Friday, November 25, 2016

The Long Danish Night


Well, here we are in Copenhagen, where it is very....dark.

Seriously, as I write this, we've experienced only about an hour of daylight in Denmark. By the time we landed in mid-afternoon yesterday, the sun was on the wane, and by the time we'd taken the train into town, walked to our hotel and checked in, we were sliding into twilight.

But that's not a bad thing. Copenhagen is very lively at night!


After checking in, Dave and I went in search of a meal. Around the corner we found a comedy club that doubles, during the day, as a cafe. (Mercifully, no comedians performed while we were there. Stand-up comedy is one of my least favorite things in the entire world.)

We ordered tuna-and-fish-roe sandwiches, and I got one (OK, two) of Tuborg's special Christmas beers. The waitress put little Danish flags on the sandwiches to welcome us -- she said they're normally reserved for patrons celebrating birthdays.

The toilet in the men's room had a message printed in the bowl: "Aim like a SNIPER."


Then we walked around town a bit, window-shopping (scary saggy onesies, anyone?) and getting a feel for our neighborhood.


I took this photo specifically for my brother, who's big into biking. I doubt that he would attach a little bell to his handlebars, though. He's way too serious for that.

I told Dave that in London, it would say "Bicycle and die."


Our hotel is located about a block from Tivoli Gardens, a famous 173-year-old amusement park in central Copenhagen. I'm not sure we'll go there, but it's fun to peer up at the fanciful pagodas and domes and spires surrounded by roller coasters.

When we got back to the hotel, Dave promptly fell into a snooze and I spent some time reading and watching a movie ("Harold and Maude"). Today, I'm looking forward to seeing Denmark in daylight!

13 comments:

e said...

Enjoy...the best thing I had there was ...pizza!

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Good start but what's this about aiming like a sniper? To kill the enemy you gotta spray them with bullets like Arnold Schwarzenegger with a machine gun.

Anonymous said...

Enjoy your stay! Lucky, you didn't come by car, as far as I remember there are just one-way streets.

Ms. Moon said...

Are you going to see the Little Mermaid?

Nan said...

Tivoli is closed for most of the winter but opens for the pre-Christmas season (which saves Danes from being suicidal in the November and December gloom). Buy an entrance ticket - no need to go for the full ticket including all the rides - and enjoy seeing the Danes at play. From old ladies having coffee with friends to families on an outing to mates meeting for a beer there is something for everyone. There are booths of Christmas decorations, food, crafts and concerts and lots and lots of lights to cheer you up and get you in the mood for the holidays. Go!

Sharon said...

I hadn't even thought about the short days. That will take some getting used to. Great photos. Have fun!

Red said...

That looks like a super sandwich. It's always interesting to visit another country and experience the differences.

jenny_o said...

What a perfect message in the toilet bowl (despite YP's funny comment)! I really like your travel posts because you notice all the little things. I can experience it without actually going, and as a very bad traveller, that's just right for me :)

Catalyst said...

I was surprised by the signs and the bicycle bell in English. I guess Copenhagen is highly attuned to tourism.

ellen abbott said...

the opposite I guess of what I had in Scotland this summer which was nearly endless day.

Lesley UK said...

Have a great stay, and I wish my hubby had an aim like a sniper, even if it was the machine gun type. I'm just hoping that as he loses more of his faculties he doesn't start pebble dashing the walls too. Oh the joys of aging. (Sob!) Sorry, I hope I didn't put you off your sandwich (which looked quite delicious) Oh well, 'Enjoy' as they say .

Coppa's girl said...

Lovely city - it's so flat that nearly everyone goes by bike. The little mermaid is worth a visit, but something of a surprise as it's quite tiny.

utahDOG! said...

I would rock that bell.