March 4 - Copenhagen by bike, Part I

I started my day by going to the hotel's front desk and renting a bike. For $22.00 (115 Danish krone) I got a bike for 24 hours. 

I was a little bit nervous about parking the bike, as I wondered how I would find it again among so many other bikes. But fortunately, the hotel bikes have "wakeup" stamped on the frame in bright green letters, a bright green number on the back fender, and bright orange forks on the front. So during my stay in Copenhagen, I was "Agent 503" .

Copenhagen Botanical Garden

I rode first to the Botanical Garden, near the University of Copenhagen. It was closed. It was too cold to hang out in the gardens, so I had to make other plans.

I realized that it was just after 9:00, and most things probably wouldn't open till 10:00, so I looked on the map and saw that The Little Mermaid and the parks on the harbour were quite far away and because they are outside, the time wouldn't matter, so I rode over there.

On my way, I rode through Nyhavn, a historical area along a canal, dating back to the 17th century. The shops and cafes used to be brothels and rowdy pubs popular with the sailors.

After riding up and down this street (there are a couple of bridges to ride across) I went north along the shore to what is called the Kastellat.

I passed this replica of Michelangelo's David: 

(I guess now I don't have to go to Florence!)

The Kastellat is a military fortress, shaped like a star. This is how it looks from the air in the summer:

Of course, I didn't see it from the air, and it was spring, but it was still pretty. I walked along the path on top of the star (you are not allowed to ride a bike here.) On this path there were lots of people walking, running and pushing baby strollers.

I even saw some Swedish soldiers!

and some swans.

Also near here is Winston Churchill park and an Anglican church

a dog appreciating the war memorial

And lots of statues:

Asian tourists admiring the Little Mermaid

I was standing by one statue, looking across the water, when I saw a crowd of black-haired people in bright coloured parkas. Someone had told me about how much the Asian tourists love The Little Mermaid, so I thought, "Aha -- that must be The Little Mermaid." 

And sure enough!

So that was my next stop:

just me and the Little Mermaid (and some other tourists!)

The grey-haired woman took my photo, and then I took one of her and the Asian couple, as they were visiting her in Copenhagen. It was better than trying to take a selfie!

The Little Mermaid: the most popular sight in Copenhagen

St. Paul's Church, Copenhagen

After visiting The Little Mermaid, I rode back to the hotel, stopping at St. Paul's Church (1877) on the way. This church is near the hotel and is really quite beautiful.

March 3 - arrival in Copenhagen

When I got off the train at Copenhagen I was truly bewildered. I thought we would get off the train inside a nice warm train station, but we disembarked on an outdoor platform. It wasn’t exactly raining, but sort of misty and drizzly, and the ground was wet, so there was nowhere to put down my bags. Finally I found a bus shelter where I could set my bag on the bench and I got out my map. I knew where the hotel was, but I had planned to take the Metro and thought I would buy a transit ticket from a machine using a credit card. There were no machines anywhere. The bus shelter was on a bridge over the train tracks, and down below there was a building that I assumed was the train station, but there was no way I was going to walk down there with my heavy bags only to discover that it wasn't what I expected. So, between my small tourist map and the transit map that was on the wall of the shelter, I figured out where to go. I knew that if I could find “the longest pedestrian street in Europe” I could manage. I found the street with no trouble and walked along, looking for the street where I was supposed to turn. I found that, but then I had to make one more turn, and that street was not as easy to find. After a bit of trial and error, however, I landed on the right street and there was the Wakeup Copenhagen hotel! Whew -- on Google Maps, it said the walk was 1.9 km, but with my extra little turns, it was certainly a bit longer than that. I was pretty proud of myself that I made it, carrying my heavy duffel bag.

The hallway in the Wakeup Copenhagen Hotel

The Wakeup Copenhagen Hotel (called "a budget hotel") is quite different from the other two. They were both in classy older buildings with character and a bit of class. This one is purely utilitarian, although not as spartan as I expected. The bed is comfortable and the duvets seem decent. As my dad once said about a cheap hotel room, "It has everything you need -- a bed, a washroom and a TV."

I went out for a walk, exploring the area around the hotel, but it got dark quite quickly, so after buying some groceries for my supper, I went back to the hotel, read my guide book, and planned out the next two days.

March 3 - Train to Copenhagen

I took the Metro to Central Station. That was easy, as the Staples ad says.

Once there, I had to find the SJ train to Copenhagen. I asked someone for directions and was told to go upstairs. Sure enough, there was the SJ ticket office, so I went inside to ask about the train. The woman behind the counter looked at my ticket and told me I would have to go downstairs again. But, she added, I was early; I had plenty of time, so I should go to the First Class lounge and relax, maybe have a cup of coffee.

The First Class lounge -- I expected great things, but it was nothing special. 

I sat there for a little while, but I was a bit uneasy, so I decided to go downstairs and find the train platform. When I got downstairs I saw the sign for platform 12a, but I couldn't see the train anywhere. After looking around for a bit, I finally realized that I was supposed to go upstairs again (a different set of stairs.) 

I went up and there was platform 12a, and there was the train. I was in Wagon #1 so I had to walk past 4 or 5 cars to get there. I got inside, set my bag on the overhead rack, sat down, and next thing I knew the train was leaving. There was no "all aboard" call, no whistle, nothing, just a gentle forward motion. 

Was I ever glad I had made it on time! So much for the desk clerk's "Plenty of time"!!

SJ train first class car

First class was nothing really special, although the seats were large and comfy, there was limited free WiFi and there was free coffee, tea, water and fruit. Also packaged brownies.

I had read that the scenery between the two cities was nothing spectacular, and I'd have to say that is true. We went through a few tunnels and past some smallish mountains, as well as lots of farmland. There was quite a bit of snow in places.

I took a few videos from the train, but they are not all that interesting.  

All in all, the train ride was okay, but I was glad when it was over!

March 3 - Last day in Stockholm

After breakfast, knowing that I was in for a 5-hour train ride later in the day, I decided to go out for a walk. It was about plus 4 Celsius, but drizzly and grey, so not the most pleasant day.

But I enjoyed walking around the neighbourhood and seeing people on their way to school and work. In this case, it involved a lot of bikes. Nothing like in Amsterdam, but still more than in Edmonton.

Since I knew I was leaving and these people would never see me again, I took lots of photos. 

  

 I wonder if they give out parking tickets to bikes!?

 

A mom and child on their way to school.
I was surprised to see how many cyclists in Stockholm wear helmets. I had heard that "in Europe cyclists don't wear helmets" but n Stockholm in is definitely not true. I would guess that about half the people I saw were wearing helmets.

Some of the bike brands were interesting: Crescent, Monark, The Flying Finn... and Yosemite. Go figure.

Lots of child seats on the backs of bikes.

When I wanted to buy one for my granddaughter, the guy at our local bike shop said they don't sell them because they are not safe. Tell that to these people!!

 

I loved these apartment buildings with so much character.

And there was another beautiful park...

the magpies made me feel right at home!

the green grass was NOT like home!

  

I thought these single-seater park benches were kind of funny. They are just like regular benches, but wide enough for only one person. And to top it off, they face away from each other, so you are guaranteed privacy if you sit in one!

I also made sure I knew exactly where the Metro (T-bana) station was -- it is next to the big roundabout with the fountain and park.