One of the first pieces of advice I got when I came to Denmark was: Beware of the Cyclists. In Copenhagen, bicycles rule the land. Not a day goes by when I don't see hoards of cyclists on there way to work. And while this is a great way for the Danes to reduce their carbon footprint and get great exercise, it also makes for an intense journey for those of us without bikes. An unspoken rule in the city is that cyclists get the right of way regarding pedestrians. I admit, there have been a few times when I thought I could take on a speeding cyclist and realized at the last moment that I would lose a limb if I dared to cross their path. So I pass on the advice I was given: look left and right, up and down, side to side, upside down and right side up for cyclists when walking the streets of Copenhagen - even the less-frequented side streets. These cyclists mean business. And getting to work late because of a daring and naive pedestrian is not on their agenda.
On a happier note, this past week was very eventful for Copenhagen. The city was the host of the 2011 UCI Road Race World Championship! This event is the country's largest sporting event...ever.As if the city isn't busy enough already, thousands of tourists came to the scene to cheer on their country's cyclists. It was quite the scene. Because I was in classes all week, I was only able to watch a few minutes of one of the time trials. But even in those few moments, I could feel the excitement and national pride of the various countries, especially Denmark. I found myself cheering on the Danes as much as the Americans! I was able to snap a few photos as the cyclists sped by, but man were they fast!
For more information on the event, check out this website: http://www.copenhagen2011.dk/