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When leaving from Gatwick airport, I made sure not to take any chance of running behind schedule. I wanted to be absolutely certain of smooth sailing to Copenhagen for a visit with Anne and Anders. After breaching airport security, I was met with a sign telling me that I still had time for the Caviar House... Caviar? In the morning? I think not. All went off without complications and I arrived safely in Copenhagen in the morning. I made my way from Kastrup airport into the city, stopping for a coffee along the way to fortify me for the day ahead and preparing to follow a walking trail around the city that Anne had planned out for me. The trail began at Copenhagen Central Station and ended up near to Copenhagen University. Despite a bit of rain, I enjoyed a lovely walk around the city. Following a start at the central station I made my way through town seeing Trivoli (an amusement park open since 1843), the Glyptotek, and the National Museum. Next stops included the Christiansborg slotsplads (the Danish Parliament) and the exchange building, Højbro Plads where a Christmas market took place, and a walk along Strøget, a street the commercial district. From a bit of holiday shopping I made my way along Nyhaven (a colorful street) to the Amalienborg, the Marble Chruch, and finally, Copenhagen University where I met up with Anne.
On our way back to her flat, we saw the Rundetårn, a round tower built by an eccentric king large enough to ride a horse drawn carriage up it. That night we made mountains of lasagna in anticipation of cycling around the city the next day. In the morning we stopped at a cycle hire to pick up a bike and made our way to the Zoological Museum. We realized that our day was about to turn into a taxidermy safari- lions and monkeys and mammoths, oh my! At the Zoological Museum, we saw a temporary exhibition of a group of mammoths discovered in Russia as well as the museum's more permanent collectios. One of the most unconventional displays I have see was a diorama about the convergence of civiliazation and nature- a rat in a garbage can next to a wax figure of a woman feeding taxidermy squirrels in a park. Hidden around the museum were a few small elves strategically placed for children to find. Following the museum we continued our safari by going to the Carlsberg factory and seeing the giant elephant pillars in front of their facilities. We finished the day by enjoying some traditional Danish treats, rice pudding and layered apple dessert prepared by Anne and Anders.
In the morning we got up bright and early to catch a train across the country to Anne's home in Tolstrop. It was her sister's birthday and a large family gathering was planned. Aunts, uncles, and cousins descended on the house for a lunch. Despite the fact that most of the conversations werer in Danish, many stories were translated into English for me. (Although not without language barriers such as massive balls vs massive bales [of hay]). After the meal, we enjoyed painting on small canvases, a long running family tradition producing magnificent works of art. After the company and returned home for the night, Anne's family and I sat down to an evening of cards with a game of canasta.
In the morning Anne took me for a walk around the three houses that make up Tolstrup and I was introduced to her two goats. It was a frigid, but bright day and we hopped back on the train to return to Copenhagen, enjoying another day in the city before my flight that evening. While on a walk about town, we saw strange shop window holiday displays. Along the way we stopped at Nyhaven to enjoy a delicious puffed pastry with hot fruit preserve and powdered sugar! A bit of shopping and a walk to the Little Mermaid statue was in order for my last day in Copenhagen.
My final treat before heading off was a delicious dark chocolate coated cream puff. Overall, my trip to wonderful Copenhagen was marked by good food and exceedingly hospitable company. I can't wait for us to met again in the future!
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