Post by Grubb.
Our last trek of this cold and windy day took us out to Langelinie Promenade where the statue of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid is perched on a rock by the water of a large inlet. The closer we got to the water, the more the wind tried to blow us back to the line of empty Viking tour busses hulking by the roadside. But I leaned forward, determined to make it to the landmark statue. Why was I doing this? When was the last time I read any Hans Christian Andersen? Indeed, had I ever? I suppose so much of Danish soul is made up of sailing that in order to appreciate roaming seaworthy characters like Olaf Oesterplunk, I needed to gaze respectfully at the little figurine on the waterfront. “That’s us,” Olaf would say, “we are of the sea.” And as I stand peering through the crowd of tourists taking selfies at her feet I notice the little mermaid, knees coyly tucked beneath her, has no feet because…
