Scandinavia - Monday, September 7, 2015 (Labor Day in the USA)

Later start today, up at 7:00 and meet in the lobby to go in search of breakfast.  We take a detour walk to the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel to see the lobby. This was originally the SAS Hotel, completed by the architect/designer Arne Jacobsen in 1960.  Just as Frank Lloyd Wright had done, everything in the hotel was a creation of Jacobsen, from the building/structure to all the furnishings, chairs, draperies, silverware and china service in the restaurant.  Although the fabrics and colors have been changed over the years as corporate ownership has changed, the basic bones and lobby remain the same.  It is a magnificent space.

We checked in at the coffee shop for breakfast, but it is more expensive then our own hotel, therefore we walked on to last night's dinner space - MAD, for omelets, pancakes and french toast.  Not too bad.

Onward we walked to tour the city. Lee led us to an area that was truly charming, the goal of which was to see an underwater sculpture.  In a canal there is a bronze sculpture under the water titled "Merman and his seven sons"  It is clearly visible and made for some interesting photos from the street along the canal.  We then walked back to the Stroget shopping street for a chance to enliven the economy.  Deb found some lucre at the Royal Copenhagen store.  This was secured, and they agreed to hold it at the cashier's desk until later in the day so someone wouldn't have to carry it through out the day.

In this store, they had on display a series of time line and history displays about the origins of fine porcelain in the 1700's in Denmark through to present day.  Very interesting and informative.

We then strolled about some of the side streets, going in and out of antique shops, jewelry stores, ceramic stores and eventually came to a shop recommended by the Royal Copenhagen store.  This was a store selling old patterns of Royal Copenhagen, including many of the figurines which are no longer manufactured.  Lee found that the proprietor had some of the old 1930's pattern of her mother, and she took the web site and card information so she can go home and find the pieces she is missing and then correspond to see if she can fill the blanks.

We then broke at a small cafe for a quick lunch and continued our trek, heading for the round tower and the Jewish synagogue.  We arrived at the synagogue first.  This was not open for viewing or tours, but it was interesting to walk around, although security and fencing did not allow for much to see.

Our next stop was the Round Tower which is the oldest astronomical observatory in Europe.  We walked up the inclined plane ramp winding around the tower (all inside) and reached the top for some magnificent 360 degree views of Copenhagen.

Upon descent, we stopped at a large bookstore, Arnold Busck, whose name caught my eye as my grandmother was a 1st generation american whose maiden name was Busk. Her parents immigrated from Denmark in the period following the civil war.

We then split up to meet back at the hotel for dinner.  Deb and I walked to the Royal Copenhagen to pick up our package and stopped at some other stores to window shop and finger the goods.  Howie and Lee also shopped for some booty for their grandchildren, both current and impending.

We dined for our last night in Copenhagen at Renee's around the corner form our hotel.  Excellent food and wait staff.  Our waitress was a young woman from Wales.  She had just returned from living in New Zealand and Australia; she and her french born boyfriend decided that Denmark was neutral and central ground to stay.  Excellent food and an enjoyable evening.  We were back in our room by 9:30, although Howie and Lee were going to take another walk - no telling what kind of trouble they got into!

Scandinavia - Sunday, September 6, 2015

This morning dawns cloudy with rain showers and 50 F. We decide to have breakfast in the hotel, the lounge (breakfast room) being adjacent to our room on the 6th floor.  We meet and have a so-so meal: pastries, coffee, juice, scrambled eggs, bacon, etc.  Only later do we find that the cost for this was approximately $30 per person. A far cry from the included breakfast at all our previous hotels.

We set off this morning for the Danish Museum of Design; however, we must first battle our way across the Radhusen Square, which, this being Sunday, is crammed with flea market tables selling antiques, junk, etc. A few of these sellers trap Deb and Lee - it was horrifying to witness.  Howie even had to trek back to the hotel room with some booty.  I was counting my blessings until I realized that Deb's purchases were all small enough to stuff into her purse.

The trail to the Museum followed the Storget, the number one shopping/walking street in Copenhagen.  Most stores were closed today, but the merchandise on offer in the windows promises an exciting day tomorrow!

The Design Museum is quite a walk, but we arrive there shortly after the 11:00 opening and start in.  For me, this is a highlight of the trip.  All the major master furniture makers of the Danish/Scandinavian Modern era are represented, Hans Wegner, Kaare Klint, Arne Jacobsen, even some non-Scandinavian, such as Charles and Ray Eames.  Also on display were ceramics, design products such as lamps, industrial design and more.  The current major exhibit was one on fabric and fashion.  The beautiful dresses and ensembles from through the ages were well displayed and interesting.

We ended, as all good museum tours must, with a refreshing glass in the cafe and then a trip through the gift shop.

Next we continued our walk to view the Little Mermaid statue in the harbor. This bronze statue, set on a rock only about 15 feet off the shore, is based upon a Hans Christian Andersen story, and was donated by a benefactor in the 1930's.  This is a major tourist stop, and on a Sunday afternoon, it was swarming.  As Deb has seen it many times, she stopped and rested in a park a bit away from the statue, and Howie, Lee and I continued on.  Howie and Lee had been to Copenhagen about 13 years ago when their son stayed here for a semester abroad, so they had seen the statue before - I on the other hand was a virgin in this regard.

My impression was that it was larger than I expected (everyone has commented on how small it is,) the setting is perfect for the story, and even the access very good.  The crowds however were not something I would go back for.  Maybe in the early morning in non-tourist season.

We then walked along the harbor and headed for the Nyhaven area, a very touristy strip near the harbor that boasts outside seating restaurants and people watching - if you are watching carefully, you may see the pickpockets at work.  We stopped at Guldmaegers Restaurant for our mid afternoon meal.  Two orders of mussels, one of a shrimp salad plate, and one of a salmon with salad.  We enjoyed an overpriced bottle of wine and watched the brand new waitress struggle with the rush to handle twenty four tables by herself.  She was not always successful, telling one couple that she was working alone, and if they couldn't wait a bit, maybe they should pick another restaurant - they did.

After this, we then walked back to the hotel, retracing our steps along the Storget and plotting our attack for tomorrow.  The Royal Copenhagen store seemed to attract a lot off attention, as did the Illum Bogliss store.

After a 90 minute hotel rest, we set off at 7:30 to find dinner.  We settled on a restaurant called MAD (Modern American Diner) for a couple of omelettes, a hamburger, and a 10" Cuban Hot Dog.  The hamburger was very good, the omelettes successful, and the hot dog more of a sausage than dog.  Still interesting.  We were back in our rooms by 9:30 resting, reading and feeling sorry for our feet which had put in a lot of service today.

Scandinavia - Saturday, September 5, 2015

Up at 6:00, we find the room's coffee supply is inadequate.  We rendezvous in the lobby for the trek a few blocks to the train station.  This morning we are headed to the City of Odense, approximately an hour away from Copenhagen, and the 3rd largest city in Denmark.  It is intermittently drizzling and raining this morning. We stop in the train station to buy coffee, pastries and an extra umbrella as insurance that the purchase will drive away the need for an umbrella.

We board our second class coach and find our assigned seats, settling in for the ride.  European train travel is smooth, on time and clean.  We continue to marvel and complain that, if our own government would concern itself less with immigration issues and develop an infrastructure for mass transit, both in the cities and cross country, it would do much to both increase employment and benefit the environment.

We are venturing to a place that Deb has never visited in her career; therefore we are not sure what to expect, nor are we sure that there will be enough to see and do here to justify the entire day.

Upon arrival and orientation to the streets with the help of maps, we set off for the Hans Christian Andersen museum. I had this blurry image of some old story teller known for the Ugly Duckling tale.  I, for one, was gobsmacked.  Although Lee was very familiar with his work, and Deb has some knowledge, I had no idea how famous he was in his own time, and how many poems, fairy tales, novels and plays the man had written.  We spent over two hours wandering this wonderful museum, learning about the man and the times he lived in.  The museum and exhibits were detailed, and very well curated.  A lot of information that would warrant a second trip in the future.

The weather cleared while we were in the museum, and switched to less intermittent drizzle, and eventually followed by sun shine, although a bit windy at times, and showers would literally blow through, barely lasting long enough to put up our hoods or open our umbrellas.

Leaving the museum, we walked a bit, stopped in a brand new (open 2 weeks) shop and atelier, and then proceeded to "Der Grimms Alling" (the ugly duckling) Restaurant.  We lucked into an afternoon buffet, complete with unlimited wine or beer.  Our waitress again spoke fluent English - she is studying for a degree in business, and has just returned from a month long trip that included Austin TX, Montana and other US destinations.

The food was very good and totally traditional Danish fare, just as they might eat at home.  Pickled herring, quiche, deep fried fish fillets, egg omelette with bacon, salad rolls, etc.  Our first truly native Scandinavian fare.

After lunch, we wandered the town and ended up at the Hans Christian Andersen home, near the city center.  A small, period home that was furnished and laid out as it would have been in the 1820's.  Thereafter, we headed back towards the rail station, with a stop at the H. C. Andersen Haven, a Nordic Green Space.  This wonderful garden with a stream running through was amazing in its floral beauty, more varieties of dahlias in total bloom than we have ever seen.  Deb and Lee have close up photos available for those who may be interested.

Back to the train station for our 5:07 train back to Copenhagen.  There was a slight delay due to bridge construction under way, but we arrived in Copenhagen at 6:35, a great adventure. I would tell more of the trip, but it seemed our car was filled with dozing Americans.  After arriving in the hotel, Deb was suffering from an upset stomach and so the Covert contingent opted to stay in for the night, reading resting and falling asleep by 9:00. 

Scandinavia - Friday, September 4, 2015

Another traveling day. They seem to come so frequently, yet we are now staying multiple days in our cities. Up at 6:00 and packed and down to breakfast at 8:15. Our taxi to the airport arrives at 9:30 and we are off to the Stockholm airport for our flight to Copenhagen. Our taxi driver turned out to be an Iraq national, living in Sweden, with Swedish and Iraqi citizenship.  He attended Ohio State and lived in the U.S. for over 10 years, earning a degree in engineering.

When we check in for our flight, we find that we are all four in "1st class," i.e., the first row of the plane and offered free drinks and food.  We have a bottle of wine after our 11:40 take off and are truly amazed at the smooth and quick flight.  We are into the Copenhagen airport and waiting for our luggage by 1:00 PM.

Onto another taxi to our hotel, the Square.  This taxi was less expensive and a shorter ride than Stockholm.  Our rooms are significantly more spacious than the closets we occupied in Stockholm. A very modern hotel in a very central part of downtown Copenhagen.

After securing our rooms and dropping our luggage, we head directly to Tivoli Gardens, a block from the hotel. Tivoli Gardens is hard to explain if you have never seen it.  It is a combination of Disneyland, a county fair midway, and gardens.  It is over two city blocks (large) in the center of downtown Copenhagen.  Although originally on the outskirts of the city, it is now totally surrounded. Founded in 1843, it is in private hands and is the 4th most attended amusement park in the world, following Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and one other. The gardens, flowers  and plants are magnificent.

We had a late lunch at one of the restaurants.  Danish meatballs, a chicken mayonnaise salad, and smoked salmon with scrambled eggs on top.  Beers and wines were served.  Although the food was good and the surroundings enjoyable, the real highlight was our wait staff. First, a young man (who claimed to be 44 years old,) talked in a perfect American accent.  He was born in Portugal, his mother moved him to Denmark in his teens, and he spent over 10 years in New York.  Next we met our main server, a lovely young girl who turns out to have completed a master's degree in mideast history, is a dual national of Israel and Denmark, served in the Israeli army for two years, as is required, and is leaving in a month or two for training in the French Alps to become a ski instructor.  She also has traveled extensively in the U.S. and speaks excellent English.

The weather turned against us during this afternoon, rain, off and on, and blustery.  There were not a lot of inside spaces available; Deb and I found refuge in an arcade hall while Howie and Lee took in a Hans Christian Andersen ride, similar to "It's a Small World," but, according to them, much better and enjoyable, although over priced for a ride.

Leaving Tivoli around 7:00, we headed back to the hotel in the rain.  We found along the way a pizza restaurant (Pontius Vesuvius) across from the hotel and stopped in to share a couple of pizzas, some beer and wine.  We then retired to our rooms for the balance of the evening, reading, watching television, and generally resting up for the next day's adventures.

Danube River Cruise - 5/5/14

Slept in until 7:00 AM today, due to the late night in the lounge.  Arrived in Passau, DE this morning and embarked after breakfast on a walking tour of the "City of Three Rivers," Danube, Innz and Ilpz. After the record flood of 2013, which saw a great portion of the city under 15 feet of water, especially along the water front and old town area, the City is still re-building.  Very few shops open, and a great portion of the public buildings are still under restoration.

A great majority of the passengers opted to take a bus tour to Salzburg, which left in the morning and would meet back up with the ship in Linz AU. Our group elected to stay with the ship; we departed Passau at 12:15 PM and set sail down river into Austria.  Naps this afternoon varied from 1 to 3 hours.  We arrived in Linz around 6:00 PM and had the opportunity for an unplanned but informative walk around the central area.  A very modern and progressive city, the third largest in Austria. 

Back to the ship for a fine dinner and then we spent time on the sundeck admiring the lights of Linz and watching the light shows from the ATS Technica building; this building is wired with LED's all over the exterior.  People can queue up to plug in their iPod music  and then watch as the lights change to the music they have loaded in their electronics.

Lovely trio of two violins and a guitar for entertainment tonight in the lounge.  All repaired to bed early in preparation for the overnight cruise to Melk, AU, our destination for tomorrow.

Danube River Cruise - 5/4/14

I was up at 6:00 and out on deck at 6:30 to watch us dock at Regensburg.  A busy day ahead for our intrepid band of travelers.  After breakfast, we launched into a walking tour of the City of Regensburg.

Our young guide led us throughout the old town, adjacent to the dock. A walled city, controlled by free merchants and not beholden to any other than the Holy Roman Emperor. The oldest bridge on the Danube is in Regensburg, built around 1050, and connecting with Bavaria.  The architecture is Gothic and not so much baroque as appears in other cities.  this is due mostly to the point that economic troubles hit the city in the early 16th century, and they could not afford to modernize the buildings. Therefore the structures remained the same, fortunate now, but disconcerting then.

We ended the walk and then a group of us stopped at the famous sausage restaurant at the foot of the bridge.  Legend has it that this restaurant served sausage to the workers who built the bridge.  All they serve is sausages (small ones) a sweet flavored sauerkraut, bread rolls, and homemade sweet mustard.  All washed down with local beer. The lunch was delicious.

We then rushed back to the ship to catch the afternoon tour bus to the Weltenburg benedictine monastery and a trip down the gorge of the Danube via ferry.  The monastery church was very plain looking on the outside, but inside it was a true treasure.  We had an American guide, who married a German woman, take us through the church and then explain each allegorical element of the decoration and architecture of the church.  Most interesting.

The gorge boat ride was fun and restful although one of our band took a dive up some steps and will definitely show some bruising.  Beer and ice cream on board the ferry.  Then back to the bus for the ride to the Liberation Monument, created in 1850 by King Leopold I to commemorate the victories over Napoleon and unification of Germany. Then, back on the bus and to the ship, arriving at 6:30, just in time for the evening lecture and dinner.

Dinner was very good, with lamb, St. Pierre fish (John Dory) or a vegan meal.  Afterwards to the lounge for a quartet of close harmony singers.  Deb bought the CD and Mark, Don and Ann closed the bar at 11:30.  A long day and overnight sail to arrive at Passau on Monday.