In May 2018, David and I went on a seven-day Scandinavian cruise on the Sapphire Princess. We sailed round trip from Southampton, England, with port stops in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this awesome cruise.
This story is the third in a series about the sights we saw and experiences we had on land and at sea.
This story is the third in a series about the sights we saw and experiences we had on land and at sea.
Copenhagen, Denmark (Tuesday, May 29, 2018) When I planned this day, I knew that there were too many well-known and fabled sights and attractions in and around Copenhagen to ‘see it all’ in one day. But one day was all that David and I had in the capital city of Denmark, so…
I poured a mug of 'Mountain Grown' Folgers, sank into my recliner, and waded through a couple of dozen travel blogs that touted a variation of ‘Copenhagen in a Day.' Then I called David.
“Are you feeling adventurous?” I asked. And without waiting for his answer, I continued, “If so, we’ll travel by train from Copenhagen to Helsingor to tour Kronborg Castle, which was immortalized in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And there’s a mythical hero – a Viking named Holger Danske – asleep beneath the castle.”
Holger Danske was the hook, because David, like me, had a strong interest in the Vikings - an itch we would scratch when we visited Oslo .
“That sounds great!” he exclaimed.
An hour later, I sent a detailed itinerary to David.
I poured a mug of 'Mountain Grown' Folgers, sank into my recliner, and waded through a couple of dozen travel blogs that touted a variation of ‘Copenhagen in a Day.' Then I called David.
“Are you feeling adventurous?” I asked. And without waiting for his answer, I continued, “If so, we’ll travel by train from Copenhagen to Helsingor to tour Kronborg Castle, which was immortalized in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And there’s a mythical hero – a Viking named Holger Danske – asleep beneath the castle.”
Holger Danske was the hook, because David, like me, had a strong interest in the Vikings - an itch we would scratch when we visited Oslo .
“That sounds great!” he exclaimed.
An hour later, I sent a detailed itinerary to David.
This morning, I awoke to the sound of 'chirp, chirp – chirp, chirp.' Birds in our cabin, I wondered, still half asleep. Then I realized it was the alarm on my phone, which I had set for seven. I silenced the birds with a double tap on the screen.
David was already awake, relaxing in bed with his Kindle in hand.
“Up long?”
“Maybe a half hour,” David said. “Excited, I guess, and anxious to start our adventure.”
“We’ll leave soon after the ship docks, which will be around ten.”
We were out of our cabin within the hour, on our way to Horizon Court for a buffet breakfast.
“Crowded already,” I observed when we arrived. “Let’s start at the omelet station.”
What’ll it be?” the assistant chef asked.
“A Denver omelet for me,” David replied, “and a veggie omelet for my dad.”
“They’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
And with that, we gathered the sides for a well-rounded breakfast – potatoes, bacon, pancakes, and fruit.
The assistant chef was true to his word.
With our breakfasts in hand, we found a table, asked our waiter for juice and coffee, and dug into our plates with gusto.
“Well,” David said with a smile, “that should hold us until lunch. Let’s go on deck and check out the weather.”
As we stood on the Lido deck, I said, “It’s already warm, so I think we’re in for another hot day.”
In fact, by noon the temperature climbed into the mid-80s – almost 20 degrees above the daily average. No matter, as we dressed accordingly – tee shirts and shorts.
We were off the ship soon after we docked and joined fellow passengers on a shuttle bus to City Center.
It was 15 minutes by foot to the train station. I hoped to see some noteworthy sites along the way, and we did…
David was already awake, relaxing in bed with his Kindle in hand.
“Up long?”
“Maybe a half hour,” David said. “Excited, I guess, and anxious to start our adventure.”
“We’ll leave soon after the ship docks, which will be around ten.”
We were out of our cabin within the hour, on our way to Horizon Court for a buffet breakfast.
“Crowded already,” I observed when we arrived. “Let’s start at the omelet station.”
What’ll it be?” the assistant chef asked.
“A Denver omelet for me,” David replied, “and a veggie omelet for my dad.”
“They’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
And with that, we gathered the sides for a well-rounded breakfast – potatoes, bacon, pancakes, and fruit.
The assistant chef was true to his word.
With our breakfasts in hand, we found a table, asked our waiter for juice and coffee, and dug into our plates with gusto.
“Well,” David said with a smile, “that should hold us until lunch. Let’s go on deck and check out the weather.”
As we stood on the Lido deck, I said, “It’s already warm, so I think we’re in for another hot day.”
In fact, by noon the temperature climbed into the mid-80s – almost 20 degrees above the daily average. No matter, as we dressed accordingly – tee shirts and shorts.
We were off the ship soon after we docked and joined fellow passengers on a shuttle bus to City Center.
It was 15 minutes by foot to the train station. I hoped to see some noteworthy sites along the way, and we did…
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“David, look at the doorway to Holmens Church. Do you see anything unusual?”
“Do you mean the inscription above the door?” “Yes,” I replied. “It’s the Hebrew spelling of God’s name – YHWH, or Jehovah, in English. It’s strange to see this on a church.” With my cell phone in hand, I typed ‘Holmens Church’ into the Google search bar. I scrolled the list of webpages and opened one that looked promising. “Listen to this,” I said as I read from the online library for Jehovah’s Witnesses: |
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Every year, thousands of tourists who visit Copenhagen are surprised to see God’s name inscribed in Hebrew on castles and other buildings in and around the capital. This practice began with a young theologian who, in 1604, asked King Christian IV for permission to prepare a new translation of Luther’s Bible based on the original Hebrew and Greek texts. Permission was granted, and as the divine name became known, it began to appear in public places.
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Absolutely fascinating!
We passed Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park best known for one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters, built in 1914, and Glyptotek, an art museum with more than 10,000 works of art and archaeological relics.
We passed Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park best known for one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters, built in 1914, and Glyptotek, an art museum with more than 10,000 works of art and archaeological relics.
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And then we reached Central Station.
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I checked my watch. Ten minutes after 11. Perfect, as the next train for Helsingor would depart at 11:31. We bought roundtrip tickets with a return ride at 4:18. The train was on time, and we arrived in Helsingor at a quarter past twelve.
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Helsingor (pop. 47,000), known in English as Elsinore, was founded in 1420 by King Eric VII. It’s located near the north end of the strait of Oresund, which connected the Baltic Sea to the North Sea.
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Fun Facts
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Helsingor is the closest city to Sweden – just 3.4 miles across the Oresund to the Helsingborg.
A tribe known as the Helsings lived on both sides of the Oresund – thus the similarity in the names of the two cities. |
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We skirted town center on our way to the castle. Still, we could not miss the green spired tower of St. Olaf’s, a village church completed in 1559.
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And then, from the edge of Helsingor Harbor, we spied Kronborg Castle. It was an impressive sight! This fortress, built in the Renaissance style, had four three-story wings constructed from bright sandstone and a soaring tower topped with a patinated spire that stood more than 200 feet high.
UNESCO added Kronborg Castle to its list of World Heritage Sites in 2000.
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Located on a strategically important site commanding the Sund, the stretch of water between Denmark and Sweden, the Royal castle of Kronborg at Helsingør is of immense symbolic value to the Danish people and played a key role in the history of northern Europe in the 16th-18th centuries. It is world-renowned as Elsinore, the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
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Kronborg (Crown in English) Castle was built in the late 16th century by King Frederick II. In 1629, it was destroyed in a fire, but was soon rebuilt by King Christian IV. The castle served as a royal residence until the late 18th century and then was used as a barracks by the Royal Danish Army until 1923.
“There’s no food service in the castle,” I said, “so let’s buy sandwiches and sodas at this food truck and eat as we walk to the gate.”
“There’s no food service in the castle,” I said, “so let’s buy sandwiches and sodas at this food truck and eat as we walk to the gate.”
I handed our tickets (bought online before we left the States) to a docent, who welcomed us – “Velkommen” – as he handed David a map of the castle and castle grounds.
“Ok, David, where to first?”
“The courtyard,” he said with a smile. I’ll lead, you follow.”
“Ok, David, where to first?”
“The courtyard,” he said with a smile. I’ll lead, you follow.”
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The courtyard was immense, and while it was a great place to photograph the towers, spires, and other architectural elements of the castle, I could not capture the depth and breadth of this space. Fortunately, I found this Kodak moment from a third-floor window when we toured the castle.
“I read that a troupe of players performs a scene from Hamlet in the courtyard each day,” said David. “Hopefully, we’ll be here when they do.”
“That would be fun to see,” I replied. “Do you know anything about the connection to Shakespeare and Hamlet?”
“An English troupe, who later acted with Shakespeare, performed here in the late 1500s. No one knows for sure, but it’s possible that Shakespeare learned of the town and about life in the castle from one of these actors. By the way, Shakespeare named the castle Elsinore, not Kronborg, as he favored the town's English name.”
“It’s conceivable,” I said. And interesting, I thought, that no one knew for sure why Shakespeare chose Helsingor and Kronborg Castle as the dramatic setting for Hamlet.
“Dad, let’s see the Ballroom first. It’s in the south wing. Then we’ll visit the Scottish Suite in the west wing and the Royal Apartment in the north wing.”
The rooms were reconstructed to appear much as they would have been when the king and queen lived here. Some of the furnishings were reconstructed while others were originals from later periods. There were storyboards throughout the castle, and we gleaned information as we went from room to room.
The Ballroom was enormous – two hundred feet long!
“That would be fun to see,” I replied. “Do you know anything about the connection to Shakespeare and Hamlet?”
“An English troupe, who later acted with Shakespeare, performed here in the late 1500s. No one knows for sure, but it’s possible that Shakespeare learned of the town and about life in the castle from one of these actors. By the way, Shakespeare named the castle Elsinore, not Kronborg, as he favored the town's English name.”
“It’s conceivable,” I said. And interesting, I thought, that no one knew for sure why Shakespeare chose Helsingor and Kronborg Castle as the dramatic setting for Hamlet.
“Dad, let’s see the Ballroom first. It’s in the south wing. Then we’ll visit the Scottish Suite in the west wing and the Royal Apartment in the north wing.”
The rooms were reconstructed to appear much as they would have been when the king and queen lived here. Some of the furnishings were reconstructed while others were originals from later periods. There were storyboards throughout the castle, and we gleaned information as we went from room to room.
The Ballroom was enormous – two hundred feet long!
(From here forward, italicized passages are excerpts from storyboards.)
The Great Ballroom was the largest such hall in northern Europe.
Parties and banquets at Kronborg were well known for their lavish splendor. Guests were seated along the sides of the ballroom at opulent banqueting tables overflowing with food.
A typical banquet could consist of up to 24 heavily spiced dishes, including crayfish in aspic, massive joints of venison, oysters with costly lemons, and pates of swan, hare, and lobster. Each feast was accompanied by vast amounts of wine, and the festivities often lasted for several days at a time.
Entertainment was provided by acrobats, actors, musicians, and magicians, whilst the guests danced chain dances together in the middle of the hall.
“Frederick knew how to throw a party, didn’t he,” David said with a chuckle.
“He sure did…in a gluttonous way!”
The large tapestries along the inside wall were beautiful.
There were 43 tapestries, woven with needle and thread, displayed throughout the castle. Each one depicted an aspect of the history and royal lineage of Denmark, from the Viking Age to the present.
“Wow - more than 1,000 years of history,” David noted, “and it started with the Vikings!”
The Great Ballroom was the largest such hall in northern Europe.
Parties and banquets at Kronborg were well known for their lavish splendor. Guests were seated along the sides of the ballroom at opulent banqueting tables overflowing with food.
A typical banquet could consist of up to 24 heavily spiced dishes, including crayfish in aspic, massive joints of venison, oysters with costly lemons, and pates of swan, hare, and lobster. Each feast was accompanied by vast amounts of wine, and the festivities often lasted for several days at a time.
Entertainment was provided by acrobats, actors, musicians, and magicians, whilst the guests danced chain dances together in the middle of the hall.
“Frederick knew how to throw a party, didn’t he,” David said with a chuckle.
“He sure did…in a gluttonous way!”
The large tapestries along the inside wall were beautiful.
There were 43 tapestries, woven with needle and thread, displayed throughout the castle. Each one depicted an aspect of the history and royal lineage of Denmark, from the Viking Age to the present.
“Wow - more than 1,000 years of history,” David noted, “and it started with the Vikings!”
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We walked to the far end of the Ballroom to inspect two ‘golden’ chairs with red crushed velvet seats.
The king and queen, seated in their chairs, would preside under a magnificent canopy of purple silk with woven gold and silver threads. |
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We moved from the Ballroom to the Scottish Suite.
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Here, the king could lodge his guests in chambers richly furnished with paintings, brass chandeliers, and locker seats, walls covered with red fabric, and matching furniture. The four-poster beds were enveloped in lush material.
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“I wonder why it’s called the Scottish Suite,” I said to David.
“Here’s the answer,” he replied. The name derives from the fact that Frederik’s daughter, Anne, and James VI of Scotland spent their honeymoon here. |
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“It’s an apt name,” I said, “but not very imaginative.”
I glanced out a window and saw that people were gathering around a raised platform.
“It looks like something is about to happen in the courtyard,” I said. “Let’s go see.”
The platform soon held a small troupe of costumed performers. Prince Hamlet (center stage) was there, of course. So were Claudius, Ophelia, Yorick, Gertrude, and other characters from William Shakespeare’s play. Inexplicably, two tourists (can you pick them out?!) stood off stage.
“It looks like something is about to happen in the courtyard,” I said. “Let’s go see.”
The platform soon held a small troupe of costumed performers. Prince Hamlet (center stage) was there, of course. So were Claudius, Ophelia, Yorick, Gertrude, and other characters from William Shakespeare’s play. Inexplicably, two tourists (can you pick them out?!) stood off stage.
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“Have you seen Hamlet?” I asked.
“Nope. How about you?”
“Me neither.”
“Nope. How about you?”
“Me neither.”
I videoed the troupe as they performed a scene from Hamlet – largely a soliloquy by Hamlet. Later, on board the ship, I listened to my video and Googled key phrases. I found this passage from Act I Scene ii:
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her fact to roughly. Heaven and earth!
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her fact to roughly. Heaven and earth!
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“So excellent a king” was Hamlet’s father who was murdered by the king’s brother, Claudius. And to make matters worse, Claudius, now king, had married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.
Talk about family issues…and personal angst! David and I enjoyed this presentation…which was likely as much as either of us would see of this classic Shakespearean drama. I did not share Hamlet’s angst, so without compunction, I asked King Claudius to pose with me. Can you believe that we were color-coordinated! |
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“Let’s head over to the Royal Apartment,” said David, “where King Frederick and Queen Sophie lived. By the way, I read that Sophie was a young queen – only 14 years old when she and Frederick were married in 1572.”
We started in the Chancellery, a small room that served as a government office.
We started in the Chancellery, a small room that served as a government office.
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When the King was in residence at Kronborg, the country was ruled from this room. From here, officials of the realm dispatched royal decrees to…laws on everything imaginable.
“Small room, big decisions,” David remarked. |
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I followed David to the Library, which was where King Frederick buried himself in the world of books…to keep up to date with the latest…practices in the fields of architecture, music, science, and court management.
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The King’s Chamber, which I thought might be his bedroom, was instead a council room.
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When the King was in residence, this chamber was the place where important meetings were held about the future of the realm.
“It wasn’t just a council room,” David said as he pointed to another storyboard. |
The King’s Chamber was also where Frederick II reveled with his friends at hunting dinners. At such events, considerable amounts of alcohol would be consumed, leading to lively conversations about the day’s quarry, horse riding, or the previous party.
“Frederick was a fun guy,” David said with a laugh. “I would have liked to have known him!”
“Frederick was a fun guy,” David said with a laugh. “I would have liked to have known him!”
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Two small rooms served as Frederick’s and Sophie’s private quarters. Why two rooms?
This arrangement was particularly practical in cases where an arranged marriage ended up as an unhappy union. |
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“Oh, those royals,” I snickered. “Always thinking ahead!”
The last room was The Queen’s Chamber.
The last room was The Queen’s Chamber.
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This chamber was where the Queen and her ladies ate, and it was from here that the Queen managed her household, oversaw her children’s education, and occasionally relaxed with a book or embroidery in front of the fireplace.
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“Sophie and Frederick had seven children – four daughters and three sons – and 44 grandchildren,” David told me.
“I wonder how Sophie ever found time to read a book,” I said with a laugh.
David was quick with an answer.
“Short stories, I suspect.”
“David, let’s have a quick look at the cannons on the Flag Bastion.”
“I wonder how Sophie ever found time to read a book,” I said with a laugh.
David was quick with an answer.
“Short stories, I suspect.”
“David, let’s have a quick look at the cannons on the Flag Bastion.”
The seventeen bronze cannons, cast from 1766-69, are 12-pound rifled metal cannons, which means that they could fire a solid iron shot weighing 12 pounds. The cannons protected the strait between Denmark and Sweden.
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“This is just an observation,” David said, “but the cannons still point across the strait at Helsingborg. That’s where we will be tomorrow, right?”
“It is,” I replied, “but don’t worry. The last time I checked, Denmark and Sweden were on good terms!”
I checked my watch. It was a quarter to three.
“David, we have time to see more of the castle or find the sleeping hero. What would you like to do?”
“We came to see Holger,” he replied, “so let’s see Holger.”
Holger Danske had, according to legend, slept “for hundreds of years” deep within a fortified area of the castle – the Casemates – which was located below ground under the north wing.
We entered the first of several corridors that led to Holger Danske and, within ten steps, the daylight receded, and soon we were engulfed in near darkness, with only a dim light from paraffin lamps.
“I wish I had a flashlight,” I said.
“You do,” he replied. “It’s on your cellphone.”
Duh, I thought.
“It is,” I replied, “but don’t worry. The last time I checked, Denmark and Sweden were on good terms!”
I checked my watch. It was a quarter to three.
“David, we have time to see more of the castle or find the sleeping hero. What would you like to do?”
“We came to see Holger,” he replied, “so let’s see Holger.”
Holger Danske had, according to legend, slept “for hundreds of years” deep within a fortified area of the castle – the Casemates – which was located below ground under the north wing.
We entered the first of several corridors that led to Holger Danske and, within ten steps, the daylight receded, and soon we were engulfed in near darkness, with only a dim light from paraffin lamps.
“I wish I had a flashlight,” I said.
“You do,” he replied. “It’s on your cellphone.”
Duh, I thought.
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The occasional arrow pointed the way forward, past cavernous alcoves that served as barrack chambers. And then we stepped into a large, well-lit room where Holger Danske, bigger-than-life, sat on his chair at the far wall. His arms were crossed, his head was bowed, and his eyes were closed. His full beard was testament to the many years he had slept.
“Wow!” David exclaimed. “He’s dressed in full Viking regalia – mail, leather helmet, shield, and sword.” “Legend has it,” I said, “that he will awaken if Denmark is in peril.” |
“So, what’s the legend?”
“I want to get this right,” I said as I pulled a sheet of paper from my backpack. “This is an excerpt from the fairy tale Holger Danske, written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845.”
“I want to get this right,” I said as I pulled a sheet of paper from my backpack. “This is an excerpt from the fairy tale Holger Danske, written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845.”
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In Denmark there is an old castle named Kronborg...and in a deep, dark cellar beneath it, where no one ever goes, sleeps Holger Danske. He is clad in iron and steel and rests his head on his strange arms; his long beard hangs down… He sleeps and dreams, and in his dreams, he sees all that happens here in Denmark.
Every Christmas Eve one of God's angels comes to him and tells him that…he may sleep again, for no real peril threatens Denmark. But should real danger come, old Holger Danske will rise in his fury, and…the mighty blows he strikes for Denmark will be heard throughout the world. |
“I love it! David howled.
“One more thing,” I said. “His sword, a gift from the fairy Morgana, made him invincible.”
“An enchanted sword,” said David. “Imagine that.”
The original statue of Holger Danske – the one we stood in front of was a replica – was commissioned from a Danish sculptor in 1907. Cast in bronze, it stood outside a hotel in Helsingor until 2013, when it was moved to the town of Skjern.”
“One more thing,” I said. “His sword, a gift from the fairy Morgana, made him invincible.”
“An enchanted sword,” said David. “Imagine that.”
The original statue of Holger Danske – the one we stood in front of was a replica – was commissioned from a Danish sculptor in 1907. Cast in bronze, it stood outside a hotel in Helsingor until 2013, when it was moved to the town of Skjern.”
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David checked his watch and said, “It’s 3:15. I’d like to stop at the gift shop before we leave.”
Which we did…and what David purchased was no surprise: a statue of Holger Danske. “Let’s walk through town on our way back,” I said. “There will be some interesting things to see, I’m sure, and it won’t take us any longer to reach the train station.” |
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As we walked along the cobblestone streets, we passed shops with fresh produce and baked goods (the aroma was heavenly!), cafes, small stores with new and used goods, and half-timbered homes. Helsingor certainly had that small-town charm.
“How about an ice cream cone, dad?” David said. “My treat.”
He didn’t have to ask twice!
“How about an ice cream cone, dad?” David said. “My treat.”
He didn’t have to ask twice!
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Brostraede Flode-Is – which translated to ‘Cobbled Street Ice Cream’ – served their ice cream in a hjemmebagle vafler – homemade waffles formed into cones. The ice cream AND cones were flavorsome!!
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The train to Copenhagen departed on time, and we reached Central station a little after five.
“David, we have a 6:30 dinner reservation at Europa 1959. It’s located on Amager Square, about 20 minutes on foot from here. We have time for sightseeing as we walk.”
“Lead on,” he replied.
Soon, we reached City Hall Square, where we gazed on one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen. Completed in 1905, it was home to Copenhagen’s City Council and Lord mayor.
“David, we have a 6:30 dinner reservation at Europa 1959. It’s located on Amager Square, about 20 minutes on foot from here. We have time for sightseeing as we walk.”
“Lead on,” he replied.
Soon, we reached City Hall Square, where we gazed on one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen. Completed in 1905, it was home to Copenhagen’s City Council and Lord mayor.
“David, I read that the clock tower is more than more than 300 feet tall.”
“Geez! That’s as tall as a football field is long.”
“Geez! That’s as tall as a football field is long.”
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As we walked from City Hall, David pointed and asked, “Dad, what’s that statue? It looks like a couple of guys blowing horns.”
“Good question,” I said. “Let’s see if I can bring it up on Google Maps.” I had the answer within a minute. “It’s called Lur Players, and the two gents are playing lyre trumpets – a blowing horn without fingerholes from the Bronze Age. The monument, which was completed in 1914, was gifted to the city by the Carlsberg Foundation.” |
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“Carlsberg as in Carlsberg beer?” David asked.
“Yep, David – one and the same.” I replied.
“Yep, David – one and the same.” I replied.
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Next, we came to the Church of the Holy Ghost.
“Let’s have a look,” I said as I walked towards the door. Inside the entrance was a table with brochures, including one (in English and other languages) that had information about the church. “This was the third church built on this site,” I said as I scanned the brochure. “The original church was built around 1300, a second one was built after the city fire of 1728, and this one was completed in 1881. And listen to this: The Greenlandic community of Copenhagen – indigenous peoples of Greenland, who are Inuit – hold a monthly service in the Eskimo language Inuktitut.” “I always associated Inuits with Alaska,” David said. “Who knew.” |
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We strolled down Stroget, a pedestrian-only shopping area, with “high street stores, cafes, and tourist attractions along it.” No time to shop, as our dinner reservation beckoned...but I did make a quick purchase: A blue ballcap with ‘Copenhagen’ emblazoned on the front panel.
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And then we reached Amagertorv – Amager Square in English – the most central square in Copenhagen. The square, which dated to the early Middle Ages, was named for the farmers from the island of Amager who sold their produce in the marketplace that once occupied this site. Several of the buildings that surrounded the square were built in the early 17th century.
“Dad, there’s the restaurant,” David said as he pointed to our right.
Sure enough. But before we checked in with the hostess…
We checked out two more landmarks.
“Dad, there’s the restaurant,” David said as he pointed to our right.
Sure enough. But before we checked in with the hostess…
We checked out two more landmarks.
The first was the Stork Fountain, located in the center of the square – a silver wedding anniversary gift presented to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Louise in 1894.
And as we looked past the fountain, we spotted the Christiansborg Palace clock tower. It was more than 300 feet tall – the highest in Copenhagen.
I checked my watch. 6:25. Time to eat.
“Inside or out”” the hostess asked.
“Outside, please,” David answered.
We ordered a couple of beers – Jacoobsen Saaz Blond, a pale strong ale brewed by Carlsberg – that we sipped as we perused the menu.
Minutes later, I signaled our waitress that we were ready to order.
“This will be easy,” I said to her. “We’ll both have beef bourguignon.”
And as we looked past the fountain, we spotted the Christiansborg Palace clock tower. It was more than 300 feet tall – the highest in Copenhagen.
I checked my watch. 6:25. Time to eat.
“Inside or out”” the hostess asked.
“Outside, please,” David answered.
We ordered a couple of beers – Jacoobsen Saaz Blond, a pale strong ale brewed by Carlsberg – that we sipped as we perused the menu.
Minutes later, I signaled our waitress that we were ready to order.
“This will be easy,” I said to her. “We’ll both have beef bourguignon.”
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Our meals arrived 20 minutes later.
Served in a deep-dish bowl were bite-size chunks of beef (no need for a knife) in a hearty stock, topped with onions and shaved vegetables and sprinkled with parsley. |
David and I had the same reaction after our first bite: Delicious!
We shared a slice of Gateau Marcel – chocolate mousse cake – drizzled with a raspberry sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“It’s time to head back,” I said. “I earmarked the shuttle stop on Google Maps this morning. Give me a moment to bring it up and we’ll be on our way.”
The trip back was easy peasy, and an hour later – just past eight – we reboarded the Sapphire Princess.
We shared a slice of Gateau Marcel – chocolate mousse cake – drizzled with a raspberry sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“It’s time to head back,” I said. “I earmarked the shuttle stop on Google Maps this morning. Give me a moment to bring it up and we’ll be on our way.”
The trip back was easy peasy, and an hour later – just past eight – we reboarded the Sapphire Princess.
We ordered drinks at the Tradewinds Bar and sat along the railing that overlooked Neptune’s Pool. With one eye on the concert that was broadcast on the jumbo screen, we talked about our day.
“You know,” said David, “I was torn between sightseeing in Copenhagen and touring Kronborg Castle. But I must tell you that I’m really happy with our decision. The castle was awesome – all that history, and of course the legend of Holger Danske. It was a unique experience!”
“I’m glad to hear this,” I replied, “as I was a bit nervous when I finalized our plans. Truthfully, I don’t think we could have gone wrong either way. But I like the fact that we made our own adventure – that we didn’t follow the crowd in and around Copenhagen.”
We fell silent for a while, and in this silence, I thought of the wonderful memories we had created this day – father and son, with memories that will last a lifetime.
Tomorrow, we will be in Helsingborg, where I arranged a special tour for David and me. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you in my next story.
“You know,” said David, “I was torn between sightseeing in Copenhagen and touring Kronborg Castle. But I must tell you that I’m really happy with our decision. The castle was awesome – all that history, and of course the legend of Holger Danske. It was a unique experience!”
“I’m glad to hear this,” I replied, “as I was a bit nervous when I finalized our plans. Truthfully, I don’t think we could have gone wrong either way. But I like the fact that we made our own adventure – that we didn’t follow the crowd in and around Copenhagen.”
We fell silent for a while, and in this silence, I thought of the wonderful memories we had created this day – father and son, with memories that will last a lifetime.
Tomorrow, we will be in Helsingborg, where I arranged a special tour for David and me. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you in my next story.