This is Part II of our Copenhagen or, as it is spelled in Denmark, Kobenhavn, journey focusing more on the sights, history and, no surprise, food. And of course there were lots of laughs. We have continued to enjoy the idiosyncrasies of the Danish language. For example - the word for parking - it is so close - but Danes always need another syllable so it is parkering. Given that, we figured exploring Kobenhavn would be Kobenhavering :). Speaking of laughter and the Danish language, all of us shared so many laughs about the second half of the blog title.
Let me explain that one. For unknown reasons, fart in Danish means speed. Yep - fart = speed in Danish. You have fart control (and with advanced electronics the car notifies you when you may be getting close to farting too much - we think the sound should be modified :)). There are fart limits and signs posted noting din fart (your speed). Virtually every time we saw one of these signs, or the car sent the fart control alert, the juveniles in us emerged and we enjoyed a good laugh!
We arrived in Copenhagen after taking the train from Odense. It was ~1.5miles to our hotel from the train station. We love to walk and it seemed like a waste to get a taxi - so when it wasn't raining we decided to walk. Of course it rained a bit - but only a few times. The greater challenge was pulling the rolling suitcases on the cobblestone - let's just say it was a bit bumpy along the way :)
We stayed in Nyhavn which is a cool area right on the water. We learned that in the past it was considered the "salty" area but has since become a much nicer place with a ton of restaurants and several hotels. We enjoyed it - here's a few pictures.
Tue was our tour guide on the first day. It was a bit rainy - but that didn't stop the fun.
We first stopped by Amalienborg Palace. There is a palace square with a statue of King Frederik V from 1771 surrounded by four identical buildings. Each of the buildings is named after a past king - and today they serve as the queen's residence, the crown prince's residence, a guest house and a museum.
Next up was a stop to see the Little Mermaid. It was funny - we didn't realize where we were headed but as we were approaching it Tue said "ok, be prepared for your biggest disappointment". We both were a little nervous and wondered what he might say next - but it was simply to let us know that the little mermaid is truly little :). The pictures do make it seem much larger than what it is in real life - but it was cool to see. It first went on display in 1913.
We walked around and then stopped for lunch. With Tue's guidance we opted for a platter of Danish Smorrebrod (open sandwiches). This is a very traditional Danish meal - and it was great to try. They bring you a platter with different meats, veggies and sauces and then a basket of bread. You load up the bread to make the open face sandwiches. This was our first experience with pickled herring - and, honestly, to our surprise it was very tasty! Tons of food plus some local beer and a shot of schnapps - that was a funny one. The waiter asked if we wanted schnapps - and told Craig it would put hair on his chest. When I said I'd like a shot too - Craig told the waiter he would come after him if I ended up with hair on my chest :). What a fun lunch.
We ended up at the round tower which was built in the 17th century as an observatory. It is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. The tower is only 36 meters tall but you walk around 209 meters to get to the top along the spiral walk. Here's some views from the top.
Yesterday both Tue and Elisabeth picked us up for a day of seeing sights outside of the city. The first stop was at Christiana, also known as Freetown. It was created ~40 years ago and basically encapsulates the hippy commune lifestyle. The residents view themselves as an independent entity from Copenhagen - and Denmark - and the EU (see a later picture) - and follow their own rules. No photos are allowed inside and you soon realize the reason. The main street is "pusher" street - immediately as you enter you notice the unmistakable aroma. Although marijuana isn't legal in Denmark, there are stands selling hash and pot. They have found a way to peacefully coexist with the occasional raid that is soon over and everything goes back to 'normal'. They didn't allow pictures inside - but we were able to take one at the entrance. Here's the view as we were leaving - notice the sign above "You are now entering the EU". We had no idea we would be visiting yet another country while in Denmark :)
We then stopped by the house to pick up Johanne who had the afternoon off from school. She joined us for lunch at an art museum on a lake near their home and then a trip up the coast. It was really beautiful and the salmon we had at lunch was so fresh!
As we drove up the coast, it was some very pretty views of the water with tons of boats. We didn't realize how close Denmark and Sweden are - you see it on the map but always assume it must be further apart. In reality there are places narrow enough for a bridge (Copenhagen) and other places that have ferries (~20 minutes) between the two countries. Through history there have been many battles - so we also saw the cannons that were strategically located pointed at Sweden.
We ended up at Kronborg Castle - or Hamlets Castle in Elsinore. This is the home of Hamlet in Shakespeare's play. We were able to tour the castle which was really interesting.
We also went into the tunnels which were a bit spooky. It was super dark - so not good for picture taking. But there was one spot where they had light to show a statue of the "sleeping Dane". Legend has it that he will awaken if Denmark is ever threatened. We tried to be as quiet as possible :)
After the castle we went into Elsinore for some coffee before heading back to Copenhagen. Such a wonderful visit. Again, we are so thankful for the time we had with Tue, Elisabeth, Johanne and Laurits and their kindness. We laughed a ton and had so much fun. We are looking forward to creating more memories when they hopefully visit us in Florida :)
Hope everyone is enjoying their ride - even when it may be a little bumpy :)
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