Copenhagen Is My Favorite

What a city. There is much to do and see here. There are so many varying styles of architecture, so many cultural influences in one place! The streets remind me of Spain, the red roofs of Aarhaus, the hurried, fashionable people of New York, and the curving buildings of London. It is such a cool place.

Copenhagen 1.0

What a day.

A short walk from the cruise ship port, we paid a visit to the famous Mermaid Statue, a tribute to the original Hans Christian Anderson fairytale.

It was right on the water, surrounded by throngs of tourists. We then walked along the water, which was gorgeous, and into the town center. From there, we took the stereotypical shots along the canal with the colored buildings, then crossed a bridge into Christianshavn, one of the counter-culture areas in Copenhagen. We did find a lovely coffee shop to stop and get our bearings at. As I examined a map, I saw we were very close to Our Saviour’s Church, which featured a famous spiral climb to the top of the spire. I encouraged the group to come climb with me!

Our Savior's Church!

It was absolutely worth it. There were many small exhibits along the way about the history of the Our Savior's Church, including a very impressive (and strangely lit) belfry! It was tricky navigating the very narrow and steep wooden staircases, as people were ascending and descending simultaneously. Once we reached the outdoor balcony and stairway, it was a bit nerve-wracking—the edge was right there! Take a look at the slide show of photos below. What a view (Please excuse my crazed expression, I was cold and a bit windblown!).

After our descent, Kirsty, Agnes, and I walked back into town to find food. I asked a tourist stand for a recommendation and was encouraged to try traditional, Danish, open-faced sandwiches, or Smorrebrod. The man behind the stand pointed to a place right behind me.

As we walked into Slotskaelderen hos Gitte Kik, which is the name of the restaurant, I noticed a Michelin sign on the door.

The three of us stepped into what looks like an antique dining room. It was very empty. A sweet server asked if we had a reservation, which we obviously did not. He quickly consulted his paper schedule and directed us to a small table by the door, saying that we could stay there for 45 minutes. That was more than enough time for us, so we sat down and then went to choose our food.

All of our options were laid out on a table in front of the kitchen, each covered in plastic wrap and ranging in price depending upon the ingredients. I chose a potato and egg situation over brown bread, Kirsty went with the beef tartar, and Agnes opted for salmon and caviar. The woman behind the table nodded and went into the kitchen to make our food. We proceeded back to our table to order our drinks. I enjoyed an elderflower cider, which was a treat and-a-half! During our minimal wait for our food to arrive, I did some research on what we were about to eat.

Smorrebrod is a traditional Danish cuisine dating back to the Middle Ages.

The bread underneath acted as a "plate," and it was common to eat the plate, too. Over time, a delicacy was born, and this restaurant was one of the most famous places that still served traditional smorrebrod. As soon as our food came, the entire restaurant filled with people. We seriously lucked out-- what an adventure!

Copenhagen 2.0

Today was a gorgeous day, hot enough for me to wear a tank top. This felt like a foreign concept to me. You mean I can walk outside without a monster ice jacket shielding my torso from arctic winds?? What is this?? Spring??? I had forgotten what it felt like. You know... sun?

Kirsty and I walked to, you guessed it, a cemetery! But not just any cemetery, oh no, the cemetery where Hans Christian Anderson was buried! It seemed an appropriate resting place for the poet, which he apparently chose for himself: I couldn't help but imagine a fairytale taking place among the non-landscaped flora and fauna, the trees providing shade for those resting here, the sun streaming through the leaves, effectively spotting the ground with light.

Upon his own gravestone, Hans had written:

"The soul god in his image has created is invoilable can not be lost our earthly life here is the seed of eternity our body dies but the soul can not die."

After a calming stroll around the rest of the cemetery, we took a very long walk past the Zoological Museum. Kirsty could sense my hangriness, so she guided us to a café. Anyone who knows me knows how dire the situation can get if I remain hangry for too long, and so for this course of action I honor Kirsty Wright. Thank you, Kirsty. We enjoyed a lovely meal, then continued on in our adventures.

We walked in the hot sun along the Copenhagen lake and back into town. After a little bit of shopping, we found a beautiful food hall teeming with life. I had some of the best gelato I've ever tasted: hazelnut. Wow wow wow. I missed ice cream.

Afterwards, we sat in the main shopping square, basking in the sun and catching up on all things wifi. What a lovely day!

Copenhagen 3.0

My third chance to explore Copenhagen proved to be a rainy day. I exited Cara during a respite from the rain, which left a very fresh climate appropriate for me to walk into town. Everything was green now, but in a different way than the last two times I had been here... coming to ports more than once allows you to see a part of the world in all weather conditions, giving you many impressions of the same place. I can safely say that I love Copenhagen, rain or shine.

The Danish Museum of Design is free for people under the age of 25, so that is what I did!

My dad would have l o v e d this museum. First of all, the building is gorgeous. Secondly, the Danish have perfected the chair. I have never seen so many chairs in my life!

The first section of the museum covered Bauhaus, a school in the early 20th century that was founded on the principles of creating and perfecting systems of design to economize structure for the benefit of society (think the creation of the co-op). Super cool, but with an unfortunate ending. The Nazis shut Bauhaus down, but the ideas created there lived on in Scandinavian minimalism and the trends of streamlining everyday objects.

Everything on display in this exhibit apparently has aspects of design originating from the Bauhaus days.

My favorite exhibit was one that showed how Danish designers continue to push the boundaries of design today. It was a room full of furniture made by contestants on a current Danish reality show. Competing contestants create pieces furniture within a set of guidelines that are, above all else, functional, original, and comfortable. There were TVs at either end of the room showing episodes, so viewers could see which pieces of furniture won each challenge and then go look at them in person.

After the museum, I found a beautiful café decorated in bright colors. I ordered an omelette and wrote my blog! On my way back to the ship, I stopped in a the Meyers Bageri. I linked it because I literally had the best cinnamon bun of my life. The world stopped. Go there.

As I walked through the city of Copenhagen, trying to slow down and not scoff the bun as though I had five minutes to live, I was so very happy. The day had turned from brisk and rainy to just a bit wet and slightly sunny.

Everyone was out and about and the colors on the streets seemed magnified in the new sun.

I walked into Frederik’s Church on a whim, just to briefly view the inside. I actually think the exterior is more impressive than the interior, but that may also be because I have seen so many churches in the last six months.

Finally, there was some sort of Japanese culture festival taking place on the lawn right by the harbor. It continued to support my view of Copenhagen as a huge cultural hub, full of people who want to learn, eat, talk, spend time outside, and participate fully in life. I would come back here in a heartbeat.

Copenhagen 4.0

I completely neglected the fact that we come to Copenhagen once more, in May! Today was joyous. I was able to enjoy the city in the fullness of spring. Luisa had never been to Copenhagen, so I walked with her past all of the touristy places. We then went to the shopping district, which I had not frequented at all. The tall buildings and wide streets reminded me so much of Jungfernstieg, the shopping area of Hamburg. Happy times! We had ample shopping success. After we were all shopped out, George met us at Joe and the Juice (Did you know that Joe is originally a Danish chain?), and I blogged. A nice, easy day. On our way back to the ship, we happened upon a big march of people. I believe it was for the EU elections that have been going on!

Please make it your goal to visit Copenhagen. There are so many places to explore in this city, it is definitely a three or four-day adventure!