Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen

Copenhagen in October is dicey. The first two days were overcast and breezy. Daytime highs: upper 40s; nights: upper 30s. But today, it is beautiful! Blue skies, white clouds, and sunshine - lots of sunshine!

On my first day here, I took the Metro (light rail) to Kongens Nytorv station in the city of Copenhagen, and did the canal tour. Our guide pointed out the different islands, the important buildings, and included a brief history. That gave me some ideas about what to do the next day.

Just before catching the Metro back to the hotel, I decided to visit the House of Amber, a small shop with upscale amber jewelry and an amber museum on two floors upstairs. I knew amber is a resin, but had no idea how many different forms amber can take, nor how it is processed into jewelry! After visiting the free exhibit, I purchased a pair of earrings.

Yesterday, I took the Metro back to town and walked to the Amalienborg palace to watch the changing of the guard. There was also an exhibit there honoring Queen Ingrid, so I bought a ticket and walked through the museum. Stopped for lunch at the Els Restaurant, where I had a deliciously hearty potato soup with bacon, pesto and croutons, and a plate with bread, herring, and salmon plus some greens.

The waitress very helpfully gave me directions to my next stop: the Royal Library, also known as the Black Diamond. I was a little skeptical about the directions, but they were accurate, and I found not only the library with its peaceful garden, but also a medieval fair, where I bought a warbling bird whistle to bring home as a souvenir.

By that time, it was getting on 4 p.m., and I'd been on my feet, hobbling over cobblestones, for about 5 hours. I was really ready to head back to the hotel for dinner, a hot shower, and a soft featherbed.

Tower of London

In my imagination, the Tower of London was the British version of Kilmainham Gaol. When I finally visited it for the first time, I was stunned to see it is a little medieval village on the Thames. It has a moat, a wall - several, in fact - residences, a surgeon's office, and, wait for it, several towers.

Our timing was good, and we found the beginning of a tour and tagged along. The tour guide is a Beefeater in full regalia, and he told some very amusing stories about the major players in the history of the Tower. He took every opportunity to make sly digs at the US ("We had a Water Gate before the Americans did.") After the tour, we saw the ravens that protect the continuation of the current monarchy, and walked through the Crown Jewels exhibit, where cameras were verboten.