6-16-14

6-16-14

We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room.  There were three different types of cereal and milk, several different kinds of breads and rolls, with butter and jellies.  Coffee, tea and orange juice was available to drink.  After eating, we sat and discussed our plans for the day.  Then we went to our rooms to pack.

After paying our bill, the receptionist tried to help us find a room in Copenhagen, for this evening.  All her efforts were unsuccessful, because there were two major events scheduled in Copenhagen this week.  One was a political summit and the other was a major musical concert. Roger was able to use skype and found a place with one room at the Airport Hotel.  The desk clerk there said we could call back at 10 a.m. to see if there were any cancellations.

We drove south to the location of the Cistercian Monastery.  When we arrived, there were only a few people around.  We past a field where there were 2 horses and 2 young colts.  There were several buildings on either side of the pathway, which finally led to the actual monastery.  But no one was around and the doors were locked.  I finally spoke with a young girl who was working in the yard, she said that everything was closed on Mondays.

We were all very disappointed and began to walk back to the car.  While Roger tried to get on skype to call the Airport Hotel again, a woman came out of the café building and approached me.  She said that she was so sorry we only had today to visit, because she was certain we would enjoy the tour of the monastery.  She explained that the monks no longer live here, but the complex is an educational center, explaining the former monastic life.  

When I told her that we planned to go to the Fredrikborg Castlel, she highly encouraged us to travel to Helsigor.  I advised her of our problem in securing lodging for this evening in Copenhagen.  She suggested we stay in Helsingor instead, as it is only a 1 hour drive from there to Copenhagen.  She told me she was from that town and knew of two different places to stay.  She even got on the phone and called to check on availability.  She was able to find two rooms at the Madame Sprunk Hotel.  She was very familiar with this inn and knew we would be pleased, as it is right in the center of Old Town and had a very good reputation.  She also told us that it was only a 20 minute drive to the castle at Fredrickborg.  So we had time to drive there first, then proceed to Helsingor.

When we arrived, Roger stayed in the car, while Betty, Marc and I walked up to the castle and I took pictures, as the guard marched back and forth across the entrance to the castle.  He looked very much like the guards outside the London Palace.  But he carried an M-16 rifle with a large bayonet on top.

It was close to noon when we arrived in Helsingor.  The lady at the hotel said our rooms would not be available until 2 pm, but we could leave our luggage in the office.  She gave Roger directions to the free parking lot.  It was quite a challenge locating the correct lot, which was several blocks from the hotel.

We decided to walk down toward the castle, first.  Along the way we saw a huge ark docked along the harbor.  We went inside and discovered that it was a religious museum telling of the history from Adam and Eve through the primary figures in the Old Testament, until the birth of Christ.  Though we did not go into the museum, I found it very rewarding to know that such a museum exists.

We continued walking toward the castle and notices a sculpture sitting in the middle of the harbor walkway that reminded us of the little mermaid statue in Copenhagen.  We later learned that this is a more recent art work, which is considered the “brother” of the little mermaid.  It is called Hans and is made of polished steel. 

Next to went into the new cultural center to use the restrooms.  Roger found free internet computers and checked his e-mail for a few minutes.  Since it was still quite a long walk to the entrance to the castle, I told everyone I was happy with the pictures I had already taken, from a distance.  Marc needed to eat soon to keep his blood sugar levels from getting too low, so we headed back into Old Town.

We found a small cobblestone square that was surrounded by several restaurants.  Marc and Betty headed to the Thai restaurant and Roger and I bought a hamburger to go, on the other side of the square.  Then we walked over to the table where Marc and Betty were waiting for their food. 

After a relaxing lunch, we began to walk along one of the pedestrian streets.  Then we checked into our rooms.  We were very pleased with the accommodations, which were a “step above” where we had stayed last night.  Roger and Marc decided to take naps in their respective rooms while Betty and I chose to return to shop in Old Town’s multiple pedestrian streets. 

At one store, we both tried on a pair of sandals, which were very reasonably prices.  I really liked the color and design, but the right shoe just felt uncomfortable, so I decided not to buy them.  Then Betty spotted a couple of thrift stores.  One had the symbol of the Salvation Army and the other had the Red Cross symbol.  I found a sleeveless dress that fit perfectly and was only $10.  But the store only took Danish money.  So we returned to the hotel.

Betty told Roger about the dress and he told me to go to the ATM an get whatever the least amount of money the machine offered.  Then Betty and I retuned to the store, where I bought the dress.  Betty had seen a down filled vest on one of the outdoor racks during our earlier walk, so we relocated the store.  She had been reluctant to buy it, because it was pink and she said that really was not her color.  But she discovered there was also a light blue one and a grey one.  She went inside to try them on and was very disappointed that they were both too small.

When we returned to the hotel, Marc and Roger were downstairs, using the internet (which they could not reach from their rooms).  We decided to look for a place to eat.  After some discussion, we began to look for a pizza restaurant.  That was not a problem as Betty and I had seen several places serving pizza.  Sure enough we found a lovely outdoor pizzeria and had a relaxing and enjoyable meal.

When we returned to the hotel, we saw 2 empty parking spots right across the street.  Roger fount out that parking is free from 6 pm until 8 am, so we walked to the parking lot and drove the car back to the hotel.  There was a restaurant attached to the hotel, so Roger decided to see how much it cost.  We found out that it was a buffet and was included in the cost of our room.  They were opened at 7 am., so we planned to load our luggage in the car before breakfast, then eat.  That way we could make it to the airport in plenty of time to return the rental car and be on time for our flights out of Copenhagen.

It has been a fabulous trip-so much more special than I had ever imagined.  We saw so many wonderful places and have learned so much.  The history, architecture, paintings and sculptures have been amazing.  We will all have memories that will be treasured for the rest of our lives.