Constitution Day is a special day for Denmark.
On this day, Danes remember their constitution from 1849 and thus the birth of their democracy. Unlike many national holidays, Constitution Day is celebrated surprisingly quietly. There are no big parades and no loud displays. Instead, people gather for speeches, conversations, coffee and cake.
What strikes me anew every year is the special atmosphere.
If you turn on the car radio on this day, the songs that describe Denmark are playing everywhere. Songs about home, community, togetherness and love for this small country between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Voices like Kim Larsen, Sebastian or Anne Linnet accompany you through the day and tell of that exact feeling that many Danes have for their country.
Maybe that's exactly what makes Constitution Day special. Not loud national pride, but a quiet sense of belonging.
And on this wonderful day, Michael and I set out early in the afternoon towards the west coast.
We had something very special planned.
Once again, I had accepted a booking for a guided tour in Skagen. And once again, it turned out that bookings through Airbnb are sometimes not entirely straightforward.
Organizing tours through Airbnb is sometimes a little exercise in patience. The platform invites you to compare prices and negotiate. In doing so, it's easy to forget that there's much more behind a guided tour than the actual hours on site: preparation, travel, experience and above all time.
That's why I now communicate very openly when a tour should make economic sense for me. This often results in a booking simply disappearing.
This time it was different.
What started as a simple inquiry turned into messages. Messages turned into voice messages. And at some point, the feeling arose that perhaps something more could happen here than an afternoon of sightseeing.
So Michael and I set off on Constitution Day with that butterfly feeling in our stomachs towards the west coast.
You could almost say: It was a blind date.
And what happened next was simply wonderful.
From the very first moment, we got along great. We had so much to tell each other and spent beautiful, relaxed hours together.
Together we were out by the sea. The North Sea showed its impressive side that day. Mighty waves, fresh wind and above it a brilliantly blue sky with a sun still high in the sky. A backdrop you couldn't wish for more beautiful.
We drank coffee, ate delicious cake and enjoyed our time together. Those little, dangerously good tarts that only the Danes can make like this. Although to be fair, the French understand quite a lot about that too.
After an extended beach walk, we stopped at a small bistro right by the sea. It's run by young people who prepare delicious sandwiches and small dishes with a lot of passion. We could have sat and talked for hours. Time flew by.
Unfortunately, we had to leave at some point. Much too soon, as is often the case with beautiful encounters. Tomorrow is a working day again. The alarm rings early. Michael also had to coordinate with colleagues and prepare for the next day.
But when we got home that evening, we were both in agreement:
We had experienced a wonderful Constitution Day.
It couldn't have been more beautiful for us.
Thank you, dear Ulli, and dear Michael for this special afternoon.
And thanks to my dear Michael, who always joins in whatever comes to mind.
And of course also to the handsome Grisu, Ulli and Michael's dog, who also made this day something very special.
