Friday morning found my body clock still off by a few hours so I decided to do some work in the hotel room before striking out at a little before 7:00 a.m. to see the key sights of Copenhagen on foot.
Clear skies, no wind and crisp weather were the order of the day, LET'S DO IT!
On Hans Christian Andersens Blvd.
this Lion quietly stood guard.
Copenhagen's vibrant colors came alive
in the early morning light.
in the early morning light.
A Stylish Office Building
A Very Lonely Bicycle
Why is it here? This was the only vehicle of any kind in a very large waterfront parking lot. Not a human in sight and, of course, no lock.
A Serene Canal Awakening
Church of the Narwhale?
That's ice at the far end of this canal.
GOOD THINKING!
The sculptur knew that his statue would be out in the elements for many years, thus the hat and overcoat I presume.
Amalienborg Palace
That's Marble Church in the background.
An Amalienborg Palace Guard
The Gefion Fountain
The fountain was frozen, so no show today.
This fountain is dedicated to the myth of the goddess Gefion who transfomed her four sons into oxen in order to carve a hunk out of neighboring Sweden in one night to make into Denmark's main island where Copenhagen is located.
St. Alban's Anglican Church
Yes, the lake, like the nearby Gefion Fountain, is frozen solid as well.
Copenhagen's Den Lille Havfrue, a.k.a.,
The Little Mermaid
Not really sure what all the fuss is over her, Copenhagen has a lot more to offer in my opinion.
At least she is off my "Bucket List".
The Boat Club was closed today
for some unspecified reason.
for some unspecified reason.
Kastellet Park, a Building
No tourist significance other than I liked the colors.
My first windmill sighting
Copenhagen is just like Solvang, California only MUCH bigger and better!
I'm cold but coping nicely
A Statue to those who fought
for Denmark in WWII
Tree and Ice
Gnarly but interesting.
Who doesn't love a gold onion dome?
The Marble Church
At this point I had been walking the streets of Copenhagen for two
and a half hours and was in need of some sustenance.
and a half hours and was in need of some sustenance.
How about . . .
Coffee and a Chocolate Danish
PERFECT!
I'm really getting into the
Scandanavian scene!
A building as seen through wavy glass.
The latest in cutting edge
Danish bicyling technology!
Dick Bellman, what do you think?
Statue of a Valkyrie
In mythology, the Valkyrie were women who decide who would die in battles. They would then bring the bodies of their chosen to Valhalla, ruled by the god Odin.
The Museum of Danish Resistance
As a devotee of the History Channel, I decided to make this my first stop when it opened its doors at 10:00 a.m.
On April 9, 1940, Hitler's Nazis violated a peace treaty and invaded Denmark, who ever saw that coming. This great little museum tells the story of what happened over the next five years of Nazi occupation.
Lot of powerful themes here. I was especially enthralled by a video recording of a first hand account by a Danish Resistance leader who gathered five other men to "liquidate" a Danish informer in broad daylight in public.
They were successful, I'm guessing he had it coming.
Danish V3 Armored Car
The Danish Underground took Ford two ton trucks and added the necessary armor to make these offensive weapons against the Nazis.
It is VERY hard to imagine five years
of Nazi rule in tranquil Copenhagen.
of Nazi rule in tranquil Copenhagen.
This was a great museum for anyone interested in WWII history, I gave it a big thumbs up!
Rosenborg Castle
This was my second of the two stops I had planned for the day. Not nearly as large as the palaces of the French kings or the Austrian Hapsburgs but livable nonetheless. It was built as a Summer residence by King Christian IV in the early 1600's.
King Christian IV
1577-1648
A Bon Vivant if ever there was one! He lived to be 70 and fathered 25 children with two wives and three mistresses.
I wonder what he ate for lunch in his later years?
"I'm here to see the tapestries!"
The Throne Room
Brian FitzGerald,
DON'T SAY A WORD!
The Royal Seal
on the ceiling of the Throne Room
WHEE!!!
The Mirror Room
This mirror was installed on the floor so that King Christian IV could observe what was under those hoop skirts.
King Christian IV's Saddle
Diamond and pearl studded, he had it made for use during his son's wedding.
King Christian IV's Coronation Crown
From 1596
Made with seven pounds of gold and precious stones as well as a ton of symbolism. Many consider it the most exquisite Renaissance crown in Europe.
Lighter, more practical crowns
From 1670
Gold and diamonds only, no symbolism to be had. The Queen's weighs two pounds while the King's weighs in at four pounds.
The Crown Jewels of Denmark
The Queen's Emerald Necklace
A few years ago, I bought Laurie an emerald ring with matching emerald earrings. I think they would go GREAT with the Queen's emeralds!
I was done a lot earlier than I thought with the day's two objectives, my legs felt good and there still was no wind so I decided to push on to one more stop, Christiania.
Our Saviour's Church
Our Saviour's Church Organ
A side entrance to Christiania
This is Copenhagen's free-wheeling alternative life style community.
Think 1960's Hippie Movement and evolve it 40+ years.
Hanging Out at the Commune
They are allowed to openly sell things here that would spell a prison marriage to a "wife" named Bubba back in the USA.
Sign on the arch as you use
the main exit from Christiania.
the main exit from Christiania.
An Elephant, An Omen?
As I returned to my hotel at about 3:30 p.m., eight and a half hours of walking after I started this morning, I came across this form on a building about two blocks from my CABINN City Hotel.
I took it as an omen of good this on Saturday for my old team, the Catania Elephants. They have a friendly, read non-league, game against the Palermo Sharks at the University of Catania Stadium at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are still available if you are in the area.
GOOD LUCK ELEPHANTS!!!
I am really tired from all of the day's activities so I'm going to bed early tonight to recharge my batteries for Saturday. I'll be boarding the train to Hässleholm in the morning to finally meet the Hurricanes and hold our first practice together.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED!!!
