Yes, those multicolored ones on the water in København are terrible...
I had the chance to go there briefly with my daughters a couple of summers ago, and I absolutely haaated them. (sarc, they were gorgeous)
why dem and not de?
I think it's because De is the subject "they", Dem is the object of the prepositional phrase "except for"
I also think so, just that it shouln't be capital D because that is the polite you.
I thought 'disse' instead of 'de'