Day in Denmark...

Copenhagen is Scandinavia's largest and liveliest city and is one of Europe's most seductive destinations. It has the cultural and social attractions of a major European capital, but it's about as compact as they come. There's a treasure trove of castles, churches, and museums to explore as well as lavish parks and gardens. Once again this is Denmark where the free city bikes are, but there were none to be found the other day. Even at stands where the locks lay empty for about 20 of them!! The city was buzzing with life!! This major city, once a fishing village, developed within the shelter of Slotsholm, the island dominated by the Christianborg Palace. It was built as a base to fend off the Germans. Copenhagen is a derivative of Danish words meaning "port of the merchants." It expanded in the 15th century and flourished during the reign of Christian IV. We took the train into town as we did last time. It's pretty easy. You walk out of port and within 15 minutes, you're on a central line right to the heart of the city where you can also catch the subways and busses. The ticket is good for an hour and you can ride as much as you want. It's all on the honor system. We paid for our tickets, but no one checked us. We arrived in the heart of the city and right outside is Tivoli amusement park. It's supposed to have a fabulous nightlife and gardens, but there's not much there in the way of rides. The shopping here is amazing. TONS of places to go along the strip and as you're walking you get the random church or Danish garden or even sculpture as you pass by. In my 2 visits to Copenhagen, we saw the Kongens Have (a park) where the Rosenborg Slot Castle is, the Botanical Gardens, 4 different churches including the Marmorkurken Church that makes it on all the postcards in the background of the Amalienborg Palace (which I also saw), and the infamous Christianborg Palace. There's so much to see and do here. A large canal runs around the whole city (like the Cuyahoga River runs through Cleveland) and there's a smaller canal that runs around the Christianborg Palace. Denmark is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen so there's a statue of the Little Mermaid here in a park near port that I still haven't got a glimpse of yet. The day is a little rushed since the city is technically 20 minutes from the ship and it's a home port which means we have to be back by 4pm for passenger safety drill. I also hear the town of Christiania is supposed to be a beautiful sight so I'll get there next time. It's a free town, a self-declared "independent state" in the heart of Denmark. Supposedly the hippies of the 60s and 70s resided here on a "no rent and no local tax" policy of a city for the people by the people. They broke into abandoned barracks and refused to leave despite violent confrontations with the state. The government eventually agreed to make Christiania a "social experiment" and it's emerged 1,00 strong with it's own radio, education system, theatre, and social scene. It's considered an inexpensive place for entertainment and cafes. Hopefully I can get one of those city bikes and ride over there. The feel here is hip just like it is in Aarhus. The architecture is amazing and it's such a huge city with lots of beauty in it. Street entertainers throughout the city, soapbox speakers, and tons of shopping and cafes. It's really a place to come and spend more than just a few hours. One more visit here.