Copenhagen
The bloody blog has not saved my latest entry. We built up trust and it worked for a while then just when I am relaxed that all is well it lets me down again. Not happy. I normally write it offline as a way of reducing the risk given past problems but was writing online tonight. Back to no trust again.
We arrived at Copenhagen on 28Dec19 and will leave for Malta on 31Dec19. Enjoying Copenhagen.
28 Dec 19
Bergen - Copenhagen
I generally get a little tense and short when moving between sites when we travel. It is a throwback from my time in the military where activities were planned and executed. The same applies when we travel but I don’t have as much control so the uncertainty makes me a little anxious. In reality the world doesn’t end if we miss a transit but I like things to run like clockwork.
Everything worked out perfectly for our travel. No rain, no trouble getting the tram ticket, smooth checkin, smooth customs, easy flight. I have to admit that I was like a bear with a sore head during the travel as was tired and fell asleep almost as soon as we got settled on the plane.
I was impressed with the cheek of a couple of British travellers who managed to bring 5 bags on board the small jet. That was taking the carry on luggage a bit too far. Sometimes I think that the plane will tip over and fly upside down with the amount of carry on luggage and am sure that only a small percentage of it would actually fit in the size testing frame that airlines often have available. We also are exploiters of the rules but a little more sophisticated. We wore our now boots and expedition coats onto the plane.
The train ride from Copenhagen airport was only 15minutes. There were friendly people to help us get the right ticket and train. We arrived at Copenhagen central and had a few problems figuring out how to get off the platform as the escalator was broken and then getting down to street level.
Vanessa had selected a hotel only about 2min away from the train station so it was easy to find. The checkin was interesting. We are essentially staying in a hostel, annex Copenhagen, which is exactly as the name indicates. The reception pointed us in the direction where there was self checkin where we even got to program our own door swipe cards. There was no information on where the room was located and the showers and toilets were unmarked doors. There was an elevator which also was unmarked. It was a voyage of discovery.
We got to our room after asking the cleaning staff. The hostel was actually pretty good. Not for everyone as we have a room without bathroom but has a double bed, sink and TV. It is a bit noisy sometimes as people forget that hostels haven’t figured out that noise carries and some have not figured out how to close doors without slamming. It is pretty normal from our experiences. Nice pick Vanessa.
We love Copenhagen. It is Scandinavia meets the Netherlands. It has character and charm. Watch out as you walk around as there are cars that mostly stop for zebra crossing and people on pushbikes racing around that sometimes stop for zebra crossing. It is easy to forget as the inner city is packed with interesting architecture and shops off all types even down the back streets.
It has been sounding like a war zone since we arrived. There are explosions all over the place and I wondered whether it was a type of bird deterrent however it turns out that Denmark allows the general public to legally use of fireworks from the 27 December to 1 January each year. Hence the random explosions of various intensities. Every year 200-300 people are injured due to fireworks!
29 Dec 19
Copenhagen
We had decided not to get the Copenhagen card as we had visited many of the exhibits previously but had not visited Tripoli gardens even though it was across the road from our hotel 10 years ago. Today we purchased a ticket for a canal tour and entry to Tripoli.
The canal tour was great. It was expensive compared with competitors but the commentary was good and we got some insider information to sit on the starboard side from the staff which was correct as 90% of the commentary was for that side. We would have heard more but we had some young and excitable Italians who started talking even with shoosh hints from the boat. It also was funny with the guide asking the people at the back of the boat to sit down then becoming more assertive telling them to sit down on almost each bridge that we passed under. It was quite amusing. Maybe she should have just let them stand up without the final warning so that we could have applauded the thud and soon followed by the splash for the slow learners.
Plenty of walking today. It was not cold at -1 deg C but the wind made it uncomfortable.
We went back to the hostel for a break and some dinner then on to Tripoli gardens. It is quite an amusement park. We had seen if from the outside but did not realise how large it was until we wandered around. Very impressive. It certainly could drain your wallet if you were not careful as the rides are additional to the entry fee. The same could be said for Copenhagen or Scandinavia in general unless you lived within the economy.
I would recommend visiting as it is quite interesting and has something for everyone. The Christmas theme was still on display when we visited.
One highlight was the water and light show to classical music accompanied by the screams of those on the amusement ride. We made sure to position ourselves outside of the vomit zone.
30 Dec 19
Copenhagen
We slept in today and took our time with breakfast. We could have spent about AUD$30 each per day on breakfast at the hotel but were happy with muesli, milk and bananas from the local LIDL supermarket. Total cost AUD$12 for 3 days. The hostel also has a refrigerator so it is easy to store the milk.
Anyway were suddenly were running late as we wanted to get to the changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace which was about 2km away. I set the course and headed off walking at speed leaving Vanessa to trail along. It was a nice walk and we knew the way arriving at just 1120am with only 10 minutes to spare. It turned out that the change of the guard started closer to 1200pm.
We were standing around waiting and the lights in the palace went off and the flag indicating royalty was in residence lowered. It was as if we, the poor cousins from Australia, had arrived for a free feed and Fred and Mary were having none of it. There may be a little deviation from the truth but perception is reality. We didn’t weren’t looking for a free meal as we had our sandwiches.
It was good to watch the guards going through the formal changes. They were dressed as toy soldiers and there was a child watching with his grandmother who was dressed up almost identically. The formalities dragged on so we left before it was compete.
Our friends Marcus and Rachel were arriving this evening and staying out near Rosenburg castle so we decided to walk out and have a look at the location. It was quite an interesting walk as it took us through the castle gardens and along the botanic garden. We have not found any of the walks tedious at all.
Another big walking day which was enjoyable although I have now seized up and am walking around like a robot as I am quite out of condition but would be out wandering again tomorrow if we were not flying out to Malta.
We have a little regret not staying for new year in Copenhagen but we are double booked.
