RESULTS 14th FLOWERCUP 2001

At the very heart of Denmark lies Odense, birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen and Denmark's third-largest city

- the fairy-tale capital of Funen, home of 200,000 people and with a history stretching back over 1000 years.

Odense is a top cultural city, with a wide range of exciting museums and attractions: The Hans Christian Andersen Museum, with rare, unique editions of the author's fairy-tales, private letters, notes and personal effects.

Odense can be traced back to the time of the Vikings, when there was a ring fortification down by the river. At the end of the 18th century, Odense was Denmark's largest city outside Copenhagen. The "capital" of Fyn offers many attractions and lots of entertainment. The Tourist Bureau can give you lots of information about these, and places to stay. Odense airport is at Beldringe, east of route 35 and is the largest airport on Fyn. However, since the opening of the Great Belt Bridge in 1997/8 it has lost some of its importance, as with the new road and rail link it is only an hour and a half to Copenhagen. At Beldringe there is a historical centre, housed in a World War Two bunker. The museum has displays about the air war over Fyn and the Home Guard.

The author Hans Christian Andersen is without doubt the most famous person to have come from Fyn. He was born in Odense on April 2, 1805 and died in 1875. His complete works have been translated into more than 130 languages! Hans Christian Andersen wrote novels, songs, poems and travel books, but is best known for his fairy-tales for children. Virtually every child in the world knows stories such as "The Little Mermaid", "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Ice Queen" and "The Nightingale". Yet the themes and morals of his tales are often just as relevant for adults.

There are two museums to Hans Christian Andersen in Odense, and a children's cultural centre. Every year many special events related to him are arranged, such as open-air plays.

CARL NIELSEN
(1865 - 1931) - the most famous Danish composer - was born to poor parents in the countryside in a small and defeated nation.

Although his upbringing was modest, he later wrote music on a large scale: operas, symphonies and other orchestral works. His music was written out of a fundamental belief in its significance for humanity - he believed that through music we could learn the essential values of existence. His many songs speak to the simple essence of music and to the hearts of the Danes.

At the same time his music respects simplicity, while capturing complexity. His music has a large contemporary following, because his lively idiom creates new contexts in a world of constant change.

The garden of Denmark
Hans Christian Andersen described Fyn as the garden of Denmark, and with good reason. The orchards provide a wonderful array of berries and fruits according to the season. There are fresh vegetables from the fields and glasshouses. The sea around Fyn, the rivers and the lakes team with edible fish. So when the chef creates the menu of the day, there is never a shortage of fresh ingredients to choose from.

	Fyn specialities The dishes particular to Fyn, such as røgeost, æggekage, æbleflæsk and brunsviger are available in many places. Røgeost is a light, cottage-style cheese, with the delicate flavour enhanced by smoking. Æggekage is a popular lunch dish. It is a huge type of omelette, served with crispy bacon fat, rye bread and mustard, and ideally accompanied by a cold beer and snaps. Æbleflæsk is a dish of apples and bacon, served on a slice of rye bread. Brunsviger is a spongy, sticky cake which the locals love to have for breakfast.