There's Something Expensive in Denmark. I had written and published a very long post last night. Keri tells me it was my best work yet. I published it and linked it to Facebook, only the link did not work, so I went back in to Blogger to fix the problem, and the post was gone. I still have no idea what happened, but I am pretty bummed, and lacking the three hours today it would take to re-do the whole thing, I'll provide here the highlights along with a number of photos.
As indicated in the title here, things are pricey in Copenhagen. In particular food. Like the Czechs, the Danes are EU members with their own currency. Where I took issue with the Czech policy, I totally get Denmark's decision, as the confusion caused by having to convert krone to dollars (or Euro) is the only thing that allows one to spend the $100-plus that is required for even the simplest dinner of burgers or Indian food (two of the three Eckstein staples in Europe).
Denmark is Like Europe, Only Smaller. Denmark is about the size of Maryland -- both geographically and by population (just under six million). And unlike the two smaller countries we have visited -- the Czech Republic and Austria -- Denmark is not smack dab in the middle of Europe. By virtue of all that, Denmark's history is quite different. It was never a world power or the seat of an empire. It was, for a long time, the most important place in Scandinavia, but that it like saying Maryland is the most important mid-Atlantic state between Pennsylvania and Virginia. (Suck it, Delaware!) Copenhagen and its environs feel smaller than the other places we have been. That is true both in regard to the city center -- which is quite compact -- and the buildings themselves, in particular the palaces, which are just smaller. The Danish people are keenly aware of their place in the world and seem to have a good, mostly-self aware sense of humor about it, as their prime point of national pride seems to be that theirs is the world's oldest flag. Put aside the fanciful nature of underlying story (god sent the flag down from the sky), you can really do better than a flag.
Great Public Spaces. We have been impressed by the public parks and open spaces in Copenhagen. Much of this has to do with the city's history, in particular that on its western edge, outside the city walls, the city developed a number of natural water-based barriers. When, in the 19th Century, the walls came down and the city expanded westward, they had the insight to transition many of those water barriers into parks, including a set of four rectangular lakes surrounded by walking and biking paths and a number of grassy parks with ponds and hills that used to serve as ramparts. Copenhagen also benefits from the King's Garden, a park just outside the Rosenborg Castle, through which King Christian IV used to stumble home drunk on his way home. For a couple hundred years, Danes of all kind, even those of non-noble birth, have been free to do the same. The Danes are also creative in their use of public spaces, creating "beaches" out of small grassy areas and tiered levels on the waterfront of Copenhagen's inner harbor and canals. As seen here, Owen was so moved by the beauty of this city, he forgot for a brief moment that his primary directive is to give his father a hard time. Thank you, Copenhagen!
Big Ticket Tourist Items. We arrived in Copenhagen on Wednesday and have had plenty of time to walk the city, including hitting some of the most popular tourist destinations. We have several times walked through Nyhaven, a waterfront area lined with colorful houses. Contrary to its spelling, the word is pronounced as nee-hown. (We were told that the the basic rule of Danish pronunciation is to eat the second half of every word.) The area is certainly worth a visit, but probably only a short one as it is overrun with tourists and overpriced (by which I mean really overpriced) cafes and restaurants.
The Round Tower is a 17th Century astronomical tower in the middle of the city center. It does not take long here to figure out that much of the city was built in the 17th Century, during the 60-year reign of King Christian IV. He is fairly well-regarded around these parts, although his social stance on witches (he was for burning them) and his military adventures (primarily, the Thirty-Years war) necessitate some pause. As to this tower, it is a fairly unremarkable structure with one significant feature -- a rooftop viewing deck with great sight lines around the city. It also features a gradual sloping spiral staircase. Apparently, there is a name for these things -- equestrian staircase. That name makes little sense, as no horse could be coaxed up or down this non-ADA complaint ramp.
Rosenborg Castle was built by the aforementioned Christian IV in the early 17th Century. Construction was completed about 50 years before Versailles. Much as Camden Yards put to shame all ballparks built before it, Versailles did for European palaces. Rosenborg is no exception, as it just feels incredibly small, unbefitting an absolute monarch. The Danish Crown Jewels are housed in the castle's basement. Keri has made clear that at her coronation she would like a tiara similar to the one in that set.
A Commune in Copenhagen. A family friend, Kathy, turned Keri on to Christiania, a thousand-person commune east of the city center. Like most great communes, this one started with a few squatters in an abandoned building. Over time, the population grew, and the commune's disregard for the Danish criminalization of drugs caused some distress. Apparently, the two sides reached some sort of agreement in 2011. Our tour of the area showed that the locals are openly selling cannabis-related products, apparently, without interference from local law enforcement, who we hope are out policing real crime.
Roskilde: Copenhagen Before Copenhagen. About 25 minutes west of Copenhagen sits Roskilde, a 50,000 person town that for hundreds of years was the seat of power for Danish kings, and the most important city in Scandinavia. After Christianity came to Denmark in the 12th Century, an archdiocese was established here. After its founding in 1177, Copenhagen grew slowly, but over time began to replace Rosklide as a trading center. Rosklide's fate was sealed with Denmark's formal adoption of Lutheranism in the 1530's, removing what power existed in this very Catholic city. Roskilde has a small museum on its history and the larger, popular Viking Ship Museum, which features five partially-reconstructed Viking ships, a brief history of the Vikings in this area and a boat building section where a large bearded man with big metal things explains to gawking tourists how they are building today using thousand-year old techniques ships capable of sailing to North America. Pictured here is a more peaceful Viking, one more focused on trading apples and other goods than on pillaging far away lands.
Third Time's a Charm? Bishop Absalon founded Copenhagen when he established a fort here in 1167. As the town grew, that fortress became Copenhagen Castle and, in the mid-18th Century, the Christianbourg Palace. This palace served as home to the royal family before burning to the ground in 1794. The palace was rebuilt, apparently with some but not sufficient fire-prevention measures, as the second version was destroyed by fire in 1884. The royal family had the good sense to have moved in the interim. The third version of the palace was completed in 1928, and houses the Danish Parliament and Supreme Court. The royal family uses it for state affairs. This palace is far more impressive than Rosenborg, and is worth a visit, in particular to see the Great Hall and its 17 tapestries that trace Denmmark's 1,100-year history. The tapestries were completed in 2000 and are themselves works of art that I wish we had more time to study.
We Found a Local Cuisine We Can All Eat, Sort Of. As readers of this blog know, the Ecksteins have their food issues. Between various food allergies/issues/sensitivities and the picky tastes of a thirteen-year old boy, we struggle to find places where we can all eat, in particular food specific to the places we are visiting. Problem solved, mostly, by Lagkagehuset, a local-chain bakery that has perfected the sweet pastries we call danishes. We were told that the Viennese are mostly responsible for this, as a team of Austrian bakers had to come here to deal with a strike of local bakers. When the Viennese left, the local bakers kept their recipes and improved on them. Whatever happened, things seem to have worked out, and Keri and I have agreed that we could every day eat at this local bakery -- cinnamon roll for me, some chocolate-based decadence for her -- and be just fine. The kids approve of the chocolate chip cookies, as well. As with all food items, these pastries ain't cheap, but that combination of sugary dough, cinnamon and icing helps it all go down.
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