| Copenhagen, Lyngby and Hillerod (Denmark)By Diana and Xuyen |
Hi all,
As you can see we’re still madly catching up on blog entries from our travels through Scandinavia. We breezed our way through 4 of the world’s most expensive countries & left with much lighter wallets & a rapidly depleting bank balance. As you read this; shock, horror we’ve made our way back to Eastern Europe where we’re taking in the sights of the Czech Republic.
Hope you all enjoy the next entry of our time in Copenhagen.
HELSINKI (FINLAND) TO COPENHAGEN (DENMARK) (07/04/08)
- DAY 238
The overnight train from Rovaniemi pulled into Helsinki Central Station bright & early at 6:30am. Just outside the station we located the airport shuttle bus stop & immediately hopped on board for a 45min ride to Helsinki Vantaa Airport where we were hoping to catch the 9:55am Finnair flight to Copenhagen, the next sector on our RTW tickets. We had not called ahead to reserve seats as we are normally required to due to the non-existent public phones in Finland, so we had rocked up at the airport with hopes that there would be plenty of seats free as peak season is still at least 2mths away. With luck on our side for once, we were relieved to be told plenty of seats were available on the 9:55am Finnair flight to Copenhagen so our luggage was checked in promptly without any hassles & we weren’t even subjected to the special screening we dreaded so much in the USA. There was just enough time to quickly browse through the duty free shops & use up the remaining euro coins on Swiss chocolates.
Helsinki train station
Waiting to board the Finnair flight to Copenhagen at Vantaa Airport, Helsinki
The flight was only a short one, lasting a mere 1hr 20mins so we were pleasantly surprised to be served a light breakfast & refreshments which just goes to show that not all airlines are cutting back costs like Japan Airlines & American Airlines.
Arriving in Copenhagen
Modern & bustling Copenhagen Airport
From Copenhagen airport we caught the train to central station & then dragged our luggage the short distance to the Comfort Excelsior Hotel where we had reserved a room for 4 nights. Staying in Copenhagen will be burning a big hole into our travelling fund & will far exceed our daily budget as we discovered that most hotels are priced above 800DKK ($186) & even the youth hostels & budget 2 star hotels with shared bathrooms were $AU100 & over per night. Luckily the Comfort Hotel on the Expedia website had a special “Stay 3 nights get one free” so the room rate was acceptable at 522DKK/pn ($119) although this did not include breakfast. Our room at the 3 star hotel was quite small & the furnishings & bathroom old, not characteristic of the Choice Hotel chain where we’ve previously stayed in much newer accommodations at cheaper rates, although we do have to keep reminding ourselves that we are in expensive Scandinavia.
Our cramped quarters at the Comfort Hotel Excelsior
After showering & changing into a fresh change of clothes we decided to make use of the daylight hours left & headed out to explore the city. Copenhagen in the 2008 survey of world’s most expensive cities, ranks highly at number 4 & we were not surprised that the other Scandinavian countries also fall within the top 12. With a population of 1.2 million, our immediate observation of the bustling metropolis was that it’s surprisingly multicultural with many ethnic groups noticeable amongst the residents which was quite refreshing as having travelled through EE for the past couple of months, we have always stood out amongst the Caucasian crowds & been given the occasional odd stare as minority groups are seldom seen & not welcome in some parts, particularly Poland, Latvia & Estonia where skinhead groups target blacks & Asians for racial attacks. We blended in well with the large ethnic population of Middle Eastern, Africans & Asian immigrants. We did read however, that Denmark has reviewed its immigration laws & will be adopting a hard line approach, severely cutting back its future intake of immigrants & foreigners.
We took a stroll past the Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen’s national jewel & number one tourist attraction (a small theme park with lots of rides which are not too much different from other theme parks I am sure. However, the whole setup is reported to have been designed quite tastefully – X). Unfortunately we have visited at the wrong time as the popular amusement park & garden will not open till 17 April when we will be long gone by then. Other interesting sights we came across on our walk through town included the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek; a grand looking art museum, the Hans Christian Anderson monument, Town Hall & Town Hall Square where we stood & watched a rowdy rock band entertaining the gathering crowd.
Copenhagen’s most famous attraction – Tivoli Gardens
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum which holds rich & diverse treasures devoted to Mediterranean, French & Danish art from the 19th to 20th centuries.
“Read me one of your fairytales please Mr Hans Christian Anderson.”
Town Hall
With darkness falling, we debated on what to have for dinner as even a tiny, plain hot dog from a street vendor costs 25-30DKK ($6) & fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King & KFC charging at least 60DKK ($15) for a combo meal, so we stopped off at a nearby supermarket & bought some frozen dinners as we noticed there was a microwave in the hotel lobby. Back at the hotel we would discover to our dismay that the microwave was out of order (yet no sign indicated this) & rude, arrogant, unhelpful reception staff were reluctant to allow us use of the one in the conference room as we had not purchased the hotel’s over priced microwave meals.
COPENHAGEN (DENMARK) (08/04/08) - DAY 239
The weather forecast which X had checked on the internet yesterday in order to plan our day’s activities, proved to be spot on. It was a far cry from the warm, sunny blue skies we enjoyed yesterday so with blustery winds, grey skies & lashing rain dampening the mood of the day, we decided some indoor activities would be more appropriate.
First though we had to sort out my credit card problem & arrange for a temporary replacement to be couriered to us & as we would be basing ourselves in Copenhagen for the next 3 days, Mastercard International would arrange for UPS to deliver the credit card to me ASAP. After much hassle & unsuccessful attempts to make a collect call, the Tourist Information Office grudgingly allowed us to use their phone to call Mastercard Denmark who then placed a collect call through to the USA for us. We were relieved to be advised that the credit card would arrive by UPS the very next day.
Having sorted all that out, we spent most of the morning wandering through the extensive collections & exhibits of the National Museum which for a pleasant change offers free admission. We followed the history of the Danes from the middle ages right through to the present day, viewing objects & displays relating to the lifestyle, culture, society & social strata of the Danish Nation through the last 350 years.
The National Museum was once a royal residence whose rooms have been converted to house exhibitions on Danish history.
Interior of National Museum
I have my own knight in shining armour (who me? - X)
Rune stones
Danish folk costume
In the afternoon we took a walking tour through the Isle of Slotsholmen, a small island situated in the heart of Copenhagen where its dominant landmark Christiansborg Palace stands. The drab looking building represents the foundation of Danish democracy as the offices of Parliament, Prime Minister’s Office & the Supreme Court are all housed within. Slotsholmen is also also a cultural oasis filled with museums, & historical sites although we weren’t really interested in visiting any of them or paying the expensive admission fees.
Crossing the bridge to Isle of Slotsholmen, a small island in the heart of Copenhagen
Old merchant houses along canal of Slotsholmen
Our last sightseeing stop for the day was in the Free State of Christiania, an alternative community founded in the 1970’s by a group of squatters, hippies & political activists who broke into an abandoned naval station & claimed it as their own. Busloads of tourists are dropped off daily (although god knows why) to view this modern-day utopia where criminal groups, hash dealers & drug traders (soft & hard) hang out & live, taking advantage of the relaxed legal stance & wide berth they are given by law enforcement. Police raids used to be a regular part of life for the alternative community but the Police Department have since taken a less heavy handed approach, admitting that this at least stops the underground drug trading. As we wandered through the squalid & derelict commune with its ramshackle & makeshift houses & shacks painted in hippie trippy rainbow colours & designs, I couldn’t help but balk at my surroundings & its state of obvious squalor & neglect. Upon entering the drug trading zone, we were warned by a resident not to take photos from that point on as drug traders & criminals conduct their “business” dealings there & don’t take too kindly to camera toting tourists. Indeed as we hesitantly proceeded through this area, giant “no photography” symbols were painted all over the sides of buildings & we were surrounded by groups of mostly young and rough looking individuals standing around drinking & engaging in god knows what. I didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out but X kept insisting we were safe; his curious & inquisitive nature taking over. I was adamant that we had seen enough & that it was time to leave as I was getting increasingly paranoid & anxious with all the scary looking criminals lurking around & possibly mistaking us for rich Japanese tourists with X’s big camera dangling around his neck. (I had wondered how the public and community would tolerate such open drug use and sales (at least the soft drugs). I suspect though that lines are drawn by the police department in prohibiting these activities to proceed and I would imagine that the Christiania folks are aware of this. I would imagine if hard drugs were pushed into the community, or indeed if violence threatens the public, then the police would be much less tolerant – X).
Hippy themed murals painted on sides of buildings in Free State of Christiana
These signs speak for themselves about the type of residents who reside in Christiania
Behind the graffiti covered screens is a public urinal where men stand to relieve themselves
The entrance gate to Christiana, with the reverse side reading something like “You are now entering the EU”, indicating their idealistic separation from the rest of the community.
“No photography” signs posted everywhere to warn camera clicking tourists against snapping evidence of the rampant illegal activities taking place
We stopped by the Irma supermarket on the way back to the hotel & bought some Thai frozen meals for dinner, annoying the inhospitable reception staff once again for use of the conference room microwave.
COPENHAGEN (DENMARK) (09/04/08) - DAY 240
The sun peeked its way through the clear blue skies today, blessing us with warm weather as we tackled a full day of sightseeing across Copenhagen. Upon enquiring at reception this morning if a package had been delivered for me, we were much relieved to discover that true to their word, Mastercard International had come through on their promise. I eagerly ripped open the big envelope & breathed a big sigh of relief to see my shiny new replacement credit card peeking through. We were duly impressed by the outstanding service provided by Mastercard International in the USA as the previous night they had contacted me at the hotel twice to confirm details & also put through a conference call with the bank from Australia to activate the card & presto 20hrs later, my new credit was promptly delivered to our very doorstep.
With a spring in our steps now that we had resolved the credit card fiasco, our 1st stop was in the Latin Quarter starting at Vor Frue Kirk (Church of Our Lady) which is famous for being the site where the Royal wedding between Crown Prince Frederik & Mary Donaldson took place in May 2004. The interior is richly decorated with statues, sculptures & fine works of art.
Vor Frue Kirk: neoclassical church founded in 1191 & where Crown Prince Frederik & Mary Donaldson exchanged wedding vows
Interior of Vor Frue Kirke & where the wedding between Prince Frederic & Mary Donaldson took place
Following the route through the Latin Quarter we came across picturesque Grey Friar’s Square surrounded by charming restaurants & cafes & a bohemian maze of trendy boutiques, bars & bookshops.
Grey Friar’s Square
We continued down Stroget, Copenhagen’s premier shopping street not to mention Europe’s longest. The pedestrian only thoroughfare branches off into 5 streets, & is a shoppers mecca of stores & boutiques ranging from designer wear to jewellery, souvenirs, crafts, restaurants & cafes (though how many people would come to Copenhagen as a shopping destination I wouldn’t know. You’d have to be very rich to shop in any part of Scandinavia. I can’t imagine that Scandinavia would have much of an export industry as their wages and costs would be so high. Sure Nokia is from Finland, and we all know of Saabs, Volvos and Ikea, but I would imagine most of their goods with the exception of car manufacturing, would now be made in SE Asia – X). It was quite a leisurely stroll as we ducked into a couple of souvenir shops & took in some sites along the way such as The Round Tower which contains Europe’s oldest observatory which is still in use. There is a platform at the top offering magnificent views of Copenhagen from a height of 30m but due to the cost & queues of school children lining up to ascend, we decided to bypass it.
Stroget, Europe’s longest shopping street
The Round Tower
We reached Kongens Nytorv next, the central square of Copenhagen as well as its largest & most elegant where the famous equestrian monument to King Christian V was erected in 1688. Apparently it is a time honoured ritual for jubilant high school students to dance around this statue every June to celebrate their graduation. The pretty square, lined with elegant mansions, shops, outdoor cafes & restaurants creates a casual Parisian ambience. Superb architectural landmarks such as the Hotel D’Angleterre & The Royal Danish Theatre also grace the square.
Kongens Nytorv (The King’s New Square) & statue of King Christian V which high school students dance around every June in celebration of their graduation
We hurried along to Amalienborg Palace as we didn’t want to miss the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony at 12:00pm. Given that Copenhagen is the residence of the oldest monarchy in the world, this time honoured ceremony is performed daily at midday with much fanfare whenever Queen Margrethe II & her husband Prince Henrik are in residence. Crown Prince Frederik & Princess Mary do not live at Amalienborg but have a home at Fredensborg Palace, situated on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Surprisingly there is no tall iron fence protecting the palace which comprises of 4 grand rococo style mansions surrounding a massive octagonal square. As the midday hour approached, hordes of tourists gathered to eagerly await the ceremony with security & police on hand to keep order & peace. At 12:00pm on the dot, we were all abuzz at the sight & sound of the Danish Royal Life Guard as they marched their way to the square dressed in full regalia, accompanied to the tune of its marching band. It was a thrill to be up close & personal to the action as the ceremony at Buckingham Palace is performed behind high fences only allowing tourists an obscured view from between the bars. So you can imagine X’s excitement & over enthusiasm as he acted like the paparazzi, running around to get the best vantage point whilst his fingers clicked away furiously. We were surprised how long the actual ceremony took as it dragged on for a whole hour although most tourists had dispersed after about 30mins having taken their fill of photos & video recordings of the guards.
Royal Guards getting ready for Changing of the Guard ceremony
Danish Royal Life Guard marching band
Royal Guards performing a time honoured tradition in front of Amalienborg Palace
Changing of Guards in front of guard tower
Young men performing their Royal Guard duty
Danish Royal Guard standing in front of guard tower at Amalienborg Palace
Satisfied that we had taken enough photos & posed this way & that in front of the nonplussed looking baby faced guards, we proceeded to nearby Frederikskirken or Marble Church as it’s also known. The stunning neo-baroque church has a massive dome measuring 30m in diameter & was inspired by Rome’s famous St. Peter’s Basilica.
Frederikskirken known as Marble Church with its massive dome inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome
Interior of Marble Church
Fancy marble features, gilded gold & ornate decorations over altar
Continuing our sightseeing route, we meandered our way along the waterfront to Langelinje, an oasis in the heart of Copenhagen where luxury cruise liners grace the harbour. However, most tourists come here for one attraction alone, the much over rated Little Mermaid, inspired by the romantic fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson. The tiny unimpressive looking bronze statue mermaid sits on her granite boulder gazing wistfully towards land, longing to join the human world in search of her prince & has drawn millions of visitors every year for 95 years. The Little Mermaid was the creative genius of a Danish sculptor who modelled it after his pregnant wife.
Copenhagen’s famous bronze Little Mermaid statue inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale
The Gefion Fountain, Copenhagen’s largest monument depicting a mythical Danish story. Disappointingly for us the spouting water was switched off.
Our last stop for the day was at Nyhavn, a picturesque harbour canal lined with vibrant coloured Dutch houses & a collection of ships. The harbour is an idyllic hang out spot in Copenhagen & pulsates with life, offering a casual, relaxed waterside dining atmosphere at any one of its numerous restaurants, bars & cafes. Of course the privilege of a meal with prime canal & harbour front views comes at a hefty price where even a teensy weensy cup of coffee or cappuccino costs 35DKK ($8) & meals start from 150DKK ($30).
Nyhavn (New Harbour) with its man-made canal & colourful merchant homes along the wharf
Rip-off waterfront cafes charging tourist prices for waterside dining
Having walked all day on an empty stomach (apart from a couple of muffins & coffee for breakfast) we decided to treat ourselves to a proper sit down late lunch at Alanya Restaurant, one of the bargain Turkish buffet restaurants we’d spotted near our hotel. Paying 49DKK/pp ($11) for an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet served between 11:30am-4:00pm (we’d snuck in at 3:15pm saving ourselves having to pay 79DKK from 4:00pm onwards) we enjoyed a hearty meal of Middle Eastern dishes & salads. We only ate about 2 platefuls of food each but felt so full afterwards we could hardly walk back to the hotel.
Enjoying a late Turkish buffet lunch at Alanya Restaurant
Back at the hotel, feeling sated, satisfied & exhausted from our long hike from one end of the city to the other, X settled down for a “short” nap & ended up snoring away for over 3hrs whilst I tackled the never ending task of catching up on the blogs.
COPENHAGEN TO LYNGBY TO HILLEROD (DENMARK) (10/04/08)
- DAY 241
Having covered most of the attractions we wanted to see in Copenhagen, X planned a day trip for us today to see a couple of sites requiring short train & bus journeys away from the city. Transport is ridiculously expensive in Denmark, even for brief bus rides & train journeys so we spent an absolute fortune on bus & train fares throughout the course of the day totalling 320DKK ($75), although we could have saved ourselves a small amount if we had known about the 24hr day pass instead of paying for each individual sector. We have often moaned about how inconvenient & time consuming it is not having our own set of wheels like in the USA & Canada but unfortunately car hire is prohibitively expensive in Europe with minimum rental for a budget 2dr car starting from $AU100/day not to mention the added expenses of road tolls (of which there are many) & soaring price of petrol which in Scandinavia costs a staggering $2.50/L.
We travelled to Lyngby, north of Copenhagen to see the Frilandsmuseet, one of the largest & oldest open air museums in the world. Best of all admission is free which is a refreshing & welcoming change considering how much we have spent already on tourist attractions. Inside the sprawling 86 acres of land, we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of historical houses, farms & mills scattered around the open countryside, representing each of the regions of Denmark from the period 1650-1950. We spent a lot longer than we had anticipated & before we knew it, 3hrs had gone by as we ducked & peered into one ancient farmhouse, half timber house & stable after another, fascinated with the authenticity of each with its fully furnished interiors recreated to tell the story of everyday life of the previous inhabitants, handicrafts produced & work processes during that particular era.
X sitting outside the Frilandsmuseet
Farmhouse Bornholm & its thatched straw roof, typical of Danish homes during that era
Bedroom with authentic antique furnishings
Stables & old water pump
Fuglevad Mill built 1832
Farmhouse Ostenfeld circa 17th century
Farmhouse kitchen
Half-timbered Danish farmhouse with turf roof for insulation
Strolling through sprawling grounds of Frilandsmuseet viewing traditional half-timbered houses
Bedroom with a baby rocker. X reckons I could use the practice for when we have our own. I think that should be his job! (A house husband? I'd be happy giving up my day job  – X)
Feeding a hungry goat
Farm Fjellerup circa 16th century
Very old timber home with grass roof
Farmhouse from Lolland & windmill
Rather than paying 20DKK/pp for an 8 min bus ride back to Lyngby Station, we walked the 1.5 km distance and caught the next train to Hillerod, located in the heart of the North Zealand district. The quiet town is surrounded by beautiful woodland but its defining symbol being Frederiksborg Castle, is what most tourists come to feast their eyes upon. The stunning Renaissance castle is an oasis in the centre of Hillerod, situated on 3 islands, encircled by a picturesque lake and Baroque garden. This historical city is over 400 yrs old, although its growth increased in the 1600s when King Christian IV began construction of Frederiksborg Castle. We were immediately impressed and enchanted by the majestic castle with its soaring spires and Danish Renaissance architecture.
Castle yard and main gateway of Frederiksborg Castle
Absolutely stunning Frederiksborg Castle built in Renaissance style & inner courtyard with Neptune Fountain
Standing in front of striking Frederiksborg Castle’s inner courtyard
Magnificent portal bearing the year 1609
After shelling out 60DKK each ($14) for the admission fee, we entered the magnificent castle to wander through its maze of rooms and chambers which have been converted to house the Museum of National History. It took us a couple of hours to make our way from one wing to the next and view the extensive collection of historical paintings and portraits of Denmark’s Royals dating back 400 yrs exhibited chronically; illustrating Danish history as well as art, antique furniture & various treasures connected to previous Danish Kings. X of course was elated that photography was permitted so was happily snapping away.
Period costumes
View of the castle’s inner courtyard from rooms high above
Lavishly decorated 1617 Castle Chapel, the only part of Frederiksborg castle to escape the fire of 1859
The Audience Chamber
Grand hallway leading to the Audience Chamber
Interior with its sumptuous ornamentations, decorations & portrait filled rooms of Danish Royalty
The Great Hall
After the museums closing hour at 5:00pm, we crossed the bridge to the attractive Baroque Gardens located at the rear of Frederiksborg Castle. From the interior of the castle we had gazed through the upper floor windows admiring its carefully manicured splendour. Up close, we were charmed by its beautifully trimmed box hedgings & artistic design.
Back view of Frederiksborg Castle
The castle standing on its own little island & the artistically created Baroque Garden
We’ll keep you posted on more of our adventures through Scandinavia soon.
Cheers,
Diana & Xuyen
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January, 2008
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