To Be Or Not To Be

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We were up early again for another train mission to the north of Zeeland. However, there was a problem. Well, there were two actually. Firstly, a steady rain was in the air. I checked the forecast. The rain wasn’t in the rules. The usually reliable sources suggested it would be “occasional”. The Other Half forgot to bring her brolley out of the hotel, but I assured her that occasional didn’t mean it would rain all day. I was pretty much wrong on that one! The other problem was the train. The journey from Norreport should have been another easy direct journey straight to Helsingor on the regional train. Alas, the start of the Danish summer school holidays brings engineering works. A bit like home, I thought. I checked the journey planner. The recommended route was now the regional train to a station at Rungsted Kyst and then swapping to a replacement bus or Tog Bus, as they say in Danish. The Other Half gets a bit nervous about trains generally – do we have the right ticket, is it the right train, are you sure it stops at the station we need etc. The Tog Bus situation wasn’t going to assist her nerves. As it happens, the swap from train to bus was the model of efficiency. A steady stream of buses were waiting at Rungsted. Green meant going to direct, non-stop to Helsingor. Red stopped at the intermediate stations. Easy. Twenty five minutes later we were deposited outside the train station. Unfortunately, the rain had changed from being occasional to persistent.



Helsingor is one of the closest points to Sweden. The similarly named Helsingborg is a mere 10.7 kilometres across the sea. The town name derives from the word “neck” to describe this bottleneck at the top of Oresund. The regular ferries link the 2 towns in a mere 20 minutes. The harbour by the train station was buzzing with activity at 9.30 am on this Friday morning. A number of the ferries had a big green battery on the side, indicating their green credentials. They apparently charge at each end in 10 minutes or so and then ply their trade with polluting the atmosphere. We had a helpful map sponsored by the ferry firm, Scandic, although in truth the town was hardly big enough to get lost. The primary object of visit – Kronberg Castle - was visible on the point. We headed into town for a look round. There is a marked difference in pricing between Sweden and Denmark. Denmark is a sort of alcoholic adventure playground for the average Swede. They can nip across on that ferry for a cheap day out and stock up on a few bottles to keep out the cold back home. The first few shops were in fact off licences or liquor stores, as some would know the term. I didn’t actually compare the prices, as we were not intending to visit Sweden anytime soon. We stopped for a coffee near the Town Hall, more in hope than expectation that the rain would stop. The Other Half rued leaving her umbrella behind. A typical Danish red brick affair with a gable end. Danish flag bunting was hung across the street as far as the eye could see. The shops were doing a brisk trade, despite the constant rain. I suggested we make one final search before heading to Kronberg, which was to find our designated lunch spot. The Café Hyacint was just round the corner, I insisted. Indeed it was, but it isn’t anymore. Drat. I checked my route in my head and assured myself it was definitely across the road from a delightful looking butcher with a cow with a gold head attached to the wall. I knew I was right, but the occupants of a car were busy moving possessions into the café that now occupied the premises. We walked further up the road in disappointment to a square. A food market was setting up with various cuisines to try. The rain meant business looked slow. We turned round and there it was. The new Café Hyacint was behind us in the square. The centre of smorrebord production opened at 12 noon. I had read on the internet that the menu was limited – limited to a menu of smorrebord served with a beer and a snapps. As we had now found the venue, we would find out.





Kronberg Castle is an easy 15 minute stroll round by the harbourside. It is in full view all the time. Kronberg is also known as Hamlet’s Castle and disturbingly a large cruise liner was out in the strait, unloading human contents into landing vessels to bring them into shore. We overheard a guide suggesting that a cruise liner terminal is under construction to assist in attracting the ships in, rather than them pouring their cargo of tourist dollars into Nordhavn in Copenhagen. In terms of the local economy, a sensible move. In English and in Hamlet, the town is made famous as Elsinore. I am not sure about Shakespeare, but the Castle looked impressive from a distance. A mini tourist information tent had thoughtfully been added on the quayside where the cruise passengers were being ferried into town. However it was clear, where all eyes laid. Whilst the town originally grew rich on relieving foreign ships of a toll for passing through the straits, the town then developed a ship building industry. The land between the point where we now stood and the Castle was originally the ship yard. It employed 3,500 people at the peak and finally closed in 1983. The huge hangars that once constructed ocean going merchant ships was now some form of arts space and library. The dry docks beyond are now the National Maritime Museum of Denmark. A crew were busy dismantling a huge stage on the land by the dock to the side – now a car park. It transpired that Canadian rocker, Bryan Adams, had been playing the previous night in the harbour area. A very bright silver version of what I assumed was a copy of the Little Mermaid perches on the dock end, gazing towards the Castle. Alas, the rain continued.



We entered the Castle in advance of the cruise liner hordes. The interior tour wasn't as grand as Frederiksborg the day before. The Castle had the function of defending the passage through the straits and was furnished accordingly. A series of actors were wandering around recreating scenes from Hamlet, which was quite entertaining but a little on the theme park side of things for my liking. We climbed to the tower, but the weather was so atrocious if was difficult to even take a decent photograph of the vista over town without becoming waterlogged. We only had a few yards to walk before we were at the National Maritime Museum of Denmark. It was built around an old dry dock from the shipyard and has won architectural awards. I was disappointed to see scaffolding obscuring part of the outside, The museum was broken down into sections about life at sea. There were some bits that were a bit simplistic, but done to add interest for all the family. There was also a huge room full of the biggest Lego collection known to man. The kids were ushered to one side by many, as many adults got on with the serious business of model making. We grew up with Lego. The possibilities are endless - as long it involved building a ship. A number of the previous creations were on view. In the dry dock outside, the worlds largest Lego ship was awaiting. An enormous DFDS ferry in full livery. Very impressive, indeed. The family would need to be ushered through the final special exhibition about the sex lives of sailors. There were some fairly graphic photographs of what can become of those who overindulge. There were some videos behind a heavy red curtain, but what they depicted I couldn't possibly say? They do things a bit differently in Scandanavia!



We walked bag into town through the pouring rain to the Cafe Hyacint. There were no available tables, but the reviews were such that we waited patiently. The menu in Cafe Hyacint was easy to follow. As we were in a coastal town, the Smorrebord choice was easy. We opted for fish - a sort of battered fish on bread, prawns on bread and salmon. The salmon was described as "smooked", rather than smoked. The local snapps included also had a menu. We opted for a strong and a spiced. The beer was local. It was by far and away the best meal we had in Denmark. 109 DKK per head - not exactly cheap, but top quality - is a steal. The copious reviews on Tripadvisor are not wrong. We walked down the main street and found the bus terminus for the direct services to the Louisiana Museum of Art at Holmbaek. We marveled at the fantastic houses on the edge of Helsingor, looking out towards Sweden from their elevated positions. The bus dropped us at the end of the access drive towards Louisiana, so we didn't get too wet. The Copenhagen Card worked again and saved us another 110 DKK entry fee. On reflection, it was a good saving. The "modern" art wasn't really our thing. There was a special exhibition by a Serbian artist, who seemed more interested in producing semi porn movies than anything else. A lot of it could have been removed straight behind the red curtain in the National Maritime Museum. It certainly wasn't family material. The grounds are one big sculpture park and on a nice day, I am sure they would have been very nice. The driving rain effectively made a proper walk round the landscaped gardens impossible. We retreated to the shop. Museum Shop of The Year apparently and you could see why.



The bus at the end of the drive was horribly behind the stated timetable. A number of fellow visitors grew impatient and tramped off in the rain. Mistake. They got wet. The bus turned up shortly after. We passed most looking like drowned rats. A fortunate few were lucky to be arriving at the next stop, as we rolled. The bus dropped us at Rungsted Kyst for connection with the train back to Copenhagen. A burst of shouting broke out and the ticket conductor ushered a number of fellow passengers back on to the platform. The train actually passed through Copenhagen and on to Malmo in Sweden. I suspect they were daytrippers, who had found the alcohol prices too tempting. Alcohol was tempting me too by this point and we alighted at the central rail station, swapped to a S Train and arrived at the Carlsberg Brewery. The Copenhagen Card allowed us free entry on the tour with a bonus 2 free pints in one of the 3 bars on site. I had been before in 1998, but the whole operation was now totally different. It was only one free pint back then too! The Copenhagen Card allowed us to visit each attraction once a day during the validity period. It was a no brainer to make an appointment in our minds to revisit again the following day. We would opt of course not to bother with the tour, but just acquire the wrist bands to get the free drinks. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say! We left to make our way to acquire some food and then on to Tivoli Gardens again. It was Friday Rock day.



Tivoli is just a big fun fair park in downtown Copenhagen. A series of funfair rides, old fashioned rollercoasters and some serious looking scary rides that frankly scared me looking at them without getting on them. There is one section, that looks like a version of the old Spanish City in Whitley Bay. Of course in a modern world, these attractions ar no guarantee of survival. Tivoli has therefore reinvented itself to appeal to others. Fridays is music night. Tonight included in the ticket was Brain Wilson, the leader of the Beach Boy s. He is still out on the road - this time touring his Pet Sounds concept. The weather was anything but California Girls stuff. It still hadn't finished raining. The lawn on which the sparse audience was sodden and covered with plastic matting to prevent it turning into a Glastonbury mud bath. Brian Wilson was led on to stage supported by one of his minders. He was sat down behind his piano and stayed put. The hits were reeled off, although his band were the guys keeping it together. Brian seemed a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. The super fans loved every minute. I think though, there is a point when everybody has to call it quits.

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Photos

Cafe Hyacint
Smorrebord heaven!

National Maritime Museum
... the largest Lego ship in the world

Kronberg Castle
An actor does his Hamlet stuff....

Helsingor - Helsingborg Ferry
..............check out the green battery on the side

Comments

[Rainyb]

Looks like a pipe organ LOL

[Rainyb]

Thanks for sharing. Very nice.