No I am not talking about the Disney Film. I mean the real original Little Mermaid – this one
Now she does have something in common with Disney’s Little Mermaid in that she wanted to have legs and be somewhat human. But Disney’s mermaid wanted to marry the prince because she had fallen in love with him. Hans Christian Andersen’s Mermaid had more lofty goals.
When the mermaid saves a drowning human prince, she learns that the love of a human might allow her an immortal soul. The mermaid decides to venture onto land, but her legs come at a price. Transformed by a sea witch, she must marry the prince or risk death. When the prince marries another, the mermaid sacrifices herself instead of harming the prince. As a reward for her good deed, the mermaid is given an immortal soul.
So where does the question Did you see the Little Mermaid come from? I was trying to remember if I had been to Copenhagen before and one of the girls in the office said “Well have you seen the Little Mermaid?” and of course I did – the real one! So YES – I have been to Copenhagen.
Isn’t that disgraceful when you have been to so many places that you need landmarks to remind you whether you have been there or not.
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM !!!
But maybe you do this too. When you think of Paris – well the Eiffel Tower of course. Not my favourite part of Paris but iconic none the less.
When you think of New York – Central Park?
When you think of London – Buckingham Palace?
When you think of Dublin – the Guinness Brewery?
Those places have a job. They open the door through the memories buried deep down inside. And then WOW all those special places come flooding back. You just needed the key.
Paris? Eiffel Tower … not really but I got my bearings with the mention of it. Now I think of those little back streets in the Latin quarter with cute coffee shops on the street and that incredible old book shop we found that was like something out of Harry Potter.
New York? Central Park – yes and no. Central Park is good for a visit and always great to see the memorial to John Lennon but my memory goes back to the visit to the Tenement Museum – one half dedicated to Jewish immigrants, the other to Irish. Both despised by the established New Yorkers. I remember being so shocked seeing the old signs they had saved which said “LOOKING FOR SHOP ASSISTANT …. N.I.N.A.” The NINA stood for No Irish Need Apply.
London? Buckingham Palace – well yes. You have to go and see it once. But go and visit what is said to be London’s oldest Pub – Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street and enjoy a warm beer!
Dublin? Guinness Brewery? Oh yes. Great views of the city and lovely Guinness included. I am not a beer girl but I love Guinness and its low in calories! While there go to the General Post Office – you can still see the bullet marks from the Easter Rising. Make sure to see the Oscar Wilde sculpture – very cool.
The place that you need to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE is Temple Bar. This pubby area of Dublin has been overtaken by rowdy Brits celebrating stag parties (or stagettes) and makes me embarrassed to be English.
