horns of wilmington's cow

By anth

An odd 200...

My 200 was supposed to be up on Wednesday. On the Thursday we were travelling to Copenhagen, and I had grand plans, but the day turned into one of those pre-short-break busy periods and so the idea has been shelved till a later date (and likely to be for just a random number so as not to put any pressure on it, especially since I need the gratefully-received help of a few other blippers.

So yes. Copenhagen, the back blip begins here with, fairly naturally for Copenhagen, a bike. Or a trike to be a bit more precise. Riding is just normal there. I know a guy there (when I say know, I mean I've chatted with him by email and over Flickr messages) who simply contends that in Copenhagen there are no 'cyclists' merely 'Copenhageners who cycle'. Everyone is dressed normally and just gets on with it.

A few nudges have been needed along the way, but the common sense approach, and the results achieved, just seem to over-shadow anything our local government is managing to do (or not). Mikael Colville-Andersen is a writer, director and ultra-popular blogger (copenhagenize.com and Copenhagen Cycle Chic) and quite possibly one of the coolest people I've ever met. But more of him later cos we didn't start quaffing the beers with him till Saturday evening.

I actually started writing the next issue of the website in my little notebook on the way over, so I had my cycling advocacy head on anyway, but the sheer weight of numbers riding was astounding.

A trip with no logistical issues (certainly in comparison to India last October). A 5 minute walk to the metro, a 15 minute metro ride to the centre, and a 10 minute walk to the hotel. All done easily, without fuss. So we were there late afternoon, and just went for a wander, getting the stereotypical Little Mermaid shot (as it hailed on us); seeing the impressive Marmorkirken (built to rival St Peter's in Rome, but beset by delays and arguments, finished with inferior materials, and consecrated more than 100 years after the first stone was laid); and admiring yet more bikes.

The back blipping will continue... (I'm doing this while starting to write the next issue of the site...)

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