Did you know that the first exit off the wrong train at the Copenhagen airport is in Sweden?
We are not the only Americans whose European geography is a little weak; many folks can’t tell you where Sweden is located. For myself, I must admit that until a few days ago, I was not sure where the country of Denmark was located either. I get it now. It is north of Germany and is made up of a peninsula and several islands. Copenhagen is located on the island closest to Sweden.
I knew we wanted to go to Denmark, we wanted to go to Copenhagen. As long as the airline knew where it was specifically located – I wasn’t paying too much attention. That’s part of how we ended up on the wrong train, going the wrong way; with a conductor explaining to us that when we get to Sweden, just cross platforms and take the return train to our planned destination. Easy enough, silly Americans.
This extended weekend trip was actually a shortened version of a trip to Copenhagen we had planned for July. But since we had to stay in the UK in July (see Blog 18 re: lost visa card), we ended up revising our trip to Copenhagen. We had a great time in our three days, but it was not nearly enough time in this lovely, old city.
Our hotel was very close to the city’s pedestrianized shopping area, the Stroget shopping mile. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/denmark/articles/how-to-spend-an-afternoon-in-stroget-copenhagen/ Here we were able to find coffee and snacks, browse souvenir and gift shops and even find a local craft brewery for dinner.
It was also not too far to Tivoli Gardens. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tivoli_(Copenhagen) The world’s second oldest amusement park and some say the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Disneyland. The park is right in town and was very easy to walk to. My experience was not quite what I expected – I expected a little more grass and flowers and fewer thrill-seeking rides. This was a pleasant surprise for Andy; he likes thrill-seeking rides. It has plenty of little shops, plenty of food, and surprisingly little with a logo on it. No logoed t-shirts or hats to be bought. It also has a lovely restaurant in the middle which is surrounded by planters and nooks with seating and fire pits. In the restaurant we bought adult beverages and our first ‘Danish bonfire bread’. https://nordicfoodliving.com/danish-bonfire-bread-snobrod/ Bamboo sticks are wrapped on one end with a seeded bread dough. This is held over the fire pit for about 20 minutes. When cooked, torn off pieces of bread are dipped into a jam jar; yummy.
After our long day at Tivoli Gardens it was time to return to our hotel to take advantage of the adjoining spa. This is a Danish thing; sauna, hot tub, and massage. Decadent, but lovely. To complete our day, we stayed very close and enjoyed tapas and wine at the restaurant next door.
No trip to a European town is complete without a visit to a castle. Copenhagen has two, but we only made it to one; The Rosenborg Castle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenborg_Castle The building itself is in remarkably good repair – it is hard to imagine it was built in the 1600’s. Four floors of the castle are open to the public so you can see reception halls, bedrooms, and ballrooms. The basement level is actually a huge vault where the Danish crown jewels are stored. It is something to see and we were glad we made time for this stop.
But we ran out of time by the time we got to the harbor, Nyhavn Harbour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn This is where the Little Mermaid is located; we did not get to see her – on this trip anyway. We did get to see the old houses painted a variety of pastel colors, the various boats anchored at the harbor and the large number of restaurants and shops lining the walkways. When postcard pictures are taken of Copenhagen, this is where they are taken. It is lovely and lively.
Copenhagen in October was beautiful. The trees were starting to turn and the weather was fine with only our light coats and scarves needed even at night. There are parks and waterways, shops and restaurants. All the people we talked to were friendly and were able to switch between Dutch and English with amazing alacrity. It is an easy place to be, and a lovely place to visit.