Wonderful Copenhagen

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Ratings explained:

'Bad times' - self explanatory
'Don't bother' - self explanatory
1* - worth a look
2* - Good Times
3* - Unmissable
+ - emphasis on the rating

I expect people to filter the rating through their own travel desires so if you know you hate museums you can downgrade a 3* museum to a 'Don't Bother'.

We arrived into Copenhagen for a brief two night stay. The train to and from the airport to the city centre was very easy and painless.
Alicia was cursing all her best laid research of things to do in the city where wasted when we realised our main day would be 'No-Museum-Monday' a common phenomena in all European cities where major attractions and museums are closed Mondays.

Our hotel near the main train station had some questionable characters lurking around the neighbourhood; Alicia always loves to people-watch ladies of the night and there were a lot around this area so she had a great time spotting them and watching them in action chatting to chaps driving by in cars. Copenhagen is not like this is a city though so don't be scared away; it's just got a 'bit of character' around the train station.

At lunch we discovered the Danish word for chicken is 'Kylling' which had us laughing and telling puns for the next 15 minutes. Foreign words are always good for an 'at a glance' giggle!

We had some fine views around the Copenhagen waterfront at night; in particular a beautiful full moon and lights playing on the river and down near the main 'touristy' harbour front.
We were surprised and a little sad to have the sun going down after all of our endless sunshine in Iceland but I guess it made sleep, and knowing when to eat dinner a little easier!
On our first full day in Copenhagen we hired bicycles from our hotel which ended up being an excellent plan and rode all around the city all day.
Copenhagen is an amazingly cycle friendly city with great cycling lanes but most importantly 'cycle-aware' drivers who know to look out for you and give cyclists a good deal of tolerance and respect on the roads which I'm sure helps make cycling a lot more safe in Copenhagen than say.... just about anywhere else we know in the world!
We cycled down to the waterfront to see the iconic 'Little Mermaid' statue of Copenhagen and were astonished to find they'd loaned the statue out to Shanghai, China for Expo 2010. A puzzling thing for a city to be giving away it's key monuments!
Our cycling also took us around the pretty Christianhavn neighbourhood, the Amalienborg Palace in the city centre with some 'changing of the guards' action, and many city parks which all seem spacious and well kept. We had good blue sky weather, Copenhagen's a very pleasant city, and riding is a great way to get around.
We saw the pretty Marmorkirken cathedral (1*); which had a pretty exterior and decent views of the city from the top but was a bit of a JAC (just another church) inside.

With hindsight (having seen Stockholm & Russia too recently) Nick is awarding Copenhagen the award for 'almost the best looking women in Europe', a narrow run thing only edged out by 'Prague in summer' which is disproportionately overloaded with stunning women.

For dinner in Copenhagen we considered the pretty main harbour area which was unsurprisingly expensive and over touristy, so we employed the 'experienced traveller' trick of walking two blocks away and sure enough finding a cheaper, better place to enjoy our dinner.

We were terribly saddle sore from cycling and Nick was crying like a little girl about it; but our pain was soon forgotten as we went to the excellent Tivoli Gardens amusement park (3*) which is very large and right in the city centre.
We spent a great night riding the excellent rides in Tivoli Gardens including a few rollercoasters, the main one the 'Demon' was particularly excellent (better than Australia's Wonderland Demon) especially when you get the very front seats, we also liked the flying chairs which elevate you about 50 metres up before swinging you around which is cool, and 'The Golden Tower' which Nick coined 'the drop of death' basically a spire where it drops you straight down for a couple of seconds before a couple of hydraulic 'bounces' stop your perilous descent.
On our last Copenhagen morning we got to the Danish resistance museum (2*); which has a moderate sized exhibition on Denmark in WWII.
We really enjoyed the museum which had English language for everything and a good level of information not too much not too little.
The Danes covered the takeover of their country by the Germans, and matters such as collaboration and resistance. They were honest about their part within the war (i.e. not a very big role) and we found it interesting that the Germans basically treated Denmark as an R&R area for their troops.
The Germans made the Danish government pay for the upkeep of their military whilst it was quartered in Denmark and the impression is the the Germans lived it up; eating and being merry.
A good interesting place.
We also spent 10 minutes escaping a sun shower in the Royal Cast Collection (1*) which was a collection of plaster-cast copies of most of the great sculpture of the world e.g. 'The Wounded Gaul', 'David', etc. Nick loves sculpture and so loved seeing duplicates of most of the finest works in the world in one place; good times.

After a very brief but fond stay we bid farewell to Copenhagen and flapping our arms furiously flew out to Stockholm to give it a few nights to entertain us.

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Photos

Don't order one of these!
Buy one of these bad boys for your enemies.

This is how we roll
Cycling was a fabulous way to explore Copenhagen which is astonishingly cycle friendly

Copenhagen's Beauties
Copenhagen narrowly misses first prize but comes a VERY respectable second in the 'best looking women in Europe' competition.

Flying chairs at Tivoli Gardens
These flying chairs seem normal, except that they escalate up a central tower 50 metres before spinning you around! Good views from up there!

Buckled in at Tivoli Gardens
Nick prepares himself for the 'drop of death' at the excellent Tivoli Gardens amusement park

Comments

[Dad]

Most beautiful women
I'll be most surprised if France doesn't win the MBW competition

[Peter Doyle]

sounds like a great place. glad your having a good time

[Anne]

You have her!!!!
Dear Nick, I am a little worried about your obsession of looking for the best looking women in Europe you already have the best one!!!!!!( alicia) From your future mother in law!!!! Annexxx