Copenhagen. It was grey and rainy and utterly beautiful. The houses lined the streets like a patchwork quilt, a variety of soft, weathered blues and pinks and whites, with arching rooftops and facades stitched with long, narrow windows. The people were stylish and friendly and spoke impeccable English and the streets and public areas were spotless. Wandering, a little lost, in the neighbourhood around my hostel, I found myself quickly enchanted by the city.
The first things I saw of Copenhagen were Nyahvn - the lovely harbour with the restaurants and cafés stretching alongside - and the forlorn statue of The Little Mermaid, looking out over the bay towards the ocean. It was a lovely evening and I didn't mind the silvery grey sky; it seemed to suit the city and particularly the statue of The Little Mermaid. Even the nearby Gefion Fountain was more striking with the grey sky behind the goddess' powerful figure.
The following day was just as cloudy and cool, and I and Marie and Ashna (whom I'd met over dinner with the rest of the Contiki tour) set off early to see as much as we could in our only day in the city. It was about half-eight on a Sunday morning and everything was so still. We saw no cars, only a few lone cyclists and fewer pedestrians. Even coffee shops and bakeries weren't open yet. Despite the slow start to the morning, Copenhagen did eventually wake up and we managed to see a lot of the city. The Botanical Gardens were first on the list, followed by the Rundetaarn. Ashna and I walked to the top where we got a really pretty 360 degree view of the neighbourhood. We also walked over to the Freetown Christiania.
Christiania was an experience that I'm not sure I enjoyed. It was colourful and the graffiti art on the buildings was beautiful, but it was very dirty compared to the rest of the city and it stank of rubbish, except in the market where it smelled of weed. I felt uncomfortable walking around and was relieved when we left. Later, back at the hostel, another tour member talked about how much she and her husband had loved it. She had a friend who lived there and had taken them around and shown them the art and taken them into the buildings and talked to them about how the community actually lives and functions, all of which sounded really intriguing and a little at odds with what I had seen and felt while there. Perhaps Christiania is an experience that is much better with a local guide. On our way out of the district, we passed the Church of Our Saviour and decided, on a whim, to stop and go up the tower. It was well worth the visit but if you're afraid of heights, I warn you: this tower climb is not a comfortable one. It starts with wide square staircases that quickly turn into narrow ones that are little more than ladders as you ascend the bell tower. As you go up, if you can spare a glance to the sides, you'll see statues of cherubs and angelic art instalments in the rafters, hidden behind mesh cages and signs warning that the bells you pass are active and ring regularly. When you finally climb through the bell tower and think you must be near the top, the ladders turn into tightly spiralling staircases that eventually open out onto a viewing platform. There's a low railing, roughly hip-high and just enough to stop you from tipping over with vertigo, and a gorgeous, unobstructed view of the city. If you're really brave (and I was not) you can then climb the metal staircase that wraps around the outside of the tower in a gentle spiral, all the way to the spire at the very top - and again, there's a hand-high railing and nothing else protecting you from a drop to the concrete and grass below. It was exhilarating and beautiful, though definitely not for the faint-hearted!
We stopped for lunch at Paper Island where a converted warehouse has been turned into a food market that reminded me strongly of Camden Market here in London. Bec had told us repeatedly on our orientation tour last night that we needed to have hot dogs while in Denmark, so that's what the three of us decided to do. Danish hot dogs are hard to describe; they're something like a cross between New York street meat and bratwurst, served not with chips but with quartered potatoes fried in rosemary and red peppers. It was delicious. If you decide to visit Copenhagen, I will echo my tour manager here and say, you need to have a hot dog. Preferably from that stall in Paper Island.
Copenhagen is a very walkable city; wear a comfortable pair of running shoes and you'll easily see just about everything you'd like to in a day (maybe two if you want to visit the museums as well). That being said, bicycles are very easy to rent and the city is designed for cyclists. Frankie, another tour-mate, said he saw the entire city easily and comfortably from his rented bike, so if you're a cyclist and want to spend a bit more time in various museums or doing some shopping, that's definitely a good time-saving option. The following morning was an early start, and after a long day spent on Scandinavian motorways (broken by an unconventional lunch stop at an IKEA, of all places!) we finally pulled into Frogner Park in Oslo. Here we had the chance to admire the largest collection of sculptures created by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, whose aim was to create art that didn't mean anything, but reflected the circle of life. A little contradictory, perhaps, but impressive nonetheless. The best part about the park? Going around as a group and mimicking as many of the statues as we could find. There was also the famous crying baby statue whose hand you have to rub for luck. It was a really fun way to end the day, and had the added bonus of fresh air and a bit of exercise after sitting for so long on the coach.
Oslo was beautiful, but I didn't find it quite as enchanting as Copenhagen. That is probably largely due to the tension headache I had all day, making it hard to focus and difficult to relax. Despite the pain, I was determined to see something of the city, and it was such a gorgeously warm and sunny day that it seemed a crime to spend it indoors. I visited Oslo Cathedral and took a moment to take in the memorial outside before winding my way along the shopping street and up to the Royal Palace. I saw the royal palaces in all three capital cities and I have to admit, they were not as impressive as the ones I've seen in France and Germany - or even in England, for that matter. I did enjoy the long-suffering stoicism of the palace guards, though (especially in Oslo) as tourists kept approaching them to ask for photos. Though there was one notable exception in Akershus Fortress, where a younger-looking guard seemed delighted by all the attention.
From there I went to City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. The Hall was very quiet after the busyness of the streets, even though it was filled with at least two coach tours' worth of tourists. It also felt incredibly cool inside because of the tiled walls and marble floor. The murals were beautiful, and the swirling patterns and predominance of shades of blue made it seem almost as though I'd stepped underwater for a while. It felt like a haven of peace, the coolness providing a respite from the pounding in my head, so I curled up on one of the cushioned marble benches in the corner for an hour and read my book and stretched my neck. Akershus Fortress is another place where I managed to lose myself for a few hours. Once you walk between the walls it's like the city is completely shut out and you enter this strange place where the layers of history have been folded on top of each other until you're not quite sure which era you're in. As far as I could understand, part of the fortress is still used by the military today and as you take the tour through the Castle, you are told about which rooms are still regularly used by the soldiers today. It was strange to imagine modern military men and women sitting in the chapel for service, or attending an event in the halls. I ended my afternoon lying in the shade of the park outside the fortress, enjoying some Chelsea-bun-type pastries and - you guessed it! - my book. Oslo was a much-needed solitary day; having spent two days in very close contact with people I didn't know very well, I did need some time to myself and to enjoy being quiet. For all that Contikis are very busy tours and encourage socialising and meeting new people, there are plenty of opportunities for you to take some time to yourself when needed - without having to miss out on anything. Tags
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Follow me on Instagram for frequent peeks at what I'm up to.
top Tripsdestination
|