Calm Waters
I write this post as my ship, the Crown of Scandinavia, cuts through the North Sea. It's 9:35 pm and the Sun is just barely starting to set here. It has been a full day for me, packing to check out of my Dorm room (Trying to creep like a mouse is impossible when you're packing three giant crinkly ziploc bags into a backpack. Miraculously, everything fit in my pack, and I managed to lock it up at the train station (When I leave for the ferry, I figured the best route is to take the S-Tog local trains to Nordhavn and walk from there). I set out for Strøget (The shopping district for those of you that haven't been paying attention), for a coffee and Danish. I stop for a chocolate croissant and a latte. A nice quiet moment to savor, it's about 8:30am, and nothing opens until 10. Upon finishing, I get up and walk down to the Slotsholmen area, which is a man made island in the middle of Copenhagen, isolated by the canal system. There are bridges everywhere leading to it, so maybe isolated is the wrong word, but too late now. Slotsholmen holds the Library and, more importantly, Christianborg Palace, the center of power in Denmark. This is where the Parliament is located, and where Queen Margarethe entertains foreign dignitaries and audiences of her realm.
There's a guided tour at 11am which gives me just enough time to first take in The Jewish Museum of Denmark, which lays out the history of Danish Jews through artifacts and video displays. The Museum is designed by acclaimed architect Daniel Liebeskind, who has designed, among other things, the tower to be put up at One World Trade Center. The Building itself is an older building, it's the layout of the Museum built into the old building that is interesting. Liebskind has taken the letters of the Hebrew word Mitzvah (In this context it means an act of goodness) and incorporated them into the physical layout of the museum. The wooden floors rise and fall, and the corridors criss-cross, allowing you to determine the order in which you view the exhibits. Prayers and passages from the bible are projected onto the walls, and videoscreens tell of Denmark's Jewish History. Liebskind's use of the Mitzvah motif is meant to recall that Denmark saved Jews during the Holocaust, sending 7,000 of them by boat to Sweden (and safety), and that Denmark's collaborator government was able to self-manage a concentration camp that, while not idyllic, was not a death camp, and people there mostly survived. It is an unusual and moving exhibition, and it's built under old brick casements and feels like a melding of the old with the new.
I was particularly happy to share the experience with other Jews, Mitchell (I think?) and Debbie, ex-Montrealers now living in Florida. I was able to make a connection in that Debbie knew people who had lived in my parents building, and who I even went to school with. I suppose if you're going to play Jewish Geography in Denmark, the Museum's the place to do it.
From there I went up to Christianborg Palace to take the guided tour. Christian IV, the builder king, is the most beloved King in their history, serving nearly 50 years and losing almost every war he fought. He basically built Copenhagen. So if it seems to you that everything is named for Christian (Christianshavn, Christiania), it's just how it is here (And to underscore that, the guided tour was given by a man named Christian). The Castle has many opulently appointed rooms, but less interesting than the actual rooms is the fact that this is where things happen. We stand in a room where the next day, Queen Margarethe is apparently meeting with the president of the EU. The rooms are fascinating however, full of paintings, tapestry, furniture, and libraries. Even the stains in the carpet seem to have a story to tell. A highly recommended tour, worth looking like a goof in slippers that slide over your shoes (Although the tour guide seems to get out of that!)
From there I hustled down to Christshavn, which is on the south side of the river, and Our Savior's Cathedral, which is notable for the spire that you can climb up about 400 feet I think? After climbing the claustrophobic tower, you come upon a winding staircase that will take you to the best lookout in the city, from where you can see the bridge to Sweden, and all the way across town. The climb is a Herculean effort, and when I get down I am exhausted (And strating to dehydrate). I buy a bottle of water and head across the river back to downtown, and my lunch place, Riz Raz Vegetarian Buffet. Recommended by the Lonely Planet and Rick Steves, this is an inexpensive delight for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, especially for lunch. Piles of Pizza, Pasta, Vegetables, Salad, Falafel are yours for the taking at a reasonable 69kr.
After a bit of window-shopping on Strøget, I grabbed my bag from the train station locker and made my way up to the port and caught my ship. After the hustle of Copenhagen, it feels great to be able to take it easy for the night, have a room and bathroom to myself, enjoy a gourmet meal and rest. I am also enjoying the Kakuro puzzles my brother gave me as a send-off that I was very reluctant to bring. Tomorrow morning I arrive in Oslo! Until then, I will enjoy what the ship has to offer, even if it's just a sound sleep!
There's a guided tour at 11am which gives me just enough time to first take in The Jewish Museum of Denmark, which lays out the history of Danish Jews through artifacts and video displays. The Museum is designed by acclaimed architect Daniel Liebeskind, who has designed, among other things, the tower to be put up at One World Trade Center. The Building itself is an older building, it's the layout of the Museum built into the old building that is interesting. Liebskind has taken the letters of the Hebrew word Mitzvah (In this context it means an act of goodness) and incorporated them into the physical layout of the museum. The wooden floors rise and fall, and the corridors criss-cross, allowing you to determine the order in which you view the exhibits. Prayers and passages from the bible are projected onto the walls, and videoscreens tell of Denmark's Jewish History. Liebskind's use of the Mitzvah motif is meant to recall that Denmark saved Jews during the Holocaust, sending 7,000 of them by boat to Sweden (and safety), and that Denmark's collaborator government was able to self-manage a concentration camp that, while not idyllic, was not a death camp, and people there mostly survived. It is an unusual and moving exhibition, and it's built under old brick casements and feels like a melding of the old with the new.
I was particularly happy to share the experience with other Jews, Mitchell (I think?) and Debbie, ex-Montrealers now living in Florida. I was able to make a connection in that Debbie knew people who had lived in my parents building, and who I even went to school with. I suppose if you're going to play Jewish Geography in Denmark, the Museum's the place to do it.
From there I went up to Christianborg Palace to take the guided tour. Christian IV, the builder king, is the most beloved King in their history, serving nearly 50 years and losing almost every war he fought. He basically built Copenhagen. So if it seems to you that everything is named for Christian (Christianshavn, Christiania), it's just how it is here (And to underscore that, the guided tour was given by a man named Christian). The Castle has many opulently appointed rooms, but less interesting than the actual rooms is the fact that this is where things happen. We stand in a room where the next day, Queen Margarethe is apparently meeting with the president of the EU. The rooms are fascinating however, full of paintings, tapestry, furniture, and libraries. Even the stains in the carpet seem to have a story to tell. A highly recommended tour, worth looking like a goof in slippers that slide over your shoes (Although the tour guide seems to get out of that!)
From there I hustled down to Christshavn, which is on the south side of the river, and Our Savior's Cathedral, which is notable for the spire that you can climb up about 400 feet I think? After climbing the claustrophobic tower, you come upon a winding staircase that will take you to the best lookout in the city, from where you can see the bridge to Sweden, and all the way across town. The climb is a Herculean effort, and when I get down I am exhausted (And strating to dehydrate). I buy a bottle of water and head across the river back to downtown, and my lunch place, Riz Raz Vegetarian Buffet. Recommended by the Lonely Planet and Rick Steves, this is an inexpensive delight for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, especially for lunch. Piles of Pizza, Pasta, Vegetables, Salad, Falafel are yours for the taking at a reasonable 69kr.
After a bit of window-shopping on Strøget, I grabbed my bag from the train station locker and made my way up to the port and caught my ship. After the hustle of Copenhagen, it feels great to be able to take it easy for the night, have a room and bathroom to myself, enjoy a gourmet meal and rest. I am also enjoying the Kakuro puzzles my brother gave me as a send-off that I was very reluctant to bring. Tomorrow morning I arrive in Oslo! Until then, I will enjoy what the ship has to offer, even if it's just a sound sleep!
posted by Steven at 3:35 PM
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