Day 12 - Copenhagen
Today started with a walk down to the local Tourist. Information desk, which the guide book says was supposed to be open by 9. Unfortunately it doesn't open until 10, so I went a little further to do the first half of Rick Steve's recommended walk here in Copenhagen. This starts in the city hall, which is an elaborate Italian palace type building, although with the courtyard roofed over for obvious (winter) reasons. From there, a walk up the main shopping/strolling street, with a diversion of through the university district, and a stop at the church where the (Lutheran) rulers if Denmark are crowned (or at least were centuries ago, not sure about the current location). Then a quick backtrack to pick up the "Copenhagen Card" at the TI. Very roughly $80 (the dollar is strong, and the exchange rate is ~7dkk to the dollar, which isn't easy to convert on the fly) for the three day version. This covers admission to every sight I hit today, many of the ones on the list for the next couple of days, and transportation anywhere in quite a range around Copenhagen, including tomorrow's trip to Roskilde.
From there, back up the main stroll to where I'd left off, which was shortly before Christiansborg Palace. This is the current national government quarters, with one wing for the Queen (and the Prime Minister) and the other for the Parliament. The first stop was the ruins under the palace. Excavated and then roofed over with concrete, these include the outer walls of both Bishop Ansalom's Castle, the first on the site, and two different versions of Copenhagen Castle. The exhibit associated with it also includes bits and pieces of the two different Christiansborgs that have burned down prior to the present construction (apparently Copenhagen has had real problems with fires over the last thousand years). The next stop was the Queen's rooms. Not her residence, which is in the next palace, but the rooms she uses as he head of state. This includes the throne room (with a parquet floor pattern that cleverly leaves a central line that could be used to maintain a line while backing out of the royal presence, no longer required). Also on the tour is a huge hall with modern tapestries relating to the current royal house, as well as a painting of four generations of said house (the youngest being the Queen's father), and a picture of the queen, the crown prince and his first born standing in front of the painting.
These rooms are actively in use, the first such I've seen since my trip to England, and that makes a difference somehow (you know, in addition to the one worker sanding a section of the floor, and another cleaning the heating ducts). Also, randomly, there is a great hall that is used for entertainments and dining, and the backstage room is the green room, because of it's wall coverings. That strikes me as an unlikely coincidence.
Anyway, from that palace, I hopped a bus up to Amelianborg. This palace is essentially four large mansions facing each other from the corners of a large square. One currently serves as the actual residence of the Queen, but one of the others is on display as a museum. The first floor is a collection of rooms that belonged to various relatively recent rulers. I'm not real clear on this, but I believe different kings used different of the four mansions and these were transferred to this one to be put on display. The upper floor is less memorable, but includes some display items.
From there a short walk back to the bus, with a brief stop into a nearby domed, square plan church. A few blocks on the bus, and I ended up in the Rosenborg gardens, and, eventually, at Rosenborg Palace. While no huge, it feels very livable. Among the features are speaking tubes that run from one end I the other, and hidden channels into the rooms from he basement, so musicians could perform there an be heard throughout the house.
Of course it also has a 17th century chair that can trap the sitters arms and pour water onto their crotch. Just because you're highly elegant royalty, doesn't mean you can't have the sense of humor of an 8 year old.
The second floor was closed for restoration, but the third floor is one large hall, with small side rooms dedicated to porcelain, glass (mostly a Venetian gift to Christian IV), and originally to the royal regalia, which is now located in the basement along with other royal treasures. Much of it is the same sort of stuff I saw in the Green vault in Dresden.
From there I did bus to Norreport to the main train station, which is a couple of blocks south of the town hall square. On one corner of that area is the Calrsberg Glyptotek. An art gallery, mostly sculptures, founded by the heir to the Carlsberg breweries. A very extensive collection of both Roman (an Roman reproductions of Greek), and renaissance sculpture, up through Rodin, and some more modern. Also a collection of Dutch painters, and a display on French painting that was closed.
Just across the street from the museum, just south of the town hall is Tivoli Gardens. The first amusement park in the world, it is still a going concern, and is currently decorated for Halloween (which is apparently a thing here, considering I've seen kids in costumes with trick or treat bags already). Access is included with the Copenhagen card (once every 24 hours), so I went in and killed some time. Practically speaking, it's much like any US amusement park, except denser (not real surprising since it fits in about 6 city blocks) and with a much higher sit down restaurant to ride average than Kings Dominion. Also more high end shopping. About the same selection of games and such however. I didn't actually ride any of the rides, but just hung around and people watched for a few hours.
Then it was time for dinner, which was at a cafe on one of the squares on the main drag, and consisted of a Nordic sample plater. I'm not exactly sure what I ate, but it was good and I have a picture of the menu to translate.
The plan for tomorrow is an early start to Roskilde and the couple of sites there, and then back to Copenhagen. If I can get to a museum or two in the city tomorrow, I should have time to make it to Frederiksborg castle on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Danish Resistance museum, which was recomended to me, will not be on the list. It suffered a major fire a few years ago, while the exhibits were saved, the building was a loss, and it can't reopen until a complete new building is finished.
From there, back up the main stroll to where I'd left off, which was shortly before Christiansborg Palace. This is the current national government quarters, with one wing for the Queen (and the Prime Minister) and the other for the Parliament. The first stop was the ruins under the palace. Excavated and then roofed over with concrete, these include the outer walls of both Bishop Ansalom's Castle, the first on the site, and two different versions of Copenhagen Castle. The exhibit associated with it also includes bits and pieces of the two different Christiansborgs that have burned down prior to the present construction (apparently Copenhagen has had real problems with fires over the last thousand years). The next stop was the Queen's rooms. Not her residence, which is in the next palace, but the rooms she uses as he head of state. This includes the throne room (with a parquet floor pattern that cleverly leaves a central line that could be used to maintain a line while backing out of the royal presence, no longer required). Also on the tour is a huge hall with modern tapestries relating to the current royal house, as well as a painting of four generations of said house (the youngest being the Queen's father), and a picture of the queen, the crown prince and his first born standing in front of the painting.
These rooms are actively in use, the first such I've seen since my trip to England, and that makes a difference somehow (you know, in addition to the one worker sanding a section of the floor, and another cleaning the heating ducts). Also, randomly, there is a great hall that is used for entertainments and dining, and the backstage room is the green room, because of it's wall coverings. That strikes me as an unlikely coincidence.
Anyway, from that palace, I hopped a bus up to Amelianborg. This palace is essentially four large mansions facing each other from the corners of a large square. One currently serves as the actual residence of the Queen, but one of the others is on display as a museum. The first floor is a collection of rooms that belonged to various relatively recent rulers. I'm not real clear on this, but I believe different kings used different of the four mansions and these were transferred to this one to be put on display. The upper floor is less memorable, but includes some display items.
From there a short walk back to the bus, with a brief stop into a nearby domed, square plan church. A few blocks on the bus, and I ended up in the Rosenborg gardens, and, eventually, at Rosenborg Palace. While no huge, it feels very livable. Among the features are speaking tubes that run from one end I the other, and hidden channels into the rooms from he basement, so musicians could perform there an be heard throughout the house.
Of course it also has a 17th century chair that can trap the sitters arms and pour water onto their crotch. Just because you're highly elegant royalty, doesn't mean you can't have the sense of humor of an 8 year old.
The second floor was closed for restoration, but the third floor is one large hall, with small side rooms dedicated to porcelain, glass (mostly a Venetian gift to Christian IV), and originally to the royal regalia, which is now located in the basement along with other royal treasures. Much of it is the same sort of stuff I saw in the Green vault in Dresden.
From there I did bus to Norreport to the main train station, which is a couple of blocks south of the town hall square. On one corner of that area is the Calrsberg Glyptotek. An art gallery, mostly sculptures, founded by the heir to the Carlsberg breweries. A very extensive collection of both Roman (an Roman reproductions of Greek), and renaissance sculpture, up through Rodin, and some more modern. Also a collection of Dutch painters, and a display on French painting that was closed.
Just across the street from the museum, just south of the town hall is Tivoli Gardens. The first amusement park in the world, it is still a going concern, and is currently decorated for Halloween (which is apparently a thing here, considering I've seen kids in costumes with trick or treat bags already). Access is included with the Copenhagen card (once every 24 hours), so I went in and killed some time. Practically speaking, it's much like any US amusement park, except denser (not real surprising since it fits in about 6 city blocks) and with a much higher sit down restaurant to ride average than Kings Dominion. Also more high end shopping. About the same selection of games and such however. I didn't actually ride any of the rides, but just hung around and people watched for a few hours.
Then it was time for dinner, which was at a cafe on one of the squares on the main drag, and consisted of a Nordic sample plater. I'm not exactly sure what I ate, but it was good and I have a picture of the menu to translate.
The plan for tomorrow is an early start to Roskilde and the couple of sites there, and then back to Copenhagen. If I can get to a museum or two in the city tomorrow, I should have time to make it to Frederiksborg castle on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Danish Resistance museum, which was recomended to me, will not be on the list. It suffered a major fire a few years ago, while the exhibits were saved, the building was a loss, and it can't reopen until a complete new building is finished.