Denmark is a country where everything seems to work well. It is small and perfectly formed. Better still many people speak English - and they speak it, usually, better than born English-speakers. "We are only a small country of five million  people," they reply when asked why they have mastered this language so well. "Why would anyone learn Danish!"

There is even another reason to put this tiny country on your itinerary" the Danes are fun to be around. They are not afraid to laugh at themselves and have a casual friendliness that makes visiting this country a joy.

That, and its different and tasty foods.

We found this fellow in Stroget the busy, strollable, main street of Copenhagen - Europe's longest shopping street, packed with shoppers, tourists, buskers - and food. (Look closely to see who is photographing him!)

When Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson fell in love with the Crown Prince of Denmark, she could never have envisaged what it would be like living in the Palace which this man helps guard. Now she and her husband Prince Frederick and their four young children live within a hundred metres of this spot.

Nyhaven means 'old port' and it is a humming busy spot now. The old warehouses originally in the 17th century were once the places for the storage and hotels and restaurants. Today the area is the most popular place in Copenhagen - a place to sit outside in the sun and watch the world go by, to eat a meal, down a beer or take photographs.

Yet there is a serious side to Danes. There are some beautiful churches in the country and this one near the Amalienborg Palace is one of the loveliest. It is called Frederiks Kirke (or Marmorkirken, the marble church) and was begun in 1749.

Scandinavia is noted for its fine glassware, silverware porcelain and handcrafts. Royal Copenhagen was founded in 1775 and the three wavy lines on its logo, symbolise Denmark's three straits: Oresund, the Great Belt and theLittle Belt.

The Danish flag (Dannebrog) is the oldest state flag in the world still in use by an independent nation and has been used since the 14th century.

Copenhagen ice cream has become a brand name in many countries, but here is Copenhagen's own ice cream and served, as it should be, in a waffle cone.

Old Copenhagen is never far away, and the past is revered and honoured. With the country that is a peninsula and hundreds of islands large and small it is inevitable that shipping plays a large part in its infrastructure.

But food is never far away - in summer fruit and water and juice stalls are ready because the temperatures can soar for a little while in this country.

Then there are the baked goods - equally tempting from either viewpoint: inside the shop or looking in from the street. The Danes are great bakers and bread in all its forms (including pastries) is an important part of the daily diet.

Denmark's famous author Hans Christian Andersen wove children's tales in the 19th century that still enthral today. The lonely statue of perhaps his most famous story, The Little Mermaid, attracts thousands of tourists daily.

Have you ever visited Denmark? What did you like best about this country? Share your experiences here