My mind seems to linger in Helsingør lately…

Not quite four years ago, when I opened The Cove, it was to have a nice little haven where I could talk about Denmark as I wished to. I remember how I wished to travel there, back then. I remember how I imagined setting foot in Copenhagen, and then touring around the country, enjoying every minute.

It was exciting, and scary… Because I was building high expectations against my will. But Denmark never disappointed me.

My love for the small-big country makes me quite an oddball. I embrace my weirdness, simply because it makes me happy. Along the years, I have questionned my own obsession, wondering why I kept focusing on everything Danish… It seemed a foolish and childish thing to do. But the fact is that it makes me feel better. Wether it is loathing in memories of my past trips, enjoying the Denmark-sprinkled present, or dreaming about future adventures, I never feel down when I think about my favorite piece of land on the planet.

If you’ve suffered severe depression too, you’ll reckon that it is not easy to welcome genuine excitement in your life again, after you’ve hit rock bottom. You feel happiness from time to time, at first. Then more and more regularely. But excitement is scary to feel again, because there is no way to know how long the feeling will last. And if it will ever happen again. Or maybe that’s just me… Anyway!

Back to Helsingør.

There are tons of things to see and to experience in the city of Helsingør, and one that was quite special to me, was to go on the quest to meet Holger the Dane.

The legend says that Holger who sits asleep in Kronborg Castle’s casemates, until Denmark is in real danger, will wake up to defend the mother country, when it happens. I must say that I was a bit scared that we might hear about Holger when Trump threw his tantrum about Greenland, recently. But luckily, Mette Frederiksen was clever enough to preserve the warrior’s sleep.

When I traveled to Helsingør last May, I did walk through Kronborg’s casemates. It was pretty cool to explore a castle where so much Danish history was written.

I was asked, just yesterday, if I had found Holger, while I made my way through the casemates… And I think the above picture answers that question. Yes, indeed, I did find the Danish knight!

And you can keep living your ”hyggelig” life, my Danish friends (by birth, or at heart)… Holger’s still sound asleep! No worries in sight!