wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

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Having visited Copenhagen for the first time just two years ago I could remember a great deal about the city and my way round. It is a stunning city which fulfils all my desires of living by water even if I struggle to deal with their daft money which has a hole in the middle so coins look like giant polo mints. Getting to Copenhagen was much more glamorous than getting a flight. I took a train at Malmo central station and 15 minutes later, having crossed this amazing bridge, we arrive in Denmark. The train arrives at the central station in Copenhagen about 10 minutes later…now that is what I call a cool border crossing. Finding my hotel for the night took some negotiating seeing as half the area around the central station is dug up due to some pretty major roadworks. I don’t know what the hell they are doing but it was chaos. Checked my bag in but wasn’t allowed up to the room yet so I decided to hit the tourism trail like a pro and caught the hop on hop off bus and went in search of everything that I failed to see last time. First stop was one of the royal palaces which were hidden behind some gates. However, well worth the trip as the gardens were stunning and the palace itself beautiful. It’s where the crown jewels are held but having no desire to see them I stuck to a nice walk around the park and the outside of the palace area. I then jumped on the bus (not mine alas as I had just missed it but a rival company took pity on me and let me on seeing as I was only going one stop) to the little mermaid where I was able to get the boat which was included in the price of my ticket. This boat was a good move as Copenhagen is best seen from the water. It went out to the sea fortress at the end of the harbour and also the new cruise area, Copenhagen is now one of the major cruise centres in Europe. The boat then travelled to both shores of the sea inlet and called at the new opera house, the ‘black diamond’ library which is simply stunning, Nyhaven with all the amazing coloured houses and boats (this makes it look very Italian) and then all the way to Christenshaven which is a little area inspired by the Amsterdam canals. A gorgeous area with lots of little bars, shops and boats lining the canals as well as some pretty amazing apartments that line them. A change of hotel the following day to the Copenhagen towers and a free upgrade to a room with spectacular views through the floor to ceiling glass windows. In fact I could see the bridge that I crossed and in the distance the shoreline of Sweden…. Now that is what I call a view. A lovely sun terrace and free bar meant I soaked up a bit of sun before heading back into the city to head for the new shopping district by boat and the shoreline with all the man-made beaches and swimming areas that are cordoned off from the main shipping area. Can you imagine trying to swim in the Thames in the middle of London? Maybe other parts of the world could learn something from the Danish with their clean living and love of the outdoors. I did lots of walking to various places and apart from a blister on my toe and a near bankruptcy notice when I bought a chicken salad… it was a wonderful two days. Copenhagen is one very beautiful city which I could happily live in.

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