Getting to Know Copenhagen

Today we get introduced to Copenhagen. Our plan is to visit the National Museum, do a self guided walk that I have printed, and then take a canal cruise later this evening.
Breakfast is not included here so we are able to just get up and go. We did sleep in a bit as the Museum doesn’t open until 1000. It was pretty quiet in our space capsule room, despite the fact that our room faces the street. The windows are very soundproof and we have the rare Scandinavian air conditioner, so all was good.
We find our way around the winding streets to the National Museum. Only 12000 years of Danish history to cram into our visit. The displays are well marked in English and we start in the Stone Age.

Auroch

It is amazing how many items, skeletons, bits of clothing, etc. that they have found and how well preserved they are. There are a lot of peat bogs in Denmark and the soil in them helped to preserve things. There is a skeleton of an Aurochs, an ancient and mean, elk like animal from 8600 B.C. It drowned in the bogs wounded from a hunters arrow.
In the Bronze Age, we see some Lur horns which were used to call soldiers to battle and in some religious ceremonies.

Lur Horns

We also see some Viking age Rune stones, using the same alphabet that was on the rune sticks in Bergen. The Iron Age follows and then onto the Middle Ages. The Dagmar cross was a popular form of crucifix worn by many Danes. There are many cases filled with tools, weapons and drinking horns. Guess what I took a picture of? Having walked through Danish history, we exit into the modern Denmark. We stop at the tourist information to pick up a city map and our Copenhagen cards which we will use over the next three days for museum entries and transportation. We start a self guided walk past city hall, statues, and the modern pedestrian shopping boulevard. Turning off that, it is immediately more quiet.

Our Pizza Sandwiches

We pass a type of pizza place where locals are eating outside on chairs. Realizing we have not eaten yet, we order two. Carol has one that has potatoes and spinach on it while mine has beef, onions, and tomato. They heat them and fold them in half like a panini type sandwich wrapped in paper and you are good to go. Very tasty and filling, we are the only non Danish eating on the street. Makes for good people watching. So many fashion styles here.
We pass a high church ( of the Holy Ghost) which is closed. We then approach the Cathedral of our Lady church. Denmark became Lutheran in 1536 and because of the reformation, there is no Mary in our Lady Cathedral. The outside looks like a Greek temple and seems out of place. The apostles line the sides leading to the alter with a statue of the risen Christ.

Statue of Risen Christ

The great Danish sculpture Bertel Thorvaldsen did these masterpieces. We plan on seeing more of his work in a few days. For my Mormon friends or those friends who have been to Salt Lake City, the risen Christ may look familiar. A replica stands in the visitors center of Salt Lakes Temple Square. There is an interesting scale in the church with virtues such as hope, love, and faith, where you can write a small note on a bean and place it on the scale.
We wind our way through town back to our hotel and catch an afternoon nap. Then we go out and take a canal cruise. We pass the old stock exchange, a submarine, the royal yacht, the popular Nyhaven area, the overrated Little Mermaid statue, and cruise through some local neighborhood canals, finishing where we started near Christianborg Palace. It is a great sunny day to do this. When we finish, we are tired, it is pretty late, and we are hungry. We decide to eat at a place called Wok On. It is basically a noodle or rice bowl, made to order with ingredients of your choice and several sauces. We get a coconut curry sauce, Carol gets rice and chicken, I get noodles and shrimp. It is flavorful and filling. Our day was pretty relaxing but we are ready to get some sleep.
Expenses
72 hour Copenhagen Cards 1178 DKK
Hotel Wake Up Copenhagen. 400 DKK
Copenhagen Cards 1178 DKK
Pizza Lunch. 52 DKK
Dinner at Wok On 108 DKK
Walked 10.7 Miles