Copenhagen: Highlights and More

We returned to Denmark.

As we left Norway, the landscape gradually changed from the dramatic rugged fjords to more undulating countryside with farms. Norway merged into Sweden. The land became flat with vast arable fields and enormous farms the further south we went.

As all Scandi crime drama fans will know, we had to cross 'The Bridge' to go from Malmo to Copenhagen for our final three nights. Incidentally, the common Scandi visual of solitary cars travelling on straight roads is an leveryday reality.

There is an abundance of things I could share from Copenhagen. Once again we used the 'City Card' option, giving us unlimited city transport and access to dozens of attractions. The canal sightseeing trip helped in the process of finding our way around and identifying the things we wished to see.

All our stops have been at ports. Copenhagen is a capital and comes with the normal set of political and royal buildings. We went to one to find that it had closed at 3pm but before we had worked out where to go next, the King turned up! Apparently it was a busy day of official engagements ... we weren't asked in.

However we did "do" a Palace and the Royal Reception rooms that are used for special events. They were spectacular.

The Danish monarchy of course has connections with our own. Similarities between our culture and history and those of Denmark were evident. There were a lot of both old and modern buildings to interest and impress. All sorts of shapes and designs. Some mimicking the classic scandinavian house shape.

We made it to a church with an unusual spire. I made the 200 or so steps to the viewing platform at the bottom of the spire but my head for heights got lost several decades ago, so I did not attempt the final climb!

It looks at lot easier from the safety of the ground. Anyway another fantastic view... this time out towards the sea with the obligatory cruise ships in the distance!

Our 'to see' list was impressive and included a couple of photographic exhibitions in a building called the Black Diamond... because it's black and the front glitters because of reflections from water. The design museum had an interesting feature about designing for the future: posing all sorts of questions. (It occurred to me to add: What if God does exist and ends things as promised?)

They imagined a future when you could take a pill for any kind of emotional ailment and to create any desired emotion.

Fascinating...but you'll have to enlarge the picture to read all 300 labels! On our final morning we made a quick visit to yet another impressive Botanical Garden .... they are so good.

...and the Butterfly House was great.

These were special, much more so when they flew and revealed their brilliant sky blue wings.

Our last port of call was the Museum of Illusions. Something 'other' to say the least! So much fun that Jenni needed to lie down for a rest. another don't miss experience.

We stayed in the latest type of hostel / budget accommodation: City Hub. Everyone has their hub / pod .... a sophisticated box to sleep in. You can even alter the colour(s) and intensity of the lighting on the app on phone!

What was good about our time in Copenhagen was that we felt closer to everyday life by wandering around, being on the buses and once on their great metro with spotless driverless trains where passengers can look out of big windows at the front and back.

We had a really good evening meal where there only seemed to be local people. It was home cooking served buffet style and you cleared your table. We are getting used to the transport... our breakfast cafe overlooked a busy junction. Bikes outnumbered cars... three lanes of traffic each way: pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.

Bikes of every conceivable shape and size and not just restricted to one strata of society. If you look carefully you will see traffic lights for each group: pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. It is well organised and disciplined.

So many things. so many blessings.