Copenhagen and Hamlet

Nyhavn

We finally arrived in Scandinavia proper after a 6 hour train journey from Kiel through some pretty countryside and a train/ferry ride from Fehmarn in Germany to Rødby in Denmark.  The whole area of the North Sea is dotted with wind generators and the ferry is a hybrid.  Europe is so far ahead of Australia in embracing renewable energy.

Windmills as far as the eye can see

Our first order of business the next morning was to find a dentist for Bob.  He had broken a tooth in Kiel.  After a bit of searching we were able to get an appointment for the next morning and could then start our sightseeing.  

Everyone rides bikes in Copenhagen.  All streets have dedicated bike lanes.  There are bike racks outside all buildings and public transport trains have half a carriage of bike racks.  As a consequence there is very little car traffic in the city.

Rush hour in Copenhagen

Copenhagen was also much less crowded and touristy compared to Amsterdam.  Even at the main tourist attraction of the statue of Little Mermaid and the Nyhavn canal area, the crowds were quite manageable. 

The Little Mermaid

Nyhavn

 We took a canal boat trip which was a very nice overview of the city and then walked around the city to take a closer look at the sights.

Near the Kastellet

Gefion – Norse Goddess of the sea

Frederiks Kirke

Dome inside Frederik's Kirche

Spire of 17th C Church of Our Saviour

The modern Opera House.  In August there is a diving competition off the roof

Spires everywhere

The next day after Bob went to the dentist, we made our way to Christiania.  Freetown Christiania is an area of former military barracks and city ramparts dating to the early 17^th Century.  In the 1970’s the military abandoned the barracks and they were taken over by squatters who wanted to build a new community.  Their mission statement from 1971 stated:

“The objective of Christiania is to create a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community. Our society is to be economically self-sustaining and, as such, our aspiration is to be steadfast in our conviction that psychological and physical destitution can be averted.”

The area has had an uneasy truce with the authorities but is essentially an autonomous urban collective commune.  It is now a major tourist attraction for Copenhagen.  Despite anarchist beginnings the market area seemed like quite a capitalist enterprise.  I expected lots of ferals and the food areas to have some alternative cuisine but the markets seemed to be the same as in any tourist area.  The main controversy of Christiania is Pusher Street (no photos allowed) where there are little stalls about the size of a podium selling Moroccan hash and marijuana. There were also lots of signs of 'say no to hard drugs'.  As we walked further we came across more alternative housing along the canal, though most of the buildings looked unoccupied.  I am not sure what the future holds for Freetown Christiania as it was hard on our brief visit to get beyond the tourist attraction and see what the community was really like.

 

 

Entrance to the market area

  

 

 

Our last day in Copenhagen we took a bus to Helsingør.  This lovely old town is the home of the Kronborg/Elsinore castle, the setting for Hamlet.  Many of the buildings in the town date back to the 1500’s and the pedestrian streets are charming to walk along.  The town seems to be a mecca for Swedish day trippers who come across the narrow strait by ferry to buy cheap booze and do a bit of shopping.

Streets of Helsingør

Corridor of 16th Century St Mary's Church

Magnificient 19th Century Organ

We made our way to the castle.  What a great place!  The castle was built by King Eric VII in 1420 but it was King Frederik II who transformed it into a magnificent Renaissance castle in the late 16^th Century.  Kronborg today has a large courtyard where 4 or 5 doorways lead to different parts of the castle with exhibits of tapestries, paintings, the King and Queen chambers, a tower with magnificent views and Bob’s favourite, the casements or dungeons which were very dark and spooky.  Throughout the day troupes of actors in full period costumes appear and enact scenes from Hamlet, culminating in the famous duel between Hamlet and Laertes.  It was all very well done and great fun.

Kronborg Castle

Courtyard and towers

  

Kids and their parents being led off for sword play

Royal Chamber

Holger the Dane sleeps in Kronborg castle until he is needed to save his homeland.

Beautiful doorway

View from the tower

Sword play in the courtyard

Laertes warning Ophelia about Hamlet

The fatal sword fight with the King and Queen looking on

Happy Families again saying goodbye to the punters

 After the castle closed we went back into town for a Smørrebrød, the traditional Danish light meal of open faced sandwiches – delicious and so beautifully presented they were works of art.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Smørrebrød