For those of you who aren’t ‘all porn, all the time’ might I suggest you check out my girl’s other, other blog - Suffer me in Silence. There you will currently see a collection of her own photographs taken on our recent trip to Copenhagen (as seen above). They’re rather good.
For those of you who have been asking after our trip - it was terrific. Copenhagen is a really interesting city to visit, the contrast with London being marked. It’s calm, easy going, very easy to be in. The low levels of cars (and high levels of bikes) makes it a great city to walk around, keeps the air clear and the noise down. It appears to contain a great many interesting bars and cafes, and an interesting spattering of shops (it is, mercifully, largely free of international chains).
I’ve come to the conclusion I am very drawn to the Nordic way of doing things, particularly in terms of politics and society. The thing that struck me most about the feel of the place (and this seemed somewhat confirmed by talking to a resident) is the lack of anger. The poor aren’t angry at the rich, the rich aren’t angry at the government, there isn’t an ongoing dialogue of fear and rage. Which would appear to make it a hell of a lot easier to get things done. In a good way. (The lack of anger also lead me to the conclusion - again confirmed by sources - that Denmark has probably produces bugger all contemporary music of any worth) There appears to be a genuine value placed on community, and rather than being about the individual, success appears to be seen as something that should be used to benefit everyone.
Of course, this is an outsiders view based on a brief visit and some discussion with people who live there, but… There’s something in the air that I find very, very appealing. It feels like a more intelligent culture, and made the US and UK political landscape feel very petty and small minded by comparison. I was also pleased to discover how little they care about what the UK and US do.
But… I’m still me, so I must finish with this: The girls. My god, the girls. Now, admittedly, I have a weakness for tall, willowy, long haired, blondes, but my god… I have never seen so many beautiful girls in one place before. I could have fallen in love a hundred times during my visit. I’d never be so anal as to keep track of such a thing, but if I had a top ten most attractive girls I’ve ever seen I think most of that list would now be made up of Danes. My god, such beauty…
My spiritual practice is not Scandinavian-based, but I have been enjoying watching this series on Nordic witchcraft. This video in particular, highlighting the importance of maintaining a good relationship between spirits of the place and nature spirits. Anything that promotes hospitality and reciprocity, I am all for.
The Beginning Of Scandinavian Christianization Mission And Its Interpretation In Adam De Bremen’s Gesta Hammaburgensis Lukas Gabriel Grzybowski Revista Signum, 2016, vol. 17, n. 1 This paper intent to launch a new view on the problem of the Christianization of Scandinavia in the Early Middle Ages. It is not a new topic under the historians of this period, but it continues to promote vivid debate…
The Lost Literature of Medieval Iceland: Sagas of Icelanders Judith Jesch PhD Thesis, University College London (1984). Click here to read this thesis at Academia.edu
