Sunday July 7 – Copenhagen Denmark

The first thing we saw as we approached this overcast city were rows of wind turbines in the sea.  They are bigger than the usual turbines but because of this can turn more slowly.  This is an advantage to the birds who have time to move between the blades.

These turbines produce 30% of Copenhagen’s electricity.  I think they look quite good lined up in the sea.  Much better than on land.

We did a tour of the city by land and by river and canals.  The legend goes that the gods told some woman that she could have all the land that she could sow in a day.  She turned her four sons into oxen and they plowed and sowed for a day and a night and the result was Denmark.

We had a nostalgic time in the Tivoli gardens.  We spent the evening of Bill’s thirtieth birthday there many years ago, eating in an upmarket restaurant and then wandering around listening to the orchestra playing classical music.  Because our tour took us to these gardens in the morning, there were no bands playing, although they were just beginning as we left at 1:30 pm.  However, we are not complaining as it began to rain as we left the gardens.  Instead of a big dinner, we had a snack of coffee and Danish waffles.  We wandered through the area looking at the rides and the flowers and birds.

We went to Mary and Frederick’s palace, but they were not at home so we were not invited to afternoon tea.  Evidently, they are in Australia.  Our guide says he often sees Mary coming out of her front door.  He said she has a little trick.  When the changing of the guards takes place people turn to watch and have their backs to her front door.  This is when she darts out on her bicycle.  We also saw the changing of the guards.  They all seem to be the same height.  To be a guard you have to be a young male about 19 years of age and not be too tall or too short.  The heights are made to look the same by giving the guards different hat heights.  We saw the area where the Royal horses are trained and where Mary’s children learn to ride.

The Church of the Saviour was interesting with its outside spiral staircase.  We would have liked to climb it to see the view over Copenhagen but it was raining and also there was not enough time.  Have to leave something to do next time we come.

No visit to Copenhagen would be complete without visiting the Little Mermaid,  It really is an impressive statue and is a tribute to Hans Christian Anderson and his sad story.

Bill here. Perhaps the choir should have sung this:

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Friendly old girl of a town
'Neath her tavern light
On this merry night
Let us clink and drink one down
To wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Salty old queen of the sea
Once I sailed away
But I'm home today
Singing Copenhagen, wonderful, wonderful
Copenhagen for me
I sailed up the Skagerrak
And sailed down the Kattegat
Through the harbour and up to the quay
And there she stands waiting for me

With a welcome so warm and so gay
Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Friendly old girl of a town
'Neath her tavern light
On this merry night
Let us clink and drink one down
To wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Salty old queen of the sea
Once I sailed away
But I'm home today
Singing Copenhagen, wonderful, wonderful
Copenhagen for me

Before and after the Waffle!