Copenhagen

We realized that we can see some places without actually docking there. We had thought about taking the boat to Copenhagen, but decided that a different route through Denmark would be better. Then some Danish friends told us about a place on the west coast of the island Fyn where we could take a train to Copenhagen for the day. A two-hour ride later, we emerged in the Central Train Station across from the amusement park Tivoli.

This is a typical scene, bikes parked all over train stations or bus terminals. These bikes are at the Central Train Station in Copenhagen. In Copenhagen, it is still light enough to take a photo at about 8:30 or 9:00 in the evening at the end of July.

This canal is called Nyhavn (New Harbor), but it is actually quite old. Canal boats take tourists (including us) around the various channels around Copenhagen, where we saw the famous statue of the Little Mermaid.

The castle of Amalienborg is the Copenhagen residence of the royal family. The present Queen enjoys mingling among the people. Our tour guide was clearly proud that the Queen personally oversaw the renovation of the castle, including selecting the pieces of china for display and adorning wastebaskets with photographic collages.

Even the guards aren't as stiff or as menacing as those you would see in London.

We've been told that Walt Disney was inspired by Tivoli, Denmark's world famous amusement park, before he dreamed of the Disney theme parks.