A Friend Comes To Town

We are going to discover some of the Royal Danish history today. Our first stop is Frederiksborg Castle. With our Copenhagen Cards, we hop on the S Train to Hillerod and then catch a bus to the castle. The whole journey takes about 45 minutes.

Frederiksborg Castle

Built from 1602 to 1620, it was the castle of King Christian IV. It is a beautiful day as we approach the castle. We walk over three moats as we proceed, the island between the first two housed the stables and small businesses that supported the castle. The second island housed the domestic and foreign ministries. We then enter the castle courtyard with a Neptune Fountain in the middle of it.

We enter the castle through the Knights parlor known as “the rose” and ascend the stairs to the Royal chapel. Coats of arms hang along the stairway and in the chapel. They are mostly from the royal lineage but some are those of dignitaries and heads of state who have received Royal orders ( similar to knighthood) from the Danish crown. We are surprised by a coat of arms for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In the Royal Chapel

The chapel is indeed Royal looking and was the coronation place of Danish kings for over 200 years. Our entry included a free audioguide which highlights history and items in the various rooms. This really helps bring the place to life. King Christians portraits are in most every room. After receiving a wound to his right eye in battle, the portraits only are in profile, so as not to show his scars. After winding through a series of rooms, we enter the Great Hall. Tapestries line the walls and the ceiling is all wood carved panels depicting various industries. This is the last room we visit on our tour of the castle. It was very interesting and beautiful.

Carol and her Dogs

Leaving the castle, we stroll along the promenade street of Hillerod and have a couple of Danish hot dogs for lunch. They put them in a hollowed out bun, but not before squirting a mayo type sauce down the hole. The dogs are quite tasty and have a crispy skin casing. Back on the bus and train to Copenhagen, where we catch another train to Roskilde.
Roskilde is another small town with a big Royal history. Eight hundred years ago, it was the seat of Denmark’s royalty. It’s imposing cathedral was started in 1170 by Bishop Absalom and finished in 1280. During the reformation, the side chapels and alters were cleared, which left lots of room for the royal families to fill with their tombs. There are 500 years of royalty entombed here. Each King pretty much has his own chapel of entombment. The place is full, in fact the current queen, has added a new chapel where her and her husband will be buried. A model of her coffin shows it as being a kind of plexiglass so you will be able to semi-see her body. It looks strange to me.

Magrethe I

Behind the alter is the tomb of Margrete I who added Norway to the realm by marrying the Norwegian King in 1363. Seems like that is backwards, but Norway apparently did not get much respect as a power back in those days.
After our enjoyable visit, we hop on the train back to Copenhagen. As we get back to the room, we get a text from our friend, Kelly, who has just landed here, and will be here for one night. We knew she was coming and plan to meet for dinner. We walk down to her hotel and chat over drinks in the hotel bar. Kelly and her friend Judy have just finished a 109 mile ( in 9 days) pilgrimage hike of St Olaf, in northern Norway. They even had an article written about them in one of the local Norwegian papers. We exchange stories for a while and then Kelly, Carol, and I stroll the boulevards looking for a place to eat.

Kelly with CNC in Copenhagen

We settle on Momma Rosas for some Italian food and wine. Sitting outside adds to the atmosphere and lends itself to great conversation. After dinner, we walk Kelly home and then head back to our room. It is after 11:00 which is pretty late for us. Tomorrow Kelly flies home to D.C. And we continue our Copenhagen adventure.
Expenses
Pastry Breakfast 16 DKK
Hot Dog Lunch 40 DKK
Dinner and wine at Momma Rosas with Kelly 307.50 DKK
Wake Up,Copenhagen Hotel. 400 DKK
Walked 11.25 Miles