18 May 2019 -- Day 10 -- Copenhagen
We arrived in port early again and were treated to another early morning of dense fog. However by 10:00am it started to lift and the day turned warm and sunny.
Copenhagen is such a beautiful city with old world charm mixed with modern architecture.
Of course, a visit to Copenhagen wouldn't be complete without seeing the Little Mermaid of the Sea and Hans Christian Andersen's home.
Early in the reign of King Christian, a dirt levee fortification was constructed in the shape of a five-pointed star to protect the area from invaders. It was called the Kastellet (The Citadel), and was a self-sufficient community with gardens, a windmill for grinding flour, and the church, of which the back served as a jail. Holes were drilled in the common wall between the church and the jail so that the prisoners would always hear the sermons. A commander's house stood across from the church. The King never got his palace built there, though, as it was deemed too expensive.
We then worked our way to Nyhavn, the New Harbor, and the 17th and 18th Century houses that line both sides of the canal. Absolutely a site to see!
This was the end of our walking tour, but not the end of our day in Copenhagen. Our Swedish exchange student, Jonas Green, who was with us in San Diego in 1987, came with his family to spend the rest of the afternoon with us. What a pleasant treat! We had a typical Danish lunch and then walked to the Tivoli Gardens, an old amusement park in the center of Copenhagen.
Along the way we passed other sites, such as city hall, the main city square, the largest department store in Denmark, and other old architectural sights.
Then back to the ship and wonderful memories, of a wonderful day, in a wonderful and delightful city!
We arrived in port early again and were treated to another early morning of dense fog. However by 10:00am it started to lift and the day turned warm and sunny.
Copenhagen is such a beautiful city with old world charm mixed with modern architecture.
Of course, a visit to Copenhagen wouldn't be complete without seeing the Little Mermaid of the Sea and Hans Christian Andersen's home.
Early in the reign of King Christian, a dirt levee fortification was constructed in the shape of a five-pointed star to protect the area from invaders. It was called the Kastellet (The Citadel), and was a self-sufficient community with gardens, a windmill for grinding flour, and the church, of which the back served as a jail. Holes were drilled in the common wall between the church and the jail so that the prisoners would always hear the sermons. A commander's house stood across from the church. The King never got his palace built there, though, as it was deemed too expensive.
A beautiful fountain, called the Gefion Fountain, is at the far end of the Kastellet Park. The story goes that a lady approached the king for a piece of land, and the king didn't want to give her much, so he said whatever you can plow in 24 hours you can have, and being a woman, he thought she wouldn't plow much. With mythical powers she turned a her 4 sons into oxen and plowed a great deal of land in the allotted time. The king was furious, picked up the land, and threw it into the ocean between Denmark and Sweden and that is the area on which we stand today. This fountain represents the myth.
Next we walked along the harbor area and saw the Queen's Yacht and her room where she waits for boarding.(on the right, designated by a crown on top.)
Next we went to the Christiansborg Royal Palace area, and the Queen's home, the prince's home, the Marble church.
This was the end of our walking tour, but not the end of our day in Copenhagen. Our Swedish exchange student, Jonas Green, who was with us in San Diego in 1987, came with his family to spend the rest of the afternoon with us. What a pleasant treat! We had a typical Danish lunch and then walked to the Tivoli Gardens, an old amusement park in the center of Copenhagen.
Along the way we passed other sites, such as city hall, the main city square, the largest department store in Denmark, and other old architectural sights.
Then back to the ship and wonderful memories, of a wonderful day, in a wonderful and delightful city!
Wow, you saw so much this day! We plan to spend almost a full day in Tivoli when we visit. :) Can't wait to take some photos in Nyhavn. That middle, bottom picture is the perfect shot!!! How fun to visit with your exchange student. :)
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