Family Reflections:
So many pescatarian options!
And yes, the restaurant food is absolutely amazing here!
We're feeling the North here, colder, rainier, and darker earlier. It's crazy to see the sun at noon look like it's 9am.
Very clean in Copenhagen and all of us love it here.
Canals and bridges rock! The overall vibe is fabulous.
Go to Tivoli...especially in the holiday season with all the lights.
Copenhagen
Fun to ride the cleanest metros to date...you can look out and see everything underground.
Nyhavn (which used to be for dockers and their after work "relaxing ways" way back since the 17th century) is now a beautiful canal housing boats, apartments, and businesses.
The colorful buildings existed before house numbers, so you could tell people where you lived (I'm the yellow house between the green and red one).
Canal Tour...it was a crisp, sunny morning, and of course we sat outside in the unheated area for the best views bundled up.
Amalienborg Palace - (above) There's one bronze horse statue in the square's middle that costs more than the whole of the rest of the palace). The Stairway to Heaven church (below and right) is right by where we lived.
Christiansborg Palace (current government building, among many other things)
Stunning views from the Christiansborg Palace Tower.
From virtual pigeons (representing what used to be in the tower) to the atlas models "holding up" the tower.
Ruins Underneath Christiansborg (the palace was rebuilt three times, over the oldest ruins from the 12th century).
The ruins follow three "witches" from the area and their stories. Wise people used knots (pictures above) to tie up pain or evil, but this later became associated with witchery.
Replica wax figures found nearby (these were hidden by enemies, Swedish at the time, and "witches" to bring bad omens to others.
The Royal Stables at Christiansborg was a hit!
The horse carriages were really cool!
Tivoli...here we come!
Christmas starts a bit earlier here since there's no Thanksgiving. Who doesn't love a Santa windmill?
Starting off easy for the rides with a good swing about, and worked up to the big ones.
Got cow?
Tivoli is so awesome! Barely any lines for the rides...and there were a lot of them, good food stands, Christmas shops, and absolutely beautifully lit up for the holidays! Had no idea we'd spend so much time here, but we shut the place down, riding our favorite rides over and over again. There was even an old school roller coaster that was manned by a person in the coaster car!
The Demon rollercoaster entrance.
Bumper car madness!
The Radhus (Town Hall)...love all the copper roof pieces everywhere.
Lots of bikers! They actually have the right of way over peds and vehicles.
Found another LEGO shop!
And a late walk home found us some luck!
Roskilde (The Viking Ship Museum area)
This museum has reconstructed workable Viking ships of various uses and sizes based on excavated remnants. Some are huge and have sailed to Ireland and back!
Five boats were discovered sunken in Skuldelev in the 60s and an archaeological dig site brought them back to life (using a glycerol solution to preserve what wood was left). The ships are over 1000 years old and are thought to have purposefully been sunken after they were used for initial purposes (trading, swift getaways, warrior ships, across ocean exploring, etc.) to close off a small channel from possible invaders.
Reenactment time...this museum actually has a lot of fun interactive things for kids, but also include the adults in the fun. B.C. was even game for some!
They even had bones that tied into ice skates (not pictured here, but incredible mind-blower to me)!
Back in Copenhagen
The Tube...an experience of various rooms actually set up above the train station. Very wacky fun! These are the weird things that break up some of the more serious touristing. 😂
This tunnel platform does NOT move, but the "stars" around you spin. It's boggling as it takes over your brain and you really feel like you're spinning. Our favorite room for sure!
If you're going in a ball pit, Copenhagen might be the place to do it since everything is so clean (still had to tell myself to think clean thoughts). Super fun though and second favorite!
Waylon was the only one of us who figured out how to get out of this room that kept taking you into the "same" room over and over again. There is a panic button!
This is our version of The Little Mermaid, which you'll see a statue of later.
Kaleidoscope mayhem below!
Dancing queens!
Picking up Thanksgiving at "The American Pie" restaurant. Easiest cooking Thanksgiving ever...and a real thinker to having pot pies on Thanksgiving too.
Happy Thanksgiving from Copenhagen!
The actual Little Mermaid statue.
And the start to our windmill adventures begin!
(Left) And here's an artists rendition of a genetically modified Little Mermaid. Hilarious!
Kastellet, The Citidel, is a five pointed defense area from the past. Gorgeous now with paths, a windmill, and old cannons around.
Up in the Stairs to Heaven!
Our overnight ferry ship to Oslo!
Seriously...they're everywhere!
Onboard pool happiness!
Goodbye Copenhagen...Oslo, here we come!