A Quest for the Uncliche

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Quick Conversations: Copenhagen

Hygge

Hygge, pronounced as “Hoo-guh” may be conceptualized as an integral part of Danish way of life.

Speaking of etymology, hygge might have originated from the Old Norse word hyggja, which itself might be the root word for hug in English.

The meaning of hygge perhaps is too vast and far reaching. In simple words though, hygge can be understood as the feeling of happiness and comfort in togetherness. Enjoying good things in life with good people may be thought of an example of hygge.

Now why am I mentioning this here?

Copenhagen seems to ooze the hygge way of life, quite abundantly, specially if viewed from the lens of a tourist who loves traveling alone, and who is also a hardened introvert.

The local people of Copenhagen are happy, friendly and comforting and go beyond their regular routine to identify and help a person out. In my case, that happened without me asking for help.

Maybe that’s a regular practice for the people in Copenhagen. Maybe that’s an angle of viewing the famous hygge way of life. But for the traveler, acts like these go a long way in making the country spectacularly beautiful – the beauty which surpasses any sights or scenes, artificial or natural.

I am not an expert in Danish language or culture. In my opinion, perhaps it’s this hygge way of life which makes me fall in love with the ambiance of the hygge in Copenhagen. All those incidents narrated in the previous pages perhaps point in that direction.

So for me, it has been a privilege to experience the hygge way of life in Copenhagen, and it felt as if I am not a tourist but an indistinguishable part of the city. And the vibes of Copenhagen did make it feel real.

As I always tell, there might be beauty right under your nose when you travel. You need not always go to the biggies to search for beauty. Sometimes you don’t see it, but you feel it’s presence like the air which gently caresses your skin.

The hygge is real, and it’s breathtakingly beautiful.

Tak, København..

Cheers..!!

Beautiful white roses adorn a street in Åfløjen, Copenhagen Copyright: Abirbhav Mukherjee
Beautiful white roses adorn a street in Åfløjen, Copenhagen

© Abirbhav Mukherjee. All the pictures / videos posted in this article are my own unless otherwise mentioned.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

49 comments

  1. What a great post! I think the locals in any country really appreciate you trying to speak their language. I had lots of laughs when I lived in Thailand because I couldnt pronounce the words. I have heard only good things about Copenhagen. I want to go there some day. The Hygge way of life is lovely

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    1. Thank you so much Madam for your lovely comment.. 😊😊 I do hope that you visit Copenhagen soon and experience the Hygge life yourself.. 😊😊
      Totally agree with you. The local people appreciate if you try to speak their language. Your experience in Thailand exemplifies this, so does my experience in Denmark, Russia and other non-English speaking countries 😊😊 (laughs are a byproduct it seems though.. 😉 )

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    1. Marvelous..!! Denmark is truly a sight to behold, especially if one goes to the roads less taken.. So far my “off-beat” destination in Denmark has been Roskilde only.. Hope to add some places in Zealand in that list as well, including Helsingor.. 🙂 🙂
      So how was the Boss Lady’s experience? Ever got “lost in pronunciation”?.. 😉

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  3. Your wonderful stories are a great way to highlight some of the characteristics of Copenhagen. It’s good to know that locals (including bus drivers) are so friendly and helpful. Sometimes I find here bus drivers can be a bit impatient with people asking questions. Your story about the luxury train is very funny and it’s great to read that the city has such high standards of public transportation. Great post!

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    1. Thank you so much Madam for your visit and your comments.. 😊😊 It means a lot..!!

      Well, I found the bus Captains to be patient with me so far in my travels (The ones in Copenhagen showing perhaps the apex of friendly and helpful behaviour).. 😊😊 Do visit Copenhagen and see for yourself (including the luxury train for public transportation).. 😊😊

      Thank you so much once again Madam.. 😊😊

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    1. Well, I found it a bit easy to remember since I was one who was involved directly in such incidents.. ☺️☺️ Plus, I tend to remember special acts of random kindness like these.. ☺️☺️
      Good to know you liked it, Madam.. ☺️☺️ Thank you for taking out the time to read it.. ☺️☺️

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        1. Haha.. Sometimes that happens with me too, especially when I visit historical places. I make it a habit to take notes – audio or written. It helps me remember the mechanical details.
          But special incidents like these don’t require any notes.. ☺️☺️

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  6. I enjoyed reading your stories’ and I have the same experience of the Danish people as being very friendly, outgoing, and helpful. If I read a text in Danish I understand it, being Swedish myself, but when they start talking I do not understand them very much. Some accents are slightly easier, but it is still easier for me to speak English with them.

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    1. Thank you so much Madam for reading this and sharing your own experiences speaking to Danish people.. 😊😊
      I spoke in English with them. However, the names of the places I visited are originally Danish, and hence the pronunciation, which are usually unknown to English speakers.. 😊😊
      But that’s the fun of traveling, isn’t it?
      Thank you so much Madam for sharing your views.. 😊😊

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    1. Very much true Madam.. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I prefer using public transport.. 😊😊
      Thank you so much Madam for your appreciation.. 😊😊
      You too stay safe and have a great weekend..!!

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    1. Thank you so much Madam for taking the time to read it and share your comment.. 😊😊 I am so glad you liked it.. 😊😊
      Good to know that you visited Copenhagen to meet your friend some time back. Hope the experience was good.. 😊
      You can call me Abir if you want to.. 😊

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  10. Such a wonderful and heart warming post. This little experiences and anecdotes make travel so worthwhile and restores faith in kindness . Such a wonderful travel story . Aau-flou-yen, I would love to go there. Such are the wonders of travelling..

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    1. Haha.. If you like to aimlessly roam about on the roads, click pictures and get lost in beautiful nothingness sans the biggies (which I do), then Aau-flou-yen is the place for you. On paper, it’s just another neighbourhood of Copenhagen.. 😊😊

      Thank you so much Madam for your lovely and encouraging comment.. 😊😊 You are absolutely right, such little acts and anecdotes help restore our faith in the people.. 😊😊

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    1. Thank you so much Madam for nominating me for the award..!! It means a lot to me to be nominated by you.. 😊🤗

      I have checked it and answered all your questions.. Hope you like reading them.. 😊😊

      I am humbled to know that you remembered my blog.. 😊

      I would however have to decline this as it would be unfair on my part to pick and choose some of my followers as my nominations. I consider all of them to be great.. 😊😊

      Nominating everyone for the award would defeat the purpose of the award and nominating a few would violate my principle.

      Hope you understand..!! Thank you once again.. 😊

      I feel the interactions, thoughts, suggestions or comments to be more rewarding to me.. 😊😊

      I am always eager to hear more of your thoughts and love having a discussion with you.. Hope you would continue that.. 😊🤗

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      1. Thanks for answering the questions, it was very exciting to read.
        I understand your ambivalent attitude towards this award very well. Everyone is free to handle it as they see fit.
        All the best! ☀️🙂🌈

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        1. Thank you so much Madam for understanding.. 😊😊
          As I said earlier, our interactions are more engaging and hugely rewarding to me.. So it would mean a lot to me if you continue to read and freely comment (or criticize) my posts.. It would be a great honour for me.. 😊😊

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    1. Isn’t it strange to find people who are “lost in pronunciation”? I am finding it strange, though I was the one who seemed to be lost.. 😉
      “Lost in translation” wasn’t applicable to me as the people in Denmark mostly spoke English (but with Danish pronunciation for Danish names, which is quite logical).. 😊😊

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    1. Penso che il tuo commento sia stato troncato, non so perché, ma qualunque cosa tu abbia detto è molto vera.
      L’invisibile bellezza e la forza di un luogo risiedono nelle sue persone.. 😊😊

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  14. What wonderful and memorable experiences you have. That restores our faith in travelling. Most important part of any location is the attitude of people; how they treat you. Glad to know the people of Copenhagen are friendly and helpful. I was smiling while reading the incident which spooked you. Enjoyed reading.

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    1. You are absolutely right, Madam..!!
      Indeed, the local people and their behaviour contributes significantly towards the travel experience and makes the place enticing or appalling for the visitors or residents.
      More or less, I found the people to be helpful and friendly in almost all the tourist spots I have visited so far, and the exemplary ones among them being in Russia, Denmark and Sweden.. 😊😊
      Glad that you enjoyed reading this article and found it a bit funny.. 😊
      Thank you so much Madam for being the great and inspiring reader as always..!! 😊

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you so much Madam for your lovely comment.. 😊😊🤗🤗
      Glad you found it to be good.. 🤗🤗
      And yes, Happy Republic Day to your beautiful Italy.. ❤ 🇮🇹

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