Day 2 - Copenhagen

I had a rough start to today considering I only got maybe 2 hours sleep tops...darn jet-lag. But it's not everyday I'm in Copenhagen so after a good strong cup of coffee with breakfast we were off this morning for some sightseeing before Z had to head off for work. We decided to do a canal boat tour. The weather was absolutely perfect for this. It's been bright and sunny all day. The air is still a little crisp, but it was a fabulous day! The canal tour took us along the eastern (?, I'm still not quite sure which way is north here...no mountains to guide me) part of Copenhagen's canal system. We got to see a good amount of the wonderful architecture that is found throughout the city, including the new opera house - which we were told is fourteen stories with five of those underground. We also got to see the Royal Library, which looks really cool with the water reflecting off the black exterior; it creates an illusion of water shimmering off the building. The canal tour took just over an hour and cost $60 Kroner each (about $11 CAD). Not bad value at all. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and very informative. The tour is actually a hop on/hop off type tour and so once we do the whole loop we decided to stay on and let it take us to an area called Nyhavn.

Nyhavn is a great little area along one of the canals and we decided this would be a great spot for lunch at one of the many sidewalk restaurants. What more could one ask for....sun, good views, good company and good food. We had a great lunch and then Z and I parted ways with me off to discover something new and Z, well off to work. I had wanted to see Amalienborg Palace which is where the Danish royal family resides. The royal family has resided there since 1794 when Christiansborg Palace (now the Parliament building) burnt down. Queen Margarethe II was not home because I did not see the Danish flag flying (this apparently means she's home). The palace was built in French rococo style and is made up of four buildings that form an octagonal courtyard. The area is completely open and you are free to walk around without restrictions...well OK the only restriction is you can't enter any of the buildings aside from the museum.

Sometimes the best plan is having no plan. As I walked through the courtyard I continued along Amalienborg Street, which behind the Palace turns out to be embassy row. Further down the way I stumbled upon Kastellet, one of North Europe's finest and best preserved fortresses. It is owned by the Danish Defense and is still used as a modern military establishment. On my way back from this neat little discovery, I visited The Royal Danish Collections museum at the Palace. This museum chronicles the royal family and displays the various king's studies. It was interesting to see; all the kings had similar layouts with a lot of family pictures hanging on the walls. The furniture didn't look that entirely comfortable though. I paid $100 Kroner for an entry ticket that also gets me into Rosenborg Castle....so I guess that's on tomorrow's agenda.

Leaving the Palace, I wandered over to Marmor Kirken (Marble Church). The Church's cupola, at 31 metres in diameter, is the largest church cupola in Scandinavia. The first foundation stone was set in 1749, but the church did not open until 1894 because of budget cuts and the death of its architect. Admission is free, but you have to pay if you want a tour of the tower. Unfortunately, the tower was under maintenance and the tours won't resume until 2011. The interior of the church is beautiful. The ceiling of the dome is quite impressive. The organist was playing and the sound was amazing, no echoes, just perfect music.

My last touristy stop today was the Round Tower. This tower, completed in 1642, was built by King Christian IV and was built as an astronomical observatory. The tower spirals 209 metres and has no steps until the very top. This is because the tower was also used as a defensive fortification and it's easier to haul canons up a ramp than stairs. You get an awesome panoramic view of Copenhagen from the top. Today was an incredibly clear and I could see in the distance the bridge which connects Denmark to Sweden.

That pretty much wraps up my day of exploring. I spent about four hours walking around this afternoon and after only about two hours of sleep, I was rather pooped.