Saturday in Copenhagen and Michael got to come out and play!

Yeah, it's finally the weekend and Michael got to do a little sightseeing too! We had a wonderful time! First we went to the National Museum but I don't have any pics of that. Then, we had a local favorite for lunch, the polsa (sp?), aka, hot dog. Here's Michael eating his :)

After lunch, we went over to Amelianborg Castle so that Michael could see where the Queen is currently residing (she has several castles to choose from). He was braver than I and went to stand by one of the queen's guards who said that he (Michael) had to stay a meter away from him. He had a gun, so, Michael listened :)

After we left Amelianborg Castle, we went and toured Christianborg Castle which is where the Queen holds all of her royal dinner parties and such. It is not longer used as a residence for the Queen (even though it is much bigger and newer than Amelianborg), however, the Supreme Court and Parliament have their offices there. Camera's were not allowed inside and I just realized that I didn't even take a pic of the outside!

Side note, the story of Amelianborg Castle is interesting. In the late 1700s, the Christianborg Castle suffered a devastating fire and the royal family sought "shelter" at Amelianborg, which at that time consisted of 4 duplicate mansions facing onto a shared square. It is said that the owners of the mansions quickly offered them for sale to the royal family (do you really have much choice?). It has been the preferred home for the royal family every since. The Queen and her husband live in one (the one you see above), one is used by dignitaries and heads of state when they visit, one is used by the Queen's youngest son and her two sisters (when they are in town), they all have separate apartments within the one mansion and the last is currently being renovated for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess (future King and Queen of Denmark) and their two small children.

Next, we were off on a pleasant stroll. Below, you can see people ice skating around the statue in this public square. Michael and I were sipping Cafe Mocha's while they were falling on their tushes :)

One of our favorite places to visit is the "Stroget" which is a pedestrian walkway lined with shops. The picture really doesn't do it justice and it's really pretty at night when it's all lit up. There are many high end shops along here.

We had a great dinner! We had Tex-Mex in the irish pub "Rosy McGee's" while in Denmark...doesn't that sound funny? Tex-Mex in an irish pub in Denmark! Well, I find it funny... Here's Michael giving a toast with his Guiness.

Friday in Copenhagen

Friday in Copenhagen was REALLY COLD! I just rode bus #26 from the hotel through it's full route (cheap sightseeing), stopped off at a bakery and had a bite and then got back on and came back the hotel :)

For dinner, we went out with one of Michael's co-workers and her husband who just came in for the weekend. We ate at a really quaint little restaurant on the harbor. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. But, let me tell ya, the walnut cake with chocolate sauce was a beautiful sight :)

Thursday in Copenhagen

Here's what I did Thursday (while Michael was workin' :)

I visited Rosenborg Castle which the first part of was built in 1606-1607 by King Christian IV as a "summerhouse". It was added onto throughout the 1600s to what it is today. The castle has not really been used since 1710, so, the interiors are excellently preserved. It felt just like a castle in January probably felt during that time...cold and dark, with the only real light coming in through the windows and a few small candles around.

These are the crowns of King Christian V and his queen whose reign began in 1671.

This is Christian IVs crown from 1595

After leaving the Rosenborg Castle, I trekked up the "round tower". I don't know how high it is, or how far you actually walk up a steady incline...but, I had to stop and rest a couple of times :)

Wednesday in Copenhagen

I'm playing catch-up because I was not able to get on Michael's computer Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. First I'll catch you up on what I did those 3 days and then I'll create another posting for what Michael and I did today :)

Here is the money that I am learning to use...Danish Kroner. Michael can do the exchange rate in his head. I can't :) I had to set it up on my cell phone to figure out how much I'm paying for a hotdog!

This is "Amelianborg Castle" where the queen is currently in residence (you can tell by the Danish flag flying over it, however, I didn't get that in my shot. I was fortunate enough to be there during the changing of the guards (men all decked out in bear skin hats!).


Changing of the guard at Amelianborg Castle was quite to site. It is a very "regal" process that takes over an hour and includes a military marching band! They change guards at noon.

This is the famous statue "The Little Mermaid" based on Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale. Hans was from the Copenhagen area. I thought Bradey would love this one (she's a big Ariel fan)

My usual mode of transportation is the subway (above) or the bus. When Michael is with me, we take taxis courtesy of IBM :)

Welcome to Copenhagen...Denmark that is!

Hello from across the "pond"...do you only say that if you are going to England? I don't know, but, it sounds good! I arrived this morning in Copenhagen, Denmark. Michael (husband) has a 2 week business trip here and I've tagged along! I feel slightly guilty that I am on "vacation" and sightseeing all day while he is working, but, not so guilty that I'm not enjoying myself immensely!

The flight over was nice and smooth, you got to love the Airbus, especially now that they've proven that they can land in the water and not fall apart. That was a nice thought as we were flying over the ocean :) I watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's", read a few chapters of a book and then tried to sleep the rest of the time while I lost 6 hours of my day.

Here is the metro (subway) terminal screen that I was trying to figure out to make sure that I was getting on the right train...can you read that? The train station nearest the hotel is "Osterport", so, I just get on any train that has Osterport in its list of stations :) I might end up in Sweden, but, if I do, I'm sure that it'll be an adventure! I was on the train during rush hour and I must say that everyone should experience being the stranger in a strange land where everyone else speaks a different language and you are just hoping that you can find someone who knows enough English to help you out if you need it...it's quite humbling. They (whoever "they" are) said that English is common here in Copenhagen, however, I found the ONE person who did not speak English when I was trying to ask for directions.

You never feel too far from home when there's a McD's around. Actually, I have found McD's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken so far. A Big Mac is 20 kr. here which is about $3.50. I was told that Big Mac's were $10.00 here! Must have been told by the same folks that said everyone spoke English!

I found this wonderful Italian Restaurant while strolling along the Stroget - Copenhagen's pedestrian only shopping boulevard. Michael and I went back there this evening for dinner and it was wonderful! Candlelight is a very big part of their culture here, maybe because it's only daylight for about 8 hours a day right now and it is very cold. Candles are lit everywhere in the evening, in the hotel lobby, candelabras on the tables at the restaurant, etc. It is very romantic! The food at this restaurant was wonderful and was exactly what we would expect if we ordered lasagna at an Italian Restaurant at home. That was not Michael's experience the night before where they ate at an "Italian" restaurant but what was delivered to the table was anything but :)

Today was a beautiful day! "They" (those people again), say the it is usually overcast everyday here during this time of the year. However, today's skies were clear blue with a few wispy clouds and bright sunshine - which really helps when the air temp is 32 degrees (well, at least for a Northern girl who has lived in the South long enough now to shed some of her tolerance for the cold :)

Ramsey and Bradey are trading time between Grandma and Grandpa (Michael's Mom and Dad) and Nana (my Mom). They couldn't wait for me to leave so that they could start their own vacation! And, since we homeschool and the teacher is away (me), they are getting a little vacation of their own because I didn't send a lot of school work with them.

Watch for more pics tomorrow. I am planning to go to Amalienborg Castle where the Royal family is in residence! I might just get to meet the Queen!