With exactly one month left on our nine month odyssey, we found ourselves in Copenhagen, Denmark, this morning. We were here many years ago and remember loving the Danish capital, so I was looking forward to our return visit.
Copenhagen sits on two islands (bet you didn’t know that), and its population of 660,000 makes it one of the Baltic’s larger cities. It’s known as the City of Spires, and I was interested in comparing it to Lübeck, where we were yesterday, and which could make a pretty fair claim to that title itself.
Once again size mattered, and not in our favor. When we were here 31 years ago our little 18,000 ton cruise ship was able to dock right up against the city, making it possible to walk directly into the downtown and its attractions. Today our 90,000 ton home was too big for that, and we had to dock farther away at a facility that wasn’t within walking distance. This happened to us in Helsinki and Stockholm too, and in each case I noticed smaller cruise ships tied up right where we did on our previous visit.
Not that it mattered today, because our planned excursion took us everywhere we wanted to go, starting with an old acquaintance, the Little Mermaid. If there’s a single iconic landmark in Denmark, it’s the marvelous sculpture of a mermaid sitting on a rock in Copenhagen harbor, and it was one of my favorite images from our visit 31 years ago. And no surprise, it’s still great, and she hasn’t aged a day.
Conveniently, the next item on our day’s itinerary was just a few steps away, and in short order we were on a tour boat for a cruise around the harbor and some of the city’s canals. We had bright sunshine and mild temperatures, perfect for a boat ride, and Michele and I were both lucky enough to get seats outside, where we had an unobstructed view of the landmarks and pretty scenery as we motored past. Check out my photos below and I think you’ll agree that we couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.
Next on the agenda was a tour of Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish government, where the Parliament meets and the King uses for formal occasions. We only toured the royal part of the huge palace, which was also the King’s former residence, and like other European palaces we’ve visited it was beautiful. My favorite room was the Great Hall, which was lined with incredible tapestries. One that we studied was covered with key events in the nation’s history, and I was mesmerized by it.
On our way out we walked by Amalienborg Palace, the current home of the Royal Family, and were fortunate enough to catch the noon changing of the guard. Timing is everything, isn’t it? All we were doing was walking from our tour of Christiansborg Palace to the Odd Fellows Hall, where lunch was waiting, and we lucked into the guard changing ceremony.
I said we were having lunch at the Odd Fellows Hall, and I have to say that I’ve never seen a fraternal organization or social club with digs like this. Formally known as the Odd Fellows Mansion, the elegant Rococo mansion was originally built for a wealthy merchant and politician in 1755, and the Odd Fellows were lucky enough to scoop it up in 1900. We were served a traditional Danish lunch , which we earned by walking up to the fourth floor ballroom. The food was delicious, and it energized us for the balance of the day’s excursion.
Our afternoon was spent outside the city in the small fishing village of Dragør, where we enjoyed a walking tour that took us along the harbor and through the streets. Many of the homes had thatched roofs, which can last fifty years, and which leads me to wonder if there’s anyone in Hershey who does roof thatching. Our guide also pointed out the local tradition of placing two ceramic dogs in the windows of fishermen’s homes. When the fisherman is out on the water the dogs are turned outward, as to await the fisherman’s return. When he is home, the dogs are turned inward to welcome him back. I thought it was wonderful.
On our ride back to Copenhagen and the ship we saw several other landmarks, including the giant bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden, Tivoli Gardens amusement park (Michele and I spent an evening there years ago), the famous statue of Hans Christian Andersen, and Rosenborg Castle, where the Crown Jewels are kept. If there’s a better itinerary for a single day in Copenhagen I don’t know what it is.
Time to rest up though, because we’re back at it tomorrow, when we’ll visit the Danish city of Aarhus. I can’t remember what we plan to do there, but I’m sure it will be great. And whatever it is, I’ll be back with a full report, so stay tuned.
The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen’s most iconic symbol.
And we’re off on our tour of the harbor and canals.
Copenhagen looks great from the water.
Another pretty view from our boat.
We certainly had a pretty day.
Back on the bus. There were a lot of people out and about enjoying the beautiful weather.
Christiansborg Palace, the next stop on our excursion.
I wonder how Her Majesty would feel about the way I framed this photo.
Not bad for an anteroom.
One of the several tapestries in the Great Hall. They were all exquisite.
Closeup of a small section of the tapestry showing important moments in Denmark’s history. This portion shows Hitler’s persecution of the Jews before and during World War Two.
Beautiful library, though I couldn’t help wondering how long it’s been since anyone read any of its books.
New selfie strategy. Find a palace mirror and photograph it.
The Danish coat of arms is woven into this carpet.
The ceiling in the throne room.
Her Royal Highness.
The changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace.
Lunch at the Odd Fellows Hall. Not bad at all.
Once again I put it all on the line for my readers, sampling the local suds. I can report that the Tuborg was excellent.
Frederik’s Church is stunning.
In the little fishing village of Dragør. There was a festival going on, so the town was even busier than usual.
A restaurant in Dragør.
At one time this was where everyone got their water.
The thatched roofs were impressive and looked great.
This fisherman’s house displays the two porcelain dogs in the window. They’re turned inward, meaning that the fisherman is home.
This modest fishing boat is a superstar. During World War Two its owner personally ferried 400 Danish Jews across to neutral Sweden to escape the Nazis. He was eventually found out and successfully escaped to Sweden himself, returning after the war’s end.
I wonder how much trouble I’d get in if I rang this bell.
Dragør is just full of fun things to play with, like this mine that was pulled out of the water.
The bridge to Sweden. You don’t have to take a ferry any more.
Rosenborg Castle, where the Crown Jewels are kept.
I’ll end with this wonderful statue of Hans Christian Andersen, which I remember enjoying on our previous visit 31 years ago.
Comments