Denmark - Copenhagen

As the ferry comes in there is a good view if Elsinore Castle (but no sign of Hamlet)

Elsinore Castle

The hotel, it will of no surprise to you, is well out of town. Public transport not a real option, so once again we depend on the transportation supplied, and associated timescale.

It is the last night together for the whole tour group, and it would have been nice if the included dinner was something a bit more special, but it isn't. Dinner is from 7.00 (or whatever), is a buffet and the bus leaves for the optional trip to the Tivoli Gardens at 8.30.

I have carried my suit and tie around the Baltic and am determined to wear it to dinner, so I do, except for the jacket - it's too hot. Two people complemented me on my appearance! One even said that that I was the best looking person in the restaurant - unfortunately both complements came from men, so I'm not as flattered as I might otherwise have been.

We are on the Tivoli trip and the journey into the centre reveals that we are 18km out of town (by Danish crow). We are told the bus will pick us up at 10.30 (or was it 11.00?). Anyway the Tivoli Gardens was absolutely nothing like what I was expecting, and I'm afraid it wasn't a pleasant surprise.
Once I was over this initial shock I was able to enjoy the park more.

It is basically an entertainment park - a hybrid of fun fair and park concert, with bars and restaurants thrown in for good measure. It was an interesting experience, though many of the rides weren't working as we arrived because of an impromptu strike by the operators.

We arrived while it was still light, but as the light went and darkness came, the park began to take on a new, more interesting dimension, and was becoming quite lively. Unfortunately because of the limitations of the tour bus, we had to cut the visit short (2 hours is not enough). Again, here, COSMOS should have made local arrangements to bus us back later, to give us more time in the gardens when it is at its best.

Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen

Some of the tour group are not going on the city tour because the have to fly back - their holiday ends here. For the rest of us it's on the bus and into town. Once in town the itinerary was:

Tivoli Garden: A view from the outside. If you wanted to go inside, then that was last night.
Town Hall: Coast past it. On the building opposite is a thermometer and barometer with a lady with or without umbrella, depending on the weather.
Past the Stock Exchange (Borsen): A long building constructed in 1620s.
The Library next to the Christiansborg Slot.
Holmens Kirke: A church with a nave originally built in 1562 and gives a good view to the Borsen.

The Borsen

Royal Acadamey for photo stop of the canal.
Amaliehaven Slot: Home of the royal family. Here the local guide gave limited time to look round, with instructions to watch the changing of the guard. Wrong instructions as it turned out such that most of the group didn't see it.
The Little Mermaid: A bronze sculpture created by Edward Erikson. This mermaid has legs, as well - perhaps it me that doesn't know what a mermaid looks like, or perhaps its a poor translation of something.
A drive round the docks with some nice new apartments that would convert nicely to 18th Century warehouses
A drive round parky bits back to the Town Hall.

Time for farewells to the other passengers leaving us here, mainly the British contingent who booked through Archers Direct who do the same tours as COSMOS but cheaper, followed by some free time to have a last look round and get some lunch.

Our lunch we buy in a supermarket to save time. Then we have a last wander, trying to follow the walking tour listed in the Lonely Planet guide book.

Town Hall Square plus statue of Hans Christian Anderson
Stroget: This is the street that LP Guide tells you to walk down. It is not on the LP Guidebook map, so where is it. We pick the main shopping street which eventually tallies with the sights. We later discover that there isn't a street specifically called Stroget. It is a word used in everyday speech representing a long line of streets through the city centre.
Gammel Torv and Ny Torv: A couple of popular squares with the guilded Caritas Fountain. A building once used as the City Hall is tucked away in one of the corners.
Hellgandskirken: A church supposedly very nice, but the church bit was closed, and the only open bit seemed to be a second hand book sale and a coffee morning.
Hojbro Plads: Another square with buskers
Nikolaj Kirkebut: Big spire and not really a church any more but an art exhibition place.
Canal side for lunch
Nybrogade Gammel. Strand: A canalside walk, past the statue of the lady holding a fish (flounder), described by this mornings guide as the most photographed statue in Copenhagen - I can't believe it is more popular than the mermaid, there is no-one here except us, and she doesn't get a mention in LP Guide.

The flounder of Copenhagen

Return to the Town Hall and the bus.

The bus departs and doesn't stop until we reach the ferry port at Gedser where we hardly have to wait at all before the ferry leaves for Rostock, where we are, once again, in Germany.