June 10
Another unusual sunny summer day for us to explore the city. But first it is laundry day. We all packed light, sort of and it was time to wash clothes. Met landlady and she showed us how to work the machines in the basement. They are very very slow so we left them while we took off on our bikes.
Copenhagen is very flat and all of the roads have a dedicated bike lane. Bikes have to stop for red lights and hand signal for turns. People are serious about riding and they ride fast. Pedestrians who step into a bike lane without looking may get mowed down.
We visited Rosenborg Castle and Treasury built in 1600s for King Christian IV. All of the Danish Kings wer named either Christian or Frederick. This ones summer home was interesting – filled with 500 years of knickknacks… so much china, portraits, jewels, weapons. Lots of wars in those days fighting over borders and control of waterways. The early portrait painters either were not very good or very smart – their subjects were ugly.
The grounds of the palace were lovely.
Found a sweet little lunch spot on a corner with outside seating. Then we just rode around – along the harbour to see throngs of bus tour groups snapping photos of The Little Mermaid statue, through a fortification, stopped at some “scantique” shops and popped into the Amber museum. Baltic amber is the covetted jewelry in Scandinavia.
Evening was a stroll to nearby hippie town of Christiania.
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