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Tags: Obama-Around-The-World / Presidential Travel / Olympics / Michelle Obama / Olympics Travel / Copenhagen Travel / Oprah / → All Tags

The 'O Team' Heads To Copenhagen To Push 'Chicago 2016'

Tomorrow is the big day! On October 2, the Olympic Committee will announce the host city for the 2016 Olympics, and it's a hot race right down to the last minute for finalist cities Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid. These final 24 hours have been particularly important to the decision-making process, as each city flew their star-power spokespeople to Copenhagen, Denmark to make final pleas before the Committee.

While soccer star Pelé did what he could for Rio's case, Chicago's representation was a bit more impressive with both Oprah and Michelle Obama stepping up to the podium to pitch The Windy City. Oprah might rule it these days, you see, but Michelle was born there and remains a Second City gal, even if her residence is now the White House.

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Tags: Travel Advertising / Denmark Travel / Sex Travel / Travel Ads / → All Tags

Apparently Denmark Has A Custom Of Anonymous Sex With Tourists

You know, we always thought that Southeast Asia and Jamaica were the hotspots for sex tourism, that is until we watched this video advertisement for Denmark. It's a brief bit that appears like an earnest new mother searching for the father of her child, someone with whom she had a random one-night-stand, and he happened to be a tourist.

Now she's got a baby (named August, aww) and it's all thanks to the Danish "custom" of hygge, or hooking up with random foreign strangers. Although Denmark wants to promote its nightlife in this way, we're not so happy about their encouragement of anonymous and unprotected sex, and it sounds like the rest of Denmark agrees with us, since the spot has been pulled thanks to a backlash. But of course, not until it had already gone viral and generated more buzz than the ad agency had ever hoped for.

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Tags: Scandinavia Travel / Families / Food Travel / → All Tags

Denmark Wants You To Find Your Family's Footsteps, Or Just Eat Danishes

With one and a half million Americans bearing some Danish blood, the tourist board in Denmark might have a winner with their new Danish Heritage website. It's aimed at encouraging curious partly-Danish people to discover their roots and make a vacation out of it.

As well as pointing out some famous you-didn't-know-they-were-Danes celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Metallica's Lars Ulrich (even though their names should give it away), the Danish Heritage website gives pointers on how to find out more about your Danish family background and some tips for how to plan a family-tree-style trip. There's a list of ways to get involved with the locals by doing stuff like eating dinner with them, and even a summary of how and why Danish people migrated to the United States.

One surprising constant that keeps popping up throughout the Heritage website is the talk of food. Herring, open sandwiches, and even Danishes all rate a mention, so we figure that even if there isn't any Danish blood in your family, there are plenty of other reasons to explore Denmark.

Related Stories:
· Danish Heritage [Official Site]
· You Can Dine With Danes, Too [Jaunted]
· Denmark Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: bsktcase]

Tags: Airport WiFi / Airport-WiFi-Map / CPH / → All Tags

Pirates Kidnap Danish Ship; Kastrup Airport Kidnaps Your Wallet For WiFi Access

The world was glued this week to the MV Maersk Alabama, a container ship hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia this week. As snipers daringly rescued the captain, the ship remains under scurvy control along with its 5,000 tons of relief aid -- avast!

The ship may fly under the American flag now but it's actually Danish in origin, having been docked in Copenhagen for years. And you know, maybe everyone on board would prefer to hide out for a while up there to throw the pirates off their trail. After all, these sea ninjas are hardly accustomed to long voyages, despite their facility for taking things that isn't theirs.

Soon enough the crew would be waiting at Kastrup International Airport to go home, where they could log in for $10.63 an hour (60 DKK) and send the world's greatest excuse: "Sorry I couldn't make it, I was kidnapped by pirates."

Trying to find something of yours which has been hijacked by pirates? Don't forget on your way out to make them walk the plank to use the airport internet -- and let us know about it!

Related Stories:
· Rescued US Captain Heads Home from Kenya [P via Google]
· Anatomy of a Cruise Ship Attack [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi Map [Jaunted]

Tags: Airport WiFi / AAL / Airport-WiFi-Map / → All Tags

Point Your Browser Northward In Aalborg

Aalborg is Denmark's fourth-largest city, billing itself as the gateway to the North. A former factory town and home of a major Danish military base, it doesn't have the fairy-tale reputation of Copenhagen, but here's one thing it has: Free WiFi!

That's right, let users in the Copenhagen airport pay more money to Boingo. Up in Aalborg, you are cleared to surf, wherever you're really headed (as long as it's in the Aalborg airport).

What's there to do in Aalborg, and what other WiFi-enabled destinations the world over deserve a visit? Tell us where the signals are for our Airport WiFi Map.

Related Stories:
· Delta Starting East Coast WiFi Flights [Jaunted]
· A Lot More Denmark In Kid Rock's Future? [Jaunted]
· Denmark coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Green Travel / Biking / Active Travel / → All Tags

Bikes Only Travel: Copenhagen Closes Road to Cars

Copenhagen and Amsterdam are in an informal competition to be known as the world's best cycling city.

Both have large populations of enthusiastic bikers that have made two wheels their primary form of transportation. But Copenhagen has edged ahead in the race with a new initiative that will make a main thoroughfare, Nørrebrogade, bike-only for three months, allowing bicyclists an easier morning and evening commute.

Closing Nørrebrogade to car traffic is one of many steps the government has taken to make biking easier in it's city. And it makes sense too, as car drivers are quickly becoming the minority. Only 17,000 cars use the Nørrebrogade daily, as opposed to 33,000 cyclists.

Related Stories:
· Copenhagen Cyclists Take Over Main City Thoroughfare [Treehugger]
· "Summer Streets" Turning NYC into a Summer Destination [Jaunted]
· Green Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: soylentgreen23]

Tags: Coffee / Coffee Shops / Biking / → All Tags

Caffeinated Travel: Mobile Coffee in Copenhagen

If you're strolling through downtown Copenhagen and need to get your caffeine fix, keep an eye out for the Espressomanden. Ole, the espresso man, is the proprietor of a very cool mobile coffee shop mounted on a cargo bicycle.

He can be found daily, parked on the streets of Copenhagen, and is available to serve coffee at weddings, receptions and company parties. You can also wave him down, taxi style, and he'll stop and pull you a tasty double shot.

The Espressomanden is completely self sufficient. The cargo bike can carry loads up to 150 kg and the coffee machines are powered by natural gas on board.

As it happens, Copenhagen is one of the world's most bike friendly cities. More than 50 percent of the population ride bikes as their primary form of transportation. Cargo bike based businesses are also taking off in a big way. If you don't like coffee, you'll also find fruit bikes, newspaper bikes and a whole bunch of rickshaws.

Related Stories:
· Espressomanden [Official Site]
· Espressomanden Ole [Copenhagenize]
· Copenhagen Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Copenhagenize]

Tags: Culture Travel / Santa Claus / Summer Travel / → All Tags

Christmas in July: Santa Clauses Amass in Denmark

It's too late to grow a real beard: The World Santa Claus Congress starts today in Copenhagen, whose residents will get a glimpse of many Kris Kringles as they parade and wreak havoc out of season.

Santas will promenade down Strøget, a pedestrian thoroughfare made up of several streets in the city center, and later jump into the Copenhagen harbor over the course of the three-day festival, now in its 51st year.

Just don't ask them which one is the real Santa; they'll say they all are.

Related Stories:
· World Santa Claus Congress [Official Site, in Danish]
· You Can Dine with Danes, Too [Jaunted]
· Santa Claus coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: paulafunnell]

Tags: Beer Festivals / Beer / Europe Travel / Copenhagen Travel / → All Tags

Beer Festival Travel: Beer-Drinking Horses in Copenhagen

Beer lovers who missed out on the world's biggest pub crawl in Australia last weekend can take heart: You just need a ticket to Copenhagen for September.

The European Beer Festival 2008 will take place in the Danish capital September 12-14. The PR people say it's for "discriminating beer connoisseurs" but we're sure you don't have to belong to the toffee-nosed beer-sniffing set to enjoy a beer festival.

This one sounds particularly fun because it will be held in part of the Carlsberg breweries--very recently vacated as production is moving to another site. That means beer fest visitors can see some of the more private parts of the brewery, including the horse stables. Entry tickets include your first two beers and a detailed beer guide, if you want the low down on all the ale you're swilling.

Related Stories:
· European Beer Festival [Official Site]
· Hit the Pub Route in Queensland [Jaunted]
· Copenhagen Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: kevincrumbs]

Tags: Sterling Airlines / LCCs / Low Cost Carriers / Europe Travel / → All Tags

LCC Travel: Would You Fly With Sterling? They Would.

Although we've been speculating about the possible demise of a few of Europe's budget airlines, we're actually still discovering some of them.

Sterling Airlines is owned by an Icelandic investment group but it's based in Denmark, and although they once considered merging with EasyJet, now they're happily tootling around in the Scandinavian skies on their own.

Right now Sterling is promoting some cheap deals between the UK and Scandinavia: bookings by June 9 for travel during summer come in as low as €55 ($85) for one-way flights. Pretty reasonable for getting into Sweden or Norway, and who wouldn't want to fly with an airline whose motto goes "We would fly with us"?

Related Stories:
· Sterling Airlines [Official Site]
· We Were Right: German EasyJet Boss Says So [Jaunted]
· Low Cost Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: GothPhil]

Tags: Copenhagen Travel / Restaurants / Restaurant Reviews / → All Tags

Copenhagen Conquers Cuisine

Important news flash: Denmark is now serving more than just herring and pork! If, with good cause, you've thought Danish cuisine was one of the poorer exports of the country, you might be surprised on your next visit to Copenhagen, if the theory of a New York Times journalist is true.

After centuries of Danish food being about as bland and uninspiring as a long, sunshine-less winter day in Scandinavia, there's been a sudden revolution which even has Michelin stars starting to adorn the city's restaurants.

The only two-star restaurant, Noma, comes with hearty recommendations. Noma's current menu features a bunch of dishes we probably wouldn't order outside Denmark, but are nonetheless intriguing: Danish lobster with seaweed or musk ox and glazed beet roots, to name a couple. And for dessert, the apparently untranslatable Øllebrød and skyrsorbet. Yep, two of those, please.

Related Stories:
· The Coming of Age of Copenhagen's Nordic Cuisine [NYT]
· Noma [Official Site]
· Denmark Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Noma: trixieskips]

Tags: Danish Design Center / Design Tourism / → All Tags

Copenhagen Is Proud Of Their Designer Loo

Last month blogger, and 100,000 Elite United member, BoiFromTroy found himself in Copenhagen. Of course he visited the Royal Palace, The Round Tower, Hans Christian Andersen haunts, and the Tivoli Gardens. However, what was most interesting to us was how the Danes chose to publicly show off their world renowned design acumen--with a square urinal.

The Danes love to talk about what great designers they are-and had a display of Danish design in one of the main City squares. Here you will see their contribution to mankind-the square urinal.

If you are interested in seeing more toilet wonders, and other great Dane design from Klint to Jensen you can head to the Danish Design Center, pay $6.75 and ogle plenty of Danish design exhibits.

Related Stories:
· Copenhagen Photo Blogging [BoiFromTroy]
· Danish Design Center [Official Site]
· Copenhagen Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: BoiFromTroy]