I got an early start today and decided to take the 90 minute train ride south to Copenhagen to enjoy another gorgeous spring day, this time in Denmark. My main reason for going was the opening yesterday of the Tivoli Gardens Amusement Park.
The Joy of Steroids???
Why are all of these Guld Bageren cookies on display in the Rådhuspladsen?
They were playing up a storm adding to the day's festivity! After all, the Queen herself was going to parade by here in about 30 minutes.
By all I could see, Queen Margrethe II is very popular with the Danes.
In very plain clothes, they were running a sweep of the parade route. Security seemed minimal to me given the size of the crowd and the narrow streets.
They heralded the Queen's arrival. Those are two BIG drums inside of the red bags on the second horse.
She passed about four feet from me!
Next to her is her husband, a former French diplomat, Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezah.
She came to the throne in 1972 thus becoming the first female monarch of Denmark since Queen Margaret I. Queen Margaret I ruled the Scandanavian nations from 1388 to 1412 under the Kalmar Union that united the current countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
The unusual spelling of the current Queen's name is because at the time of her birth in 1940, her father, King Frederik IX, was also the King of Iceland. Her name is the Icelandic spelling of Margaret.
Full of ice six weeks ago, this is now a hub of activity! This yacht is now a restaurant/bar.
It is the oldest building on the Nyhavn. Back in those days you were taxed based on the frontage footage of your building at street level. Thus everyone erected tall, skinny buildings.
This Danish company is the biggest shipping company in the world.
Not to worry, his left hand is atop the red bucket as he performs a one-handed hand stand.
WHEW!
Chocolate Ice Cream and Raspberry Sauce
It IS the Queen's Birthday afterall!
It IS the Queen's Birthday afterall!
Copenhagen's founder, Absalon was a bishop, soldier and foreign policy guru who was King Valdemar I's right hand man.
Bull Gores Dragon, film at 11:00!
This clown is the logo for Tivoli Gardens. His name is Pierrot and he dates from the 17th century pantomime shows known as Commedia dell'Arte. Pierrot was a sad clown who pined for the love of the fair Columbine. She invariably spurned the good hearted Pierrot for the less reliable Harlequin. Even 400 years ago, girls liked the bad boys!
A Copenhagen landmark since 1843, this is a small but fun amusement park. It is not Disneyland but it is not trying to be.
That being said, it was a trip to Copenhagen and a visit to Tivoli Gardens that inspired a young Walt Disney to build the first of his Dream Parks back in the 1950's in Anaheim, California.
Tivoli Gardens opened on Thursday after being closed all Winter. Lots of fun can be found here.
I loved these as a child! I was too young to drive a real car but here I could drive and get to legally ram the hell out of someone!
Life just doesn't get any better than this.
Great thrill rides can be found all over the 20 acre park.
Tivoli Gardens has EVERYTHING!!!
It IS the Queen's Birthday afterall!
The receipt from the Biergartan allowed me to get a 45 Krona Irish Coffee at this nearby Tivoli Garden Bar for only 30 Krona. I ordered one and the barkeep said that she would make it a double for only 15 Krona more. I hesitated but finally said yes . . .
It IS the Queen's Birthday afterall!
A happy cat it appears but check those claws.
"Tick Tock Polka"
by Johan Strauss
Entertainment like this pops up all over the Gardens to make people of all ages and musical tatste happy.
After I left, a Danish rock group was scheduled to play on Tivoli's big outdoor stage.
Pierrot has a devilish side as well it seems
It was just a great day in a wonderful European capital city!
2 comments:
Golden Girl appears to be the ancestor to that American icon, Mudflap Girl.
Actually, in a little known cultural fact, Koreen FitzGerald was the original model for the iconic Mudflap Girl.
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