Several things popped into Gus' mind as we were landing at Copenhagen Airport, but the one that stuck was from the film Hans Christian Andersen ... Gus actually was humming it, in his own mind, as the wheels of the Airbus A320 touched down.
While a bit bleu cheezy ... the 61-year old scene announces, "there she is," and suggests the magic of this truly wonderful city.
As is our standard procedure, we had a car pick us up at the airport and deliver us to our hotel, First Hotel Skt. Petri, located at the very heart of Copenhagen's lively Latin Quarter.
Since we had snacks and drinks both in Lufthansa's Senator Lounge in Munich and on our flight to Copenhagen, we decided to skip dinner. Our room ...
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| Corner suite on the 5th floor with a view of both Krystalgade and Nørregade streets. |
Finishing breakfast, we returned to our room and got ready for a day of wandering. The first destination was to be Torvehallerne KBH, a fantastic food market. An upscale covered market, with about 80 shops, offers everything that any heart that beats with love for authentic culinary experiences can possibly desire. It’s all about the highest quality and unique experiences for all your senses. The many shops feature fresh food and cuisine from both the local and (exotic) global market. Some of the fresh vegetables and fruit are sold from outdoor stalls. Get an overview of all the shops at Torvehallerne.
The Coffee Collective (C1) on the left and Lauras Bakery (A1) on the right
Recently recognized as one of the best chocolate makers in the world.
On the left, the original "cream puff" with a marzipan bottom - marzipan, marshmallow with Polynesian vanilla, and a heavy layer of dark chocolate -- Grand Cru Flødebollen to a gastronomic taste. On the right, a box of 8 fresh chocolates in 8 different flavors: Provence - Amber - Gianduja - Fleur d'Oranger - Blackcurrant - Praline - Pollock - Valencia.
Exotic Mix (A2)
Go nuts! A full assortment of nuts and dried fruits.
C.o. Torveplads (C5)
The stand is dedicated primarily to herbs. Even if you don't plan on
doing any cooking during your stay in Copenhagen the shop is something
quite beautiful and original to see!
ASA Trading (B7)
It is not wrong to say that the spices from ASA Trading are as good as
hand-picked by the owner himself. Julian Amery, after working for over
3 decades in the restaurant industry, in 2008, he embarked on a 2-year solo
journey traveling east. During his voyage, he traversed some truly magical
territory and befriended many expert producers of tantalizing flavors. He took
the spice road through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Nepal selected his
the spice road through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Nepal selected his
favorites directly from the growers. Ground and blended behind the counter
into masalas, pastes, marinades, and other spicy mixes from their own
Recipes and customer requests. Tomas Elfsberg waited on us ...
into masalas, pastes, marinades, and other spicy mixes from their own
Recipes and customer requests. Tomas Elfsberg waited on us ...
Il Farnaio Bottega (C9) on the left and Cleaver's Meat Market (G3) on the right
Fiskerikajen (G9)
Fresh and diverse with particular attention to oysters. A part of the
the shop acts as a takeaway restaurant with "howling" fresh fish & chips.
HAV.dk (G7)
The shop consists of a fresh department with the best of the sea. Additionally,
an open kitchen serves fish tapas, freshly cooked seafood, soups, pies, fish cakes,
and whatever the chef decides to make that day.
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| Arla Unika (F5) Offers a unique range of cheeses, drawing inspiration from the Nordic seasons, land and nature, and developed in close collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs. |
Hallernes Smørrebrød (F2)
Beginning in the upper left and moving clockwise: roast beef with rémoulade,
pickled horseradish, cornichon, and crispy fried onions; beef tartare with
roast pork with its crispy rind and lightly pickled red cabbage; boiled
potatoes with creamy mayonnaise, chives, red onions, crispy fried onions,
and a few leafy greens.
potatoes with creamy mayonnaise, chives, red onions, crispy fried onions,
and a few leafy greens.
- Smørrebrød is eaten in only one order: herring first, followed by other fish, then meat, then cheese.
- Before adding a topping, smear the bread with butter or duck fat.
- Use only rye bread with herring.
- Do not eat with your hands; only a knife and fork will do.
- Drink and toast frequently. Not only is this expected, but if you are a smørrebrød rookie, this will calm your nerves and ensure that your table companions will not be inclined to remember your gaffes.
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| gorm's Named after Gorm Wisweh - a Dane who brought gourmet pizzas to Copenhagen. Thin crust using seasonal ingredients and creative combinations of toppings. |
On the left are two pizzas - almost out of the photo is a pizza topped with thinly
sliced potatoes and rosemary next to the second pizza topped with ventricina and
sliced potatoes and rosemary next to the second pizza topped with ventricina and
Le Petit (E5)
Stall featuring wine, champagne, beer, and hot dishes in a cozy, rustic
setting. Known for homemade toast with serrano ham, cheddar cheese
setting. Known for homemade toast with serrano ham, cheddar cheese
and a touch of Dijon mustard.
We stopped at Le Petit, sat down on bar stools, and ordered drinks; Joan a glass of champagne and Gus a glass of draft beer. Gus was in heaven ...
Leaving the food hall, we spent more than a few minutes watching a group of Danes playing pétanque (pronounced "pay-tonk"). The courts had been set up for a one-day tournament ... it was 14th July, Bastille Day ... and we didn't even know it ... "Vive la France."
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| Pétanque is one of Europe's most popular outdoor games and is a cousin of both horseshoes and the Italian bowling game called 'bocce.' The game originated in the South of France in the early 1900s. The aim is to toss, or roll many hollow steel balls ("boules") as close as possible to a small wooden target ball called a "cochonnet" (French for "piglet"). Players take turns and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are played, scores. Unlike horseshoes, where the aim stake is fixed, the target ball can be hit (and thus moved) at any time, which can totally upset the score at the last second. |
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| K-Towners Love Their Bikes 50% of all people choose to bike rather than drive every day; even a substantial majority (63%) of politicians ride their bikes every day to parliament. In central Copenhagen there are more bikes than inhabitants. Many middle-class families don't even own a car. |
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| Logo for the city’s I bike Copenhagen initiative. |
We had the remainder of the afternoon available to continue our wandering. From Torvehallerne, we walked to Rosenborg Castle. Surrounding the Castle is 12 acres of gardens.
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| One of two prominent lime tree-lined avenues (Knight’s Path and Lady’s Path) within the King's Garden, Copenhagen's most popular park. |
While popular with tourists, the gardens nonetheless provide a popular spot for local families to gather in the Copenhagen summer's bright, long days.
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| Restful Parterre Pavilion One of the several pavilions devoted to retreat, contemplation, and prayer. In the heart of the tumult of the city, a visitor can experience serenity. |
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Baroque Perennial Garden
Decoratively shaped bed patterns were formed using small boxwood hedges. White
gravel was used for the spaces between the hedges to create an enchanting contrast.
Additional charm was created through touches of color in the form of summer flowers
which gave the beds an overall animated feel.
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| Rosenborg Castle |
This grand building was originally the summer home of Christian IV, the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark-Norway. Christian IV was known for his ambitious projects and was responsible for constructing many of Copenhagen’s famous buildings. The castle was expanded several times until 1624, and it eventually became the primary royal residence. Finally, in 1710, Rosenborg fell out of fashion with Christian IV’s great-grandson, Frederik IV. Frederik, instead, used Rosenborg to house the royal family’s vast collections. Rosenborg continues today as home to the Royal Collections. The museum contains pieces from the 16th to the 19th century, including the Crown Jewels and the Danish Crown Regalia.
Upon entrance, we choose not to buy a sticker which would have allowed Joan to take photographs inside the Castle ... poor decision. The following photos are taken from others:
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| The Knight's Hall The Coronation Chairs of the King (on the left) and the Queen (on the right) are guarded by three, almost life-sized silver lions. The Hall also contains an extensive collection of silver furniture, of which most is from the 17th century. (Image courtesy of the Aussie Bite) |
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| King Christian V's room - decorated with late 17th-century Flemish tapestries. (image courtesy TravelJapanBlog) |
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| King Christian VI's room at Rosenborg Castle with tapestries
displaying the life of Alexander the Great. Many of the rooms
at Rosenborg are equipped with the original furniture.
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The Crown Jewels date back to Christian VI’s Queen, Sophie Magdalene. In her will of 1746, she directed that her jewelry should not become the possession of anyone person but always be at the Queen's disposal. The Crown Jewels have increased several times, and in their present form date from 1840. Today, the Crown Jewels are at the disposal of HM The Queen, who uses them one or more times a year.
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| Ring collection set with precious and semi-precious stones |
On the left, Emerald Parure consisting of emeralds and brilliant diamonds in
a tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings. On the right, the Diamond Belt suite is a
set of rose-cut diamonds with belt and brooch divided into 4 smaller brooches,
a tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings. On the right, the Diamond Belt suite is a
set of rose-cut diamonds with belt and brooch divided into 4 smaller brooches,
and two necklaces.
The Danish Crown Regalia are the symbols of the Danish monarchy. They consist of three crowns, a scepter, an orb, a sword of state, and an ampulla. While not photographing all the symbols ...
Our visit to Rosenborg Castle took around two hours and turned out to be fascinating peek inside Denmark’s royal history.
After a quick 10 minute walk, we were back at our hotel. Dinner reservations were in 2 hours at Kødbyens Fiskebar. We cleaned up, changed, and caught a taxi to the restaurant in what seemed to be in the middle of an abandoned warehouse district. But looking past the crumbling cement and cracked tiles, we saw ...
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| Casual yet stylized seafood-centric restaurant. (image courtesy of pocketfork) |
Rather than stools, we were seated at a 2 top near the aquarium.
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| Gus at first seating with the aquarium over his left shoulder. |
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| Langoustine tartar with smoked bone marrow and pickled onion (Gus) |
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| Raw marinated brill with Rømø shrimps, seaweed, green tomatoes and nasturtiums 'aioli' on fish skins and garlic (Joan) |
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| Scallops with peas, pea tendrils, granola, wild mushrooms, capers, and dill vinaigrette (Shared) |
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| Baked Kattegat cod with green asparagus, cucumber, horseradish, and Spanish chervil (Joan) |
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| Hake fried in seaweed butter with green asparagus, cucumber, horseradish, and Spanish chervil (Gus) |
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| New potatoes turned with lovage (Shared) |
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| Fyn strawberries with smoked buttermilk, shortbread, and woodruff (Shared) |
Incredible, crazy delicious food & ridiculously amazing service ... thanks, guys!
Dining at Kødbyens Fiskebar was culinary bliss!
The next day, Monday, we saw many of the city's museums closed. Today, we would walk and enjoy the outdoors. We left our hotel headed to City Hall Square and Tivoli Gardens via Strøget Street. Walking east on Krystalgade and turning right onto Købmagergade, we came to ...
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| The Rundetårn One of the many architectural projects of Christian IV, it was built as an astronomical observatory. Today, from the top of the Round Tower, you can spot most of Copenhagen’s famous buildings and visit Europe’s oldest functioning observatory. Halfway up the tower, there is an entrance to the Library Hall, which serves as a traditional concert and gallery venue. It's one of the most visited places in Copenhagen. |
We did not stop to tour the Tower, but continued along Købmagergade, turned right, and headed southwest down Skindergade, across Jorcks Passage to Vimmelskaftet. We now found ourselves in upscale Strøget (pronounced stroy-it or to hear a Dane pronounce it, click here), a pleasant area of car-free pedestrian shopping streets.
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| A window of ILLUM Department Store A unique & famous department store in Copenhagen with a 120-year-old building. The window displays a Velorbis delivery bicycle that retails for $1,725 ... yet, who would argue with "That calls for a Carlsberg." |
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| "Just let the men stay naked, as long as we girls can shop..." |
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| Royal Copenhagen Riflet Contrast Mugs (we ended up buying 6 mugs at CPH airport duty-free) |
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| Gus, hands-on-hips, posing in front of Stork Fountain located on Amagertorv Square |
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| Hay House Located upstairs in a 2nd & 3rd floor "apartment." The store offers furniture, accessories, and rugs by Danish design company HAY as well as items from other European designers. |
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| Copenhagen City Hall Designed by architect Martin Nyrop and built-in 1894-1905. The building provides the residency for the city's municipal government and political life. It is dominated by its richly ornamented front, the gilded statue of Absalon just above the balcony and the tall, slim clock tower standing nearly 350 feet in height. In addition to the tower clock, the City Hall also houses Jens Olsen's World Clock. |
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| The Statue of Hans Christian Andersen sits next to City Hall |
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| Entrance to Tivoli Gardens |
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| Panorama from the Roof of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Left to right: pyramid roof of the Hack Kampmann wing of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the Star Flyer at Tivoli Gardens, Dæmonen at Tivoli Gardens, Vertigo at Tivoli Gardens, and to the far right the City Hall Tower Clock. (Photo was taken the next day) |
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| Star Flyer at Tivoli Gardens (Photo was taken the next day) |
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| Dæmonen the steel Floorless Coaster (Photo was taken the next day) |
We left central Copenhagen and headed to Christiana, passing by ...
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| Magstræde Charming old street in central Copenhagen. |
and ...
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| King Frederik VII equestrian statue on Christiansborg Palace Square. The bronze statue, modeled by sculptor Herman Bissen and completed by his son Vilhelm, was unveiled in 1873, a decade after the King's death. |
... and over the Knippelsbro Bridge, crossing Copenhagen's inner harbor, connecting Børsgade on Zealand-side to Torvegade on Christianshavn.
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| The Rhode House, from 1640, on the corner of Strandgade and Torvegade. |
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| Christianshavn Canal Separating Christianshavn into a City Side and a Rampart Side. Overgaden neden Vandet (left-City Side) and Overgaden oven Vandet (right-Rampart Side) are two streets running along each side of the canal. |
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| Magnificent Hollyhocks on Dronningensgade, Christianshavn |
Gus and Joan taking a break at Café Oven Vande
This might be what the Danes refer to as Hygge (pronounced hYOOguh or to hear a Dane
Quenching our thirsts, we left the café and walked the short 3 blocks to Freetown Christiania. We entered from Bådsmandsstræde onto Prærienporten through the newly opened entrance ...
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| Franklins Entrance |
... rather than the more well-known entrance on Prinsessegade ...
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| Hovedindgang |
Many visitors to Christiania, including Joan and Gus, mistakenly believe that photography is banned all over Christiania – it’s not! Just keep your camera shuttered on Pusher Street in the "Green Light District."
Established in 1971 by a group of hippies, squatters, and others as a partially self-governing community. In 1972, the alternative urban community came to an arrangement with the Ministry of Defence, who owned the area, about payment for electricity and water, and was given a political seal of approval as a massive "social experiment." Over the next 40 years, Christianites struggled to continue as a social experiment and preserve their self-government and cultural values. Today it has almost 1,000 residents, covering more than 84 acres. Freetown Christiania has fiercely maintained its independence from the Danish state for years. Supporters claim Christiania is the perfect example of a functioning anarchic society. Detractors see it as a parasitic group of freeloaders leeching off the rest of society. Despite this, Christiania is one of Copenhagen's biggest tourist attractions (over one million visitors a year) and is inextricably linked to Denmark in international visitors' minds.
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| The Christiania Flag Red with three yellow dots — contains a bit of symbolism. When the original hippies took over, they found a lot of red and yellow paint. The three dots are from the three "i"s in Christiania. (image courtesy of weheartit) |
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| Rule of Law Early on, Christianites created the common law that forbids weapons, riders colors, bulletproof clothing and violence (to reduce the gang activities); no hard drugs, no stolen goods, no private cars (they only use bikes), no thunder-flashes and no fireworks. Whoever doesn’t respect these 9 rules can be kicked out immediately and forever. (image courtesy of milepoint) |
I kan ikke slå os ihjel
(translated: "You cannot kill us")
Christiania's unofficial national anthem written by
It helps to have a map ... many visitors abstain from exploring Christiania only because they cannot find their way around.
- Hovedindgang - main entrance
- Loppebygningen (Flea Building) - named after the original flea market, houses the music venue Loppen, the restaurant Spiseloppen, the gallery Gallopperiet, the Café Flea and the Christiania post office, and the Youth Club.
- Carl Madens Plads - Carl Madens Square is named after a left-wing lawyer who litigated two lawsuits, for breach of promise, against the Ministry of Defence and the City of Copenhagen in 1976 on behalf of Christiania.
- Pusher Street - main street on which the sale of cannabis and hashish are widely available, illegally, for open-market purchase. Additionally, on the right side of the street lies Sunshine Bakery, Vaskeriet (laundry), and behind these, Fælleskøkkenet (community kitchen) and Abegrotten (café). A bit further on, you find Woodstock (pub), and across from that Malerværkstedet (painter’s workshop), and the local tattooist. Still further on lies Grøntsagen (produce market and café). Turn right here, and you will find Nemoland (café and bar). At the end of the street lies Den Grønne Hal (construction and fuel supply store).
- Den Grå Hal - the Grey Hall. By far, Christiania’s largest assembly facility with room for 1,500 people. Originally, it was built as a riding hall; today, it is used mostly for concerts, parties, the traditional Christmas market, and the Christmas party.
- Morgenstedet and Månefiskeren - a vegetarian eatery and a relaxed café.
- Pyramiden - the Pyramid. One of the newer laws is that nothing new can be built in Christiania; however, roof work can be legally done. This house was built to get around the law (and apparently has done so since it is still standing) by being nothing but a roof.
- Bananhuset - the Banana House. This hand-hewn geometric “banana” shaped house was built by a group of Germans who came as volunteers to erect bridges in the community and were subsequently allowed to create their own structure.
- Mælkebøtten - a green residential quarter with lovely houses and a charming site-hut village.
- Børnehuset - for children and young people that was mostly inhabited by runaways, it had a big sign outside saying ‘down with stupid adults its baby power now.'
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| Christiania Aerial View (image courtesy of Italian Idiots) |
Christiania has been described as a life surrounded by art. There is art everywhere, mostly in the form of mural or graffiti art, as depicted below:
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Mural by Marianne Rydval
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Graffiti painters from all over Europe have created spectacular
and not spectacular works of colorful art over the years. Graffiti in Christiania ranges from
simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Many of the works express underlying
social and political messages particularly relevant to Christianities.
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| Inscription of Hovedstadens Forskonnelse Diplom 2003 which loosely translates to English to read Copenhagen's Beautification Diploma 2003. |
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| Kvindesmedien One of Christiania's many businesses. Founded in 1997. Three women Smithies are behind the workshop design and production, working primarily with steel, mirrors, and glass. Together they create unique furniture, candlesticks, and sculptures. |
Walking around the park-like neighborhoods, you would never guess you are right in the middle of the city. Birds are singing, there are fish in the large lake in the midst of Christiania, and community members ride around on bikes ... cars, motorbikes, mopeds are not allowed and must be parked outside of Christiania.
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| A residential neighborhood on the edge of Christiania |
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| Stadsgraven Lake |
We continued to walk along the lake's shore in a southwest direction and soon found ourselves at Torvegade and civilization. We paused for a moment and reflected ... what a place, what a time, what a lifestyle ...
Luckily we were able to quickly find a taxi and asked that we be taken to Nyhavn. We bought two tickets for a harbor and canal tour with Strömma. We departed from Nyhavn and were to see the following: Copenhagen Opera House - the Little Mermaid (statue) - Amalienborg Palace - Amalie Garden - Christianshavn - Church of Our Saviour - Black Diamond (library) - National Museum of Denmark - Gammel Strand - Christiansborg Palace - Church of Holmen - Stock Exchange - Nationalbanken - and back to Nyhavn. As we began our tour, Leaving New Harbor, Joan captured the images of the famously colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses along with the wooden boats tied up along the waterfront. Nyhavn is also called "The longest outdoor bar in Scandinavia" - with its many restaurants, pubs, and cafés overlooking the canal.
Luckily we were able to quickly find a taxi and asked that we be taken to Nyhavn. We bought two tickets for a harbor and canal tour with Strömma. We departed from Nyhavn and were to see the following: Copenhagen Opera House - the Little Mermaid (statue) - Amalienborg Palace - Amalie Garden - Christianshavn - Church of Our Saviour - Black Diamond (library) - National Museum of Denmark - Gammel Strand - Christiansborg Palace - Church of Holmen - Stock Exchange - Nationalbanken - and back to Nyhavn. As we began our tour, Leaving New Harbor, Joan captured the images of the famously colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses along with the wooden boats tied up along the waterfront. Nyhavn is also called "The longest outdoor bar in Scandinavia" - with its many restaurants, pubs, and cafés overlooking the canal.
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| Royal Danish Playhouse The Playhouse contains three stages of varying size. The exterior is dominated by a continuous glass-encased top story with offices and facilities for the actors. The architects chose to pull the building right out into the harbor. Visitors arrive along gently sloping ramps like a promenade with panoramic views of the waterfront. |
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| Opera House Copenhagen's brilliant new Operaen or Opera House opened in January 2005, with a performance of "Aida" by the Royal Danish Opera Company. Costing $442 million dollars and taking 3 1/2 years to build, the opera house was a gift to the city by the enormously wealthy shipping magnate, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller. |
The building, always controversial because of its design, again came into question when Maersk Moller insisted that metal bars or grids be built into the front "bubble" window of the building over the architect's objections, Henning Larsens Tegnestue. The architect nearly quit the project over the matter.
This modern Opera House combines granite, marble, limestone, and hardwoods in the interior and exterior design and exemplifies modern Danish architecture. The building can accommodate 1,400 to 1,500 guests and is home to the Royal Danish Ballet Company and the Royal Opera Company. The Opera House is situated in Holmen, the place of the former Royal Naval DockYard. It certainly has a commanding presence on the waterfront and is one of the major buildings we saw on our harbor and canal tour.
This modern Opera House combines granite, marble, limestone, and hardwoods in the interior and exterior design and exemplifies modern Danish architecture. The building can accommodate 1,400 to 1,500 guests and is home to the Royal Danish Ballet Company and the Royal Opera Company. The Opera House is situated in Holmen, the place of the former Royal Naval DockYard. It certainly has a commanding presence on the waterfront and is one of the major buildings we saw on our harbor and canal tour.
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| The Little Mermaid Denmark's biggest tourist attraction is a little mermaid. This 4-foot-tall bronze statue sits atop a stone at Langelinie Pier. Unveiled in 1913, the statue represents the protagonist of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale. |
This famous sculpture in Copenhagen, based on The Little Mermaid fairy tale, is actually a copy. The real statue is kept at an undisclosed location, probably for the best since the replica has been defaced, vandalized, decapitated, and blasted with explosives.
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| Church of Our Saviour This large baroque church in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen is one of Denmark's major tourist attractions. With its twisted spire, the church is a national treasure, but also a living parish church for about 8,000 people. |
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| Børsen Børsen (The Stock Exchange) is a gorgeous Dutch Renaissance style building on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, which was built in 1619–1640. It housed the Danish stock-market until 1974. |
The tour was a bit cold and windy ... uncomfortable in the totally open boat ... many of the sites passed from view far too quickly to get a good photo ... however, we were glad that we did the excursion. Just before we returned to Nyhavn, we saw the home of what has been called by many "as the best restaurant in the world."
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| Nordatlantens Brygge an 18th-century warehouse that houses Noma |
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| Noma |
NOMA's name is an acronym of the two Danish words "nordisk," meaning Nordic, and "mad," meaning food. NOMA is known for its reinvention and interpretation of Nordic Cuisine. A trio of Danes, Chef René Redzepi, Ditte Isager, and Christine Rudolph teamed up to create a Nordic sliver of exquisite beauty and inspired by the local and wild ingredients. The restaurant was closed while we were in Copenhagen.
Upon finishing our harbor and canal tour, we decided to have a late lunch in the area. Without plans or reservations, we walked to the Royal Danish Playhouse and ate at Café & Restaurant Ofelia. The restaurant is located in the beautiful, high-ceilinged foyer of the Playhouse and had a prime view of Copenhagen's outer harbor, but that was all ... the food was over "Nordicized" with unbalanced flavor combinations, and service was missing - physically and professionally. At least in Gus' final opinion, this restaurant is a victim of the overblown hype of new Nordic cuisine.
Following lunch, we ventured nearby and explored the Copenhagen Sand Sculpture Festival. Sand artists from 17 countries participated in the festival. The exhibit was described as " one of the largest and most spectacular sand sculpture events in North Europe. The sculptures are created by some of the world’s most talented sand artists. " We would describe it simply as amazing!
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| Huge sandbox near the entrance where children (young and old) can test themselves within the art of sand sculpturing. A number of kids were having fun playing in the sand. |
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| Antarctic, by Katsu Chaen (Japan) and Bagrat Stephanyan (Russia) |
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| Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark |
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| Bye Bye Mister Money, by Etual Ojeda (Spain) |
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| Time Curves, by Gianni Schiumarini (Italy) Won the Artist Prize |
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| In the Mind of the Mask, by Bob Atisso (Ghana) Won the Jury Prize |
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| Metropolis, by Andy Briggs (Canada), David Billings (Canada), Charlotte Koster (Holland), Johannes Weckl (Germany), Johanna Landscheidt (Germany), Marie Bang (Denmark), Liv Soendergaard (Denmark), Nigel Zabiela (Great Britain), Maiken Thorsen (France), and Martin Tulinius (Denmark) |
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| Go Green - Save the Earth, by Sudarsan Pattnaik (India) Won the Grand Prize |
The next morning, after another satisfying Danish breakfast, we were off to see the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. The museum contains the personal collections of Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of the Carlsberg Breweries, and is comprised of more than 10,000 works of art.
Introducing NY Carlsberg Glyptoteket
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| Winter Garden The central rotunda is filled with sunlight and subtropical plants. In the front, Kai Nielsen's sculpture of the Water Mother, depicting a woman with fourteen squirming babies crawling up from the water and coming to rest into her arms. The baby with the bizarrely big head, sitting precociously upright and holding an apple is supposed to be Venus. |
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| Kneeling Barbarian Pavonazzetto marble from Anatolia. The figure was part of a monument to the Roman conquest of the East. |
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| Penelope, the Faithful Wife by Jean-Adolphe Jerichan |
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| The Wounded Amazon Amazons, the legendary founders of Ephesus, were the female warriors that lived in Anatolia There are different opinions about the origin of the name ‘Amazon.' According to the most popular theory, the word ‘Mazon’ mean breast and a-mazons were the females without a breast, connected with an etiological tradition that Amazons had their right breast cut off or burnt out so they would be able to throw their javelins; there is no indication of such a practice in works of art, in which the Amazons are always represented with both breasts. |
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| Archaic Greek Lion Vivid, stylized colors give life to this reconstruction of the polychromy of a lion statue, found in a Greek tomb. Color scheme was based on pigments found in the original statue. |
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| Babylon - Glazed Brick Relief of a Striding Lion |
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| The Priest Ahmose and his Mother, Baket-re |
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| Egyptian Scarab Collar |
After our tour, we took a few moments to stop and relax and, of course, for Gus to enjoy a cold one ...
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| Gus and a pint of Fadøl Carlsberg Pilsner at Café Glyptoteket and the Glyptotek Dome above |
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| Glyptotek Dome from the roof |
Wonderful museum. It is said that that founder, Carl Jacobsen, "wanted to enrich his townsmen with the art of international standing." We, two discerning Americans, indeed, were enriched; thank you, Carl.
Heading northeast, we walked up Stormbroen and across the bridge to Slotsholmen island and onto Vindebrogade, to Fortunstræde in Indre By, to Vingårdstræde, up Holmens Kanal/O2, and onto Frederiksgade ...
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| View along Frederiksgade towards The Marble Church With its great dome rising high above the rooftops of Copenhagen is one of the characteristic landmarks of the city’s skyline. |
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| Amalienborg Palace Is the Royal Couple’s winter residence. The complex consists of four palaces, built around an octagonal courtyard, in the center of which stands the French sculptor Jacques Saly’s equestrian statue of Frederik V, the founder of Amalienborg Palace and Frederiksstaden. |
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| Amalie Garden Fountain with the Opera House in the background. The park is the result of a donation from the A.P. Møller and Chastine McKinney Møller Foundation. Construction started in 1981, and it was inaugurated in 1983. The garden was designed by the Belgian landscape architect Jean Delogne. |
Returning to our hotel enlisted a taxThe taxi driver dropped us off a block from Skt. Petri as we decided to have a light afternoon snack at Café Dalle Valle. We sat outside and had Bruschetta with tomatoes, garlic, and mozzarella appropriately paired with two cold beers.
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| Joan looking very Copenhagen chic. Colorful sunglasses have replaced oversized black ones in K-Town. |
We kept our 6:00 pm reservation at RADIO, an unpretentious eatery tucked away on Julius Thomsens Gade.
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| Restaurant RADIO Informal restaurant with an unfussy urban style, typified by wooden walls and cool anglepoise lighting. Oft-changing set menus feature full-flavored, good value dishes, with organic produce from the chefs' own fields just outside the city. |
We enjoyed three purely Nordic, seasonal courses (with clever and playful texture combinations) expertly paired with wine. The unhurried service was very informative yet unobtrusive, and the ambiance of the restaurant was relaxed. Excellent restaurant. We returned to our hotel by 8:30 pm, as we had a flight to London tomorrow.
On this merry night
Let us clink and drink one down
To wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Let us clink and drink one down
To wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
