Dear Editor

Boothbay’s Botanical Gardens highlight fairy gardens, but I have never seen anything like Denmark, the home of Hans Christian Andersen, the greatest fairy-tale writer that reached millions of children. I had seen photos of the Little Mermaid harbor statue, but when I was in Denmark staring at the statue, I knew what it was like to live in fairy-tale land.

We met our tour guide, who spoke 10 languages for the 10 countries we would be traveling through to complete our sociology class. Danes were expected to learn at least three languages plus their own in Denmark. Our plane landed in the afternoon and we were driven to the University of Copenhagen where we were assigned rooms for the week. We were on the top of a hill that looked down on the city, which included Tivoli Gardens, where beautiful scenic Disney-like games and rides awaited. Everybody dropped their bags and hurried down the hill to enjoy our fairy-tale rides and meet our neighbors.

The air swirled with our excitement and in the midst of our enjoyment we met a young man who lived down the street from Tivoli Gardens. He introduced us to the best rides as we began to share why we were there and the study we were completing of the government and university structures that keep the people so happy and grateful. In the short afternoon we had come to be amazed at the joy we saw in everyone’s eyes and the fact the music and laughter seemed to have the feel of a soft hot air balloon ride. As the two youngest, ages 16 and 17, in our group coming from California where we read fairy-tales, but never knew what it was like and were cautious in unsafe towns.  Denmark towns were safe and full of happiness.

Denmark pays the highest tax rates in the world, yet is ranked among the happiest people. Danes see taxes as investment in their quality of life and in their society. 

Amazingly fairy-tales come alive in Denmark, with better healthcare for less percentage of GDP than the US.

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb