Copenhagen is our last stop. We arrived there from the Faroe Islands with Evan sleeping as usual. We caught a train from the airport (where the baggage claim looked "end-of-world-ish" according to Jo - wagons upon wagons of luggage piled up along the walls, a frenzy of people, no luggage carts to spare). And then walked from the central station to our hotel. Our first order of business was to do some laundry. The Laundromat Cafe served a great dinner, a fine collection of beers and ciders, and had laundry facilities.
The next morning we walked to Copenhagen's famous public harbor swimming pool - the Islands Brygge Havnebadet on Amager Island where the kids swam for a bit. These pools are floating wooden structures. The children's pools have bottoms and are suitably shallow. The harbor water freely flows in and out of the pools. It was a bit cold and windy and then it started drizzling and that was that. We walked to a nearby cafe and had a long slow brunch and went back to the hotel for our afternoon beauty sleep.
That evening Jo voted for Tivoli Gardens. It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel - one of the world's great amusement parks and the place where Walt got his inspiration for the Disney parks. Vivian and I went on our first roller coaster ride at the world's oldest wooden roller coaster - a whopping 100 years old and suitably rickety. That's when I realized that Vivian is a fearless adrenaline junkie. She went on many more rides by herself, some that I would have balked at. And bounced around joyously as if life was one long happy dance.
We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants while watching the house orchestra and band play outside the windows. We strolled past the illuminations at the moorish Nimb and the Chinese theater. Then I bought them two giant cotton candies. They ate and sang and made a video for Ava. And at midnight we watched the fireworks and then took two very sticky jacked up kids back to the hotel.
Next morning Evan woke up and asked if we could go to Tivoli Gardens right away.
The next morning we walked to Copenhagen's famous public harbor swimming pool - the Islands Brygge Havnebadet on Amager Island where the kids swam for a bit. These pools are floating wooden structures. The children's pools have bottoms and are suitably shallow. The harbor water freely flows in and out of the pools. It was a bit cold and windy and then it started drizzling and that was that. We walked to a nearby cafe and had a long slow brunch and went back to the hotel for our afternoon beauty sleep.
That evening Jo voted for Tivoli Gardens. It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel - one of the world's great amusement parks and the place where Walt got his inspiration for the Disney parks. Vivian and I went on our first roller coaster ride at the world's oldest wooden roller coaster - a whopping 100 years old and suitably rickety. That's when I realized that Vivian is a fearless adrenaline junkie. She went on many more rides by herself, some that I would have balked at. And bounced around joyously as if life was one long happy dance.
I'm not a fan of the Disney parks. I try put my feelings aside occasionally and go with the kids. Last year in June Jo took the kids to Disney with Nicolle and her clan. I still had my dad to take care off and was mercifully excused. So I was a bit apprehensive about Tivoli. It turned out to be as much gardens and park and restaurants and concerts as amusement. And it has a grace and charm that probably comes from being smaller and older. No room for miles of asphalt parking and townships of hotels. And no humans in rodent costumes and no princesses (Denmark has a real one). The founder of the park famously got a lease from the king of Denmark in 1843 by saying "when the people are amusing themselves, they do not think about politics".
Evan was too short for many of the rides but he got in a few here and there including a tame steel roller coaster that he loved. But he holds on tight and has a very serious look the whole time - just like on this carousel ride.
We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants while watching the house orchestra and band play outside the windows. We strolled past the illuminations at the moorish Nimb and the Chinese theater. Then I bought them two giant cotton candies. They ate and sang and made a video for Ava. And at midnight we watched the fireworks and then took two very sticky jacked up kids back to the hotel.
Next morning Evan woke up and asked if we could go to Tivoli Gardens right away.
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