Copenhagen
After a smooth sail from Skagen through the night, we docked at Langelinnie in Copenhagen. The area has been renovated and gentrified, with outlet stores, and the famous Polar Bear monument. The morning was taken up with bus tours of the city, with highlights being the Our Lady Church (the central cathedral of Lutheran Copenhagen) and the Rosenborg Castle. Built by Christian IV (1588-1648), the Castle is now home to the Royal Guard. Inside were dark but impressive rooms in the heavy Danish early modern style of the 16th century. Most extraordinary was the Treasury, which houses the crown jewels of the Danish royal family.
After lunch, back on board for most, the guests went to one or another of the major museums in the city—the National Museum or the Glyptotek.
The weather was extraordinary, as we benefited from the heat wave that the rest of Europe was suffering through. Here in the Baltic it was sunny and warm, with a short, surprising shower for a minute or two. Zodiacs shuttled back and forth from Nyhavn in the center of the city; busses carried guests to and from Tivoli Gardens, right up to the last bus at 10:30 PM. Well, it was supposed to be 10:30, since the ship was to sail at 11:00 PM, but an independent, enterprising bus driver decided that there would be no need for a bus that late. Springing into action, Steve Zeff and Janna Olsson quickly ordered cabs, and the last crew and guests were ferried to the ship for an on-time departure.
Copenhagen remains one of the most extraordinary capitals of modern Europe. The Danish krone is still used as the local currency. The Danes are members of the European Union but refuse to accept the Euro.... at least for the time being. Every few years, local politicians have a referendum to decide whether to join the European monetary program. Denmark, thus, has a wonderfully dual character: it is European but unique in its own way. The great king Christian IV, who essentially built the city, left them the wonderful churches and public buildings that we still see today, but by building so much and fighting continuous wars, he left his land impoverished. Danes today enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world but remain anxious about their future in an increasingly integrated, globalized world.
After a smooth sail from Skagen through the night, we docked at Langelinnie in Copenhagen. The area has been renovated and gentrified, with outlet stores, and the famous Polar Bear monument. The morning was taken up with bus tours of the city, with highlights being the Our Lady Church (the central cathedral of Lutheran Copenhagen) and the Rosenborg Castle. Built by Christian IV (1588-1648), the Castle is now home to the Royal Guard. Inside were dark but impressive rooms in the heavy Danish early modern style of the 16th century. Most extraordinary was the Treasury, which houses the crown jewels of the Danish royal family.
After lunch, back on board for most, the guests went to one or another of the major museums in the city—the National Museum or the Glyptotek.
The weather was extraordinary, as we benefited from the heat wave that the rest of Europe was suffering through. Here in the Baltic it was sunny and warm, with a short, surprising shower for a minute or two. Zodiacs shuttled back and forth from Nyhavn in the center of the city; busses carried guests to and from Tivoli Gardens, right up to the last bus at 10:30 PM. Well, it was supposed to be 10:30, since the ship was to sail at 11:00 PM, but an independent, enterprising bus driver decided that there would be no need for a bus that late. Springing into action, Steve Zeff and Janna Olsson quickly ordered cabs, and the last crew and guests were ferried to the ship for an on-time departure.
Copenhagen remains one of the most extraordinary capitals of modern Europe. The Danish krone is still used as the local currency. The Danes are members of the European Union but refuse to accept the Euro.... at least for the time being. Every few years, local politicians have a referendum to decide whether to join the European monetary program. Denmark, thus, has a wonderfully dual character: it is European but unique in its own way. The great king Christian IV, who essentially built the city, left them the wonderful churches and public buildings that we still see today, but by building so much and fighting continuous wars, he left his land impoverished. Danes today enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world but remain anxious about their future in an increasingly integrated, globalized world.
