MAGICAL MALLORCA!!: Copenhagen - Day 2 of 10

HOLA!!!

As I mentioned in the previous blog, on the 2nd day of my Copenhagen trip I took the Hop On/Off double decker bus tour and first on the agenda was climbing that church spire. I hopped back on the HOOB and rode it to Nyhavn, an extremely popular tourist spot. If you've see just ONE photo of Copenhagen, it's likely to be from Nyhavn showcasing the colorful homes lining a canal. There's a lot of restaurants but, more importantly, a lot of space to hang out outside and enjoy a drink or ice cream cone, worship the sun and watch all the canal tour boats come and go.

I used my Copenhagen City Card to take a free one-hour canal tour. Loved it, especially when we motored under low bridges and had to duck our heads and/or keep our hands inside as the boat barely squeeze through the archway.

At the end, I meandered around the three-long-block area just people watching. I may have mentioned, Copenhagans WORRRRRSHIP the sun. If it's out, they plunk down anywhere and turn their faces to the sol, drink a beer, and let their minds go wherever they go.

Wandering along the canal, I was reminded ONCE AGAIN how some of the activities would NEVER be allowed in the USA. People sat on the sides of the canal, draping their legs over the edge and drank beer. So, what's the problem with that? 1. Drinking in public, 2. the 'danger' of sitting on the edge of the canal. One false move and it would be easy to take a dunk 8-10 feet down. Lawsuits pending.

But not here. People take responsibility for their own actions. In fact, I don't remember seeing a single security guard or police in the area.

Ok, ok, blah, blah we get it...get on with the photos Dano!!!

On the HOOB (Hop On/Off Bus) I spotted this at the top of a building. Haven't a clue what it is. Does it go around the circle at the top of every hour? Ok, so I Googled it. Took me forever to find info on it. Here it is, straight from Mr Google himself:

High above Copenhagen's City Hall Square - and its busiest thoroughfare - is a golden cycling girl. She is one of two gold-plated statues who acted as a weather vane from 1936 to 1995. If the weather forecast was for rain, the woman with the umbrella and dog would rotate out onto the corner of the tower. If the cycling girl rotated out into the position on the corner, all the passersby on foot, bicycle or vehicles at the city's busiest intersection could see that fair weather was forecast. The sculpture and rotating construction weighs more than a tonne and it broke in 1996.

Nice open-air tour boats. Our tour guide informed us along the way in both Spanish and English.

Sights along the way of our canal tour.

The new Opera House. Our tour guide said it's 14 stories high and the roof is about the size of a football field (American football or as in Soccer?)

The original Copenhagen Stock Exchange building. Built in 1640 (darn near 400 years old!), it was used as the Exchange until 1974 when they moved to a new location with more modern infrastructure. Back in 'the day' there was a quay in front of the building. Ships with goods and merchandise would dock right out front and conduct their exchange transactions.

The spire atop the Exchange building is comprised of four intertwined dragon tails, purportedly to guard the building against enemy attacks and fires.

There are three crowns at the top representing the close relationship between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

DUCK!!! (out the other side) OK, let's do a head count!!!

The infamous area known as Nyhavn.

Some tethered boats have been converted to restaurants.

Sitting on the edge of the canal...best seat in the house!

A house along the canal proudly displaying it's age (built 1681). Note the beam at the top. Those are used to hoist items into the house via upper windows that were too large to go up the stairs. Very common in Amsterdam, too.

Another angle of the impressive Opera House.

I wondered what this was. Given there's a lot of factory smokestacks in Copenhagens skyline, I decided it was a modernized re-use of the building converted into Condos and the smokestack paid homage to it's history.

Couldn't be more wrong.

It's an INCINERATOR!! It can process 400,000 tons of trash per year. Due to it's efficiency, trash is imported from other countries (primarily the UK). The energy it produces heats the water that's the primary source of heating for most of the city's inhabitants. Annnd...get THIS!! The roof is an artificial ski slope!

I KID YOU NOT!!!

The Royal Yacht...moored out front of the King/Queen's (of Denmark) home (castle). Built in 1931 it's one of the oldest royal yachts still in use.

The 'Marble Church'

Never would be allowed in the USA:

1. Drinking (beer) while motoring a boat (or whatever that is)

2. No safety rails

3. Chairs are not secured
4. No life preservers

5. Gas can not secured. Could fall overboard and cause massive contamination fallout

Low Clearance ahead!! (Get it? "a head")

I love spires. I want to climb every one of them!

This guy epitomizes a typical Copenhagen-ite. Beer at his side, legs dangling over the side of the canal, shoes off (red and white striped socks no less), and napping in the sun.

Oh...and a beard. The Nordic men...they ALL have beards!