Life Among the Royals

Goddag

A good night’s sleep at last!  I don’t know whether the nightclub had a slow night for a change or whether I was so exhausted at last that noise didn’t matter.

I went to the grocery store I liked only to find out it opened late Saturday morning, so I went to the other one and found they didn’t have what I was looking for.  So I had to stop on the way back—just getting some hummus and pasta.

Rain was in the forecast, but it was not raining, so I strolled down Stroget to Nyhaven. The New Harbor—new in the nineteenth century sense--is a Big Tourist Draw.  Every building is a café or restaurant, and most of them are pricey without being fancy.  Should you need refreshment beer is available for take out.  I saw many people partaking at tables when I was there.  Who drinks beer at 9:30 am?  And why?

 I walked across town to Amelianborgslot.  Slot is the Danish word for castle.  It's going to come up a lot, so you'd better learn it.  A lot of tour buses and groups also showed up, but they don’t get to go inside I guess.  Amelianborg is the queen’s town residence, and only part is open to the public.  The part that is has some rather intimate rooms belonging to her ancestors. I saw some furniture—little tables and desks I wouldn’t mind having in my place.  The Danes have like most Northern Europeans a concept of cozy hominess.  Their word for it is hygge.  Amelianborgslot is the hygge castle.

Another display featured Queen Margethe’s gowns.  I liked them.  Her majesty has a slim elegant figure and excellent taste.  I especially coveted a midnight blue number with a lace bodice and train.  Her majesty is a lot taller than I am though, so it would not fit.  I’m feeling bummed about this actually.

I walked over to Rosenborgslot (pictured above) through the park and the rain.  It’s Christian IV’s castle and apparently the one the tour groups actually visit.  It’s rather homey with wood-paneled walls painted ceilings marquetry floors, piero dure cabinets, and lovely tapestries.  Only the tapestries are displayed functionally rather than as art.  What I mean by this is that they are hung to keep in warmth and stuff is put over them.

I went down to the treasury to visit the Danish Crown Jewels.  I loved the emeralds.  Do you think the Dronnige (that's queen in Dansk) would let me borrow them?  Ok. Not.

At this point I needed some sustenance.  I went to a snack cart, but had the bad luck to be behind some English-speaking (non American thank goodness!) tourists.  The Danes are So Nice.  This clueless group wanted some transportation information, and the kindly proprietor kept suggesting they go to the actual transportation information booth—only they kept saying “one more thing” while we actual customers lined up behind.

After my snack I went to the art museum.  There’s a good but not fantastic collection.  A few works are attributed to Rembrandt.  I like Gerrit von Honhorst, but my favorites were the Matisses and the Emil Noldes.  You may not know Emil Nolde, and if you google his work you may be dismayed.  At first glance his works look like a child’s daubings with bright primary colors and simple shapes.  But look again.  They are works of great power and sophistication.

Thank you for sharing about the art and all.  But food?  drink?

There was something called called Viking IPA, which I couldn’t resist.  Now one of my friends (and readers) is a connoisseur of IPA, I tried this one for her.  Only.  Meh.  I guess Danes don’t do India Pale Ale.

Farvel