And that’s how they say “Hello” in Sweden.
Hi all! Been trying to find a way to get this posted while abroad, and finally got a connection, courtesy of JE and Cheryl, our friends in Sweden. Copenhagen has been fun, with sights to see, and things to do. First off, of course, would be a trip to the Little Mermaid, of H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales. First thing that crossed our minds was that she’s a lot smaller than we expected. Statue’s been there for about 90 years now, and looks to be in remarkably good condition, despite repeated vandalism over the years (her latest misfortune involved decapitation, just a few years ago!). It’s been quite tiring, as we’ve been walking just about everywhere, seeing the famed “Walking street” (Strøget) and it’s shopping. It’s a lively place, with street performers, fashionable people, branded goods (LV, Royal Copenhagen, Georg Jensen et al).
Also, there are several museums and exhibitions on, and we went to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and the H.C. Anderson exhibition put up for his 200th birthday! Plus a side trip to the Rosenborg Castle, built by the King Christian IV as a summer palace, and subsequently turned into a sort of a “Royal Storeroom” containing the heirlooms and other odd and ends.
Of course, no trip to Copenhagen would be complete without a trip to Nyhavn, the very famous “Boat Quay” that our very own Boat Quay was modelled after. Hip, trendy, and oh-so-cool hangout with bars, restaurants and cafes, as well as the odd art gallery and antique shop. Difference with here and back in Singapore, is that even in the “heat” of high summer, it only hits a high of a cool 20-odd degrees celsius, making dining out al fresco a practical experience, instead of a sweaty-but-wanna-look-cool one…
Finally, of course for a stop-over in Copenhagen, who would pass up a chance to see the famous Tivoli Gardens, probably the oldest operating Fair in the world. Set up 200 years ago, it still has two of the original rides (a roller coaster and a ferris wheel) still in operation today. In addition to it’s claim of fame as the oldest operating theme-park, this place was also *THE* inspiration for Walt Disney to set up Disneyland. Kudos to the Danes.
Well, we’re now in Sweden, spending some time with JE & Cheryl in their home on the island of Styrsö. Hope to post more soon, as well as some of Stockholm when we get there next week.
Pictures up as usual at at the Flickr site ~ see ya!
