Denmark 2016: Copenhagen (Part II)

Well, before the school year gets really busy, we'll keep chugging along with trip pics for those of you who are interested! Today's post will tackle our first full day in Copenhagen. It was a full day, indeed, because in addition to our rented bikes, we found another tool that helped us to cover a lot of ground: a "Copenhagen Card." A little pricey up front, the card is administered by the tourist bureau, and lets you specify a set duration (e.g. 24 hours) and start time (e.g. 11AM). Then, during that window, you get free admission to over 70 big attractions in Copenhagen, as well as free access to public transit and some sightseeing tours, too! The onus is really on you to get your money's worth, so fortunately we had gotten a great sleep and were ready to go! Our day started with a longer bike ride to the city center, where the main visitor center is located, to pick up our Copenhagen Cards. Then we were off!


Our first stop was a return visit to the Rundetårn, a really cool observatory tower built in the 1600s that Charlotte brought me to on my first visit to Copenhagen in 2009. It's a really tall tower that offers a great view of the city, but its particularly nifty feature is a winding path to the top that permitted horseback riding to the top of the tower. Thus, there's lots of cobblestones, but hardly any stairs!




It even has a kissing bench (observatories were apparently notably swankier back in the 17th century)!


After Rundetårn, we biked a short distance to the water, and used our cards to snag a free canal tour. With so much of the city adjacent to-and interspersed with-canals, this is a quick and great way to get the lay of the land (and water!).
 

A couple highlights included the Danish Opera House...


...the Danish royal palace of Amalienborg...


...some of the ships and grounds of the Danish navy...


...and a waterside glimpse of the hippie haven, Freetown Christiania.


Afterwards, we took a quick bike ride over for a hot dog (pølse) lunch at Nyhavn. This is kind of a big deal-these hot dog stands are ubiquitous in Denmark, and I had occasionally been dreaming about them in the intervening 7 years since my first visit. Observe the look of pure ecstasy-first pølse med det hele ("with everything"-mustard, pickles, remoulade, fried onions, ketchup, etc.) of the trip, but definitely not the last!


Our next stop was the Designmuseum Danmark. Danish design is intrinsic to the Danish aesthetic and Danish culture, and so this proved to be a very interesting (and popular) museum!


Next, we biked around the corner to see Amalienborg in person. Yes, you can bike right up to-and through-it. Even the palaces are bike-friendly in Denmark!



After Amalienborg, we went somewhere truly amazing: the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. I've honestly never seen anything like it. Basically, imagine the most beautiful building you've ever been inside. Then, fill it with pretty high-caliber artwork (e.g. Monet, van Gogh, etc.) and other rarities (e.g. not one, but several, mummies). Lots of the collection and funding was drawn from the fortune of the Carlsberg family of Danish brewing magnates, proving yet again that beer is a truly wonderful thing!
I was too agog to take many photos here, so all you get is a photo of a staircase and of me discovering my nasal ancestors.



After leaving Glyptoteket and passing City Hall (yay electric cars!), we found ourselves at the equally electric Tivoli.


Tivoli is a place that is often emulated. You know those cozy strings of lights that are popping up at restaurants everywhere? Google "Tivoli lights" (Tivoli is illuminated by thousands and thousands of lights of every color at night, so basically my lifelong dream come true). Likewise, have you ever heard of an amusement park called "Disneyland?" Guess what inspired it?





While Charlotte and I got free admission to Tivoli's grounds, we sprung for a few extras, including a ride on the "Rutschebanen," one of the oldest roller-coasters in the world (as if they're not already terrifying enough!). We also enjoyed an awesome dinner at the Grøften restaurant next to the ballet theater. Someday, ask me to tell you about the oh-so-delightful skipper's lobscouse (really-it's awesome!).




After some more exploring and a jazz concert, we left Tivoli at about 11PM, grateful that our bike lights worked-and that we don't have to pay Tivoli's electric bill. Yowzahs!