Sunday 9.26.2010


Back on the Road


It's moving day for us and now that we have figured out how to maximize the benefits of our breakfast buffet we will be well nourished through our travels. We drop our luggage at the front desk and move out for an hour or two of strolling some new ground. Our walk takes us back past the Summer Palace and on to the Kastellat. This is a star shaped former fortress surrounded by a first-class medieval moat that was used to guard the harbor from the Norwegians, Swedes and worst of all, the Brits. We have seen these star shaped forts before and sort of recall that they provide the most beneficial sight lines for the people shooting the big guns. The fort takes up a lot more space than the Royal Palaces but that is probably okay with the King's clan.


Just beyond the Kastellat is the home of Copenhagen's number one sight, the Little Mermaid. As one could predict, if we're here, the mermaid won't be. We actually did know that this little sculpture is in Shanghai in the Danish exhibition at the World Expo. She has been replaced on her rock just off shore by an LED screen that shows a live feed of her from Shanghai via internet. This is a non-stop connection 24/7 during her entire stay in China. Guess what. The transmission is down for the first time when we get there. We join a bunch of our Asian comrades snapping photos of where the Mermaid normally lives.


As we work our way back passing on a new street on the back side of the Palace, we see crowds forming on the Palace grounds. It is noon on Sunday so we assume there will be some sort of changing of the guard. We join the crowd and watch a few groups of Nutcrackers (sorry, but that's what they look like) march about but not much else is going on. Some guys from India ask what happens next and we say that we thought they knew. The crowd starts to drift away and so do we.


We do one final stroll around our canal. It is cool and gray so there aren't many folks in the sidewalk cafes. There is fall in the air and the locals are getting ready for cold weather. There are a few remains from the breakfast buffet as we get back to the hotel so we grab one final bite and a piece of fruit for our next trip. The Metro station right up the street is where we catch the train to the airport. There is no human being around so John tries to figure out the ticket machine and the proper "zone" to avoid the big fine for cheating the transportation system while Mary diligently guards the luggage on a lower level. The train whisks us to the airport terminal in about 15 minutes and we do the self-service check-in for the first time. Mary loves this sort of thing while John doesn't care for the learning curve involved. We get the bags checked and through security so Mary can look for the no-brain purchase in the duty-free shop. Alas, no bargains here (since Denmark is part of the EU & we can't shop duty free), and there is no obvious use for our final 95 Danish Kroners. We pass a little bar on our way to our gate and they have "Medium" Carlsbergs for 45DKK. Two please.


It is an easy flight to Amsterdam on a half-full plane. We leave Copenhagen at 3:15 (On a 3:20 flight) and pull up to the gate in Amsterdam at 4:30. The alternative is a ten hour, more-expensive train ride with a change in Hamburg so even with the hassles of air travel the plane makes a lot more sense. The ticket machine here for the train into the city won't take our credit card (it doesn't have the "chip") so we pay half the price when we get to the ticket counter where there are human beings. John is delighted. We find an ATM to get some Euros--our currency for the rest of the trip-- and get down to the track to wait for out 5:30 train. The ride into the city takes about 20 minutes and once we get oriented we get started on our ten minute walk to our B&B.


The first observation in Amsterdam is that there are about a million bikes and most of them are parked at the train station. They are in a bike parking ramp, they are on double decker bike racks, they are in the street and on the sidewalk and there are bikes chained to bikes chained to bikes. Most of them look fifty years old (less tempting for bike thieves?). We have seen thousands of bikes in the last ten days (and no helmets) but this is astounding.


The second observation is that the canals are pretty cool. We hit our first canal about 50 yards from the station and follow another canal into our lovely neighborhood. Our lodging for the next three days is Boogaard's B&B on a tiny little backstreet between two canals. Our proprieter, Peter Boogaard, is Dutch by birth and American by immigration, a former opera and broadway singer, former New York retail maven, and now entrepreneur with partner Tom. A colorful character with a big personality. Peter gives us the low down on making the most of our next three days and whips out his phone to make a dinner reservation just down the street at "Seasons". He gives us a couple beers, shows us how to make coffee for early wake-ups and we make a date for breakfast in the morning.


Season's is a nice little restaurant a five minute walk from Boogaard's. Another Peter greets us at the door and we get very nice full dinners for less that $30--a great change from Scandinavia prices. Mary has a fiery shrimp that is served with basil mashed potatoes, and John has broccoli soup and a mixed sate' of beef, cornish hen and scallops with about a pound of french fries. The big news is the dessert which is a maple syrup and pecan sundae with candied bacon. Yes that's right. Ice cream and bacon. Life doesn't get any better than that.


A peaceful walk home to our comfy room, nice bed and a million pillows. Another change from Scandinavia.


Today's weather: Cool and cloudy in CPH; Sunny and warmer in Amsterdam. Low 45, High 67.