2012 - THE INNKEEPERS CONTINUE ON HOLIDAY - Part II

Adieu, Paris

DAY SEVEN - Sunday, April 29, 2012 - Paris to Copenhagen

As we returned to Charles de Gaulle airport for our flight to Copenhagen, I reflected on some observations I had made about Paris.  The main one was that we had failed to find even one rude person, busting all stereotypes to pieces.  Our hotel was over-the-top charming and quirky, but very light on amenities compared to what we offer at our Bed and Breakfast.  Both women and men in Paris wear a lot of scarves.  When you ask for water, you have a choice of plain or "with gas" (carbonated).  Bicycles and umbrellas make just dandy pictures in the rain.  And, after six days of walking around in cold, damp weather, it was quite apparent that Ron's sniffles were turning into full-fledged hacking, and I was near the point of exhaustion.  Copenhagen, here we come!

Tivoli Gardens

We were picked up at the airport by our friends Yvonne and Ole, who we'd met at a friend's party in Virginia a few years ago, and who had stayed with us previously while they indulged their passion for Civil War history.  Knowing we only had a couple of days allotted for Denmark, they had a flash tour prepared for us of the city, including a visit to The Little Mermaid in the harbor and a drive by Tivoli amusement park, a childhood dream come true for me.  Ron, who is half Danish and the other half daredevil, paid tribute to the Little Mermaid by performing some sort of shoe immersion ceremony in the Copenhagen Harbor, much to the entertainment of a group of visiting Russian girls.  

Ron vs. Mermaid

The Little Mermaid and the Seasick Mermaid

We all enjoyed coffee and delicious pastries in a sunny outdoor square as we watched a Segway Tour, which Ron identified as a "Danish biker gang", pass by.  All of the restaurants and cafes have outdoor seating, which can get chilly that far North, but they sensibly provide warm, colorful blankets for each chair.  

"Danish Biker Gang"

I asked - Huks Fluks doesn't mean anything in Danish.

After checking out a local art exhibit in a church nearby and stopping for dinner, it was off to Yvonne and Ole's beautiful home in Jyllinge, a small town surrounded by fields of yellow mustard seed plants, about 30 minutes west of Copenhagen on a fjord.  We also got to meet Nuser (Danish for Snoopy), the cat, who was a welcome sight for weary travelers going through feline withdrawal.  By the time we reached Jyllinge, we both crashed and burned, sleeping until 11 the following morning.

Our wonderful hosts, Yvonne and Ole

Oh, so tired, but still excited.

DAY EIGHT - Monday, April 30, 2012
Yvonne prepared a seriously major feast for brunch, which we enjoyed in her gorgeous garden under a finally clear, blue Danish sky.  

The Greenhouse

Nuser

They apologized profusely for having to leave us to attend their three-year old nephew's birthday party, where they would also pick up Poncho, the dog, to keep for the summer while her brother's family was in Egypt. But, it  was fine, as all we really wanted to do was climb back in bed, and we slept again until 4:30.  Only then did we venture out in Ole's Volvo to find a place to eat at the little Jyllinge strip mall and to try our hand using Danish kroners, their country's currency.  We ended up with lamb and falafel sandwiches made in folded over pizza dough with salad inside.  Again, delicious choices.  We found that not speaking Danish did not present problems, as most Danes learn English from elementary school age.  Also, the Victor Borge gene seems to be widespread, as we encountered some delightful senses of humor.  When we had difficulty understanding one of the menu choices, a loud and helpful "MOO" came from the table behind us.  By the time our hosts returned with the very well-behaved Poncho, we were all ready for sleep again.

Mustard Seed Fields at sunset

Fijord Center at sunset

By now, Ron was in full-fledged bronchitis and with Ole's help got some Danish cough syrup and lozenges.  It didn't keep him from enjoying another of their simply incredible brunches in the garden before setting out on another crash tour on the way back to the airport.  We visited the oldest church in Jyllinge, built in 1100, the scenic fjord center in the village and then the Roskilde Cathedral in the next town where Danish royalty has been buried for 800 years.  Again, if churches don't sound terribly exciting, I can attest that surrounded by the quaint and picturesque countryside, it was all eye-candy of the highest degree.  

Jyllinge Church

Ole, who works for the railroads also took us by the rail yards to see some old steam engines and the roundabout where the trains turn around and we stopped by the Viking Museum.  We screamed into the airport with enough time for our flight to Amsterdam, the last leg on our adventure and promises that they would visit Cape Cod in the summer of 2013.  I find it amazing that after their already scheduled trip to the U.S. this summer, there will only be two U.S. states left for Ole to visit, which just happen to be in New England.

Viking Museum

Town of Roskilde

Goodbye Denmark, for now

Thanks to Ron's prior trips to Amsterdam, he knew to book a hotel right in Dam Square, the center of the city where the queen's palace is.  After a short and smooth flight, we found our way to the Hotel Krasnapolsky by train and found the square bustling with a carnival and the streets uncharacteristically full of trash.  The explanation revealed itself in that it was the queen's birthday, which always prompts a giant annual bash and our visit happily coincided.  We hurried to ditch our luggage in our new home away from home so we could begin part three of our adventure.