Copenhagen Denmark. Something For Everyone: Gardens, Palaces, Shopping, History And The Second Oldest Amusement Park In The World. Part One.

It is going to be very hard to summarize all I saw and did in my one full day in the  “city of green spires”.  I knew it was an amazing visit, from the opulent Christianborg Palace to the magical Tivoli amusement park.  But, in reviewing the photographs I took for this blog,  I realized just how much there is to see and do in this historic city. I am hoping the photos will help me convey some it’s great diversity. I sure took a lot of them. 

I began the day early, up before sunrise to take a look at the “real” neighborhoods and how the regular folks live. One thing I learned they are up early, are active, and love their bicycles.

I walked down Farimagsgade, a major street, which had little motor vehicle traffic but plenty of pedestrians, runners and bicyclists.

I walked past the Orstedsparken  and Botanical Gardens and entered the grounds of the Fine Arts Museum.  Here I left the main streets and roamed the residential neighborhoods finding the usual playgrounds, churches and schools. 

I made my way back along the beautiful reservoirs that are the homes to numerous swans, ducks, geese, blue herons and other birds. I love to watch a city wake up and Copenhagen woke up as gracefully as any I ever visited.  Here is a link to some more photographs from my morning walk. (Of course you can also see them in my Scandinavia photo album on my blogs home page).https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/scandinavia-july-26-august-8-2015/nggallery/scandinavia-july-25-august-8-2015/copenhagen-denmark-early-morning-walk-july-31-2015

After a shower and nice breakfast at the hotel I joined our group for a bus tour through the city streets were we saw many of the historic sights. including the canals and famous “old town” Most of the old town was seen from a distance since large sections are closed to motor vehicle traffic. 

We than visited the splendid inner chamber of Christianborg Place, not only the seat of the nation’s  Parliament and Supreme Court but also the site of the Royal Reception Room and other rooms for Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II.

We learned so much visiting these magnificent rooms, adorned with all sorts of art. This is a link to some more photographs from our visit to the Palace. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/scandinavia-july-26-august-8-2015/nggallery/scandinavia-july-25-august-8-2015/copenhagen-denmark-christianborg-palace-july-31-2015

My favorite was the tapestry room, were the finest woven carpets depicted the history of Denmark from the Viking age to the present.  The carpets were amazing. My favorite was the one depicting events from the 20th century, the good and the bad , and leaving an unfilled spot for us to complete. The guide gave a very emotional presentation about the hatred and evil of the NAZI years and how it is the desire of the Queen that we never forget the hatred on which it was based and never let it happen again. This visit would have, in itself, made the entire trip worth while. This is a link to some more photographs of the beautiful tapestries on display at the Palace. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/scandinavia-july-26-august-8-2015/nggallery/scandinavia-july-25-august-8-2015/copenhagen-denmark-christianborg-palace-tapestry-room-july-31-2015

We left the Palace, watched the end of the changing of the guard and then visited some more of the seemingly countless sites of the city, including the famous Little Mermaid,

We than we left on our own and  I had a very pleasant lunch with my sister Linda and some other members of our group. As I said there was just so much to see I will need more time to relate it all. So I guess there will be a Copenhagen Part Two.  Please check out the photographs, although the don’t do justice to the beauty of this city, they give some indication of the wonderful sights I experienced.  Here is a link to some more photographs from my tour of the city.https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/scandinavia-july-26-august-8-2015/nggallery/scandinavia-july-25-august-8-2015/copenhagen-denmark-city-tour-july-31-2015

“…together we shall see what is in this great kingdom of Denmark, and on this journey you will put from you all the sufferings of recent years and regain your joy in the world.”
― Rose Tremain