Traditional and Modern

Goddag

Because of my experiences with weather last summer in Amsterdam, I bought and packed a coat.  Today I wore it and felt grateful to have it.  I wasn't the only one. I felt better seeing the Danes wrapped up as well.  There was plenty of cold and wind today but no rain except for some drips

I took a long walk clear to the other side of town.  I followed the signs for the Lille Havfrue.  That translates literally to Little Sea Woman.

Cool!  The Little Mermaid herself!

Yes.  She's not very big and she just kind of sits there and yearns.  The folk of Copenhagen seem awfully proud of her, and a tourist can find lots of souvenirs with her image and form.  Tourists go for her, too.  I did not approach very closely, but she was surrounded by tour groups off the buses as well as lots of other visitors.

I turned away to the Castellet.  This is one of those star shaped fortresses meant to defend part of the harbor—from Swedes, I guess--with artillery.  It's still an active military base, but it's also a park with joggers and a fair number of tourists. Would any military base in the USA let tourists in with their cameras to wander around—almost at will?  Ha!

I had a great time walking the ramparts and exploring and not minding the wind because I had my coat on.  Don't let fortress or military give you the wrong impression.  Trees and ponds abound and the area is lush with wild flowers.

On my way back I dropped into the Danish Design Museum.  I had the impression that this was going to be historic with lots of period rooms.  Well, not quite.  The Danes like to mix in a lot of contemporary design and art long with the historic stuff.  Frankly I was taken by the dress made out of drinking straws.  It's hands off the old stuff, but one can touch and even try on some of the new.

Gee, I bet all that walking built up an appetite, eh Pil?

You can stop hinting.  I went back for smorrebrod—veal with capers, some sauce and parsley, beef with lettuce, pickle, a little pinch of cheese and something I couldn’t figure out what it was, and ham with chopped cucumber and tomato and some butter lettuce. All of them were wonderful.  I asked the nice Danish ladies at the shop how to say “tasty” in Dansk.  Es smag god—that's close anyway.  I washed it down with Danish beer.
Farvel