Odyssey 2019 - Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead. (Scottish proverb)


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May 9th 2019
Published: May 10th 2019
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Hallelujah! The weather gods have finally smiled on Copenhagen, as today was nearly picture perfect. By late morning, there was nothing but blue skies and sunshine coming our way. Needless to say, we were all ecstatic that spring had sprung, and the girls celebrated their first Happy Hour on the balcony since Cindy arrived a week ago. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a place called Cafe Wilder (across the street from the Sankt Annae 8 Cafe), with the girls ordering the traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches (Smørrebrød), while I tried moules frites (mussels and fries).

Sadly, this is Cindy's last day with us. Tomorrow morning she flies back to Orlando (via London), and we wanted to do something special as a going away present, so we decided to spend her last afternoon in Copenhagen's Assistens cemetery!

Perhaps an explanation is in order at this point? Well, during our travels throughout Europe over the years, Dee and I have found cemeteries to be among the most fascinating places to visit, wherever we go. The famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, for example, could better be characterized as an open-air museum, not merely as a cemetery, burial ground or graveyard.
Assistens CemeteryAssistens CemeteryAssistens Cemetery

Grave of Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher.

The Swedish poet, Karl August Nicander, captured this sentiment best when he fondly recalled a visit in 1827 to Copenhagen's cemetery in this way: "In order to enjoy another softer, quieter celebration, I walked out one evening through Nørre Port (the North Gate) to the so-called Assistens Cemetery. It is certainly one of the most beautiful graveyards in Europe. Leafy trees, dark paths, bright open flowery expanses, temples shaded by poplars, marble tombs overhung by weeping willows, and urns or crosses wrapped in swathes of roses, fragrance and bird song, all transform this place of death into a little paradise.”

Assistens Cemetery (Danish: Assistens Kirkegård) is the burial site of a large number of Danish notables as well as an important green space in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen. Inaugurated in 1760, it was originally a burial site for the poor laid out to relieve the crowded graveyards inside the walled city, but during the first half of the 19th-century it became fashionable, and many leading figures of that period, such as Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, Niels Bohr and others are all buried here.

We arrived at the cemetery, via a bus from Christianshavn station, at around 2 PM, and spent about an hour walking around a small portion of its sprawling 60+ acres. This place is an oasis of tranquility, with shaded footpaths crisscrossing the beautifully landscaped grounds in a sort of grid pattern.

Many of the gravestones we passed were quite unique, with some thoughtfully embellished by flower beds, plants and even small trees. The afternoon sunshine filtering through the many stately trees, along with the sounds of the resident songbirds, create an almost idyllic atmosphere. It is not difficult to understand why this cemetery continues to be such a popular excursion spot for local residents. During our brief visit, we noticed many mothers with strollers enjoying the nice weather.

Quite by chance, we stumbled upon the grave of Søren Kierkegaard, a famous Danish philosopher. Thanks to some legwork by Cindy, who hoofed it back near the entrance to consult a cemetery map, we were also able to locate the grave of Hans Christian Andersen as we made our way out of the cemetery. After a 15-minute walk, we hopped on the bus for the ride back to our apartment.

Dee's Comments: We really enjoyed the balcony late this afternoon, having cocktails and finger food while watching the boats float past on the canal beneath us. The nice weather (for a change) made the cemetery visit today so much more pleasant. Early to bed, as we want to leave with Cindy at 7 AM tomorrow morning to accompany her on the metro to the airport for her flight to London (then on to Orlando).

P.S. Forgot to mention an incident Cindy and I had after returning from shopping this morning. As we approached the apartment, Mitch was standing on the balcony, and took a photo of us. So I assumed he would unlock the apartment's front door, so that we wouldn't have to use our key. Then a funny thing happened...Cindy pushed the wrong button in the elevator, so we inadvertently got off on the 3d floor instead of the 2d floor (our floor).

When we exited the elevator (on the wrong floor), I automatically reached for the apartment door, turned the handle, and got quite the surprise as we both crossed the threshold----OMG, the man sitting on the sofa was definitely not Mitchell.

We had entered THE WRONG APARTMENT!!! The man seemed a bit surprised as well. We beat a hasty retreat, apologizing profusely (in English, of course), and we heard the man lock his door latch as we shuffled back into the elevator.


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Assistens CemeteryAssistens Cemetery
Assistens Cemetery

Grave of Hans Christian Andersen, a prolific Danish writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, but best remembered for his fairy tales.


10th May 2019
Assistens Cemetery

Beauty abounds
Serenity.
10th May 2019

Hope he wasn’t in his bday suit!
Hilarious, always keep your doors locked! The cemetery is beautiful, love that you found Hans Christian Andersen, the man who’s quote graces your blog! The one tree is stunning! Happy to see a day of gorgeous weather! Safe travels home Cindy!
10th May 2019

Very Beautiful
What a beautiful cemetery. So glad you had a great day. Nice send off for Cindy.
11th May 2019

...just a bit jelly...
Well, I don't think I ever realized that you both appreciated the beauty found within a dated cemetery. I have always found them to be serene and just beautiful. Absolutely love the photos. That large tree, it just seems to be reaching out to embrace and protect the souls walking amongst it. Not sure is it was a lesson from you Mitch, but I recall reading at one time that years ago people would actually picnic in them... Hoping Cindy has a safe flight back to the states.

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