Once I Sailed Away . . .

Goddag

What a long trip back!  My flight was very, very early, so I rose in the middle of the night to dress, complete packing, and straighten up the place.  I could hear the drunks in the street and was not excited about having to emerge in the midst of them.

I got lucky in that regard because when I did leave the streets were almost empty.

The first leg of the journey was the hardest.  I had to get myself and my luggage down the steep, narrow staircase.  There was a light—at the bottom.  Normally I bring a small led light thingy, but this time I must have forgotten it.  Note to self.  Make sure it's in your bag next time!

I carefully felt my way down in the pitch darkness and opened the door which let in enough light for me to find the switch and then I brought my bags down.

It was a short walk to the station.  I wore my coat but it fact it was so warm I packed it as I waited for the metro.  One of the metro folk saw me waiting and waiting and explained that the line I was waiting for wasn't running.  She kindly directed me to a place I could get the train.

Now that was part of her job, but the Danes are just nice and go out of their way to be helpful if they can.  I never encountered rudeness or any kind of attitude toward anyone.

At the airport they were looking for people to volunteer to be bumped but they wouldn't bump me because I had a connecting flight.

I'd just figured out how to log in to the airport's wifi when my flight was called.

And naturally my connecting time in Frankfurt was so tight that I could not find the tax refund booth.  They won't let you turn it in unless they are sure you are about to leave the EU.  You have to show a boarding pass.

The flight back wasn't bad.  I actually had a couple of decent airline meals, but I also didn't get any sleep.  I'm a wreck.
One of the things I discovered is that the Danes ARE incredibly trusting even in a city full of drinking tourists.  Sometimes when I was walking down the streets I saw baby carriages parked outside shops. Taking a discreet peak I determined that, yes, there was an unattended infant inside.
Did you ever find the secret to the Danes' happiness, Pil?
Well, I think it's a combination of their kindly natures--and the saturated fat!  And let's not forget those Free Public Toilets!

For sharing my trip with me I give you a hearty Danish Tak!

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Woodland Walk

Goddag

My last full day here was gorgeous. I didn’t even wear my sweater.

After the usual chores and errands.  I attempted to get smorrebrod for my last dinner in Copenhagen, but the place was closed for three weeks.  What a disappointment.  I am going to miss those sandwiches.

I wonder if the ticket guys at Norrebro recognize me by now.  Anyway I was off to Klampenborg and Dryerhaven and a glimpse of Bakken, which is in fact the world's oldest amusement park

The Dryerhaven is a sort of nature reserve.  It's wooded and crossed by many paths.  I chose to spend my last afternoon wandering there.  I loved the green and gold peaceful countryside.  The traffic noise faded away.  I encountered cyclists and a few other walkers.  I breathed deeply of the fresh, wood scented air and enjoyed a lovely experience of the sort I do not get at home.
I wish I knew more about trees.  I can recognize oaks when I see them, but I could not tell you which kinds I saw.  Beeches are common.  I saw pines or firs or maybe both.  

I met a family strolling along in the company of their French Bulldog.  The creature was huffing and flapping its tongue, so I huffed at it and flapped mine—much to the amusement of the dog's humans.  French Bulldogs appear to be the Danes' favorite.  I saw a lot of them around and they are ubiquitous on TV commercials and advertisements.
I have not, however, encountered any Great Danes.

As the afternoon progressed I found myself overtaken by an increasing number of horse-drawn carriages and greater crowds.  Then I heard the noise of squealing roller coaster riders.  I'd come upon Bakken and the crowd of Danes taking advantage of the fine weather.  Unlike Tivoli admission to Bakken is free, but I did not go in far.  I just took a quick peak.  There are carnival games, and lots of food stands, and plenty of rides.

Back in Copenhagen I stopped at a Polgser Vogn for dinner for one of those serious sausages to have with the last of my Danish beer.  Now I have to pack up because I'm leaving early tomorrow.

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Snooping Around Queen Margarethe's Place

Goddag

The partying on the street was particularly intense last night, and it spilled over in to the apartment above mine.  Here's the set up. One needs a key to get into the passage that leads to the courtyard and door to get in the building.  The same key unlocks the door, and one goes up a steep narrow staircase.  My place is on the first landing.  Another key opens that door.  Visitors can be buzzed in.

This morning as I was brushing my teeth after breakfast some drunks tried to get in my place.  They couldn't, of course, because I keep it locked.  No doubt they were looking for the party upstairs.  This happens in hotels, too, sometimes.  I find it best just to stay silent and let folk figure it out.  Yelling at them to go away just involves one in arguments or demands to be let in.

I went off to the Norrebro Station as usual where I was helpful to some fellow travelers.  A pleasant young couple—American by the sound of them---wanted to go to Malmo but waited in vain on the wrong platform.  I was able to enlighten them.

I was going to Fredenborg—the "Peace Castle" built by one of the Fredriks or Christians and open to the public only in July because it is the royal family's cherished country place.

Getting to Fredenborg is quite a process.  Because the E Line isn't running through Copenhagen due to construction one has to change trains.  I am a total veteran at changing trains and platforms at Ryparken.  I went back to Hillerod where I visited Fredrickborgslog, but . . . Instead of leaving the station I went to another platform to await the train to Fredensborg. This proved to be a small rural train.  People have to push the button to request the train to stop at places where there are no stations but just shelters like a bus stop.  They have to flag the train down if they want to get on.

I walked through the town to the palace.  It's in Late Baroque and Neo Classical style.  The opening hours are limited, so I began with a walk through the grounds.  The public usually has access to the park, which is an extensive area of woodland and lakes.  I saw some joggers and bikers and even a Danish cat.  I also got lost—obviously not seriously.

The only way to see the inside of the palace is to take a tour.  English ones exist, but I didn't want to wait around for one, so I joined the Danes.  The first step is to put on the blue plastic shoe coverings.  After the tour I noticed some Danes making off with them as souvenirs.  You aren't supposed to do that.

I enjoyed seeing the state rooms.  Naturally I could not understand a single syllable of the commentary, but from the reaction of the Danes, the guy wasn't all that interesting, and they found him long-winded.  We began with a long introduction to the history and layout of place.  My attention wandered and was caught by the unicorn in the corner.

You are making that up, Pil.

I'm not, but someone did.  Someone stuffed a deer, bleached its hide white and stuck a narwhal tusk in its forehead.  Then the someone gilded the creature's hooves and added a goat beard.  It was pretty convincing.

The queen and her family have the usual array of reception and banqueting rooms to show.  I liked their proportions and the green and blue color schemes.  I think the furniture was rearranged for the visitors because the set up looked over formal.

One highlight was the central loggia with the ceiling that reached up to the dome.  I counted nine kinds of marble.

After all that I got back late but in time to see very end of Tour de France.  Congratulations to Bradley Wiggins!  He is the first British winner ever.
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Shopping on Stroget

 Goddag!

Of course now that my visit is drawing to its close, the weather has started to improve.  This is the second day I have merely worn my sweater and the first in a long time that the umbrella did not go up at all.

I spent the morning walking around town.  I went shopping and among the things I bought were a pair of amber and silver earrings, which I will force you to admire.  Most amber comes from the Baltic and is abundant (but still expensive!) in Copenhagen.  Most of the jewelry was really chunky, and I did not like it.  It looked to me like, "Ooh, see how rich I am.  I can afford to wear big old chunks of amber."  Nah.  But you'll like my earrings.  You'd better . . .
I don't know how to make shopping seem interesting.  You can find a couple of good touristy shops on Stroget, but mostly it's just clothes and stuff.  I liked poking around the two big department stores.  One Magasin is the largest in Scandinavia.  I look at things like housewares that I could not possibly buy and bring home.
The truth is (don't tell) I don't care that much for the famed Danish design.  I love Denmark and the Danes.  They can keep their design.

Then I visited the National Museum again.  It's a big place and there was quite a bit of it I hadn't seen.  I came upon more period rooms and an very interesting exhibit of artifacts of everyday life in various periods of history.  I like looking at traditional costumes, and tools, and toys.

I went upstairs to look at the Antiquities, so I could practice my Art History skills.  The museum had an impressive exhibit.  I'm not sure how much you want to hear about Cycladic, and Black Figure and Red Figure, but I enjoyed it.
I also dropped in on some churches.  You will not find Romanesque or Gothic in Copenhagen any more.  All of them are Neo Classical.  They are comparatively small, and if you have seen some of the great churches of Europe, you won't be impressed.  I did enjoy seeing Thorvaldsen's Christ and the Twelve Apostles again and as it was meant to be displayed.

For dinner I stopped back at that fancy bakery on Stroget.  I got a ham sandwich.  Once again I had to take a number and wait, and the sandwich was expensive.  On the other hand it was worth it.  It had great bread of a sort of sourdough.  This was filled with a generous portion of wonderful Danish ham, some cheese, tomato and bitter greens. It made a very tasty and filling dinner washed down with cheap rose from the grocery store.

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Tivoli!

 

Goddag

You thought I meant Tivoli when I said I’d be near the world’s oldest amusement park.  Admit it.

Well, yeah. Isn't it?

Ha!  Tivoli is the Second Oldest Amusement Park.  Denmark also has the oldest—just down the road in Bakken, but Tivoli is smack in the middle of Copenhagen right next to the main train station.  I had to go.
But first I had to have breakfast and do some errands.  You probably don't want to know about the errands, but how about breakfast?  I succumbed to the lure of . . .  bacon.  For the usual health reasons I don't eat it, but I'm in Denmark, Pork capital of the Galaxy and it looked so good.  I indulged in an old fashioned fatty bacon and eggs breakfast, and I have to say that bacon was so scrumptious.  I don't cook it really crisp, so it was rich tasting, luscious, and not too salty.
And oh yeah, I had thickly buttered rye bread, too.  Sorry, Arteries.

I showed up about a half hour after Tivoli opened and still had to wait in a long line to get in.  I had fun walking around, but I didn't pay the additional fee to go on any rides.  Some of the rides are kiddie rides.  A few of them looked terrifying.  There was one with two little airplanes at the end of long—really long—metal arms that swung the planes around and around and sometimes rotated them.  I watched in horrified fascination wondering how anyone could do that without getting sick.  One attraction was called "The Odin Express" for a little touch of tradition, but most of the park was a fantasy oriental style.

It's quite a pretty place even when—as usual it began to rain hard.  The rain did not seem to dampen at all the enjoyment the Danes and foreign visitors experienced.

Those used to Disney and Six Flags won't find the high tech here or all the thrill rides.  It's a far more low-key experience, and a lot of elderly people were there for the atmosphere rather than the rides.

You can also eat at Tivoli—and pretty much whatever you fancy.  Smorrebrod is there of course and polsger, but if you want an elaborate sit down meal, or Asian noodles in a casual setting you can find them.  Actually I think there were more Italian restaurants there than actual rides.

And if your krone are Really Burning a Hole in Your Pocket, you can find shops in which to spend them.  There are branches of some well-known Danish stores catering to the sucker tourist trade.

Me?  I stuck to the gardens and the walks along the (small) lakes and had a good time.

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Across the Bridge to Christianhaven--and back

Goddag

I went to Sweden yesterday because the weather forecast for today was . . .  dreadful, so I thought I’d stay local and do a shopping day.  First I did some chores.  For example I had to go to the grocery store and then recycle some glass.  I started out in the rain.  I walked down to Christianslot and then across the bridge to Christianhaven.  I was looking for a shop that reportedly had craft items from Greenland.  Of course, they don't call it Greenland anymore. It has an Inuit name, which I can never remember, and while the place is still associated with Denmark, I gather it's largely self-governing.  Greenland is NOT on my list of places to visit.  After a long walk I found the shop and also found the reports of crafts a shocking exaggeration.

To make this more interesting I will digress on a part of Christianhaven I did not see, but that you might want to should you come to Copenhagen.

Christiana was founded as a "free state" back in 1971 on an abandoned military base by a bunch of—well, let's just call them Hippies—wanted to found an alternative community.  Most Danes said, "why not?" so the place endured.  Eventually they had to kick out the hard drug dealers, and Marijuana is not longer openly sold on Pusher Street.  Rumblings from the Danes express resentment that the Christianians pay no taxes and are taking up valuable land that could be used for other purposes.  Just stroll in if you want to visit, but don't take pictures on Pusher Street, ok?

In one of the touristy stores on Stroget that I went to, one of the proprietors noticed my travel bag.  Long ago I got it in Battle at town in Sussex where in 1066 the Normans routed Harold, King of the English and his army.  Fortunately (this is rare!) he reacted with approval.  I showed the bag and said “French Danes!”  This got a laugh.

For dinner I had smorrebrod—just as tasty and wonderful as always.  These sandwiches have been among the highlights of my journey.  I had potato, liver paste and beef with some salty gelatinous goo and onion and butter lettuce, and ham salad with onion, cucumber, tomato, and butter lettuce.

Yeah, well congratulations on going to Sweden and all but you still disappoint us.  There’s an aspect of Danish life, i.e., food, you’ve not dealt with?

Such as?

Pastry, Pil!  Danish Pastry!

That’s what you call it.  There’s pastry in Denmark, but no “Danish” or even “Dansk” because here it’s Wienerbrod.  In Europe most bread pastries are called Viennese—even in Paris.  But I am not so neglectful.  For post shopping afternoon tea, I have something called a “snail” redolent of cinnamon.  I went to the fanciest bakery in town right on Stroget where I had to take a number and wait  But dang!  This is good.  Rich, buttery, sweet bread with cinnamon and a dollop of icing.  Ahhhh!

Ok, Pil, you don’t have to rub it in.

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Sverge!

Goddag

I know you are very disappointed in me.  Remember I can hear you through the computer screen.  This is what you are saying:

Pil, how could you be such a sap?  There you were a short ferry ride away from Sweden for heavens sake, and you didn’t go?  What a moron!

Well.  I did explain I found that particular stretch of coast unappealing.  That doesn’t mean I’m unwilling to give Sweden a try.  In fact I went today!

Eh?

I simply took the train from Copenhagen across the spectacular Oresund Bridge to Malmo.  It took about half a hour to get there, but it was a case of paying more for a shorter distance.  I left early and spent several pleasant hours strolling the town.  There are a few modest sights in Malmo, but I went to enjoy being in Sweden and to do some shopping.  The weather cooperated.  I had to carry my coat rather than wear it.

Swedish train stations are what we used to call futuristic.  They are clean, spacious, gleaming with chrome, and high tech.  When I was waiting for my train back, I watched a video projected on the wall.  It was like watching the passing countryside through a train window.  I saw conifer forests and flowing rivers.  Pretty cool, what?

On arrival I dithered around at first needing to find an ATM for some Swedish Krone.  I heard a couple speak English and asked for help, which they kindly gave.  So I had to deal with even more foreign money—just after finally getting used to the Danish stuff!  Swedish Krone?  I had no clue.

Malmo is a delightful place.  It's not especially historical, but on a fine day, it was lovely to explore the parks and squares.  I stayed in the pedestrianized center.  I caught a glimpse of the famous Twisting Tower from the train, and I did not walk out to the castle.

Even the public toilet in the square—for which I had to pay ten Swedish Krone—was controlled by computer.  And should you have a sudden urge for a shower or shampoo, you can also get one there.

I was there to shop.  I came upon another British import store and on impulse went in.  There I came upon my heart’s desire--Twinings Everyday—a delicious breakfast tea unavailable in the United States.  I could not plunk down my krone fast enough!

I also bought some chocolate.  So it’s time once again for---European Chocolate Faceoff!—Scandinavian  Division.

Oh Thank goodness!  I thought you'd forgotten.

Chocolate?  Never!

As usual I am comparing the highest end chocs I can find in this case from Denmark and Sweden.  I taste after dinner when the edge of hunger is off and cleanse my palate after teach taste.  First, Denmark.  Ooooh.  So good.  One bites through a thin shell to the filling. I taste rich chocolately flavor and feel creamy luscious texture.  Now Sweden.  Good.  The chocolate shell is thicker and harder to bite through.  The filling is tasty, but not comparable either in richness or smooth texture.  This time Denmark comes out a clear winner.

More bad news from the Tour de France.  Frank Schleck tested positive for a banned diruretic—banned because it leads to unnatural weight loss or the flushing out of other banned substances.  Neither he nor his brother is having a good year.  Wonder what Andy is going to say to Frank about this!

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