Lots to See

Today will be a busy day. We packed our agenda and will see if we can fulfill it. As it is raining when we start, we take a train to the central station which is only a few blocks from city hall. The interior is underwhelming, especially compared to the ones we saw in Stockholm and Oslo. This surprises us because Denmark was a great power for quite a while. The good thing is that while we were inside, it stopped raining.

Cupid and Psyche

We head on over to the Thorvaldsen Museum. Bertel Thorvaldsen is a famous Danish sculptor. He did however spend most of his productive years (40 total), in Rome. His works are scattered in many public squares throughout Europe. We walk through a series of rooms that each have one big sculpture, mainly figures from mythology. There is also a self portrait sculpture of Thorvaldsen working on a sculpture. We finish up with the plaster models of the Risen Christ and the twelve apostles, whose marble versions stand in the Cathedral of our Lady. We saw them the other day.
From here we walk on over to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. This art gallery was put together by brewer Carl Jacobsen. He was an avid collector and patron of the arts.

Queen of the Nile

The museum has an amazing ancient Egyptian collection. Fronts of Temples, ancient mummies, sarcophagi, are just the beginning. You also walk through the Etruscan world and the Roman world. This guy must have had some money to gather all these items. But wait, there’s more, a French wing, with Rodin and other sculptures. And if you act now, we can send you on to see French master painters such as Gauguin, Delacroix, Monet, Picasso, Cezanne, Renoir, and Talouse La Trec. Not enough, how about some Van Gogh and Degas. The collection is really overwhelming and way too big to absorb in one visit. We tried though!
By now our appetite for knowledge has turned into a plain old appetite. We go back to Wok On for another noodle bowl meal. Stomachs full, we are ready to tackle our last place for today. It is Christianborg Palace. This houses the current government consisting of the parliament, Supreme Court, prime ministers office, and the Royal reception rooms for when the King ( or now the Queen) entertains. We take a guided tour of the reception rooms. Queen Magrethe II still uses these to impress visiting dignitaries.

Queen Magrethe II and Current Royal Family

One painting of King Christian IX shows why he was called the father in law of Europe. His children eventually became or married royalty in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Britain, France, Germany, and Norway. This solidified the Danes position and influence in the region. We finish in the grand Main Hall, with boldly colored tapestries, which tell the history of Denmark over the years via a collage type motif in each one. We can see JFK, Roosevelt, and Groucho Marx in one. They are quite beautiful and very vibrant color wise. Although we are tired and Carol is ready to go back, Charlie can’t resist going up in the tower for a birds eye view of Copenhagen. It was mostly by elevator with only about 80 steps at the top. Well worth the view.

Copenhagen from Up High

Carol is really ready to go back to the hotel and find a place to eat but I once again push us on to take another canal cruise by a different company. It is right across the street and included with the Copenhagen Card so why not. We get on the 1705 boat, take off our shoes, put our feet up, and enjoy the ride. It made us feel much better and as a bonus we saw a canal side restaurant we are going to check out. We get off the boat and walk a few blocks to the restaurant which has an outside grill going. We order a steak dinner, a roasted goat cheese and beet salad, and two big beers.

Steak, Potatoes and Beer, Salad Garnish

We are literally sitting on a dock on the canal as our table sways as boats go by. The food is great and the beers go down smooth, a nice ending to a busy day. Nothing left to do but go walk a few blocks back to the hotel. Before we make it, we have to stop for soft ice cones, as they call them, because Carol had a taste yesterday and her mind is made up to get one. I always make Carol happy so we each get a cone. The ice cream is like soft serve but thicker and creamier like a gelato. It is very good and Carol is now content. Time to rest and dream about tomorrow.
Expenses
Pastry Breakfast 16 DKK
Lunch at Wok On. 108 DKK
Dinner and Beer on the canal. 310 DKK
Ice cream cones 65 DKK
Wake Up,Copenhagen Hotel 400 DKK
Walked 9.6 Miles