Copenhagen Part 1

We arrived in Copenhagen on a Tuesday morning. We rode the metro and marched along cobble stoned streets, hauling our luggage behind us. Luckily everyone in Scandinavia speaks English as I was forced to ask for help and directions over and over. For the most part, Scandinavians are pleasant and helpful and some kind souls even stopped to see if we needed help when we were standing at a corner staring cluelessly at a city map. Kyle seemed to enjoy riding the subway and local buses and started learning a few Danish words right away to help us get around. We discovered a huge indoor mall nearby with all kinds of stores, boutiques, a supermarket and restaurants. There was even a glass elevator to the top floor with a beautiful view of the city. Lunch was at a restaurant recommended by our Danish friend from the airplane, a sushi bar at the top of the Tivoli Hotel. There we enjoyed a panoramic view of Copenhagen and Kyle was delighted to discover he was old enough to order a beer in Denmark. It was very strange to have a drink with my teenage son! We walked all over Copenhagen, enjoying the Nyhaven (new harbor) area the most with its lively, outdoor restaurants, rows of ancient, colorful buildings on one side and the channel with boats on the other. Our last stop was Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park I have always loved. We walked around the beautiful grounds admiring the ponds with ducks and fountains and an abundance of shrubs and flowers. Children shrieked with glee from roller coasters and other rides spiraling overhead. A cozy restaurant beckoned and we found a candlelit table on the deck over the water for an early dinner. Our hotel room was on the top floor with a beautiful view of the harbor and Christianshavn directly across from us. You could even see the bridge that connects this part of Denmark with Sweden. At 9 PM there was still plenty of daylight. It seemed a shame to go to bed so early but we were tired and jetlagged and couldn't keep our eyes open any longer.