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On day six, it was time to move to Odense.
Surprise, surprise! The sun greeted us yet again when we woke up. And as much as I am eager to tell you everything about our first day in the hometown of the great Hans Christian Andersen, my comments will come a little later.
Here is a ”silent” tour in the meanwhile 🙂
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As previously mentionned in my last posts, the incredible weather has got me running late on this blog. Tonight, I hope to post the pictures of days 6, 7, 8 and 9. And possibly start completing my previous ”pictures only” posts. I’ll make sure to publish a note as soon as I get there.
In the meanwhile, I hope you’ll enjoy the pictures for Day 5. They are mainly of Vikingeskibsmuseet (a museum about viking ships), and Roskilde’s Museum.
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Already day four of our journey…
As previously mentionned in my last post, we are running on a lucky streak, weather wise… When we arrived in Copenhagen on day 1, the forecast announced a couple of rainy days, starting when we were to get to Roskilde.
I expected a quiet day at our Airbnb apartment, with much time to catch up on my day-to-day posts, but so far, the clouds have been parting everywhere we go, so we just make the most of it, and spend as much time outdoors as we can.
So here is my selection of pictures for day 4. I’ll post a notice as soon as I fill in the comments and descriptions…
For now, we’ll just keep enjoying this amazing Danish springtime!
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Day three started with a little scare, since this was the view from our balcony. I thought I might have broken Copenhagen! Luckily it seemed to have been more of a smoke-show than anything else, because we didn’t find any mention on the fire on the internet, and everything was under control when we walked downtown.
But let’s begin at the start.
After a good night of sleep, we were surprised to find the sky absolutely cloudless again. It was still pretty (understatement) windy, and the temperature was still a little frisky, but it was very promising.
So after two cups of tea for me (coffee for David), we packed up what we needed for the day, and left the apartment, decided to go check for ourselves where that thick smoke was coming from.
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On our way, we walked in front of the Glyptotek. We didn’t have time to visit it (again), but if you ever come to Copenhagen, and love visual arts, I really recommend making a stop there. For one thing, the Carlsberg family has provided the museum with an impressive collection of Rodin scuptures. The place is huge, and filled with masterpieces of all kinds. Just a friendly advice, though… If you buy yourself a ticket to the Glyptotek, make sure you have time on your hands, because you won’t want to leave for hours!!
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Many canals run through the Danish capital, and above are just a couple of the numerous bridges that pedestrians and cyclists use to move around the city.
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… And as you can see here, people are quite happy with the easy access to the different neighbourhoods!
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Our walk along the water took us back to Nyhavn, and I thought I’d take David to the hostel when I had stayed during my last trip in 2019. The Bedwood Hostel is a little gem, hidden along the famous canal, and probably the only way I ever could ever afford to sleep at Nyhavn. The advertising isn’t very flamboyant, when you walk in front of the adress, but a few steps away, in the inner-yard, you discover all the charm of the place. The staff is super welcoming (even if you’re not a twenty-something kid discovering the world). And if you are comfortable with sharing a dortoir with a couple of fellow travelers, it is quite cozy, and affordable!
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Next stop was at Kultorvet, to pick up some yummy cheese at Osten Ved Kultorvet.
Unfortunately, when I entered the small shop, the man behind the counter wasn’t the owner. I had doubts at first – it had been four yours since my last visit, after all – but Mikael couldn’t have changed that much.
It so happened that it was his only day off, and when I explained that I was from Montreal, and had made it a tradition to come by everytime I traveled to Denmark, the man at the counter started chatting, suggesting places to go, and asking about my previous trips, while preparing my Viking Blue and Fyrmester (both a-ma-zing Danish cheeses) packages.
He even tried to call Mikael, to let him know I was at the store. I meant to tell him that the owner might not even remember me after all this time, but he dialed before I could do so.
I promised to try to come again when we’d be back in Copenhagen at the end of our little tour, and we left the store.
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There was one last spot where I wanted to take David, before our feet gave up on us. But we still hadn’t been able to change our phones’ SIM cards, and I knew we’d need them working as we would start moving around the country.
So we stopped in a Telia store. We very much doubted that they would help us, not seeking business with the company, and not even having purchased the SIM cards from them.
But surprisingly, when I explained our situation, the young man that welcomed us in the store picked our cell phones, and our cards, and took care of everything in no time. No questions asked. He then offered us coffee, and started chatting about our trip, and how his brother had a stand in Torvehallerne, a fantastic food court just a couple of minutes walking away from the store.
So we walked in doubting we’d get any help, and came out with our phones working in Denmark, and a great new place to pick up stuff for dinner!
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Unfortunately, we didn’t find the guy’s brother… But we did get a ”pain batard” (bastard bread). And call me childish, I thought that was funny.
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Because Danish days never seem to come to an end starting in May, we still had time to go to a park I wanted to show David.
We cheated a little… We took the metro to Nørrebro Station. When we got there, I was confused. I clearly remembered Superkillen, and it looked nothing like the above. I did remember the swings, and the murals, but where was the rest of it?
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We walked a little, and I realized that we had just entered the park from the opposite side, compared to my first visit.
So here it is, Superkilen with all the cherry blossoms making it even prettier.
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And everything to keep the young active in the heart of the city!
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It was getting late, and we needed to get back ”home”. On our way, we caught this mini-mini-mini escalator. And to save you a couple of minutes, we did the research, and the smallest escalator in the world is in Japan, and has 5 steps! Oh, Denmark, you were so close to a World record!!
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And, finally… We got back to the apartment, to feast on our ”pain batard” and our cheese and other little things.
It was time to charge the batteries for the next day to come!
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Day two started rather smoothly.
A three weeks tour around Denmark is a marathon, not a sprint and we figured we didn’t need to be out and about as soon as the sun rose, although I was awake when the first rays appeared over the horizon.
We left the apartment a little before noon, well rested and ready for a second round.
David suggested that we went to Tivoli Gardens, because the last time we had visited it together, it was in late September, and not quite as impressive as we imagined it would be in May.
I agreed, but we had second thoughts, when we arrived near the entrance;
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It was Sunday, and the weather was nice, so of course, we weren’t the only ones who got that idea. We didn’t feel like waiting to get in the park, and it would probably be way too crowded anyway, so our visit was postponed to the evening, hoping to catch a few pictures of the park all lit up.
So, instead, we stopped at Copenhagen’s Central train station to grab some lunch, and decided to go to one of my favorite spots; Kultorvet.
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We walked along one of the (if not the) best known streets of Copenhagen: Strøget. If you like shopping, this is the place for you!
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I’m not much of a Gucci or Prada girl, or a shopper in general, and much prefer these less crowded allées, with their older and colorful buildings!
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We also walked by Rundetarn (The Round Tower), a must, on your to-do list if you ever visit the capital.
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One of the reasons I wanted to go to Kultorvet, was to visit my favorite cheese store: Osten Ved Kultorvet… Unfortunately, it was closed, and we’ll have to go again today. I can’t wait to meet with the owner again. I’ve come here for a piece of Viking Blue and Fyremester cheese on each of my previous trips, and even if it’s been four years, I still hope Mikael will remember ”the girl from Canada”, hehehehe.
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Because it was just around the corner, we made a detour to take a few pictures of the apartment I had stayed at with J, in 2017.
Souvenirs, souvenirs…
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Since we still had time on our hands before a second attempt at entering Tivoli Gardens, we decided to give Copenhagen’s ”Believe it or not” museum. Because traveling doesn’t need to be serious at all times, right?
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An egg the equivalent of 183 chicken eggs… My worst nightmare!
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A woman statue entirely made of buttons!
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A vampire slayer kit!
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And last, but not least… ZOLTAR!!
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We also tried the Hans Christian Andersen Experience… But… Hum, not quite worth it, if you already know pretty much anything about the legend already. Keep your kroners for something more exciting, hehehehe.
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It was finally time to go back to Tivoli, but not before having one of these equally beautiful and delicious Smørrebrød! Yum!!
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Finally Tivoli… I’ll let you scroll through the pictures! I really wanted to get great pictures with all the evening lights on, but the Danish sun is a tricky one. And it just won’t go to sleep. Even if the Internets said it was supposed to be in bed by 8:59 PM, it still was asking for a glass of water by 9:15, when we finally left…
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Finally, my fifth visit to Denmark… And it was about time!
As you might know, my last trip dated back to May of 2019, not long before a little thing called covid hit us without warning. Little did I know that it would keep me away from my favorite big little country for so long.
Four years!
But we’re back, and though it seems like the Danes had a rather rough springtime start, the clouds parted as soon as our plane landed in Copenhagen. It was a long and weird trip (that’s a whole seperate story), but now we’re here, and the new journey can begin.
We were off to a great start, when we reached the customs’ desk (I bet you’ve never been excited by that part of any of your trips), and I noticed that the customs’ agents were stamping the passports of the travelers ahead of us in the file.
Note that during a previous trip, I had asked for the stamping of my passport, and had been told that the customs didn’t do it anymore in Denmark, which had been a huge disappointment for me.
So when I got all enthusiastic as we got to the stand, the agent started to chat with us. He was quite impressed, because, as he mentionned, most travelers just come to Denmark as a step in a Europeen or Scandinavian tour. The mention of my fifth tour of DK put a wide smile on his face, and the stamp he left in my passport, one on mine!
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After a quick stop at the airport’s 7 Eleven to get Danish SIM cards (again, another story… I’m still angry at Virgin), we were off to our home for the next three days.
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Grethe, our host, was waiting for us at the sixth floor of her building. She was kind enough not to laugh when she saw us panting our way up the last couple of steps. She welcomed us warmly into her home, and showed us around.
The apartment is nothing short of a museum. Grethe has so many artworks – paintings, drawings, pictures, scuptures, ceramique, and fancy glass pieces… The place is also a paradise for book lovers, given that you can read Danish LOL. I understand most titles, but I’ll have to settle with a small children’s book if I ever have time to sit back and read a little before we move on.
After making ourselves at home, we decided to take a walk downtown, just in case the wonderful (yet quite windy) weather wouldn’t stick.
I had to admit that after four years, I was a little rusty. After my first four visits, I didn’t need a map of the city anymore, unless I needed to get somewhere very precise. I knew my way around the different neighbourhoods, knowing where the major buildings were, and keeping an eye on the differents highest towers.
We did walk almost pointlessly for a while. We’ll blame that on the more than twenty four hours without any sleep!
But finally, I did find our way back to the first spots I wanted to see.
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First stop was Kongens Nytorv. The above pictures might not look particularly impressive, but it was the first time I saw the famous downtown round about without any construction.
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Though not a delicacy, a Danish hot dog always sits at the top of my list of to-do things when I arrive in Copenhagen. And after a couple of hours of walking, these were very welcome!
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Second stop, the very (VERY) well and widely known Nyhavn canal. Most probably one of the two Danish emblems you have seen, even if you’ve never paid attention to the country (the other one being the Little Mermaid, of course).
And Mindeankret (The Memorial Anchor), the reminder monument of the Danish sailors’ lives who lost their lives at sea, during WWII.
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Ravhuset (The house of Amber), a classic for me in Copenhagen. Because amber is one of the emblems of Denmark, and I don’t care what other countries say; Danish amber is the best (and Danes will agree with me LOL)!
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The Marble Chapel. Again, first time I could see the beautiful church with a load of scaffolds around it. A must-see, if you ask me, and you can get in for free (but I recommend making a donation).
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On our way back to the apartment, we did make a few stops, not necessarely worth of taking pictures… We helped a group of men who, and I quote ”were drunk, and about to get high, and just wanted to have a souvenir of their day together the next morning”, by taking their picture (I was voted ”Best photographer” for said bunch of pictures, but I am not sure if the title still stands this morning).
We checked that some of my favorite stores had made it through the pandemic (so far, so good!). We went shopping for everyday products we just couldn’t (or didn’t want to bother) travel with. And we went to the grocery store to get something for dinner.
By 4 PM, we were completely burnt out, and could keep our eyes open. I have no clue how we managed to eat and not fall asleep face first in our plates.
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Fiskfrikadeller with a pasta salad, and (of course) remoulade!
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This was taken just prior to losing counsciousness under our duvet.
I hope you’ll enjoy following us along our trip, and I hope to keep up with the daily posting, hehehehe.
I’ll try to at least come and share a couple of pictures every morning.
The Turtle's Journey... 