Denmark

I had big hopes of finishing all 196 countries before 2017 was over. It was supposed to be my 'year-long' project. But, that just didn't work out. I came to terms a few months ago that it wasn't going to happen, and my new goal is to finish up with the Olympics, where we could be doing country stuff anyway. 

Denmark marked the last country of 2017, 30 short of my goal. But, with Asa not working (likely most if not all of January), we shouldn't have a problem knocking them out. We'll all be together for all our meals, unless of course we go out and about. 

And, Denmark isn't such a bad country to end on. It's consistently been rated the 'happiest country in the world. Plus, with the holiday's a country that embraces 'hygge' (pronounced hooga), or a warm cozy feeling, it all goes together perfectly. 

So while you're in Denmark, take in the happiness, the cozy-ness, the history of Vikings, the famous foodie hot spots, and the fairytales. 

Because Denmark is the land that brought us Hans Christian Anderson. His works from over 175 years ago are still entertaining audiences. (You guys, his work The Snow Queen inspired the movie Frozen!) But, he's also known for the Emperor's New Clothes and, most importantly The Little Mermaid. 

Which brings me to our last Landmark of 2017: the statue of the Little Mermaid. It's a symbol of the city and the country as a whole. It was sculpted and put into the harbor in 1913. It's only 5 foot 5 inches tall, but she holds a special place in the heart of all Danes. 

There's so much to explore in Denmark, it might be taking one of the top spots of countries I'd like to visit in Europe. 

You're never more than an hours drive from the sea, and you can drive right over a bridge to Sweden! That's if you don't take your bike, because Danes love their bikes (50% of the people in Copenhagen, the capital, commute to work on bike). 

Also, I hear they enjoy irony, which is like my favorite! Though, I'm not sure I can get behind eating salty licorice with a glass of milk. And don't even get me started on pickled herring. 

But it is the birthplace of some pretty cool things. 

They invented the loud speaker and magnetic storage. 

Legos were first made in Denmark in 1932. They were named after the danish phrase leg godt (meaning 'play well") and were designed by a a Danish carpenter, and today over 10 million lego bricks are made at the lego factory. 

They are also the birthplace of amusement parks! The first one opened in Denmark in 1583, and the second one opened just down the road! Tivoli Gardens (the second one) is currently home to the world's oldest operational wooden coaster on the planet (it's been running since 1914!)

Danes have contributed to the world too. It was  Danish architect who designed the Sydney opera house. 

Now Denmark is a small country. Sure, there's over 300 uninhabited islands, but the whole land mass comes in under 17,000 square miles. It ranks as the 132nd biggest country in the world. 

Unless of course you include Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. Then it comes in as the 12th biggest country in the world. 

Greenland is the world's largest island and an autonomous Danish dependent territory with limited self-government and its own parliament. Denmark contributes two thirds of Greenland's budget revenue, the rest coming mainly from fishing.

Most of our country books don't include Greenland, but the boys wanted a quick overview and our big one we display had a two-page spread for Greenland. 

Trademarks of Greenland include: dog sleds, glaciers, icebergs, Inuit people, igloos and kayaks (the word actually comes from the Inuit language). 

Also fun fact: in Greenlandic, numbers only go up to 12, after that there is only 'ameriasoorpassuit' which means many (or you can always use Danish numbers). 

The boys made their postcards. 

Hayden's included some modern buildings and a REALLY happy person. 

Peyton's, of course, included a nod to Dyrehavsbakken, the first amusement park in the world. 

And Calib's featured inventions from Denmark including the Sydney Opera House and legos. 

For Denmark dinner, we had cooked apples, Roasted Root Vegetables with four Danish Cheeses, Frikadeller Meat Patties with Sauce (over noodles), and danishes, or Wienerbroad (Vienna Bread) as it is known in Denmark. 

Quick history there from google: "Although today known world-wide as "Danishes" these pastries did not originate in Denmark, but were brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers, particularly from Vienna in the 1850's when Danish pastry workers went on a long-term wage strike. ... This is why these types of pastries are called Viennese (wienerbrød) in Denmark." 

This dinner earned four spoons up, and two down. 

Peyton didn't love any of it. Calib said the sauce over the meat and noodles was too sweet. Everyone but mom and I were not fans of the root veggies. (The sweet potato turned them off, I suppose). 

We colored Denmark and Greenland in a bright red color. 

Next Up: 2018! And our last 30 countries!