Thursday, May 04, 2006

Saturday, April 29: Göteborg to København

In the morning we almost missed our train, after deliberating too long in the hotel cafeteria about whether we should make waffles for breakfast. We missed the waffles but caught the train, and were met at the other end at København H (Copenhagen Central train station) by our friends L and S. They have a beautiful fourth floor apartment close to the city centre. Here’s a view of the neighbouring apartments from their window:



During the afternoon L and S led us on a walking tour of the city, probably a 5 km circuit. What struck me immediately was the popularity of bicycles as transport:



The city is quite flat and there are specially marked bike lanes on the main roads. Cyclists are respected by drivers, and even the most stylish of ladies can be seen riding around town in their tailored coats and high-heeled boots (Lynda being one of the most stylish, of course). I’d love to see more of it from Australia’s inner-city residents.

Some photos from our walk:





This is the little mermaid, of the Hans Christian Andersen story and sweetened-up Disney merchandising empire. She's the only topless Danish lady I saw, but I hear there'll be plenty more when the weather heats up.




Amalienborg Palace, the royal residences. Frederik and Mary actually reside half an hour outside of København, but they call one of these palaces home when they come to town.



The changing of the guard.



These guys don’t have to ignore all the behaviour of obnoxious tourists: prepare to be startled if you get too close!

Nyhavn (new harbour). On warm (and not-so-warm) days, this is a popular spot to sit outside and share a beer with friends. The beer is cheap and it would probably be easy enough to make some new friends by shouting a round, if you do happen to arrive alone.



Town hall:



The only KFC in Copenhagen:



In the evening, Stefan prepared mushroom curry (****) at home and we went to a bar for a few cocktails. The first on the extensive menu was called “Adios, motherf*cker”, but the list also included drinks of the alco-milkshake variety that I prefer. Stefan opted for the former, despite warnings from the bar staff. It really did pack a punch.





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