen, suffice it to say, it didn’t take a lot of ‘convincing.’ Even when I approached my wife with the idea, we agreed that to not do it, would be something we might regret.

We’ve been living in Copenhagen now for just over a month, and I can safely say that the city is meeting all of my expectations. These were based on books I’d read both before, and after, I knew we’d be moving here. Most notably, The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. But also, The Art of Danish Living and The Nordic Theory of Everything. I’ve been intrigued to discover for myself how much of what’s written in these books will hold true in my experience, but after only one month, I think it’s still too soon to form too conclusive a conclusion. That said, a month is still longer than a typical holiday or vacation and we’ve been lucky to experience quite a lot to help form our initial impressions. Below are the most notable so far:

  1. The cycling culture: The bike lanes make Copenhagen one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, and while I’ve yet to get on a bike myself, it’s amazing to walk to work in the morning and witness rush hour, cycling-style.
  2. The work-life balance is real: The Danes are famous for their established work-life balance and I remember clearly finishing at the lab around 16:15 on my first day. I chose to leave early because my supervisor wrapped up an hour earlier and so thought it would be okay. As I was walking down the hall to exit, I realised I’d finished late. The lab was dark, doors shut and no one was around.
  3. Danish Efficiency: Related to this, putting in extra hours at the end of the day is (supposedly) more a sign of ineffiency than dedication. And the Danes are efficient. I’ve had to wrangle immigration paperwork in both the US and Australia (for myself and my wife respectively), not to mention banking, childcare, and all those fun logistical things. It’s been an absolute breeze doing so here.
  4. Our Location: We’re ideally located. Though it’s hard to tell if it’s our address specifically, or that the public transport is phenomenal. Most likely both. I walk barely five minutes to the metro, ride it for about ten minutes, and then walk about twenty-five minutes to work. I don’t have to walk. I could catch a ten minute bus. But the walk takes me over The Lakes and through some of the most vibey parts of the city. Then, when I get home, I lace up my running shoes, and in less than ten minutes, I’m at thebeach, where on a clear day, I can see across the Øresund to Sweden.
  5. Effortless Style: The Danes (or at least Copenhageners) are cool. Very cool. They’re stylish, but no one is done up while out and about. No one is trying too hard, or in a rush to go anywhere. It’s an infectious vibe and you can’t help but to instantly feel more relaxed.
  6. Great Beer: I’m a bit of a beer snob and tend to gravitate more towards craft beer than the mass-produced, commercial stuff. But a Carlsberg in the evening after a run, or just when out and about (drinking in public is legal here) always goes down a treat.

Despite all the good, there are some things we’ve noticed that have been more of a struggle to get used to:

But that’s all the ‘bad’ we’ve noticed so far. With seven months to go before we head back to the US, we’re excited to continue exploring. And while there’s still a lot more to see in Copenhagen, we want to see more of Denmark and if possible, more of Scandinavia and Europe.

P.S What I’m doing now.