Before I left the UK I had a brief stopover in London staying with another ex-passenger, Kath, and her flatmate George (both Aussies).  I very briefly caught up with ex-workmate, Fi, who has just moved over here for her big OE.

Next stop was Copenhagen in Denmark where I stayed with Lars, then Lis and Graham, who were all ex-passengers of mine.  Their warm hospitality was greatly appreciated though I could have done without the hangover!(thanks Lis & Graham)  What a great city with a 900 year old history!  It was so easy to walk around, once I got used to looking the opposite way for traffic and not forgetting to watch out for cyclists!  I was really struck by the number of bikes, not realising Denmark is a relatively flat country.  Another aspect of Copenhagen to stand out for me was that they seem to have very sweet tooths.  There were countless tempting arrays of pastries displayed in windows everywhere.  Of course, it wouldn´t seem right unless you tried some of them.  Lars also introduced me to the smørrebrød which is the famous Danish open sandwich.... a positive artform which is more about the toppings than the tiny piece of rye bread hidden underneath.  Delicious! 

It wasn´t just about the food and the beer.  I did a canal boat tour which was a great way to view highlights of the city, though my hands and face were frozen by the end of it.  (I´ve tried not to comment about how cold it was but did get used to wearing 3 to 4 layers of clothing!)  I managed to last an hour or so at the National Museum, which has a very impressive collection of artefacts.  It´s just that I´m not really a museum person.  Lis took me on a drive out of the city to Kronborg Castle and Fredensborg Palace (where the Danish royal family reside some of the year).  Lars also took me on an ´interesting´ drive to Roskilde where the Viking Museum is and also to another couple of places which I don´t remember the name of (sorry Lars)

I really enjoyed my time in Copenhagen.  It´s a great city and I´d love to go back and explore more of Denmark and Scandanavia, but next time in the summer!