Last Day In Denmark - Do We Have To Leave?

We had a spare day at the end of our trip to act as a cushion in case our return to Copenhagen was delayed. We did this so we would not miss our flight but it also gave us a day of leisure to wander around Copenhagen to places we had not yet been to or places we wanted to explore more in depth.

Click on any picture to see them full size - they are that much more impressive!  :)

One of those places was the National Museum Of Denmark located only a few blocks from our hotel. This was our first stop of the day and we spent a few hours wandering around the exhibits that started with the Dawn of Mankind as our distant relatives came to life (Home Erectus) and were replaced by the Neanderthals and they in turn replaced by Cro-Magnon people approx 35,000 years ago.

The Cro-Magnon people were able hunters and reindeer hunting (the skeleton above is of an old reindeer species) brought them to Denmark 35,000 years ago.

Also on the hunter's dinner plate were Aurochs that are now extinct;I was surprised to learn that the last Auroch died in Jaktorow Forest in Poland in 1637....I thought they would have become extinct thousands of years ago.These massive beasts were the ancestors of today's modern cattle.

We walked through the museum gaining in historical time as we did....Cro-Magnon people were replaced Viking raiders....then by sea going people and farmers...pretty civilized all in all...  :)

This is a great museum and the displays are well done and well organized as to step the visitor through the history of mankind as it relates to Denmark. I would go back here and spend more time if I could.

We next visited the Round Tower just a block off the Stroget and almost out of site from the main pedestrian thorough fare. I have to admit I've walked along the Stroget numerous times and not noticed the Tower.

The tower was built in the 17th century as an observatory and today still functions as same, making this the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.

A smooth ramp winds its way up and around the inside of the tower until you eventually reach what was the Library. It is said that Hans Christian Andersen often visited the library and found inspirations for his work here.

On last set of steps leads you up to the top floor of the observatory, that were the telescopes are housed under a wooden roof with shutter doors that open so you watch the heavens above.

Back down the short flight of stairs and outside on the observation deck you can get a 360 degree few of Copenhagen. The city's skyline is a mixed view; steeples from churches hundreds of years old mix in with modern buildings and industrial cranes that are adding steel and concrete together to make more modern buildings. One thing is for sure....a city never stops growing.

Back on the ground we explored small side streets that led off the Stroget; we had no place exactly where we wanted to go...we were just wandering around looking at the art work on the buildings and the numerous water fountains we came across.

Eventually Annette remembered that Christiansborg Slot, or Palace, was only three blocks away from were we happened to be. We have visited the Palace once before but just a quick walk around - this time we went in and took our time exploring the Palace.

 As usual with Palaces it was exquisite and wonderful and extravagant and all those other things that leave you in awe of the opulence of the ruling people.

I won't post a whole lot of palace pictures as I could fill a blog post alone on Christiansborg Slot.

After visiting the palace it was getting late in the day and Annette and I were ready for an early dinner before we headed back to our hotel. Ken and Linda still had a few more horse power in them and they left us to go off and explore the city a bit more before they headed back as well.

Annette and I found an upscale restaurant close to Tivoli Gardens and had a good but pricey meal as our last dinner in Denmark.

B

Back in our efficient little room at the Wakeup Copenhagen on Carsten Neibuhrs Gade we read for a while and enjoyed the city skyline from a high vantage point.

Before you could say "Vi ses næste gang" (see you next time) we were at the now familiar Københavns Lufthavn waiting for our flight to be called and wondering how three weeks had gone so fast.
We had mixed emotions getting on the plane...we love Copenhagen and had tremendous fun exploring Denmark by car and visiting new cities for the first time and exploring deeper into those cities we had been to before on our previous trip.

For me, most of all, I was thrilled to meet my "extended" family on Aero and was very touched by the warm welcome they extended to these unknown foreigners from across the ocean.

I found out later that we Canadians represented two brothers that the families back home had lost track of when the brothers left the Americas and headed to Canada to homestead.
Nice to know that we completed the circle for the families by having the descendants of those brothers return home.

I can't overstate how thankful we are to the families on Aero for allowing us into their homes and lives, if only for a few hours.....tak fra vores hjerter

The above pictures and many more from our last day in Copenhagen can be found here on my Flickr web site