Our flight to Denmark is our first late flight in several weeks. Sleeping in until 10:00 was fantastic. We even caught the train we were hoping for to the airport. Easy Peasy! We arrived for check-in and waited in lines in order to wait in other lines. Thus is life at the airport. We’re becoming pros at security checks. In and out in five minutes. Though, we always forget at least one thing. I said becoming pros…
We arrived at our gate without time to spare, not a feeling we’re used to, but one we like.
Upon arrival we headed to baggage reclaim to get our checked bags. This was the first time we’ve checked a bag since the beginning of our trip. It started off well, until my bag didn’t come up the conveyer belt. I headed over to baggage services. After about 20 minutes we realized that they checked my bag through to Boston instead of Copenhagen. A slight miscommunication… ah well. 15 minutes later we got my bag and headed out too our destination with a neighborhood and an address. Here goes nothing…
We got off the metro in the Amagerbro neighborhood. However, when we looked at the map we noticed that the prior station was much closer to the street we were staying on. So close… We got back on the metro, admiring the sparse industrial design in Denmark. Very cold and calculated, but still beautiful and headed back to our station. The metro system in Copenhagen is fully automated, no driver, no staff, just a train some track and a whole lot of metal glass. Very nice.
We walked out of the station to a sea of bicycles. Copenhagen must be the bike capital of the world. We saw a lot of cars parked throughout the city but more bicycles than all other cities combined. Talk about going green. We walked to our home asking for help from any passerby who spoke English. We eventually arrived, 20 minutes late, sorry Denise! Denise, our host, answered all our questions and left us with the keys. Unlike our other hosts, she lives in this space and rents it out on occasion to help pay rent. I got directions to some locations we wanted to check out, Bethany got ready and we headed out into the city. Only four hours until sunset…
The Freetown of Christiania is an interesting place. It’s a self-contained country inside the city of Copenhagen. They have their own laws. There is an interesting vibe throughout the area, kind of a hippy commune of sorts. But, a little less warm and inviting and a little more dark and seedy. They are well known for their “Green Light District” full of … I’m sure you can figure it out. Around the corner are vendors selling wears, people smoking and skaters listening to music and starring at tourists… us… We continued on to get some coffee and food at a coffee / Thai food place where we experienced the best Chai and Espresso we’ve had all trip. Way to go Christiania!
Our next destination? The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid is a statue overlooking one of the ports in Copenhagen. It was created by a sculpture based off the story by Hans Christian Anderson. But, this is not your standard disney fare.
There is a street, hugging one of the Copenhagen canals, that is famous. It’s name? I’m not sure. But it was very cool.
We walked up and down the street serenaded by a cover band performing on a makeshift stage overlooking the canal. That is the second band playing along a canal we’ve seen in as many hours. At least both of them were good. We took our obligatory tourist photos and looked for a spot to eat. All of the restaurants and bars along this strip looked great but one stood out above the rest, Nyhavn 17. The menu, the drink selection, the view and the inside seating all made this place stand out. We were right, it was delicious. Though, the service left a little to be desired. Our drinks and appetizer arrived quickly, but our meal came about 45 minutes later. I honestly think they forgot about us for a short time. Another mark against them would be what stopped me from sleeping, maybe food poisoning? Not sure… But it seems pretty convenient, or… inconvenient in this case. Anyways… i didn’t sleep well after that.
After watching a tradition of burning a witch in effigy, which confused us greatly, we headed home to get some sleep and get ready for our departure. I want to go back to Copenhagen, if for no other reason to ride bikes there. That will be my local experience. Maybe next time…
Cheers,
B&B
