København - Initial Impressions

No initial photos, just some initial impressions...

I arrived in Copenhagen just over 24 hours ago. Tomorrow is my first day at the office, although I have already met one of my colleagues (who found this apartment for me and also lives downstairs). I'm looking forward to trying something new, and reckon most of my stress at the moment is focused around actually trying to find some more permanent accommodation. Hopefully with a bit of house hunting this week, I'll find something.

Arriving in Autumn here is nice enough. The weather is almost perfect (to classify as perfect I would probably add around 10'C to the temperature). It's cool and brisk outside - definitely long pants and jumper weather (and for anyone who isn't me, probably jacket and possibly beanie as well) - but the sky is clear and it's beautiful in the sun.

So far I am quite impressed with this city although there definitely are a number of areas where it falls behind the modern world...

The Good

• Amazing public transport infrasctructure. I took the driverless metro from the airport into town. It's clean, there is a train ever 4 minutes, it's fast, and just because you're going to/from the airport, doesn't mean you get shafted on the price.
• The city has character - despite the fact that most apartment buildings around where I'm staying are 100+ years old, they are holding up well and look very nice! (even if all the electrical wiring is visible because there are no wall cavities). Walking the streets is nice, there are trees and parks everywhere you look, the lakes and harbour dominate the landscape, and the pedestrian malls are full of people.
• The apartment I'm renting for the next week is compact, but perfect. It has everything I need, seems to be in a nice neighbourhood, and is only a 40 minute walk to the office.

The Bad

• Copenhagen on a Sunday puts Perth to shame. Despite nearly everything being closed though, there are still hundreds of people milling around the city, which gives it a bit more atmosphere at least.
• What Danes call a supermarket, the rest of the western world calls a corner store! Supermarkets here are tiny and are packed 'warehouse style' (think Aldi). The choice is just as bad - if the product you want is in the supermarket, there will be only 1 option (if you're lucky, it might even come in large AND small...)

And The Ugly

• Like many European cities, public toilets cost here. I would hazard a guess, that this could be the reason that Danes have a reputation for peeing anywhere and everywhere (except for toilet bowls). I am yet to see this, but have received many warnings already!