Day 14 - Copenhagen

Sunny and about 8 in the AM and about 14 in the PM



Copenhagen Streee - ealy morning

 The disembarkment from the ship was an easy process. All passengers were assigned a color and departure location that facilitated an orderly departure. Bob and Edna were the first of our gang to leave as they departed at 5:15 AM. They were off to Berlin by train and their arrangements we different from ours. The rest of us were to disembark at 7:15 AM with our blue 3 group. Allan and Pam were scheduled to disembark at 8:15 AM as they were flying to Brussels and taking a tain to Bruges for a few days. So we left at different times and some of us assembled at the Mayfair Hotel at about 7:45 AM. We loaded up the baggage room and sat for a short period and then we set off to for the Rosenborg Castle. The day was bright sunshine with cool temperatures in the morning.



Walking in the Rosenborg Park



We walked a new path through the city to get to the castle and found the city to be quiet with sort of a post party atmosphere. When we got to the City Hall we found the square to be in chaos and a number of folks working hard to remove the piles of garbage. Apparently there had been a celebration there the night before.



Marble Room in Rosenburg Castle



We carried on to the Rosenborg Castle and managed to arrive just as they opened. That afforded us the opportunity to see the rooms without anyone else in them. The 1700's experience was a definite show of wealth and power but these guys were amateurs when compared to the Russians. I wish I had seen this site before we went to Russia. None-the-less Frederick and the line of kings who added to this castle over time did a job of it. It was interesting that in the marble room the entire room looked like different colors and shapes of marble but all of it was painted over plaster. There was an appearance of wealth but using simple materials along with some key artists who specialized in the disguise. We strolled through the antiquities and enjoyed the openness of the castle. The gardens surrounding the building were beautiful and a lovely place for the locals to walk and enjoy the great outdoors. The last stop of our tour was in the basement. It was the Treasury where armed guards protected the entrance as there were some very precious and historic jewels and collectables inside. There were simple bracelets, spoons, necklaces, carved ivory etc. inside but the two best pieces were the crowns worn by the kings and queens of Denmark. It was interesting to stroll through some very early gold and diamonds that sparkled in the subdued light. We had to pay a photo fee to be able to photograph in this castle. It was 20 DKK (kroner worth about $4) and it was added to the entry fee of 55 DKK. We spent a little more than 90 minutes wandering about and ohing and ahing and then set off through town to find Nyhaven for lunch.

We noticed a marked increase in the number of people when we got to this area as it was noonish and the tourists and locals we converging for a lunch in the sunshine. We found Nyhaven 17 which had a table big enough with part sun and part shade and small heaters under the umbrella. We enjoyed Danish chicken sandwiches, salads and nachos, with a glass of wine on the side. It was fun to people watch from our vantage point and we stayed for an hours and a half. Our waitress was a beautiful Finish girl who lives in Copenhagen with her parents but studies in Scotland. Her accent was a blend of International schooling and she was very polite and articulate. We then made our way to the ice cream shop down the street that makes it's own waffle cones. One of Freddi's favourite stops.



We then walked back to the hotel as it was just after the 2 PM check-in time. Our rooms were ready so we adjourned to our rooms. We re-ordered our bags as we would be flying the following day and some of the packing done the day before was not conducive for checked luggage. We then lay down to enjoy the 60th Jubilee Flotilla in London on the television. The millions of adoring by-standers made me wonder if our coincidental arrival in London would be a treat or acurse as there were throngs everywhere for the Jubilee weekend.  In that time frame sleep snuck in and took over for a while. My sore throat had been holding on so the extra snooze paid off. We met for dinner in the hotel and enjoyed the small servings again. After dinner we strolled the streets and chatted about the trip and the architecture around us. Retiring for the evening was welcomed about 10:30 PM.



Kingly crowns in Rosenburg Castle