A Travellerspoint blog

By this Author: greatgrandmaR

The Plan for the Parental Units

Plan A


View Summer, 9-11-2001 - and then the 2nd time down the ICW & 2009 Baltic Cruise & Bermuda on greatgrandmaR's travel map.

Sun from the plane

Sun from the plane

When my mother died I decided to carry on the tradition that she started of taking a trip with each of her grandchildren. I took the first grandson C on a Bus trip to Ireland (I have not finished writing up this trip yet because the photos got all mixed up on my computer). The second grandson - D - did a Mediteranean Cruise. Which is mostly finished. This trip was the first one with a granddaughter - B- who is the sister of the grandson who went with me to Ireland. Originally I wanted to do a Mediterranian cruise with her like I had done with her cousin, because I thought since she is Catholic that she would like to visit the Vatican. But I decided that the Med in the summer would be too hot for me so I booked the Baltic instead.

I booked the cruise itself on our cruise through the Panama Canal and down to Peru in the fall of 2008 (which made it cheaper) but the cruise ship company completely screwed up the reservation so that took some time to straighten out. I booked the tours in advance, including booking with a private tour company in Russia.

The projected schedule (which was not always followed) was this

Dates Places and numbers

9 June leaving from Dulles at 1715 going to Copenhagen on SAS flight # 926 arriving at 0715 am the next morning. We intend to leave for the airport about noon. We have assigned seats

10 June - Saga Hotel for 2 nights. They have free internet so I will be checking in
http://www.sagahotel.dk/
(+45)33 244 944
Saga Hotel

Saga Hotel


It is supposed to rain on the 10th and be good weather on the 11th.

12 June - embark on the Rotterdam. I will be checking in via the internet, but in an extreme emergency you can get ahold of us (keeping in mind that it will cost $16.00/minute) by phoning the ship. You will need our name and stateroom number, and you know our names, but we don't have our stateroom number yet.
Granddaughter B on board

Granddaughter B on board


1-866 HAL-SHIP (1-966-425-7447)
Have a credit card ready
Listen to announcement
Select the number that corresponds to the ship (in our case the number is 6 for the Rotterdam)
If you get a busy signal or message, hang up quickly and try again.

It will be much cheaper just to email. I will buy an internet package, so will be doing email.

13 June - at sea - Meet and Greet of Cruise board scheduled at 10:30

14 June - Tallin Estonia - no tour booked

15 - 16 June - St. Petersburg. Booked a tour with Alla Tours
+7 911 932 66 33

Night June 15th - ships's excursion to the ballet at 1900

17 June - Helsinki - ship excursion
Helsinki Highlights & Country Home Visit

18 June - Stockholm - ship excursions (2)
Vikings & the Gold Room and
Waterways of Stockholm

19 June - at sea

20 June - Berlin ship excursion which is 0600 to 2300
Explore Berlin & Potsdam by River Cruise and Coach

21 June - Århus Denmark - ship excursion 1230 to 1530
Århus Highlights

22 June - Oslo - ship excursion
Viking Ship Museum & Hadeland Glassworks

23 June - at sea

24 June - dock at Rotterdam. Hope to see the windmills of Kinderdijk
Meeting two folks from Virtual Tourist and going out to dinner with
them.

Hotel - Golden Tulip
Leuvehaven 80, ROTTERDAM - +31 10 4134139
Free wireless Internet throughout the hotel

25 June - taking train to Amsterdam, but have not gotten the tickets yet

25-26 June Hotel - Golden Tulip Amsterdam Centre-free wireless internet
Nieuwezijds Kolk 19 - 1012 PV - Amsterdam - +31 (0)20 5301818
Golden Tulip

Golden Tulip

27 June - fly back to Copenhagen
SAS flight 1550 depart 1800 arrive 1920
I have been unable to figure out how to call SAS and confirm, so I guess I will have to do it on the internet

Hotel Kastrup Hilton at Copenhagen airport
Ellehammersvej 20, Copenhagen, Denmark 2770
Tel: 45-32-501-501 wireless internet access
directly connected to Terminal 3 by a covered walkway

28 June fly back to Dulles - SAS fight 925
leave 1220 arrive Dulles 1500.

-------------------

Prequel

Getting to this point was extremely labor intensive. Just for the air tickets for instance it took me three months.

I wanted to fly non-stop to Copenhagen. On 5 January 2009, I wrote my travel agent that I had been trying to figure out how I could get from the US to Copenhagen and back. It seems excessively expensive, so I am wondering if I need to use Cruise ship air. But I've heard how impoosibly difficult those flights are in regard to time and connections.

I am in southern Maryland about equi-distant from DCA and BWI and B is near Charleston SC. I don't want to go through Chicago or EWR or Atlanta. I really don't like United or Delta. There is a direct SAS flight from IAD to Copenhagen (IAD (Dulles) is more of a pain to get to for us than BWI but we can do it) that looks good but it costs over $1K each.

B's last day of school is June 7th, so I thought if we left on June 9th and arrived on the 10th that would give us time to decompress and de-jet-lag before we boarded the cruise on the 12th. I was thinking of going to Tivoli Gardens and possibly taking a little bus tour - seeing the little mermaid etc.

Getting home again is more of a problem. If I have to do a connecting flight (which it seems I will have to do), again I don't want to connect through EWR or Chicago or Atlanta.

I wouldn't mind getting off the ship and spending a day or so in Amsterdam, and then connecting through/spending a couple of days in London (LHR) or Paris or Lisbon or Frankfurt or Rome or just about anywhere in Europe or even Toronto before flying back to BWI or IAD or DCA or Charleston or even Miami.

17 January 2009
I have been completely unable to find any plane tickets at less than about $5K for the two of us. So I thought cruise air would be an option. The person I talked to (Angie) said cruise air would be $1929.00 per person. That's more expensive than the price for the whole cruise but it is better than anything I could find.

She also said the hotel in Copenhagen would be the Radisson Scandia for $1086/night,
Radisson

Radisson


and that if I booked that, I would not have to pay the $75.00 deviation fee. I said if I couldn't find anything cheaper than that I'd be surprised and the $75 deviation fee wouldn't matter. The hotel in Rotterdam would be the Westin for $830/night.

Someone on Cruise Critics said that she thought all the hotels in Copenhagen were booked for those dates by a convention. So I went to look, and some of the hotels have space Weds and not Thurs, and some just have no space, but there are still rooms.

My travel agent answered: "I agree with you, Air should not be that expensive and what these Cruise Lines charge people for their Hotel Packages is a Sin of the first Magnitude." He was able to get us a hotel room

Finally on 3 March 2009 I told my TA that I had booked:
SAS Flight 926 from Dulles to Copenhagen leaving on 9 June at 5:15 and arriving on 10 June in the morning at 7:15 am. $574.00 each round trip and we get meals, but the taxes and fees are $311 each.

When I went to book the connecting flight from Amsterdam to Copenhagen, I found that the flight I thought left at 8 am left at 8 pm and the earlier flights were much more expensive. So I booked SAS flight 1550 which leaves Amsterdam June 27th at 6 pm and arrives in Copenhagen at 7:20 pm on the 27th. The flight itself is only $48 each but the taxes and fees are $70+

Posted by greatgrandmaR 17:10 Archived in USA Comments (0)

Flying from IAD aka Dulles the Pain-In-the-Butt-Airport

Packing and Leaving


View Summer, 9-11-2001 - and then the 2nd time down the ICW & 2009 Baltic Cruise & Bermuda on greatgrandmaR's travel map.

Photo of Son taken by B on the drive from SC

Photo of Son taken by B on the drive from SC


My granddaughter is here. She took some pictures and got them transferred to my computer. That works.
Son's Graduation photo on the bulletin board in his room - taken by B

Son's Graduation photo on the bulletin board in his room - taken by B


She came down and helped put the mainsail on the boat.
Our boat in the marina-B's photo of me walking by the boat

Our boat in the marina-B's photo of me walking by the boat

B's photo of the Mast

B's photo of the Mast

We watched a video tape on Tallin and some of the CD that we got from the Statendam to show her what the ship might look like. We managed to activate and program the tri-data phone that we have rented for use in Europe (I have to de-activate it and send it back when we get home) . She soaked her foot this evening (she had an ingrown toenail). Bob has practiced turning on the computers and accessing email. I have set up the computers so Bob can get emails on pocketmail.

She can't find her student ID so maybe she left it home. If she finds it, it would be good that she has it for St. Petersburg, but if not it is no biggie.

I think I'm packed. My suitcase is very heavy because I have soap and bleach for the laundry in it, but it is still under 50 pounds. Thinking that maybe I will switch those two items to B's bag. With nothing in it my bag is under the 62" that is allowed. I hope it has not bulged over the limit. B does not have a money belt or anything like that, and I can't find the one I had for her cousin to use. The thumb drives that I ordered have not come, so I will have to use the one that I have.

It has turned hot and sticky. I hope thundershowers don't delay us like they did with her brother's flight. I still don't have our cabin number, but if they do like they did in Barcelona with the Jade, they had people at the curb telling people what their cabin numbers are so they don't have to carry all their luggage on.

9 June 2009

We left from home about noon June 9th, and it took us about an hour and 45 minutes to drive to Dulles.

On the beltway going to Dulles

On the beltway going to Dulles


Bob unloaded us at section 3, and we straggled inside with our bags. Most of the SAS counters were closed. I suspect that this is the only SAS flight there is from that airport. But very shortly a lady appeared and checked us in and gave us our boarding passes. A man, took our bags (didn't ask me to make a name label but this is a non-stop flight) and said mine was 21 kilos. I later asked Bob how many kilos to a pound and the said 2.4 which would be 50.4 pounds, but when I looked it up later 23 kilos was the maximum weight. That would be more like 2.2 kilos to the pound or 46 lbs plus.

The lady told us to sit on the A/C seat and she would send us a wheelchair. Which she did.
Inside the airport (seated)

Inside the airport (seated)


My carry-on is also very heavy. After we stopped for B to use the bathroom, we went through security, and the wheelchair guy got us onto the people mover and out to the gate - well in advance of the flight.
Granddaughter in people mover

Granddaughter in people mover


I tipped him about $2.00 There were several people with small children including a pregnant lady traveling by herself with a small child. One of the children spent a lot of time shrieking. B bought a soft pretzel and blue ice.

We boarded with the group of people needing assistance. We were in 35 G-H which was a window and an aisle.
Looking out the window of the plane at the gate

Looking out the window of the plane at the gate


I thought B would like to see out the window, so I let her have the window seat. But she said not, so next time I will take the window which I really prefer because I found I can't sleep in an aisle seat and she was curled up to try to sleep in a way that would have worked just as well in an aisle seat and such a position would not be available to me.

As usual in June, the flight was delayed by lightening storms from 5:15 to about 8:45. We sat on the taxi-way with the engines off for most of that time.
Seatback camera while we waited on taxiway

Seatback camera while we waited on taxiway


At one point I went up to the bathroom and said I was hungry, so they gave us some cracker type snacks. We finally got dinner about 10 pm

SAS does not give you any choice of food. There was no - beef or chicken question. For dinner we had a salad, chicken and potatoes
Chicken dinner

Chicken dinner


Two whole wheat rolls and butter, two crackers, a slice of cheese

Two whole wheat rolls and butter, two crackers, a slice of cheese


and a cheesecake. They don't give you hot towels or eye masks or anything like that but they do have a free drink with the meal, even in economy. No rum though - the lady across from us asked. The people in front of us were (as we found out when landing) going to be on the same ship as ours, and the girls across from us were going on some kind of Methodist missionary thing to the Baltic states from NC

A lot of the announcements were in other languages first - must have been Swedish, Norse and Danish because I couldn't understand them and they took twice or three times as long as the English ones.

Although there is no choice of dinner, they do have the TV screens in the seatbacks which has a forward camera and a camera that shows what is below you. Their moving plane has all north up displays except one which is course up which at first was confusing until I realized what it was. We didn't originally have earphones at our seat, but I saw some in the seat ahead and took them before those people had boarded.

They also have a choice of movies (B watched the Pink Panther), games and audio tapes or to watch the moving plane. With the engines off on the taxi-way, most of the options are not available. I tried to listen to the comedy channel and was told to chose another one. Eventually I did get to it, and it was Victor Borge. The games were not available for very long in the flight - you had to run them with a controller which was in the seat arm attached by a cord. I played backgammon and then I tried tetris, but the instructions for what keys to push didn't really work for me. After awhile, all the games returned you to the main screen as they had been turned off.
My granddaughter's photo of me with a magazine

My granddaughter's photo of me with a magazine


The in-flight magazine had none of the options I'm used to with AA. No crossword - no airport maps. They did have a selection of other magazines and papers available and for awhile I looked at Boat Sales magazine.

I changed the camera time, but absolutely could not change my watch time no matter how hard I tried. That would be why a watch for B would be a good idea. Just a cheap Timex triathlon watch is what I have.

I just did not sleep as well as I usually do. There was no foot rest, and I dozed but didn't sleep.
Bottled water at our seat

Bottled water at our seat


SAS gave us big bottles of water at each seat. B brought hers off the plane with her, but I had another bottle and my SAS one was empty so I left it.

Normally if I get some sleep on the airplane, when I get to somewhere, I can keep going until after dinner of that day and then crash. This time not. And B didn't sleep much either. The boys were much more resilient about sleep. My ribs hurt and kept me from sleeping, and I couldn't keep my head steady so it would fall forward or sideways and wake me up. Having an aisle seat was good in that I could get up and use the bathroom easily and the bathrooms were near us.

I did eventually get my watch set so that it is the correct time here, but for some reason the information screens on the flight kept saying (like they did on a previous flight) that the time at our destination was 5 hours different. I finally asked the flight attendant and he confirmed that it was 6 hours difference.
Europe from a plane

Europe from a plane


Breakfast on SAS

Breakfast on SAS


They gave us breakfast which was a ham and cheese sandwich, a thing of yogurt, OJ (I gave my OJ to B) and tea or coffee. I had tea, B had coffee. They came around and asked me if I needed wheelchair assistance and I said yes.
Landing Copenhagen

Landing Copenhagen


She asked me how the flight was, and I said it was very smooth. She told me that there were seven of us on the plane who had requested wheelchairs, and I should be sure to identify myself to them.

Posted by greatgrandmaR 17:56 Archived in USA Comments (0)

Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen

Arriving in town


View Summer, 9-11-2001 - and then the 2nd time down the ICW & 2009 Baltic Cruise & Bermuda on greatgrandmaR's travel map.

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Friendly old girl of a town
'Neath her tavern light
On this merry night
Let us clink and drink one down
To wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Salty old queen of the sea...
(Song by Danny Kaye)

We were supposed to land at 7:15, and actually landed about 10:35. B carried both carry-ons. As we got off the plane, there were several guys standing there and I announced that my name was Beasley, and a young blond guy walked down the gangway with me. As we got to the wheelchairs (they wouldn't let them on the gangway) the wheelchair he was going to take was grabbed by an elderly woman who said she needed it. So we took another one. He wheeled me through customs and immigration. No one has asked me for B's permission so far. [On the seven trips I have taken with grandchildren, I was only asked for my permission once and that was on the first trip when we were changing planes in Heathrow]

Then he figured out which luggage carousel we would be at and said it would be 15 minutes, so in the meantime both B and I changed some money. The wheelchair driver and the exchange booth person both assured me that I didn't need to tip in Denmark - that people had already been paid.

I decided I didn't have the stamina to take the train into town (schlep the bags, find the train, buy tickets, get on the train, get off the train and find the hotel). So we got a taxi, which cost 380 Dk (Danish kroner). There are a little more than 5 kroner to $1.00
Taking a taxi from the airport

Taking a taxi from the airport


There was some kind of convention in town on the dates we were there, and the only hotel room we could get except for a hostel was in the Saga Hotel. It is very conveniently located near the train station and Tivoli in an area with a lot of other hotels.The taxi driver had never heard of the Saga Hotel, and the map and address was (again) in the trunk of the cab in my carry-on. I said it was near the railway station and Tivoli. So he got us there and said to me "Where do you think it is? " And I said, "Probably it's around that corner", and we turned the corner and there it was. He said "How did you know that", and I said I didn't know, but I thought I remembered on the map that was where it was. He said I must be a genius, and I said no that I just liked maps. He thought that was funny. He had to back down the street as it was one way towards us. He warned us that we should keep our cameras and money well concealed in this neighborhood, but the neighborhood seems to be a mini-Chinatown and doesn't feel spooky at all. Although I did see a Sex Shop on the way in. We were checked in before noon and B took a shower and soaked her foot.

The room has two twin beds with duvets,
Bed after I took a nap

Bed after I took a nap


a flat screen TV locked to the wall,
large_nDSCN0185.JPG
and a window out onto the courtyard
My granddaughter sitting on the windowsill

My granddaughter sitting on the windowsill


which had two fiberglass cows in it,
Fiberglass cows

Fiberglass cows


and also bikes which we could have rented from the hotel.
Hotel bikes in the courtyard

Hotel bikes in the courtyard

4538816-Roses_Copenhagen.jpg 4538818-Flowers_of_Copenhagen_Copenhagen.jpgFlowers in the courtyard of our hotel

Flowers in the courtyard of our hotel

Selfie in the bathroom mirror

Selfie in the bathroom mirror


We had a private bath. Since it was cold and rainy while we were there we didn't need A/C. There were no elevators, but our room was on the first floor and was quiet as it was on the courtyard. We walked up to the second floor to get breakfast. The charge on my credit card was $167/night for two people with a private bath and breakfast

The receptionist told us that we could use the computer in the lobby for free, but that if we used the LAN cable in the room or on the the computer keyboard through the TV it would cost extra.
Keyboard in the room that we would have paid for

Keyboard in the room that we would have paid for


I tried to log on from the lobby without success, and finally used their computer to send a message to B's parents that we had arrived safely. The hotel receptionist told me that the hotel wi-fi was sagareception, and really it was Saga reception. Once I got logged on, I could get it from the room, although if I didn't send stuff right away the wi-fi apparently lost interest in me and told me that I wasn't connected to the internet. Incidentally the hotel computer keyboard had the @ sign on a key in the third position which I never could figure out how to get to it. For email addresses, I always had to find one somewhere and copy it.

They have a lot of PPV movies etc on the TV. What I mean by that was that the menu on the TV tended to come up on the PPV area. They do have some US movies and sitcoms with Danish subtitles. We could also sometimes get the Danish news and weather.

After I sent the email, I joined B in a nap, and about 1500, we went out to try to find the HOHO (hop on hop off) bus.
Side of the RR station

Side of the RR station

Railroad station

Railroad station

Hard Rock

Hard Rock


When we were trying to find it, we came to this square. I thought the memorial was a War Memorial. Actually it is the Liberty Memorial which is kind of the opposite. It celebrates the end of adscription. Adscription is another name for serfdom. That's what the translation from the Danish comes up with. Under adscription, farmers and workers had to stay on the land where they were born and work without pay for the estate holder. They couldn't leave without the permission of the landowners.
4527739-The_Liberty_Memorial_Copenhagen.jpgThe Liberty Memorial

The Liberty Memorial


In England serfdom died out between the 14th and 17th centuries. in Finland, Norway and Sweden it was never fully established but in the Austrian empire it lasted until 1781, in France until 1789, in Russia until 1861. In Denmark it was in effect from 1733 to 1788 and in its subsidiary Iceland from 1490 to 1894.

The Liberty Memorial was erected in 1797 on Vesterbrogade opposite the Grand Central Station (which we also saw as it was quite near our hotel). At that time, it was far outside the city walls. Prince Frederik – later King Frederik VI laid the foundation stone in 1792 (five years earlier) as a symbolic gesture to commemorate the end of adscription in 1788.
Statues at the base

Statues at the base


The Liberty Monument itself was a gift to the city from reformers to honor King Christian VII for his agricultural reforms. The Liberty Memorial itself has four figures which symbolize Fidelity – Justice – Virtue and Courage. The monument was created by sculptor Nicolai Abildgaard.

I also took photos of the Zodiac statues in Axeltorv Square which is across from Tivoli where we waited for the bus. It is named for Bishop Absalon, Copenhagen's founder, whose (little used) Danish name was Axel. A 12.5 metre long water basin with nine bronze amphoras was installed in the square in 1991. It was designed by Mogens Møller in collaboration with the architect Mogens Breyen and is called Zodiac
388061154538027-Zodiac_statu..Copenhagen.jpgZodiac statues

Zodiac statues

Zodiac statues - Axeltorv Square

Zodiac statues - Axeltorv Square


By the time we found the bus stop which was opposite the Tivoli Gardens main entrance
Front entrance from across the street

Front entrance from across the street

Main entrance

Main entrance


My granddaughter at the bus stop

My granddaughter at the bus stop


it was 1630 and was the last bus of the evening. I also knew that it was too late for the last of the hop-on hop-off boats because they stop at 1615. Because of the weather the buses have rain tops in place on the upper decks. The driver didn't want to cash our vouchers because he said we wouldn't get the full benefit. Although I had bought a two day ticket . Adult internet rate $20.95 each
Bus logo

Bus logo

From the Mermaid tour

From the Mermaid tour


When it came, it was so full that there were no seats. Someone gave me a seat and B stood until a lot of people got off at the cruise ship docks
Celebrity Constellation

Celebrity Constellation


Then we both got to sit in a seat and listen to the commentary.
plugs for earphones for commentary

plugs for earphones for commentary


When we got to the Mermaid,
People getting off in the rain to photograph her

People getting off in the rain to photograph her

From the top of the sightseeing bus

From the top of the sightseeing bus


B got off to take photos of her - I didn't. Everyone knows the Little Mermaid and it is one of the things one must do in Copenhagen. We saw it in 1950 and my dad took a photo.
Little Mermaid in 1950

Little Mermaid in 1950

B's photo in 2009 from a slightly different angle

B's photo in 2009 from a slightly different angle


She is somewhat remote from the normal tourist routes.

The Hans Christian Anderson story is a bit bloodthirsty and not so romantic as you might imagine. It isn't the Disney version. The mermaid gives up her life in the sea, her voice, and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince. When she walks or dances it feels like she is walking on sharp swords, and her feet bleed most terribly.
Tail

Tail


When the prince marries someone else, the mermaid's sisters bring her a knife and tell her that if she slays the prince with the knife and lets his blood drip on her feet, she will become a mermaid again, all her suffering will end and she will live out her full life. But she can't do it.
Head (which she has lost a couple of times)

Head (which she has lost a couple of times)


.Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid

It was cold, damp and windy and I was OK, but B was cold. (I found out later that she had packed for June in SC with a lot of shorts, and summer here is quite a bit colder.) We came to a KFC and Burger King (there are Burger Kings, 7-11s and McDonalds on every corner).
7-11

7-11


Burger King and KFC

Burger King and KFC


4531056-Danish_BK_menu_Copenhagen.jpgDanish BK menu

Danish BK menu


B had a really small
Crispy burger 33.00 Dk with mashed potatoes

Crispy burger 33.00 Dk with mashed potatoes


I had
A twister (61.00 Dk)

A twister (61.00 Dk)


also with mashed potatoes and gravy. She had a coke and I had what was billed as a lemonade but was (UGH) carbonated (like in England). We managed after some difficulty (asking directions 3 or 4 times - fortunately the hotel gave us a map with the hotel marked on it) to find our way back to our hotel which is on a very back street.
My granddaughte chasing pigeons in the Town Square

My granddaughte chasing pigeons in the Town Square

My granddaughter chasing the pigeons

My granddaughter chasing the pigeons


B went to sleep, but she had the controller for the TV so I went to bed with the TV on. She woke up sometime during the night and found the controller which had slipped down behind her bed and turned it off.

Tomorrow we will get back on the HOHO bus

Posted by greatgrandmaR 08:17 Archived in Denmark Comments (5)

Two 12 year old Girls - 59 Years Apart

Re-creating the 1950 visit.


View Summer, 9-11-2001 - and then the 2nd time down the ICW & 2009 Baltic Cruise & Bermuda on greatgrandmaR's travel map.

1950 Poloroid -L-R - Me, Very stern guide in Copenhagen, my sister and my mom

1950 Poloroid -L-R - Me, Very stern guide in Copenhagen, my sister and my mom

Flashback

I'd been to Copenhagen before - in 1950 with my parents and sister (when I was 12). We visited Tivoli gardens, and took a ferry out to Hamlet's castle. From Copenhagen we went to Germany which was still divided into four sectors. Now I was visiting again - 59 years later with my 12 year old granddaughter This time we took the Hop-on Hop-off bus to see the city, and we also went to Tivoli Gardens Then we got on a cruise ship for a Baltic cruise

End Flashback

11 June 2009

I had set the timer on the TV to wake us up at 6:45 and it actually did. My back is so painful this morning that I could hardly stand up long enough to take a shower. Breakfast was very good - they had cereal and milk, orange and apple juice various kinds of bread (rye crisp, pumpernickel and white bread) butter, rolls, sliced meats, cheese, liver pate, and Danish. I particularly liked the chocolate one.
My breakfast selection

My breakfast selection


They also had tea and coffee. Breakfast is 7 to 10:30.
Sitting at the window at breakfast

Sitting at the window at breakfast


Yesterday we went to the Tourist Information office and got on at Axeltorv/Tivoli and saw the Little Mermaid.

After breakfast, I hobbled up to the bus stop (which is only about 3 blocks and should be no problem as we know where it is now)
Roadworks

Roadworks

Subway station with bikes

Subway station with bikes


and we got on the first bus of the day for the Red or Mermaid route. The Mermaid (Red) Tour takes 1 hour. Before we got on the bus, I took a photo of this building which was a winning photo in the ugly building contest on VT. It represents Danish industry in this area.
Industriens Hus - an ugly building

Industriens Hus - an ugly building

Mermaid Tour Stops

  • Town Hall Square

Although the name for this place in Danish is Rådhuspladsen, I just call it the Town Hall Square. It is quite big. The biggest thing in it is the Copenhagen Town Hall. Actually, you can see the tower of the Town Hall from many places in Copenhagen, such as the Ferris Wheel at Tivoli Gardens. But there are other towers around the square such as the
Palace Hotel

Palace Hotel

Painting on the tower

Painting on the tower


I took pictures of it thinking it was some historic building or part of the Town Hall.
Town Hall from the Hop on Hop off bus stop

Town Hall from the Hop on Hop off bus stop


Anyway, the Town Hall was built between 1892 and 1905 and is partly Italian Renaissance and partly medieval Danish architecture. If you are interested in statistics, the tower is 350 ft tall. According to what I read on the internet, the World Clock at the main entrance was designed and constructed by Jens Olsen in 1955 shows not only the time and date but also various astronomical constellations. You might look for that when you are there.
Tower from the side

Tower from the side


A statue of Bishop Absalon in gilded copper is over the main entrance
Front entrance

Front entrance

Bishop Absalon in gilded copper

Bishop Absalon in gilded copper


There are also a lot of sculptures in the square. It took us a long time to walk across and we took a lot of pictures of the sculptures which when I got home and looked at my pictures I was surprised to find I was still in Town Hall Square when I took them.

There are four main sculptures

The Dragon Fountain (Danish: Dragespringvandet), depicting a bull and a dragon in combat. This was the one I took a photo of yesterday of my granddaughter chasing the pigeons
Dragon's Leap Fountain

Dragon's Leap Fountain


There was also a large statue of Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christen Andersen

Hans Christen Andersen

889886564538819-Flower_board..Copenhagen.jpgHans Christian Anderson statue

Hans Christian Anderson statue


and some things that looked like rhinoceroses with wings
Winged creatures

Winged creatures


large_4538134-Town_Hall_square_Copenhagen.jpg
The Lur Blowers are on a column with Lur Horn players at the top .
4527743-Lur_Horn_Players_Copenhagen.jpg
The Lur was a trumpet-like instrument of the Viking Age. The primary use for the shepherd's lur-horn up to the present to call the cattle home. The statue dates from 1914.
Lur Horn Players

Lur Horn Players


and the fourth one is The Weather Girl (Danish: vejrpigen,
Weather Forecast (broken) in 2009

Weather Forecast (broken) in 2009


The Weather Girl rides out on a bicycle in good weather. When it rains she comes out of the other side carrying an umbrella. There is a thermometer on the side of the building to show the temparature. When I was there in 1950, the Weather Girl still worked and it was warmer. My dad's photo of the 1950 weather forecaster

My dad's photo of the 1950 weather forecaster


Now it has an advertisement for a Thai restaurant on the top. 1950 on the right - 2009 on the left
Then and Now

Then and Now

  • Tourist Information Stopped here yesterday but did not take photos
  • Axeltorv/Tivoli (photos yesterday)

Looking out of the red route bus

Looking out of the red route bus


Orange house

Orange house

  • Rosenberg

Rosenberg

Rosenberg

Statue Danish-Norwegian admiral Niels Juel

Statue Danish-Norwegian admiral Niels Juel


We passed palaces and castles like Rosenburg Castle and Amalienborg , and we took picture of the coats of arms on the pediments and other architectural decorations. But I didn't pay much attention to WHICH royal castle it was
No parking

No parking


Gold Crown

Gold Crown

Pediment with coat of arms

Pediment with coat of arms

Green light and archway

Green light and archway


* Langelinie
I am always on the lookout for lighthouses or the rarer lightships. I saw two in Copenhagen. The first, Danish Lightship Ten (Fyrskip X) was across from the Little Mermaid. The lights were displayed from a lantern atop the mainmast.
Lightship from across the harbor

Lightship from across the harbor


This peripatetic lightship dates from 1877 but is no longer active as she was decommissioned 1972. The 103 ft wooden lightship with light tower amidships, is painted red with white trim and a white horizontal stripe.
Wider view of the lightship

Wider view of the lightship


This Danish vessel is said to be the world's oldest surviving lightship. During its long career it served many stations around the Danish coastline. Moored near Tower Bridge in London, it was converted into a restaurant in 2005. In February 2008 ir was moored at the Sun Pier in Chatham, on the Medway. On 10 May 2008, the ship was spotted under tow through the Kiel Canal in Germany, on its way back to the Baltic. By July the ship was in København, moored in the Refshaleøen neighborhood, where I saw in in June 2009

The Fyrskib No. XI (Lightship No. 11)
Fyrskib No. XI (Lightship No. 11)

Fyrskib No. XI (Lightship No. 11)


is now a private residence moored on the Frederiksholm Canal in Copenhagen, very near the Christiansborg Slot (Castle) The ship from 1878 was decommissioned in 1977. This ship was never powered (i.e. it was towed onto the site and anchored). It served from 1919 to 1977 on the Drogden station. In 1977 it was sold to an artist, Bo Bonfils, who built additional superstructure to serve as a residence and studio. The current owner, Stig Romain Andresen, bought the ship in 2005.
Fyrskib No. XI (Lightship No. 11)

Fyrskib No. XI (Lightship No. 11)

* The Little Mermaid (photos yesterday)

  • Gefion Fountain

Gefion fountain

Gefion fountain


This is a large fountain on the harbour front. It features a large-scale group of animal figures being driven by the legendary Norse goddess, Gef.
Gefjun at the plow

Gefjun at the plow


Bulls splashing

Bulls splashing

fountain detail

fountain detail

Snake

Snake


St Albans is the only Anglican/Episcopal church in Denmark. It is known as the English Church.
The English Church

The English Church


It is part of the Church of England´s Diocese in Europe.
4537983-Church_from_the_bus_Copenhagen.jpg Side door from the bus

Side door from the bus


It is right next to the Gefion Fountain so it was mentioned on the HOHO bus tour.
Side of the church beside the fountain

Side of the church beside the fountain

  • Amalienborg
  • Nyhavn/Kongens Nytorv

Nyhavn rainbow painted houses

Nyhavn rainbow painted houses


4538180-Nyhavn_from_the_bus_Copenhagen.jpgNyhavn

Nyhavn


Nyhavn is part of the original Copenhagen Harbor in the 12th century. It is where canal tours start and there are old sailing vessels moored here. In Denmark, it's not only allowed to sit and drink in the street, it's a common practice. It is considered part of the concept of "Hygge" - have fun, relax, enjoy the weather, get into a good mood.
4538178-Nyhavn_canal_Copenhagen.jpgNyhavn canal

Nyhavn canal

Nyhavn bridge

Nyhavn bridge

4537741-The_dock_from_the_bus_Copenhagen.jpgHandicapped ladies room sign at dock

Handicapped ladies room sign at dock

  • Hojbro Plads/Stroget

Fishmonger's wife statue near Hojbro Plads

Fishmonger's wife statue near Hojbro Plads

The Lion of Søren Kierkegaards Plads

The Lion of Søren Kierkegaards Plads


The Isted Lion is a Danish war monument originally intended as a monument of the Danish victory over Schleswig-Holstein in the Battle of Isted (Idstedt) on July 25, 1850 — at its time the largest battle in Scandinavian history. The Danish sculptor Herman Wilhelm Bissen traveled to Paris to study an actual lion in the Jardin des Plantes. He created a life-size model before returning to Denmark.

The finished monument is approximately four meters tall, and carried the following inscription: Isted den 25. Juli 1850. Det danske Folk reiste dette Minde (translated as: Isted, 25 July 1850. The Danish people set this memorial)
The statue was unveiled on the 12th anniversary of the battle, July 25, 1862, at St. Mary's Cemetery in Flensburg, Schleswig's largest city. Among the celebrities attending the ceremony was writer Hans Christian Andersen.
4538054-The_Lion_of_Soeren_Kierkegaards_Plads.jpgThe Lion of Søren

The Lion of Søren


Erecting the monument in Flensburg rather than Copenhagen or Isted, was seen as a provocation by the region's German nationalists who opposed the Danish claim to sovereignty over the area. The decision to let the lion face south reinforced this feeling. It was moved to Berlin by Prussian authorities and remained there until 1945 when it was returned to Denmark as a gift from the United States Army
Lion and Lioness

Lion and Lioness


This photo is of a copy of Auguste Cain sculpture (French: Lion et lionne se disputant un sanglier). As indicated by the name, it shows a lion and a lioness fighting over a wild boar. The sculpture was created in 1879 and the copy was installed at the site in 1889 as a gift from Carl Jacobsen's Albertina Foundation
Stone Lion

Stone Lion


Flower boxes

Flower boxes

B's photo of unidenified equestrian

B's photo of unidenified equestrian

Shark boat

Shark boat

Triplets?

Triplets?


We didn't stay here at the Raddisson, but if we had taken the cruise line's hotel option, this would be where we would have stayed.
Cruise Ship Digs

Cruise Ship Digs


Since it was the cruise line's choice, it must have been good. But it was way too expensive for my budget (it would have been about 1395DKK or $261 a night) so we opted for a smaller hotel which was $100/night less. I took a picture of it from the bus because I was curious about what such an expensive hotel would look like. There is another Radisson Blu hotel (easy to get them confused) which has rooms that overlook Tivoli Gardens. If I was going to stay at one of them, the one across from the railway station would be my preference.This one has cable television, Free high-speed Internet access, restaurants, a casino, and babysitting.
Radisson

Radisson


Ivy covered building

Ivy covered building


Although, by USA standards, Copenhagen is an old city, it isn't a static showplace. In addition to the old buildings, the hop-on-hop-off bus tour took us to see the modern buildings of Copenhagen too. We saw the Black Diamond library among other buildings.
4539053-Modern_Buildings.jpgBlack Diamond Library

Black Diamond Library

Modern houses

Modern houses


4539055-Modern_Buildings.jpgBridges

Bridges


There are a lot of interesting steeples and towers in Copenhagen. Sometimes it was hard to tell if they were religious or secular. The Town Hall has a tall tower and so does the railroad station. Sometimes hotels have towers on them.
Unicorn Church steeple

Unicorn Church steeple


The Unicorn Church steeple is a very skinny steeple with inter-twined dragon tails.
Church of St. Nicholas Tower

Church of St. Nicholas Tower


The Church of St. Nicholas has a pierced tower which was almost lost due to fire when the church was almost burned to the ground in 1795. The main building was torn down and only the solid tower remained.
Church of St. Nicholas Tower

Church of St. Nicholas Tower


When the church was rebuilt, it was too costly to replace the steeple, so Carl Jacobsen financed its reconstruction in 1911. Today, Sct Nikolaj Church primarily hosts exhibitions of contemporary art.
Big flower pot

Big flower pot


My granddaughter was particularly intrigued by the story of Bishop Absolon who was characterized as a Warrier Bishop. The bus tour mentioned that the statue had many pounds of lead in the hind legs of the horse to allow the rearing position.
Bishop Absolon

Bishop Absolon


Absalon was a well educated man, born around 1128 into a powerful Sealand family. In 1167, there was just a small settlement of wattle and daub fishing huts on the site of present day Copenhagen, and little else.
4532250-Bishop_Absolon.jpgBishop Absolon

Bishop Absolon


Bishop Absolon began building a stone fortress on the site now occupied by Christiansborg Castle. It served as a base from which to destroy the Wendish pirates. It also became a thriving trading centre and became an important stop on the route from Roskilde to southern Sweden. Absalon died in 1201 and is buried in the church of the monastery founded by his family in Sorø.
Bishop Absolon

Bishop Absolon


The statue of Absalon was erected on Højbro Plads in 1902 and was created by sculptor Vilhelm Bissen (1836-1913) in bronze and the plinth is made of granite, with an engraved belt praising Absalon as a mighty brave warrior.

As it ended we caught the green route bus which overlaps the Red Tour

Green Christiania Tour

  • Main Station/Grand Hotel
  • DGI Sports Centre (originally I had planned to stop here and use their pools)
  • Glyptoteket
  • Christiansborg

I'm sure we passed Christiansborg Castle Square because we have these pictures of a statue which I think is of Christian IX in the middle.
large_DSCN0399.JPGEquestrian Statue

Equestrian Statue

large_596169754538176-Palaces_Iden..Copenhagen.jpg
It is the site of a complex of government buildings, including the Parliament, Supreme Court, and Prime Minister's office, but we only saw it from the bus. I understand that the royal family has not lived at Christianborg for over 200 years, but uses the palace for special occasions. You can't wander around the palace alone, but there is a 50-minute English language tour of the palace for 60 kroner.

  • Our Saviors Church

The most intriguing steeple (which we could not get a good picture of from the bus) was Our Saviour's Church which has a spiral staircase around the outside.
Our Saviour’s Church

Our Saviour’s Church


The building was consecrated in 1696. The tower with its characteristic spiral steeple built by Laurits de Thurah was finished in 1752 when King Frederik V personally climbed up to the top of it.

  • Holmen
  • Casino Copenhagen

This tour also took us past the infamous Christiania area
Christiania area

Christiania area


which was described on the bus tour as a kind of "hippie-free-love area" where people smoked marijuana in defiance of the laws of Denmark.
Freetown Hippie Community

Freetown Hippie Community


We passed it on the Green Route of the hop on hop off bus. Originally the area was founded by squatters in a former military area in the early 70s. From an official point of view, Christiania is regarded as a large commune. Its cannabis trade was tolerated by authorities until 2004. B thought it was funny.
4532290-Freetown_Hippie_Community_Copenhagen.jpgFreetown Hippie Community

Freetown Hippie Community


This is what the Wikipedia article says: After the military moved out, the area was only guarded by a few watchmen and there was sporadic trespassing of homeless people using the empty buildings. On 4 September, 1971, inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhood broke down the fence to take over parts of the unused area as a playground for their children.

Although the takeover was not necessarily organized in the beginning, some claim this happened as a protest against the Danish government. At the time there was a lack of affordable housing in Copenhagen.

On 26 September, 1971, Christiania was declared open by Jacob Ludvigsen, a well-known provo (ironically, the provo movement was founded in 1965 by an anti-smoking activist, Robert Jasper Grootveld) and journalist who published a magazine called Hovedbladet ('The main paper'), which was intended for and successfully distributed to mostly young people. ...

His article (translated) said:

"Christiania is the land of the settlers. It is the so far biggest opportunity to build up a society from scratch - while nevertheless still incorporating the remaining constructions. Own electricity plant, a bath-house, a giant athletics building, where all the seekers of peace could have their grand meditation - and yoga center. Halls where theater groups can feel at home. Buildings for the stoners who are too paranoid and weak to participate in the race...Yes for those who feel the beating of the pioneer heart there can be no doubt as to the purpose of Christiania. It ıs the part of the city which has been kept secret to us - but no more" It is infamous for the pot smokers - but of course pot is illegal in Denmark.
Allotment gardens from the bus

Allotment gardens from the bus


On the Hop on Hop off bus tour we learned about the garden allotments. In Danish culture the allotment garden has become a symbol of blue-collar culture - with all the positives and negatives associated with that.
Allotment gardens with pavillions from the bus

Allotment gardens with pavillions from the bus


In Copenhagen an association named "Arbejdernes Værn" (lit. "The Worker's Protection") founded the first allotment gardens in 1891 so that the people who came to the city from the country and were used to growing their own food could rent some land and grew some vegetables and be more self-sufficient. By 1904 there were some 6.000 allotment gardens in Copenhagen - about 30% of the number in Denmark as a whole. During the First World War, vegetables from the allotments became an important food supply to Denmark. The number of allotment gardens grew and by 2001 the number of allotment gardens was estimated to about 62 thousand. Today most allotment gardens are on land owned by the municipality which rents the land to an allotment association. The association in turn gives each member a plot of land. To preserve allotment gardens as something that is available for all kinds of people the membership charge is set significantly below what a market price would be. Since allotments are often placed on attractive plots of land, this has led to huge waiting lists for membership in many allotment associations.The big day to get out into the garden was and is Sunday.
788603934532405-Allotment_ga..Copenhagen.jpgClose-up of a house on an allotment

Close-up of a house on an allotment


To make it easier to work, the allotment owners started building structures on their allotment to shelter or rest in. The quirky houses aren't built according to architectural standards. These pavilions can range in size from an old rebuilt railway car to a small summer house. Many people live there the entire summer. It is not allowed to live there year-round. The houses were the main feature of the allotments that was pointed out to us.
Pavillion/ houses on allotments

Pavillion/ houses on allotments

We got off the bus about 12:45 and the next yellow line bus didn't come until 1315, plus it was raining and I wanted lunch. Because I thought my granddaughter might like to shop, I started walking down the famous pedestrian shopping street called Strøget.
In the Rain

In the Rain


Strøget is not actually the name of a specific street, but a connection between the west and east part of Copenhagen. But first she wanted to go to the Hans Christian Anderson museum and Ripley's. I agreed to Hans' museum, so we went to that. They gave us coins which we put into a turnstile to enter.
Entry tokens

Entry tokens

Window with appliance to see people in the street below

Window with appliance to see people in the street below


It had a lot of dioramas with illustration of various tales - not just the Little Mermaid but the
The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl


Thumbelina

Thumbelina

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes

DSCN0451.JPGThe Tin Soldier

The Tin Soldier


and was kind of interesting.
Hans Christen's study

Hans Christen's study


Artifact display

Artifact display


I don't remember exactly what we paid and the website price list is very fuzzy and hard to read, but I think that my granddaughter paid 5.4 DK and I paid 6.7. But we didn't get out until 12:25 which meant we missed the yellow bus. We started at the Frederiksberggade end of Strøget, but we didn't get very far before we stopped for lunch. There are plenty of places to eat, and not just Burger King and McDonalds.
Entering the pedestrian street

Entering the pedestrian street


We stopped for lunch at a place called Shawarma for lunch. There was a downstairs which operated like a fast food sandwich place. We climbed to the upstairs
Us on the stairs reflected in the mirror

Us on the stairs reflected in the mirror


where the barman would go and get us the food from downstairs - sort of like A1A Aleworks in St. Augustine in reverse - in St. Augustine, the bartender would go and get food from the restaurant upstairs. We ate looking out at the people walking up and down the street in the rain. I didn't realize it at the time but this isn't really a Danish restaurant at all, but a Lebanese one.
Part of the English menu

Part of the English menu


My granddaughter had vegetarian humus for DK 35 with two pieces of
Pita bread

Pita bread


and I had marinated grilled beef with fries and a salad for DK 79. I had seen a big side of beef downstairs, but it was sort of disappointing as the beef was a little tough.
marinated grilled beef with fries and salad DK 79

marinated grilled beef with fries and salad DK 79


We sat by the window and watched the people in the street below - McDonalds was right in our view.
Looking out of McDonalds across the street

Looking out of McDonalds across the street


B admired some dresses that were on sale out on front of the stores (under an awning because it was raining), but I could not get her to try any on.
Sundresses on sale

Sundresses on sale


We came downstairs and got ice cream
Ice cream menu

Ice cream menu


And ate it Out of the rain in front of a glove shop

And ate it Out of the rain in front of a glove shop


We decided to skip the Yellow Line which includes the Zoo, and Carlsberg and just went back to the hotel. So we walked around the corner to a taxi stand and got a taxi back to the hotel.

It was recommended to me that I take this boat tour rather than the bus tour of Copenhagen. And I would really have liked to do so.
Dock with boats

Dock with boats


But on the first day our plane got in late, we were jet lagged and I didn't get out to start touring until after the last boat left. And on the second day, B left her voucher for the boat back at the hotel. Plus the whole time we were in Copenhagen it was really cold and rainy and was pretty chilly and damp.
Canal from the bus

Canal from the bus


Like the Hop on Hop off bus, there are three routes all without a guide. The Green tour boat sails from the centre of Copenhagen (Nyhavn) via the Opera and Battery Sixtus. Then there is the Little Mermaid, Langelinie/the cruise ship harbour, The Trekroner Fortress, Halvandet/Copenhagen´s beach club and then Amaliehaven/The Royal residence on the way back to Nyhavn. The Orange line leaves from Nyhavn, and the route includes Homen, the North Atlantic Cultural House, Christianshavns Torv, The Black Diamant, Gammel Strand/the old fishermen´s village. The Blue Route includes Islands Brygge/outdoor swimming facility, the Hotel Marriott, and Fisketorvet

B took a nap. She thought we should rent the hotel bicycles, but really it wouldn't have been a good idea in the rain. I don't know how much the bikes at the hotel cost, but there is a place near the RR station and their prices are
4530983-Rental_Bikes.jpgRental Bikes

Rental Bikes


One day 95 DKK
Add one day 45 DKK

4530985-Rental_Bikes.jpgRental Bikes

Rental Bikes

One week 365 DKK
Add one day 30 DKK

Lights, basket or helmet per day 10 DKK

We could also have taken a bike tour of the city.

We did see quite a bit of the sights of Copenhagen. B took 192 pictures, and I took 149, so she feels she is 'winning'.

My daughter-in-law told my granddaughter that there wouldn't be graffiti or vandalism in European cities, and my granddaughter was disappointed to find that this was not so. So she took a lot of pictures of what she thought was vandalism - she included graffiti in this
Planaria?

Planaria?

4532289-Pictures_from_the_bus_Copenhagen.jpg4532374-Graffiti_Copenhagen.jpg4532167-Overpass_Copenhagen.jpg4532169-Train_Station_Copenhagen.jpg
large_4532164-Near_the_railroad_tracks_Copenhagen.jpgRailroad tracks

Railroad tracks

Near our hotel

Near our hotel


I remembered going to Tivoli in 1950 and we rode a new type roller coaster which part of it went into a mountain. So I especially wanted to take my granddaughter. But it was really raining quite hard and was cold. We didn't actually ride on the train in Copenhagen, but we did walk through the station on our way to Tivoli. I had been recommended to take note of the architecture particularly, but I don't have any good pictures of it.
Railroad Station Clock

Railroad Station Clock


and out the other side and in the side entrance of Tivoli
Look Up

Look Up


Side entrance

Side entrance

Woman, Man, Woman

Woman, Man, Woman


I bought unlimited ride tickets which were 400 DK each. I should not have bothered and just bought individual tickets because we couldn't do that many rides. Each single ticket is 20 DK. so we would have to use 20 tickets to get our "money's worth"
Lights at Twilight

Lights at Twilight

Fountain and statues

Fountain and statues


Tivoli

Tivoli

Tivoli flower closeup

Tivoli flower closeup


I thought it would be nice to walk around Tivoli at night and see the lights and hear the music. And there WAS music - there was a group playing in a bandstand. Unfortunately, even though it was June, the weather was rainy and cold. So we didn't sit and listen to the music very long.
Bandstand at night

Bandstand at night

Musicians

Musicians

People listening in the rain

People listening in the rain

Musician's statue

Musician's statue


First, we went on the Ferris Wheel.
4538715-Fountains_below_Copenhagen.jpgFountains below from the ferris wheel

Fountains below from the ferris wheel


4535532-Ferris_Wheel_views.jpgMy granddaughter

My granddaughter


4538705-Looking_down_on_the_park_Copenhagen.jpgLooking past my ear

Looking past my ear

Looking down on the ride from the Ferris Wheel

Looking down on the ride from the Ferris Wheel

4535529-Ferris_Wheel_views.jpg4535530-Ferris_Wheel_views.jpg
Across the park

Across the park


We went around twice (which we could do because it was rainy and no one was waiting) because I wanted to have a second chance to take pictures of the town. The Ferris wheel is one of the real classics at Tivoli, and the views from it are great - even in the rain
large_4535533-Ferris_Wheel_views.jpg
4538713-Part_of_the_park_Copenhagen.jpgTown Hall

Town Hall


Out over town

Out over town


View from the top

View from the top


After we did the Ferris Wheel, we took the Mine ride. I really wanted to take one of the original roller coasters that I had taken in 1950, but I didn't know which ride that was - all I remembered was that it went inside at one point. It wasn't this one. I was a good ride to take in that it was starting to rain, and most of it was inside. It was mostly little boats on water, and some scary things popping out - there wasn't much of a roller coaster to it. It was a two ticket ride (40 DK)
Minen

Minen

DSCN0490.JPG4535572-Entrance_Copenhagen.jpg Going under

Going under

Moon rise

Moon rise


From outside Tivoli you can see the top of this ride which is called the
Spinning Top Ride

Spinning Top Ride


People sit in swings, and the center starts to spin and the swings spin out to the side as the center that they are attached to goes up to the top of the tower, and then comes down again.
Swings at Tivoli

Swings at Tivoli


4535564-Tivoli_Ride_Star_Flyer_Copenhagen.jpg Bottom of the tower

Bottom of the tower


My granddaughter took several pictures of this ride from outside the park, so when we went in, she wanted to ride on it. This ride isn't the most expensive (it only takes two tickets) or the newest ride - that is call Vertigo and takes four tickets. Each single ticket is 20 DK.
4535567-Tivoli_Ride_Star_Flyer_Copenhagen.jpg4535568-Tivoli_Ride_Star_Flyer_Copenhagen.jpg
I took photos of the tower rides from the ground as she rode it.There is an impressive 360-degree panorama view from the Star Flyer – but she did not take her camera up with her - I did not venture that high.
B coming back to me after the ride

B coming back to me after the ride


Lotto

Lotto


Then I saw a Danish restaurant called
Divan 2 Restaurant

Divan 2 Restaurant


and the menu outside said they had smorgesbord, but what I didn't realize was that it was only for lunch (the menu being in Danish I couldn't read it all). This was a fancy gormet restaurant, and we weren't really dressed for it. They put us in the back with the non-alcoholic muslim women and men with no coats or ties.
Table decoration at the restaurant

Table decoration at the restaurant


B and I both had appetizers
Seafood bisque (115DK)

Seafood bisque (115DK)


and she had risotto (95 DK). I tried the
blanched asparagus 175 DK

blanched asparagus 175 DK


but I found it disappointing as it didn't taste like asparagus. The little shrimp and sauce with it was nice but not worth 175 DK. Then we both had
Strawberries Romanov for dessert (125DK ea)

Strawberries Romanov for dessert (125DK ea)


While we were there, they did something to some steaks that involved a brandy flambe which was quite spectacular.
Set up for the brandy flambe

Set up for the brandy flambe


B had two cokes, and I had cranberry juice. The bill was not only a horrible 584DK but they added 25% tax onto it and then an additional 3% for a foreign credit card. So I guess I will have to wait to try smorgesbord. When we walked back though the train station, I was sitting resting while B went to look at something. I saw a map of the station and went over to it,
Map of the station

Map of the station


and so I wasn't where she expected to see me when she came out. I saw her running around and called but she didn't hear me, so I moved out closer to the central clock,
The big clock inside

The big clock inside


and she finally came around again I was able to flag her down.

Tomorrow is Embarkation Day

Posted by greatgrandmaR 19:55 Archived in Denmark Comments (0)

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