I think these attempted place name puns are just going to get worse. And the blogs aren't getting shorter. Sorry. But I've been in Copenhagen since my last post, and just arrived in Stockholm with 8 hours this time until I can check in. Although at least I got more sleep on my overnight train last night than the flight from Reykjavik. Despite sitting next to quite a smelly guy who I'm pretty confident was homeless and didn't have a good sense of 'my seat, your seat'.
So, after writing my last post on Thursday, I went straight to Arrivens cemetery near my hostel to visit Hans Christian Andersen's grave and have a good nap (it's widely used for recreation, I wasn't just napping in a random graveyard!), which I then carried on later having walked to the botanic gardens - which are beautiful. From there, I got a ticket for the Rosenborg Slot (palace), lived in by the royal family for a couple of centuries in medieval times and well maintained. It was a little underwhelming, although probably more impressive if I was into old art! A nice building all the same though, and the crown jewels were very nice, in the treasury beneath the palace.
By the time I'd wandered back to the hostel with relative ease (although I did find it a much more difficult city to navigate), it was time to check in and really catch up on my sleep. A few hours later, I got up and went back into the city to see the sites before getting the bus back (I'm quite proud of getting so many buses there, as I rarely do it in strange cities, although a bike is more traditional in Copenhagen!) Then I had 'a few drinks' and got to know some of the people in my hostel.
The next day, Friday, I had arranged to meet a friend (Camilla, who I met on Kangaroo Island in Australia, but who studies in CPH) at Tivoli, which is the world's second oldest theme park, right in the centre of the city. But the morning, feeling a little rough, was spent in the Nationalmuseet - and, again, no prizes for the translation! It wasn't quite as impressive as the Icelandic national museum, but it included a lot of pre-history of humans in the area, up to the modern day and was a good way to pass the morning.
Tivoli, having successfully met up with Camilla, was great. Around 300 Danish Krone (30 quid) for access to the park and all the rides. It was a little busy, but most of the queues passed quickly enough, and the rides were pretty good. The band later in the park, from 10pm, were also really great - D.A.D. (famous in Denmark from about the 80s). Unfortunately, we were towards the back of a huge crowd (think main stage at Leeds/Reading huge) and could only see the screens, not really the stage itself, but it was still a good atmosphere and an enjoyable band. Getting back to the hostel around midnight, after chatting to a lovely Danish med student lass on the bus, I just went straight to bed (almost) sober.
Saturday started with a very boring and unevenful trip to the local laundry - where I discovered I've managed to lose 3 and a half pairs of socks along the way somehwere! Then another bus into the centre and a walk down to the canal and the Nyhavn (New Habour) to see the Little Mermaid statue. I've heard from a few people that she's small and unimpressive - which is true, but at least I went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised, except for the masses of tourists crowded around her. Her 'genetically modified' counterpart, a short way further on was rather less attractive, but probably more interesting. While the other, rather more attractive and larger-breasted "Big Mermaid" statue at a nearby cafe maybe just lacked the style and dignity of the original!
I'd then planned to go to the Frihedmuseet about the Danish resistance to Nazi rule, which is described in my Lonely Planet guide, but apparently it burned down a couple of years ago! So, with that disappointment, I made my way to the Amalienborg Slot - home to the royal family since 1794 and quite uninspiring, then up to the (virtually next door) Frederikskirken church, which was closed for a wedding (which must cost a fair whack!) So I couldn't get up the dome, which was again rather disappointing! Then it was over to Christianborg Slot - another of the royal family's former homes - to see the again disappointing royal stables. Which would have been rather better if there were any horses there, but they were all out to graze for the summer.
The relics of Absalon's Fortress (the first of around 6 castles/palaces to be built on that exact site from 1167), underneath the current Palace, was much more interesting. So, taking my time around there just gave me half an hour to look around the reception rooms, still used by the parliament and royal family - but half an hour was enough for another impressive, grand old building! Finally for the day's siteseeing, I went up the palace tower with an out-of-battery phone and having left my ipod at base, unfortunately meaning no pictures of the incredible views.
After a heavier-than-expected night on Saturday, I checked out and dumped my bags in a locker at the central station, to avoid having to come back for them later. I then went up the Rundetårn (Round Tower), built as a 17th century astronomy tower, for some more amazing views of the city. Then met up with Isabel (a German girl from my hostel) and wandered over to Christiana, a commune established by squatters in the early 70s, in which marijuana is "legal" (i.e. the cops don't go in). Having been warned about the strength of their products, I thankfully only had about a third of my cookie and we chilled in the sun for a while before wandering along the canal to an indoor market. More sunbathing, and a taxi-boat back to the city side, we walked over to the Vesterbro area for a look around. I then walked with Isabel back to her new hostel and back to the station (which is all more walking than it sounds!), with a couple of hours to read my book before the train.
P.S.: I neglected to mention the phallological museum in Reykjavik - the world's one and only penis museum. Which was quite entertaining, but probably not worth the 10 quid or so to get in.
No comments:
Post a Comment