Last Sunday we left Gatwick airport bound for Copenhagen. Once there we only had time to check in to our hotels and meet up for a quick Tuborg. The following day, after helping him with press and TV interviews, I headed out with Madsen to the harbour by the canal. We found a restaurant with a good view and settled down for lunch. It was time for me to get to grips with some Danish food. Smørebrod is the traditional Danish lunch. It consists of a slice of buttered rye bread with some kind of meat or seafood on top, usually with mayonnaise. I was feeling adventurous and headed straight for the beef tartar. My dish of raw beef was served with raw egg and some raw onions. Despite the novelty of this dish, it didn’t actually taste very exciting. Madsen went for the herring buffet, which seemed to feature an infinite variety of pickled fish, again on rye bread. The meal was of course washed down with wine and a small glass of Akvavit.

I spent the rest of the day wandering around the harbour and the Strøget – basically Copenhagen's equivalent of Oxford Street, but pedestrianized like much of the city and therefore quieter and more laid back. For the whole trip the weather was simply beautiful. That evening we had dinner in the Tivoli pleasure gardens, with a glass of white beer, and watched people screaming in terror on the fun rides across the lake. Tuesday morning was the day of the CEPOS conference, where all of the speakers spoke very coherent English, although most were Danish. The conference lasted until lunch time and Maat Laar’s talk in particular was very amusing. Together the speakers made an excellent case for flat tax, currently sweeping across Europe from the east. After a few 'town hall' pancakes in the hotel we had a quick lunch in a tavern by the town square, then it was time to head home.

That evening, we were welcomed home by torrential rain, thunder and lightning.