Copenhagen (Day 3 - 'Round Copenhagen)
Apparently you can get a free ride in this town! I just took a bike ride on a Copenhagen free bike. It was a lucky find, having only seen ones with broken chains, poles where the seat should be, etc. I drove it all the way past the waterways bordering the city on the north side (Actually not that far up, but in crossing the water I was breaking the free bike rules and could face stiff fines! I am in one piece, and so's the bike. This is a safe biking city, with special bike lanes criss-crossing downtown, and lights set up just for bikers. It's very safe.
The better part of my day has been spent outside Copenhagen, starting with Fredricksborg Castle, a renaissance era structure that's often called the "Danish Versailles". It bears resemblance with its opulent gardens, which stretch a kilometer from the castle and include waterways and greenery cut to the image of the royal seals of the Danish Monarchs. The castle itself is nice, with a lavish church, and some nicely appointed rooms, but I can barely remember it 8 hours later. I then bought a Shawarma sandwich near the train station and hopped over to Helsingor, a nice, bustling little market town directly accross the water from Helsingborg, Sweden. Swedes apparently come here en masse to buy liquor, which is controlled by the government.
The castle there is notable for its connection to Hamlet (Helsingor/Elsinore). Shakespeare's engraving is carved here. But the connection is meaningless, Shakespeare was never there, he only heard about it from travelling performers. And it was built centuries after the time the legend Hamlet is based on was said to have occurred. Although Olivier shot his version at Helsingor.
I wandered the streets for a little while and took the train back to Copenhagen. I ate dinner in Det Lille Apotek, which is the city's oldest restaurant, almost 300 years old. Hans Christian Andersen himself has apparently dined there (Albeit not recently). There was a Rick Steves' tour group dining there and I chatted with some of them during dinner.
So here I am, having had a nice meal and a nice bike ride (And I finished last night's post). Going to surf the web a bit more, but I have to return to the hostel(I am working from a net cafe in the train station that's half the price of the hostel). I have to get ready for 9am checkout and I need to make sure I can close my bag again! Tomorrow I want to hit the Danish Museum of Jewish History and Our Savior's Church, which apparently has a spectacular view of the city from the top of its spire.
Signing off...
The better part of my day has been spent outside Copenhagen, starting with Fredricksborg Castle, a renaissance era structure that's often called the "Danish Versailles". It bears resemblance with its opulent gardens, which stretch a kilometer from the castle and include waterways and greenery cut to the image of the royal seals of the Danish Monarchs. The castle itself is nice, with a lavish church, and some nicely appointed rooms, but I can barely remember it 8 hours later. I then bought a Shawarma sandwich near the train station and hopped over to Helsingor, a nice, bustling little market town directly accross the water from Helsingborg, Sweden. Swedes apparently come here en masse to buy liquor, which is controlled by the government.
The castle there is notable for its connection to Hamlet (Helsingor/Elsinore). Shakespeare's engraving is carved here. But the connection is meaningless, Shakespeare was never there, he only heard about it from travelling performers. And it was built centuries after the time the legend Hamlet is based on was said to have occurred. Although Olivier shot his version at Helsingor.
I wandered the streets for a little while and took the train back to Copenhagen. I ate dinner in Det Lille Apotek, which is the city's oldest restaurant, almost 300 years old. Hans Christian Andersen himself has apparently dined there (Albeit not recently). There was a Rick Steves' tour group dining there and I chatted with some of them during dinner.
So here I am, having had a nice meal and a nice bike ride (And I finished last night's post). Going to surf the web a bit more, but I have to return to the hostel(I am working from a net cafe in the train station that's half the price of the hostel). I have to get ready for 9am checkout and I need to make sure I can close my bag again! Tomorrow I want to hit the Danish Museum of Jewish History and Our Savior's Church, which apparently has a spectacular view of the city from the top of its spire.
Signing off...
posted by Steven at 3:31 PM
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