the little mermaid.

The next stop in my whirlwind of cities was Copenhagen. My dad and I took a walking tour on Rick Steves' recommendation with a guy who leads his tours as Hans Christian Anderson, complete with a purple jacket and a top-hat. He remained in character the entire time, which made for an unforgettably unique tour. Apparently, Danes were just voted to be the happiest people, so our guide took every opportunity to stop Danish people and ask them why they thought they were happy, despite having the highest taxes. The most common answer was that they are fine with paying taxes because they get so much for free, such as medical expenses as retirement homes. As a whole, the Danish people seem to think in similar patterns, but their thought processes make it hard for them to deal with changes in society such as immigration.

Another highlight of Copenhagen for me was seeing the statue of the Little Mermaid, which stands in the harbor as a tribute to Hans Christian Anderson. Maybe it's touristy, but I loved seeing it, if only because Ariel is my favorite Disney princess.