| On my first visit to Denmark, I fell in love | | | | was made out of wood. And poured beer. From |
| with the country and the city of Copenhagen. | | | | its trunk. Ah, let me start at the beginning. |
| Contrary to my guidebook, you could see | | | | |
| elephants and experience ice hockey in the | | | | Having been befriended by some local Danes, |
| dead of summer. | | | | we were asked in hushed tones if we would |
| | | | like to see real Danish elephants. Yes, we'd |
| The Hanson Brothers | | | | be able to touch them. No, they weren't |
| | | | dangerous. We could even ride them? Wow, this |
| Upon arriving in Copenhagen, I was burned out | | | | was going to be a great entry in my Nomad |
| from backpacking and looking forward to a | | | | travel journal. |
| good nap. I was traveling with three other | | | | |
| Americans and we became distressed as each | | | | We were picked up at the ice rink that |
| subsequent hostel told us all beds were sold. | | | | evening and taken to the center of town. We |
| After asking around [okay, we were in a bar], | | | | stopped in front of what looked like all the |
| we were given a lift by a local to a "hotel" | | | | world to be a small tavern. This is where |
| guaranteed to have space. | | | | they keep the elephants? We walked into a |
| | | | small tavern with...a life-sized, wood |
| I could only sigh as we pulled up to the ice | | | | elephant. |
| rink for the local professional team. Since | | | | |
| we were "high and dry", we entered and booked | | | | As it turned out, the elephant was the |
| our beds. Left face off dot. Yes, our beds | | | | world's biggest and best beer dispensing |
| were arranged around the left face off dot. | | | | unit. Put you glass under the trunk and pull |
| To make a little extra money during the | | | | down on a tusk to dispense your beverage of |
| summer, the rink melted the ice and set up | | | | choice. Each tusk provided a different beer, |
| beds everywhere. The scene can best be | | | | but I investigated the mechanism far to often |
| described as a giant collection of cubicles | | | | that evening and don't recall the brands. |
| in an office with beds instead of desks. It | | | | Unfortunately, there didn't appear to be an |
| was cheap, dry and had a communal feel since | | | | aspirin elephant anywhere to be seen the next |
| you could hear everything. If you've seen the | | | | morning. |
| movie "Slap Shot", it was like living with a | | | | |
| few hundred Hanson Brothers. | | | | If you're going to be visiting Copenhagen and |
| | | | don't give a hoot about privacy, the ice rink |
| Danish Elephants | | | | hotel can't be beat for price and a communal |
| | | | spirit. Well, maybe by the Danish elephants, |
| Okay, there was one Danish elephant. Okay, it | | | | but don't tell anyone I told you. |