Copenhagen, Denmark

After passing the Kiel canal we arrived at Copenhagen for a day of sightseeing. Both Will and I know the city, we have been here before. For Will it is a return trip after 40 years and for me after 12 years.
Copenhagen remains a beautiful city with nice people.

Our ship the Azamara Journey docked just in front of the St-Albans Anglican Church by the Kastellet Citadel fortress just a few steps away from the Royal Palace Amalienborg. This year 2012 Queen Margaret II celebrates her 40^th anniversary as Sovereign of Denmark. Next to our ship was the Royal Yacht, very elegant looking.

We went into St-Albans because Will had been there some 40 years ago and a former priest from his parish in Toronto had worked there around 1966. St-Albans is a Royal Chapel it was founded by H.R.H. Alexandra,Princess of Denmark and Queen of England, wife of Edward VII who was the son of Queen Victoria. Royalty has endowed this church and several famous Kings and Emperor have visited. It his the church of the British embassy and community in Copenhagen.

It is a small church celebrating 125 years of service and has beautiful stained glass windows by Boure-Jones who glow in the brilliant morning sun.

Then we walked to the Royal Palace Amalienborg and saw the changing of the guard. Palace guards here are not shy about shooing nosy tourists away, you do not want to tease them. We also visited the Marble church or Frederick Church which is the State Church of Denmark, (Evangelical Lutheran). Then we went to a lovely little cafe for coffee and proceeded to visit some shops, Royal Copenhagen and Illum Bolighus and made some little purchases. Our lunch was typical Danish fare, a Tuborg beer and 3 open face sandwiches on dark rye bread, one being Herring with capers, egg with tomato and one of pate.

Its a beautiful day, brilliant sunshine, clear blue skies, we had been promised rain, rain, rain since last week but so far we have been lucky, the rain comes during the night or when we are driving somewhere.

In the evening we went to Tivoli to see the famous Chinese Peacock theatre and for dinner.

 

We saw an 18th century Pantomime at the Chinese Peacock Theatre at Tivoli Garden, one of the world more famous amusement park. It is said that Walt Disney found his inspiration for Disneyland while visiting Tivoli. I did not know what to expect, what I saw was a beautiful garden along the lines of a botanical garden with top restaurants set in the garden, a lake, a midway with old fashion rides, a band stand with a full orchestra doing light classics and the Chinese Peacock Theatre. Tivoli was built in 1844 and remains to this day a private company. The garden attracts young and old, many of the customers in the evening are elderly, strolling in the garden and enjoying one of the many music shows or the pantomime. Restaurants offer many different kinds of cuisines and classic Danish cuisine.

We went to Faergekroen Bryghus for dinner after the theatre and had wonderful food, lobster cream soup with big chucks of lobster, Veal steak with different types of onions quickly pan fried and boiled potatoes and for dessert Rodgrod Med Flode which is a typical Danish dessert, essentially described as a porridge of berries with cream, it is more like a thick berry soup. Delicious but the name of the dessert is unpronounceable because all the pronunciation comes from the throat.

Tivoli is beautiful, clean and peaceful, a real delight in a busy city. Will waited 40 years to see the Chinese Peacock Theatre which is a marvel in itself.