Denmark Times!

Whooooo, Spring Break!! The first instinct was to head for the nearest beach but heading to Denmark and points Scandinavian has been excellent. Sure, it’s a little colder than PCB but it evens out by not having to see all those air-brushed T-shirts.

I started in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Easter Sunday. Being there on Easter meant that a lot of stores and restaurants were closed but the sites were all open and the city was hopping with visitors from around the country as well as those of us from outside.

Since every European city tour includes an obligatory square and town hall, that’s where I started. The Danes appear to love a non-conventional statue so I was sure to include that in the shot. 

From there I wandered the main shopping street to the canals. As a cheesy tourist, I jumped aboard a canal tour with my people. We saw brightly colored row houses lining some of the smaller canals, the opera house, and the famed Little Mermaid statue. I’d heard the Little Mermaid statue was a bit out of the way for not a lot of pay off. I felt satisfied seeing it from behind, thronged with visitors paying their respect to Hans Christian Anderson and/or Ariel.* 

Back on the streets, I enjoyed a street art installation. It also serves as an illustration that I needed zero Danish to get around Denmark.** 

Ready for some architecture, I saw the “Marble” church. It was originally planned to be covered in marble but a delay in its construction changed their plans. It kept the nickname, however. The main feature is the dome covered in carvings and frescos.

I then toured Amalienborg Palace where the royal family still lives today. One section of the palace is a museum with different rooms decorated in the style of the different rulers of the time. My favorite rooms were those decorated with the king and queen’s own pictures of their family, but the more ornate ones showed off the country a bit more.*** Maybe I’ve watched too much “The Crown” lately, but this group of monarchs seemed pretty down to earth.

I ended the day walking past Rosenborg Castle from the 17th-century on the way to the Round Tower. The Round Tower intrigued me for it’s claim to an excellent view but my first thought was “how many steps, Copenhagen?”**** When I read it was a ramp, I was all in! They also have an art museum and were featuring photographs of Kampala Street Fashion. It was way fun!

I traveled the next day***** to the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing country within Denmark.****** There are many different islands connected by roads, tunnels, and ferries, depending on their distance. As my driver from the airport told me, it was first settled by Vikings who got too seasick to go any further. Who cares if that’s true or not, it’s awesome-sounding. There are about 50,000 people on the island and over 70,000 sheep. They claim that fishing is the biggest industry but from my own research, I’m betting rustic sweater sets are a close second.

I had about a day less to sight-see than I was expecting so I only had time for a self-guided city tour******* of Torshavn, the capital. There was the port, an area of traditional red homes with actual grass-growing roofs that now house the country’s government buildings, and a fort.******** At this fort I had the extreme pleasure of being the actual only person there. From the footprints, I know it was only me and the birds taking in the sights. That was a fort first! 

Since it’s still Europe, I did pop into the obligatory church. Speaking of firsts, this was my first church with a boat model hanging from the ceiling. These people know who they’re praying to, that’s for sure. 

For future Faroe Island travelers, the thing to do is hike the countryside. I had hoped to do some extensive walking********* but had no time. My scenery shots are all from the car or the plane and I would definitely go back for more! It looks a lot like Iceland- rocky terrain with no trees and very little growth. They had gotten snow the day before and in the higher mountains there is still quite a lot.

I guess I'll have to go back to see more of the islands! Until next time, Faroes!
-KT

*She don’t got a lot to say, but there’s something about her . . .

**This varies from the number of danishes needed to get around Denmark.

***Mom, don’t you need this rug?

****This ain’t my first rodeohagen.

*****And in a previous blog.

******Fun Fact! This is also true of Greenland. Who knew‽‽ 

*******Fantastic tour guide! Not terribly knowledgeable but willing to make up a story to fit any situation. Doesn’t call for a lot of small talk and always walks the right pace!

********Required by maritime and travel law.

*********I detest the "h" word.