Denmark

Copenhagen

Back on the bus, we journeyed into Denmark by crossing the Øresund Bridge which is a combined railway and motorway cabled bridge that goes across the Øresund Strait. There’s a large wind farm in the strait.

We left Kalmar on June 5th and stopped at a park to enjoy a picnic lunch and then played a variation of the name game 'required' on all Rick Steves tours.

Arriving in Copenhagen, we checked into our hotel (located in the Nyhaven neighborhood next door to where Hans Christian Andersen lived), then took an orientation walk that ended near the restaurant for a group dinner. Along the way we learned about the history, culture, government, art, and culture of Copenhagen. As we were standing in City Hall Square, ready for dinner, who should show up but Hans Christian Andersen! He told us about himself then led us inside the restaurant where he told us more about his life and writing. After dinner we found a nearby gelato stand for dessert the headed out for sunset photos along the iconic Nyhavn (meaning New Harbor) Canal.

We started June 6th in Copenhagen with a 2.5-hour walking tour. We saw the old and the new, both of which the city is very proud, including the Amalienborg complex and its four royal palaces which are residences for the Danish royal family. Lunch was in one of the town squares where we had hot dogs and focaccia. Then we took a canal tour on a flat bottom boat. It was an interesting perspective to see things from the water, even some of the same things from the morning tour. Some of the sights were: the former torpedo factory that’s now apartments and condos, a houseboat that’s a one-bedroom hotel room, a Royal Danish Navy ship in use from 1965 to 1990 that now serves as a privately operated museum ship, and many beautiful bridges along the way.

June 7th we got on the bus to head to the nearby Viking Museum in Roskilde. Then we toured the Rothsklide Cathedral and had lunch in town at Café A. Then back on the bus for a drive to Svendborg where we caught the ferry heading to Ærø.