Hans Christian Andersen

Yesterday a group of about 60 ex-pats rode together on a double-decker bus to Odense (Odin's Shrine), the place of Hans Christian Andersen's birth exactly 206 years ago.  In Denmark Hans Christian Andersen is usually referred to as H.C., pronounced almost like Jose, but more like Ho Say with the emphasis on the first syllable.

quaint street (flag in background)

The town relies heavily on tourism and has done a nice job of keeping the downtown area pedestrian friendly and filled with older-style buildings.  Of course there are bicycles, too.

stone cycling symbol

Our first stop was the HC Andersen Museum, which was modern except for the part that may or may not be the remains of HC's birthplace.  There were an amazing number of artifacts left from his life, including many of his beautiful paper cuttings.

the last paper cutting HC made

Before lunch we stopped by Møntergården, a museum of the local history through the 17th century, which is when Copenhagen asserted itself as the capital, the royalty left, and the town lost about half its population.

In the courtyard of Møntergården

We were lucky to have fantastic spring weather, which made our walking tour even better.  We walked through Eventyrhaven (Fairy Tale Garden), peeked in the cathedral where HC was confirmed (and wore his first new shoes, even though his father was a cobbler), and stopped in his childhood home, where his family lived and worked in one room.

One of my favorite parts of the visit was noticing the public art.

sewer maintenance cover

outside an office

symbol of the HC museum, based on his paper cuttings

a different story was on each bench, this is The Darning Needle

fountain in the town square

on the bus shelter

not art, but cute

Odense is the third largest city in Denmark, but still felt like a small town.  It whet our appetite to see more of the country before we head back to the U.S.