Tuesday, July 3, 2018- The Copenhagen Card

Tuesday, July 3, 2018- Copenhagen Card Day

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We had stayed up late enough, and were tired enough, that we managed to sleep pretty much through the night.  I failed to mention that the room has a spectacular view of the lake and Tycho Brahe Planetarium from our 8th floor room. We awoke to a glorious sunrise over Copenhagen with swans cruising on the lake below.

The breakfast at the Scandic was a very good buffet with western and Scandinavian items, including fresh baked Danish sour dough and rye breads and pickled herring.  They also had lactose free and gluten free selections.  Ben was a bit concerned that a Yelp reviewer had stated that coffee was not included with the breakfast, but that was false.  Not only did they have coffee, but it was fresh brewed on demand made by machines that ground the beans and could turn out everything from espresso to cafe latte with a push of a button.  

We took a quick peek at the fitness center, which had free weights, yoga mats, ellipticals, bicycles and good commercial quality treadmills.  There were also separate men’s and women’s sauna rooms and showers.  But since we have been doing so much walking around Copenhagen, we’re not likely to end up using the fitness center.  The hotel didn’t have a swimming pool or hot-tub though.

After breakfast, we walked to the tourist information center and bought our one day Copenhagen cards. Then we set off through the Stroeget to with a goal of doing a canal cruise tour.  We discovered that everything doesn’t open until 10 or 11AM, so getting up at the crack of dawn isn’t going to provide any advantages, other than avoiding the breakfast crowds that tend to arrive later in the morning.  We located and boarded the first Copenhagen Canal Tours boat, which launches out of Ved Stranden, near Christiansborg Palace.  This tour is covered by the Copenhagen card for free, but if you were to take the same tour, but board in Nyhavn, it would have cost extra.  The Copenhagen Canal Tours is a Grayline company, staffed by professional and well trained staff.  They had two people operating the boat- a guide/safety officer, and a pilot.  The guide’s name was Nina, and she was well versed in 4 languages.  Her English was flawless, and she knew how to use the ship’s PA system effectively, so even Janet had no trouble following her commentary during the cruise.  The weather was perfect again- sunny and 70 degrees.  The boat was not very crowded so it was easy to move around to get good pictures without disturbing anyone. The tour lasted about an hour and covered much of the waterfront of Copenhagen from the statue of the Little Mermaid to the inner harbor.  Nina did a very good job pointing out interesting buildings and landmarks in at least 2 languages with running commentary.  She also watched us like a hawk as the boat went under bridges and through narrows to make sure everyone stayed safe.  It was very comfortable and informative.  We learned that we had seen many of the major landmarks during our walk about yesterday, but learned interesting details and stories behind some of the structures.  We felt that it was a very good tour, and well worth our time.  

Next, we boarded an Old Town Train Tour, which was a small tram run by the Gray Lines company that did a hop-on Hop-off tour route around central Copenhagen.  It did take us to parts of the city we had not explored on foot yesterday, but it provided absolutely no commentary on anything along the routes.  So it was more like basic transportation, rather than a tour.  But it was covered for free by the Copenhagen card, and we meant to get as much value out of that card as possible.

We then explored the Christiansborg Place grounds, which actually house Parliament, instead of the Danish Royals.  We toured the kitchens, Royal reception halls, ruins beneath the current structures, theatre, and stables.  The Copenhagen card covered all theses sights.  We also toured the tower, hoping to be able to dine in the dining room, which serves Danish cuisine.  However, the dining room was pretty much sold out with reservations.  We did have to wait nearly a hour before we could go up the tower because they strictly regulate how many people go in and out.  Being the tallest building structure in Copenhagen, it had panoramic views from the top of the Tower.  We couldn’t say it was worth waiting an hour to go up and see, but it did get checked off our list.  

The reception hall was up to European Monarchy standards, and the stables were fit for a king’s horses.  Ben noticed that the gold gilt carriages that are used to transport the Danish royals were not generally fitted with visible brakes.  He was looking to see if they had been retrofitted with hydraulic brakes like one of the carriages in the San Diego Old Town livery stable had, but surprisingly, none was to be found.  It’s had to imagine they transport their Queen in a carriage with no brakes.  They must have the utmost confidence in their drivers, horses and footmen.  They had stuffed the last white royal stallion and put him on permanent display.  Apparently, white horses are the rarest, and it took a great deal of effort and skill to find and breed white horses for royal stables.  When this one died, it was the end of white Danish stallions.

We also toured the royal theatre, which included the back stage and displays of costumes, but which required climbing lots and lots of stairs.  

We tried to get in to see Parliament, but it was not in session, and we had missed the last tour.  We walked across the Marble bridge and past the National Museum of Denmark to have lunch at Karla’s, another restaurant specializing in Danish cuisine.  Ben had Danish meatballs with a creamy potato salad and pickled vegetables, while Janet had a Danish hamburger topped with a fried egg.  The food was excellent, but again, a bit much to eat, so we had some left-overs to snack on later.  By the time we were done with lunch, the National Museum had closed, as had most other museums.  We decided to take a second canal tour since two companies offered them on the Copenhagen Card, and the waiter we had yesterday said they have very different styles and commentary, so it might be worthwhile to do both.  The second company, The Netto Boats, was a real cut the corner operation compared with Copenhagen Canal Tours.  Neither the pilot nor guide had any sort of uniform, and the boat was pretty beat up. But we did get a different commentary pointing out different buildings, and spending a little more time in some places.  The Netto Boats tour retails for a lot less than the Copenhagen Canal Tours, but you do tend to get what you pay for.  But it was enjoyable, and worth doing.  

As we walked back towards Tivoli Gardens, we made a stop at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Copenhagen, which was open late.  I can’t say it was a high quality experience, but there were some amusing exhibits, and we got a few good scares in.  We wouldn’t have paid separately to see it, but it was covered by the Copenhagen card.  They also had a HC Andersen museum, which was a bit hokey, but did help jog our memories about what stories were his.  In general, his versions of fairy tales didn’t end so nicely as the DIsney versions- generally his were darker cautionary tales with few happy endings, but he is certainly a favored national son in Denmark.  

We then made a beeline for Tivoli Gardens and got in well before sunset, so we walked around the grounds to see the gardens and attractions.  Much of the real estate inside the park is devoted to restaurants, arcades and rides- all of which require separate payments.  I guess this is why the entrance fee is only about US $20 per person.  If some people say Disney took his inspiration from Tivoli, I’d have to say he took it to a whole different level.  We stayed through sun down and got to see the lights come on in the park, and the “Illuminations” show, with choreographed water fountains, fog machines, lasers, spot lights and music.  It was nothing like the show at the Bellagio, Disney parks, or even Buchart Gardens, but it was cute and we did get to see it.  

Even with the Copenhagen Card and two boat rides, we still managed to log 23,672 steps or 9.16 miles of walking.  No wonder our feet were so sore.  

Tomorrow, we look forward to boarding the Regal Princess, where it is highly unlikely we’ll log over 10,000 steps a day.  We’re hoping to be able to use our Copenhagen cards one last time in the morning to visit the Planetarium across the street.  That opens at 9:15AM, and our cruise ship transfers are scheduled at 11:15AM, so it’ll have to be a quick run through.