June 14: Copenhagen

 Well, the night of June 13 we went to bed catatonic from all the rigors that flying tends to engender these days. While at Heathrow the muscles under my toes in the right foot cramped up on me so severely (due to sitting in the same position for x hours) that I was forced to change shoes and take two Aleves.  Thank God that by the time I reached Copenhagen, I was almost back to normal.  

Nancy had arrived from a grueling two-pronged change from her original flight plan, having to re-route through Atlanta, Munich, and Copenhagen.  However, in spte of occasional bouts of snafu, we were all able to gather last night for an introductory dinner.  This group is 20 strong, and all of them are as addicted to travel as the next man/woman.  In fact, the group is filled with divorced women and a few women who bring their husbands (sometimes willingly, sometime in a kind of forced scenario mode so that the woman does not end up without a roommate).

Last night we had an excellent dinner:  chicken stuffed with a spinach pate; baked mushrooms, small potatoes with skins, and carrots in a pate.  The dessert was a custard with peaches, a slice of monk fruit, as well as other fruits unknown to me.  Ice cream topped the dessert, and the meal also featured some of the best bread I have put in my mouth.

Except for the occasional calf charleyhorses I experienced last night, sleep was agreeable and refreshing.  This morning, both of us were ready and set to go.  After a breakfast of a strong cup of coffee, a boiled egg, some tremendous bread, orange marmalade, and yogurt mixed with muesli and dried fruit, we were ready to approach our first activity that day: a 2-hour lecture on Danish history by a Danish guide who had been at this for 6 years and anticipated questions and discussions very well.  

From there we began our walk introducing us to the center of Copenhagen.  From there, as it was almost noon, we scattered for lunch at a restaurant of choice.  I was particularly eager to try a Smorrebrod, a quintessential Danish delicacy—an open sandwich which is eaten for lunch.  It consists of a slice of rye bread spread with Danish butter, layered with a selection of fish and topped with raw and pickled vegetables, or raw eggs and caviar.  I had a brilliant one with salmon topped with eggs and dill, and Nancy had one with tiny shrimp and smoked salmon, a slice of tomato and dill, and a mild sauce for the shrimp.  With our lunch we drank elderberry juice.

After lunch we roamed the area taking in little street vignettes, then explored a little courtyard between the George Jensen store and the Royal Danish porcelain store, which we will see in depth during free time tomorrow.  

In the afternoon we split into two groups, and my group visited the New Carlsberg Glyptothek Museum, opened in 1897 by the philanthropic Carlsberg brewing company magnate Carl Jacobsen as a place where ordinary folk could see the collection of classical and modern art which he had generously donated to the state.  The focal point is the Vinter Have or Winter Garden, filled with soaring palm trees, a fountain and statues.  We saw mostly Egyptian, Greek and Roman collections.  Charles Venable, who had highly recommended the collection to me, was not wrong.  Thanks, Charles!

Our final venue for the day was the Tivoli Gardens, which my mother had seen and raved about when she was in Copenhagen.  It was originally opened in 1843, and was the brainchild of George Carstensen, who was inspired by the pleasure gardens of Europe, especially London’s Vauxhall Gardens.  The garden has remained faithful to its creator’s ideal: flower-lined paths, a boating lake, fairground stalls, restaurants, bandstands, theaters, concerts, and rides.  At night, with twinkling illuminations (there are no neon lights), and music drifting through, the result is magical.  Tivoli is one of the few still-functioning 19th century pleasure gardens.

From there we made our way back to the Phoenix Hotel, where we are staying and which is very near to the royal Amalienburg Palace, making it easy to gain a feel for the anchor points of the area.  We were also able to navigate the subway, which is impeccably clean, imaginatively built, and in all very much a credit to the city of Copenhagen.