Exploring Copenhagen on two wheels (15/9/2024)

 

A canal built to allow the Danish Navy into the city so they would be safe

Bev had booked us on a cycle tour around Copenhagen. It seemed a most appropriate way to get around as that was what the rest of the population were doing.  I had never seen so many bikes in one place.  It seemed that most people were using either public transport or bikes to get around.  No wonder they were doing it.  The infrastructure for both was superb. 

 

Waiting to go cycling - Kongens Nytorv

We met our guide at a place called Kongens Nytorv outside a rather nice department store called Magasin du Nord.  We were there a bit early along with a crowd of people watching a half marathon being run around the streets of Copenhagen.  The spectators were very supportive of the runners. 

 

We found our guide Rune and we were joined by another four couples all of whom came from the US.  We think they were mostly of a liberal persuasion. 

 

Our bikes were like a throwback to the 1950s and 60s and were rather cute - very upright and with biggish tyres which were a relief as were riding over cobbles fairly frequently. 

 

Rune was a very interesting man who was full of knowledge about the city and Danish culture and politics, providing commentary that fitted with our interests.  Our first stop was a park that had a been the garden of a Danish King, King Christian IV I think.  We saw his castle which was apparently a summer retreat.  Not a bad place if you wanted to get away from it all.

Rosenborg Castle

 

We went to see the homes of service people of the 1700s  onwards which are still lived in.  Apparently they were built for the Navy and Army personnel to ensure that their loved ones had a home.  A good incentive in those days but it still meant that many did not have enough income to meet their needs so there was a lot of prostitution in the area.  After that we went to see the famous Little Mermaid. 

Former military housing

 

This was along with four or five busloads of tourists.  Initially the sculpture had been well out in the harbour but reclamation had brought her closer to the shore.  Was it worth seeing her, not really!  However, I did enjoy the recounting of the sad tale of The Little Mermaid by Rune who spoke of how Hans Christian Anderson’s books all had moral and philosophical messages that were existential.  He contrasted them with the Grimm Brothers stories which are about right and wrong or good and bad. 

 

The Little Mermaid

After that we went to Royal Palaces which are very close to the sea. The several palaces are grouped in a circle with one road through leading to the sea and a view of the Performing Arts Centre.  We even saw the changing of the guard.  Unlike Buckingham Palace, security is much less obvious and the palaces fronting the plaza have no barriers apart from the Guardsmen. 

 

We stopped for a coffee on the waterfront and heard how an area that was meant to be a green area was being developed.  Housing is very expensive in Copenhagen but  salaries area hight with the average salary being around $NZ145,000.  Taxes are very high as well.

Royal Palaces and the changing of the Guard

 

On the plus the side they have a comprehensive health and social welfare system.  Danes also have a right to housing.  It was good to see no homeless on the streets  or beggars whereas unfortunately there were a number in Hamburg and Frankfurt. 

New build apartments
The tour took us a past a community called Christiania and then past the Danish Parliament before returning to our starting point.  The tour was meant to be three hours but it was nearly four hours of riding and talking.  Rune was very passionate about imparting his knowledge of the city to us and his pride in his culture.

The old red light district

 

One of the things we had been told to try were Smorrebrod. It is an open-faced sandwich on a sourdough ryebread.  We were told where we could get one at a food market nearby.  Once we found the place and sampled one, we had to agree they were very nice.

 

On our way back to the metro stop there was a small plaza with a fountain and a busker playing jazz on a saxophone so we stopped and enjoyed the music in the lovely sunshine watching the multitude of people promenading past us. 

 

We were pleasantly tired when we got back having walked and ridden quite some distance.

 

When we arrived back I checked our little kitchen to see if a hot water tap had been fixed as we had no hot water to wash our dishes.  It hadn’t.  I went to reception to inform them and was asked if we would like to be upgraded.  Who would refuse that? We ended up in a studio twice size of the one we had been in, and we were very happy with the extra space.

 







 

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