Copenhagen, Denmark…Biking Beautiful…and so Much More!

I made it to Copenhagen, Denmark, by way of London Heathrow’s Airport. I’m not a fan of London’s airport because I have to go through security to get to my connecting flight’s gate. And, Heathrow requires you to put all liquid and creams into their clear bags. I’ve gotten rather spoiled because when I travel in the U.S., I have Global Entry which basically means I have TSA Pre-check whenever I fly and don’t have to separate my liquids, take off my shoes or pull out my iPad. I’m familiar with what Heathrow requires so I put my liquids (which are in small containers) into a plastic baggie. But I still ended up, with the help of the agent, taking the items out of my baggie and having to put it into theirs. One thing I did learn, roll ons don’t need to be bagged, but creams definitely do. Even small container creams because anything over 100 grams gets tossed….good-bye Cocoa Butter.

This experience, would have been just a miner blip on my journey had it not been for the fact that I did not get even five minutes of sleep on the airplane. And, that’s not easy to do on a 9-hour flight. I even upgraded to get a seat with more legroom, but me and plane sleeping just don’t seem to work out well.

Getting through passport control at Copenhagen was quick and then I found Alice Hayes, one of my dear travel companions on this trip, at our designated rendezvous…the Starbucks. With instructions in hand, Alice and I got our train ticket to Copenhagen’s City Center, followed the walking directions to our Airbnb apartment, where our other dear travel companion, Tammy Wu, was waiting for us. That is after climbing what felt like an endless number of stairs to get to our gorgeous home for the next four nights. Old, charming European apartments rarely have lifts…elevators…but do have stairs.

My leg seems to be able to handle me carrying my backpack. But carrying my backpack and lifting my suitcase at the same time…well, that’s stretching things a bit, especially doing both while going up or down stairs. I got about half way up, taking one piece at a time, when Alice and Tammy thankfully took over.

The apartment is large and very homey. Henriette, our hostess, dropped by to provide instructions on how to use the appliances and suggestions on where to get Copenhagen’s specialty cuisines. Originally the late afternoon plan was to get out and enjoy the beautifully warm day but as time passed, especially after Alice and Tammy returned with groceries and home cooked dinner plans, staying in and getting a good night’s sleep won out as the better plan.

Tomorrow, a grand walking tour of Copenhagen. Tonight, much needed sleep.

Dinner is served. Quinoa with vegetables and chicken with broccoli. Accompanied with a nice bottle of red wine at our Copenhagen apartment’s dining/living room combo. Alice, thankfully loves to cook and is wonderful at it. Me, Tammy and Alice. (May 14, 2018)

Tammy at the table shelling the English peas for tomorrow’s dinner. And, Alice at the sink, of our Copenhagen apartment, cutting the vegetables for tonight’s dinner. And, me, I get to pester them with taking photos. (May 14, 2018)

Alice’s room at our Copenhagen apartment. (May 14, 2018)

Tammy’s room at our Copenhagen apartment. (May 14, 2018)

My room at our Copenhagen apartment. (May 14, 2018)

Copenhagen glows in the sunlight and today the city was filled with people enjoying the warm weather and the incredibly bright sun. I actually had to rub sun screen on my face because the sun was so brilliant today.

It was also our day to see just some of Copenhagen which became Denmark’s capital around the 15th century. But the city’s roots, originally as a Viking fishing village, can be traced back to at least the 11th century. After suffering a plague in 1711 that wiped out about a third of the population Copenhagen also had to deal with the 1728 fire that destroyed 28 percent of the city. So, in the 18th century, Copenhagen underwent a period of redevelopment and we’re very glad they did.

We started our day with the “Grand Tour of Copenhagen,” a free two and a half hour walking tour by Copenhagen Free Walking Tour. I’ve noticed a number of cities offering free walking tours, where you can make reservations on line or just show up at the appointed location and time. We had reservations because that’s how I roll. The guides make their money from what tour group members pay them. I’ve actually had some great free tour guides in European cities like Berlin, Barcelona, Milan and Venice. And, today’s guide, Magnus, was just another example of how informed and entertaining these guides can be. The free part is what entices people to do the tour, but once you get there, the guides let you know that this is how they make their living. I think its important to pay them respectfully for their time and knowledge.

Although I got a good night’s sleep and started the day with a ton full of energy, the walking and the hot sun pretty much zapped that energy. My leg did well for most of the morning but by late afternoon, I hit a wall…not an actual wall…but that can’t go one step further wall. We tried to get a cab. A gracious woman at “Taste ofTai” restaurant called a cab, but it never came. By then, I had rested and was ready to walk back to our apartment. Thank you Alice and Tammy for your patience and for slowing down to my much slower pace. The name of the game is conserving energy. There’s still too much to see and do.

We did a lot of seeing today…and here’s just some of it.

The morning was cool, but as the day progressed, the sun seemed to get brighter. Here we are, Alice, myself and Tammy, at the the City Hall Square and behind us is the City Hall in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

Author and Denmark native Hans Christian Andersen honored in a bronze statue at the City Hall Square, by the H.C. Andersen Boulevard in Copenhagen. The statue features Anderson, a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales, with a book in his hand looking out towards the boulevard baring his name. ((May 15, 2018)

Here’s a fuller look at City Hall Square in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

Copenhagen City Hall, situated on City Hall Square, was inaugurated in 1905. (May 15, 2018)

This sparkling gold figure of Absalon is above the City Hall entrance in Copenhagen. There are also other monuments to Absalon, a priest, diplomat, and occasional tyrant who lived in the 12th century, is considered to be Copenhagen’s founder. According to our Copenhagen Free Walking tour guide, Magnus, that once considered fact is now being questioned. (May 15, 2018)

The ornate Lur Blowers bronze sculpture, on top of a terracotta column, can be found next to Copenhagen’s City Hall. It honors early Dane warriors. (May 15, 2018)

A close up of the Lur Blowers bronze sculpture, on top of the terracotta column next to Copenhagen’s City Hall, honors early Dane warriors. (May 15, 2018)

The former City Hall, an Ancient Greek style building, sits at what was once the old town center in Copenhagen. Our tour group is standing across from the former City Hall where our Copenhagen Free Walking tour guide, Magnus, is standing on small raised area where severe punishments were once carried out. (May 15, 2018)

An afternoon view of the old City Center, as the clouds have rolled in around Copenhagen. And, behind from where I took this photo is a protest being held. (May 15, 2018)

These Women in Black were protesting, close to the old City Center in Copenhagen, that 70 years ago, some 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and became refugees. (May 15, 2018)

A peaceful protest was held today close to the old City Center in Copenhagen in remembrance of Nakba…the Catastrophe for the Palestinians.. where 70 years ago, some 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and became refugees. (May 15, 2018)

The Christiansborg Palace doubles as a palace and government building in central Copenhagen. The current building is the third one with the same name. The first one was erected in 1167. (May 15, 2018)

Our Copenhagen Free Walking Tour guide, Magnus, sharing the history of the Christiansborg Palace under the shade of trees. Magnus’ bio from the tour’s website states: “Looks like a Viking, travels like a Viking and even has a Viking-sounding name. After years of travelling where he hitch hiked, couch surfed and performed on the streets, Magnus has finally settled down in his country’s capital.” (May 15, 2018)

I’m not much of a shopper, but this grandiose looking building, Magnas du Nord, is a department store built in 1894 in the French Renaissance Revival style in Copenhagen. Hence, the very Paris Louve-esque pyramids. (May 15, 2018)

Nyhavn or New Harbor, a 17th century waterfront, is Copenhagen’s gentrified sailors quarter. This entertainment district is now packed with trendy cafes, jazz clubs and tattoo shops and it’s also the place to catch a canal cruise. The cruise is on our agenda for Thursday and so is more of Nyhavn. (May 15, 2018)

The entrance gate to the Royal Palace of Amalienborg and its Square in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

The Royal Palace of Amalienborg and its Square in Copenhagen. Queen Margrethe II, a Danish royal, summers here at the mansion. (May 15, 2018)

A guard patrolling the Royal Palace of Amalienborg in Copenhagen where Queen Margrethe II spends her summers. (May 15, 2018)

Me standing by the guard house and on the these decorative mosaics at the Royal Palace of Amalienborg in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

Had to throw in a feet selfie of the mosaic at the Royal Palace of Amalienborg in Copenhagen. Good to be on two feet and able to walk again. (May 15, 2018)

Entitled “I am Queen Mary,” this powerful statue of Mary Thomas, a black woman sitting on a wicker throne, who with two other women, Queen Agnes and Queen Mathilda, were responsible for an uprising in 1878 called the “Fireburn.” It is where 50 plantations and most of the town of Frederiksted in St. Croix were burned. It has been called the largest labor revolt in Danish history. Thousands of Africans were forced onto Danish ships to work the plantations in Danish colonies in the Caribbean. The Danish West Indies, which once included the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, were sold to the United States in 1917 and renamed the United States Virgin Islands. (May 15, 2018)

A close-up of the Queen Mary Thomas statue seated on a wicker throne staring solemnly ahead. A wrap crowns her head, her feet are bare, a torch is in her left hand and a tool used to cut sugar cane is in her right hand. This Caribbean woman led a revolt against Danish colonial rule. She sits in front of a former warehouse for Caribbean sugar and rum, a little more than a mile from where she was jailed for her role in the rebellion. (May 15, 2018)

The Gefion Fountain, at Copenhagen’s harbour front features a large-scale group of animal figures being driven by the Norse goddess Gefjon. The fountain depicts the mythical story of the island creation of Zealand on which the statue is located. The goddess transformed her four sons into oxen in order to get the job done. (May 15, 2018)

A close up of the Gefion Statue of a Norse goddess and her sons transformed into oxen at Copenhagen’s harbor. (May 15, 2018)

Had to get a group photo of this gorgeous Gefion Statue at Copenhagen’s harbor. That’s me, Alice and Tammy. (May 15, 2018)

Tammy Wu took this photo of the Little Mermaid, a bronze sculpture displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, Denmark. There’s usually a crowd around her but Tammy was able to take the photo without the crowd being present. (May 15, 2018)

The beautiful Frederik’s Church, with its distinctive copper green dome is impressive both outside and inside. Also popularly known as The Marble Church (Marmorkirken) for its rococo architecture, it is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Copenhagen. The church forms the focal point of the Frederiksstaden district; it is located due west of the Royal Palace of Amalienborg. (May 15, 2018)

Exterior detail of the Frederik’s Church in Copenhagen’s copper green dome. (May 15, 2018)

The interior of the Frederik’s Church in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

A close up of the cross at the altar inside the Frederik’s Church in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

The organ loft inside the Frederik’s Church in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

The interior dome of the Frederik’s Church in Copenhagen. The cupola is split into 12 equal parts and decorated with angels and art work of the 12 apostles placed in each section. (May 15, 2018)

A close-up of the interior dome artwork of two of the apostles at the Frederik’s Church in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

A slice of Copenhagen’s outdoor cafe scene. (May 15, 2018)

Another slice of Copenhagen’s outdoor cafe scene. (May 15, 2018)

Rush hour in Copenhagen. Bikes dominate the city. There are one direction bike lanes and according to our Copenhagen Free Walking tour guide, Magus, nothing pisses off the nice Danes more, and they really are very nice, than someone walking and impeding their way in a bike lane. (May 15, 2018)

Bikes parked in this very ritzy pedestrian shopping street in Copenhagen. (May 15, 2018)

A mother transporting her child on a bike buggy along a Copenhagen pedestrian shopping area where only bikes, not cars, are allowed. (May 15, 2018)

Tammy and I splitting one of Copenhagen’s local cuisine…a hot dog, while copping a bench at the City Hall Square. A beefy, smoked tasting hot dog with all the works…pickles, onions, mustard and a few other ingredients that I don’t know the names of all made for good eating. (May 15, 2018)

It was a full day of royal cathedral burial shrines, great Viking ships, a Renaissance king’s palace and a castle with its fortress that became a symbol of Denmark’s power along with possibly playing a role in a Shakespeare play.

All this during a Hamlet Tours “Grand Day Trip Around Copenhagen“ that included Roskilde Cathedral, the Viking Ship Museum, Frederiksborg Castle and Kronborg Castle.

Oh, there were fun times with Alice and Tammy with some good eats thrown in. So, let’s get started.

The first stop of our Hamlet Tours day-long adventure was the UNESCO World Heritage site of Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, where some 40 kings and queens of Denmark are buried. The cathedral construction, with the use of brick, was started in the 1170s under bishop Absalon. The first church on this site was built by Harold Bluetooth who died around 985 and is said to be buried somewhere in the town of Roskilde. (May 16, 2018)

Inside toward the altar of the Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. (May 16, 2018)

This large room is the chapel of King Christian IV, of Denmark and Norway, inside Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. The remains of King Christian IV, who died in 1648, are in a coffin in this room along with several family member coffins. (May 16, 2018)

Our Hamlet Tours guide, Henrik, identified this ornate sarcophagus as Queen Margrethe I who was originally buried in the town of Sorø in 1412 but her remains were transferred to Roskilde Cathedral the following year. (May 16, 2018)

A close-up of the altar inside the Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. The three-winged altarpiece was made around 1560 and depict’s the Life of Jesus Christ. (May 16, 2018)

This very ornate sarcophagus belongs to Denmark and Norway’s King Frederick V (1723 – 1766) and is located inside his chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. The king was the absolute monarch and was considered God’s representative on earth. The two grieving women at the foot of the monument symbolize Denmark and Norway. (May 16, 2018)

The Chapel of the Magi, which is richly decorated with frescos with frescos from around the 1460s, is located inside Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. The sepulchral monuments are of Christian III, who died in 1559, and Frederick II, who died in 1588. They are both made by Dutch artists in the Renaissance style as small antique temples with decorations inspired by Ancient Rome. (May 16, 2018)

The interior of Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. (May 16, 2018)

Another look at the Roskilde Cathedral a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark in Roskilde, Denmark. It is the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. (May 16, 2018)

These Viking ship remains are located at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark, and features five unity ships excavated in 1962 from Roskilde Fjord near the village of Skuldelev. (May 16, 2018)

Alice and Tammy having fun as Viking “Tai Chi” style Danes inside the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. (May 16, 2018)

Our Hamlet Tours guide, Henrik, at the Viking Ship Museum’s boatyard in Roskilde, Denmark, explained how the boats were built from oak wood that was overlapped and riveted together. (May 16, 2018)

This Sea Stallion is a reconstruction of of a warship at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. And, behind the ship is the museum. (May 16, 2018)

Our tour group stopped for a quick lunch break at Cafe Valentin in Hillerod, Denmark, before heading to Frederiksborg Castle. That’s Alice putting her things away to get to work on her Salmon sandwich, which Tammy, not in this photo, also ordered. And, that sandwich in front is mine. I went for the Club Sandwich on Toast…this club version is with chicken, bacon and curry dressing. (May 16, 2018)

With full bellies Alice, Tammy and I walked a little ways from the restaurant to this sumptuous royal residence, Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerod, Denmark. After a serious 1859 fire, the castle building and apartments were fully restored by 1882 when it was reopened to the public as the Danish Museum of National History. (May 16, 2018)

Frederiksborg Castle, situated in Hillerød, north of Copenhagen, Denmark, was build by Danish King Christian IV and incorporates the best of Renaissance architecture and craftmanship. The large bronze Neptune Fountain greets you rather spectacularly after crossing the main gate. It was created from 1620 to 1622 to stand on the castle’s forecourt symbolizing Denmark’s position as a leading Nordic power in the early 17th century. (May 16, 2018)

The Knight’s room inside the Frederiksborg Castle. On the ceiling are circular panels with heraldic figures of the coats of arms of Christian IV and his queen, the Brandenburg princess Anna Cathrine. The stucco frieze on the ceilings are of beasts of the chase; the stags have real antlers. The room also contains a number of carved chests. (May 16, 2017)

A close-up of the stucco frieze of the Knight’s room ceilings of the Frederiksborg Castle, are of beasts of the chase; the stags have real antlers. (May 16, 2018)

The chapel wing has the two largest rooms inside the Frederiksborg Castle and has its origins in 1606. (May 16, 2018)

A close-up of the chapel wing ceiling inside the Frederiksborg Castle. (May 16, 2018)

The Privy Passage, leads to the Audience Chamber inside the Frederiksborg Castle. They were designed as reception rooms and were created entirely in the spirit of the baroque. The Privy Passage is in the form of a picture gallery and the ceiling stucco work is filled with flowering vines, creepers and rosettes. (May 16, 2018)

The Audience Chamber, at the end of the Privy Passage in the Frederiksborg Castle, was completed around 1688, possibly making it the oldest preserved Baroque room in Denmark. (May 16, 2018)

The Frederik III room from around 1650 to 1700 inside the Frederiksborg Castle. (May 16, 2018)

The Great Hall (Riddersalen)of the Frederiksborg Castle is situated above the Chapel and also extends over the length of the west wing. It was destroyed by fire in 1859 but was restored. The Great Hall was temporary closed in order to place a temporary exhibit, opening May 25, 2018, in honor of the 50th birthday of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik. (May 16, 2018)

A more detailed photo of the Great Hall (Riddersalen) ceiling of the Frederiksborg Castle. (May 16, 2018)

A painting in the left entryway of the Great Hall at Frederiksborg Palace of Prince Henrik of Denmark, who was the husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and his son, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, who will be celebrating his 50th birthday. I can’t identify the boy to the right of the painting. (May 16, 2018)

Our last stop of today’s tour is Kronborg Castle is both a castle and a stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. This is just the first gated entrance. (May 16, 2018)

Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is situated between present-day Denmark and the provinces of present-day Sweden that were also Danish at the time the castle was built. The castle has had many lives but dates back to the 1420s. (May 16, 2018)

Kronborg Castle archway entrances into its large center courtyard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is said to be the setting for William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.” (May 16, 2018)

Kronborg Castle, from inside its courtyard, with exterior walls of sandstone and a copper sheeting roof, in Helsingør, Denmark. (May 16, 2018)

Kronborg Castle, from inside its courtyard, with exterior walls of sandstone and a copper sheeting roof. (May 16, 2018)

Kronborg Castle has this church within its walls and the wood carvings on the pews are ornate and colorful. The chapel is located in the ground floor of the south wing and was inaugurated in 1582. (May 16, 2018)

A close-up of the ornately carved pews of the church within the walls of the Kronborg Castle. (May 16, 2018)

A close-up of an ornately carved pew of the church within the walls of the Kronborg Castle. (May 16, 2018)

The Great Ballroom of the Kronborg Castle was once the largest such hall in all of Northern Europe. Parties and banquets where guests came in their gold brocades and silk velvets filled the hall. (May 16, 2018)

Kronborg Castle, with banqueting hall and royal chambers, is said to be the model for Elsinore in William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.” This plaque between the castle’s two archway entrances reads: “Legend tells of a king’s son, Amleth, who lived in Jutland during Viking times. Saxo wrote down his saga in the Middle Ages. Shakespeare rewrote Hamlet’s story in the Renaissance and associated it with this castle. He thereby secured the Danish prince’s reputation and spread Helsingør’s name across the world.” (May 16, 2018)

This is what Tammy has been craving, authentic Danish foods which we found at the Tivoli Gardens food hall back in Copenhagen. This is a selection of Danish smorrebrod, which is dark rye bread covered with a variety of ingredients like salmon, shrimp, chicken, etc. and stylized with other colorful and eatable toppings. (May 16, 2018)

These two just make my day! After a full day of historical sites we happened upon the Tivoli Garden food hall and found a variety of foods, including Tammy’s desired Smerple…okay that’s not how the Danes spell it, but that’s the way it sounds. It is actually spelled smorrebrod. Go figure. Alice got a salmon smorrebrod and Tammy got her herring smorrebrod and me, I got a good laugh from these two…Alice to the left and Tammy to the right. (May 16, 2018)

It’s our last full day in Copenhagen. The sites, the people and this extraordinarily gorgeous weather makes this city, and this country of Denmark, a very difficult place to leave.

The days have been long in Copenhagen with the sun rising arounding 5:00 am and setting around 9:30 pm or 21:30 to be exact since Europe the 24 hour clock to tell time. So that’s made for generously full days.

The Danes from their Viking day era had a pretty bad reputation as pillagers and plunderers but their reformation took place sometime ago so as a people and a culture, they now take care of their own, in their country. The people know this. And they know it costs in taxes to have this life so they pay the taxes and are rewarded with free health care when needed, education and assistance when life has knocked them down. It’s been a joy and an eye-opening experience to spend time with the Danes.

Today was all about taking our time and enjoying a few outdoorsy things. We skipped on the museums, castles and the churches, instead we took to the sea…okay, more like a canal boat tour at Nyhavn, lunch at a traditional Danish restaurant, another free walking tour…that I skipped out on and instead enjoyed an outdoor amusement park/pleasure garden evening of whimsy at Tivoli.

Tomorrow morning we say goodbye to Copenhagen and hello to Hamburg, Germany, where we begin our Rick Steves tour of Germany on Saturday. We may take in a Hamburg site or two or we may not, but either way, leaving Copenhagen is a real bummer.