We arrived in Copenhagen at 7 am on May 30th after flights from Las Vegas to Dulles Airport in Washington, DC and then from Dulles to Copenhagen. It was midnight body time! We took a taxi to Hotel Bethel Somandshjem on the Nyhavn Canal but of course our room was not ready. However the manager was very helpful, storing our luggage and offering us refreshments in the breakfast room. Until our room was ready, we walked around the canal area with its colorful historic buildings and old wooden sailing ships. The area was established in the 1620's as seamen quarters. Hans Christian Anderson lived here and wrote some of his fairy tales in the house 2 buildings down from our hotel.. The old buildings along the canal are now trendy cafe's and bars and a hangout for locals on sunny days. Our room was ready by 10:30 but we decided to try to stay awake by taking a canal cruise. We chose the Hop-on/Hop-off combo ticket which would allow us to take the land tour by bus later. The canal cruise was very interesting as it went out into the harbor as well as into many of the canals throughout Copenhagen. It gave us a great overview of the city and the fresh air kept us awake! But by the end of the 2.5 hour tour, we couldn't stay awake any longer, so we went back to our room for a nap. Four hours later it was time for dinner. We found a table outside at one of the restaurants along the canal and had a great (though expensive) meal. A hamburger and fries cost $40! Fred spotted an ice cream store with homemade waffle cones so that was dessert!

After a good nights sleep, we woke up refreshed and eager to see more of Copenhagen. We walked over to Rosenborg Castle and Gardens. Rosenborg Castle was built in 1606 by King Christian IV as his summer residence. The park surrounding the castle is well used by locals for biking, hiking and picnicing. Since this was a beautiful sunny day, hundreds of people were enjoying the grassy areas. We took a tour of the castle with its ornate rooms and collection of royal knick-knacks. The basement of the castle now houses the Royal Danish Treasurey with its Danish Crown Jewels.

After the castle tour, we walked over to the nearby Botanic Gardens where the flowers were in full bloom. Then we boarded the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus to see more of the city. But we didn't hop off anywhere as by now we were tired and it was time for dinner at another of the canal-side cafes. They all specialize in seafood so we enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner.

Our last day in Copenhagen we met up with the Linblad tour group. Before boarding the ship, they took us on a short bus tour of Copenhagen. We stopped at the National Museum for lunch and viewed some of the very interesting exhibits. The exhibits trace Danish civilization from pre-historic times to the present. In the Stone Age section, there were still clothed skeletons in oak coffins which were originally covered in dirt burial mounds. The Bronze age section contains carved Runestones which proclaim heroic deeds.

After the museum, the bus drove around Copenhagen, repeating many of the things we had already seen. However, this time we did get off at the statue of the Little Mermaid, the iconic symbol of Copenhagen. It is indeed "little" but we had to have its picture!

By 4:30 we were welcomed aboard the National Geographic Explorer and found our luggage in our room 323. After the obligatory life boat drill, we sailed out of the harbor on our way to Norway and the Arctic.

To view more photos from Copenhagen, please go to Copenhagen Photo Gallery. To read about the next location visited, go to Hidra.

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