Short pause: off to Copenhagen
Delving into the depths of EU politics is going quiet for a few days as I’m off to Copenhagen with a bunch of Swedes and we’re going to a concert of a rather good Swedish rock band – Kent (and yes, I am offsetting my emissions for the journey). I like Copenhagen as a city, and when I’m there it makes me realise my Swedish is actually not too bad as I can understand people a lot better in Stockholm than I can in Denmark where the population rather swallow their words… Plus with a bit of luck it might also be the last time I’ll ever pay for anything with Danish crowns.
Yes, that is annoying… Some shops also put a DKK10 extra charge on for the use of a non-Danish card. But plenty of countries still have annoying payment systems that are uniquely national – Bancontact in Belgium, CB in France etc.
As a Swede living in Vienna I frequently travel through Denmark by land. However, I avoid staying or shopping in this beautiful and friendly country because of the currency hazzle. One time -Sweden- is enough. Credit cards are not widely accepted -except in Copenhagen- since Denmark has its own system “Dancard” which is prevailing.
Denmark, of course, with its currency pegged to the Euro has all the drawbacks and none of the advantages of a common currency.