A Day on our Own in Copenhagen

Neither of us slept too well last night so were awake well before the alarm went off at 7 a.m. We had enough time to have our last fix of Swedish pancakes with lingonberries and maple syrup. Our Captain managed to make up the two hours so arrived in Copenhagen on time. We debarked at 9 a.m. and found the taxi lineup. The first one refused to take us because we had so much luggage! We got to our hotel about 9:30 a.m. and checked in our luggage. Our room would not be ready until 2 p.m. After a quick chat with the concierge and a city map in hand we set out to explore. We decided to walk to Fredericksberg Palace and its extensive grounds. Also, we wanted to wander the streets to see the only houses in Copenhagen. Everyone else lives in apartments. This was a wealthy area near the Palace something like our Rockcliffe Park. On the way, we noticed a small store selling binoculars and high-quality clothing. Norma suggested we go in to look. She immediately spotted a stuffed toy that looked suspiciously like a Norwegian Fiord Pony. We asked the clerk if it was one but he wasn't sure. She decided to pass on it because it was made in China not a Scandinavian country. Meanwhile, I spotted a few lovely pottery birds, three razorbills (a lifer for me on this trip) that would look perfect with my kitchen window collection. Turns out they were made by the head of the Danish Ornothological Society and that is why they were so authentic looking. He had passed away ten years ago and they were selling them for his widow and only had a few left. For some reason, I didn't succumb then and we continued on our way. By the time we headed back, I decided to buy one. Now I have a great souvenir, too. We also discovered a beautiful lighting store with chandeliers and lamps made from thin veneers of birch, copper, paper, and plastic. The chandeliers reminded of the first one I bought for our house. It was of teak and at Halloween, Warren and I decorated it to look like a Jack'o'lantern.
Copenhagen reserves sidewalks for pedestrians and has an extensive system of bike lanes.  They are on the same level as the sidewalks but have a different pavement.  A couple of times we were yelled at and were nearly wiped out before we figured out the system.  Bicycles wait at the pedestrian crosswalks when the light is red.  We hardly saw anyone jay-walking.
We returned to our hotel about 1:45 and registered. We asked for our luggage to be sent to our room. It was to arrive in five minutes. After an hour of waiting, I called the front desk to inquire. I called again after another fifteen minutes. I called again after another ten and said if it wasn't there in five minutes, I'd be down to pick it up myself! Four minutes later a harried bellboy rang our doorbell. I told him that was the longest five minutes I had ever experienced. Turns out it had been delivered to the wrong room and then they couldn't remember which room.
We grabbed a few things and set out again, this time to the Rosenborg Have, a former palace where the Crown Jewels are kept. On the way, we walked through a section of the city dedicated solely to pedestrian and bicycle traffic and a range of shopping from low to very high end. Buskers were in abundance and the streets were very crowded. We passed by The Round Tower, one of the oldest buildings here. We were much too tired to even think about climbing it. We returned to our hotel room at 5 p.m. We had been on our feet for six hours. I even had to stop to bandage a blister. On arrival in our room, we noticed a fresh fruit basket with some. Trail mix and chocolates had been delivered. We think it was delivered as an apology for the delay in getting our luggage. Or maybe it was delivered to the wrong room too! Too late, since we hadn't had lunch, we dug in.
Other than a brief heavy rain shower, the weather is beautiful - 28 degrees Celsius and sunny with just a hint of a cooling breeze every now and again. Norma's beads came through again!
We have decided to order room service tonight and go to bed early. Plane tomorrow.

Amber Beads and White Nights

As we approach the end of this memorable cruise, I would be remiss if I did not mention Norma's amber beads. She was very taken with our Lithuanian guide's stories of witches and the pagan beliefs of some of the Lithuanians to this day. At the end of our tour, our guide handed out to each of us a small package of amber stones taken from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Our guide said that they would bring us good luck. Ever since then, Norma has made certain that her beads came with us on all of our shore excursions. I think there must be something to it as we have enjoyed spectacular weather at all of our scenic stops. Many of them are usually cloaked in fog, accompanied by cold, wind, and rain. This was especially true of our stops north of the Arctic Circle. We were blessed with warm, sunny, calm days so were able to have wonderful views of the gorgeous scenery. With only a couple of exceptions - before the amber beads - our shore excursions have been fabulous with fantastic guides. We chose well. There isn't one thing we would change. We even managed the Metro in Oslo and a hike on our own making it back to the ship before she sailed. And at our last tourist stop in Norway, our last visit to a souvenir shop, our last chance to buy one, we found the pony!
I cannot remember if I mentioned the Scandinavian term for the extremely long days they enjoy from late June through July. They refer to them as White Nights which are so appropriately named. We are still experiencing them and are at last far enough south to enjoy an after midnight sunset if we stay awake long enough.
Something else we found very remarkable was the lack of noise in the cities and towns we visited, unlike at home.  We did not hear music blaring from homes or apartments.  The Scandinavians, who live in much closer quarters than we do, were considerate of their neighbours.  Likewise, drivers did not have their stereos turned up full blast and we were not treated to that thunderous pounding from their cars.  Motorcycles purred - their mufflers were very powerful and we were not subject to a lot of revving noise.  It was Heaven!
Today we spent the sunny morning on calm seas on our balcony updating the blog, choosing the pictures to go with it and then packing for our debarkation tomorrow morning. We haven't made arrangement for our transfer to the hotel - we hope we can catch a cab outside the pier - but I'll make sure Norma has her beads with her. I went to card making and made arrangements to meet Anne for dinner. I am now trying to send the rest of the pictures from yesterday but internet seems sporadic today. There will be another post about our day on our own in Copenhagen then we will be on the plane home. Hard to believe.

Another View from the Top

See the difference in the heights of the roads.

View from the Top of Mount Dalsnibba

Legend has it that if you build a cairn of four or more stones, you will return next year. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time. Too busy shopping.

A View of the Fjord at 1500 metres and our Ship

See the Eagle Road winding up the cliff by our ship.

View of Fjord from 1000 metres

Mary Lou Showing Off her Rock-climbing Skills