Day 2 - Copenhagen August 23, 2026
Today, until about 3 PM, was wet and breezy. Not ideal touring weather but we hit the tourist trail anyway. Today didn’t go exactly as planned, but it worked out just fine.
Our first target was the Christiansborg Palace, home to much of Denmark’s government, including the Parliament and Supreme Court. The rain started as we left the hotel and was steady by the time we reached the Palace. Not knowing the lay of the land, we opted for a pick-me-up at a café just across the canal. (The Palace is encircled by a canal on three sides and the river on the fourth.) Chai Tea Latte and hot chocolate plus a shared Danish pancake revived us.
The Palace is made up of several buildings and things to see, from the Royal Stables to Parliament to the Royal Reception Rooms. We signed up for the Reception Rooms, including a guided audio tour that 18th played well into our hearing aids.
King Frederik X doesn’t live here, but he does use the rooms for banquets and concerts, meeting with foreign dignitaries, and meeting with commoners who have earned the much-coveted prize of an audience.
The king is highly regarded by his subjects. He and his family enjoy approval ratings in the high eighties (the Prime Minister is luck to break 40%). There have been minor upsets in the royal image, one when the crown prince was photographed in Spain in the company of a socialite (an affair denied by all parties) and when the Queen abruptly abdicated after the Spanish event. The queen also demoted Freddy’s younger brother’s kids from prince and princess to count and countess. “Just trying to streamline the royal system,” explained Aunt Margarethe when she learned she’d hurt the kiddo’s feelings.
The palace was first constructed in the mid 18th century. It burned to the ground in the late 18th century, was rebuilt and burned again in the late 19th, rebuilt again in the early 20th century. It’s been over 100 years so I hope someone’s testing the sprinkler system.
We walked part way around the canal to the spot where river cruise boats are docked. But it was raining still, so instead of a boat ride we went to a nearby bistro for open faced Smørrebrøds. Wish they had them at Subway, but, oh well. Judy had another chai latte. My four-ounce Carlsburg almost put me to sleep. Jet lag, you know.
Judy was in need of a new case for her iPhone so we hiked 15 minutes or so to a big Best Buy-like store. They had an extensive selection, but none that would fit Judy’s 16 Pro. A department store across the street didn’t carry them. The department store security guard sent us on a wild goose chase to another store located on the fourth floor of yet another department store. That store had closed earlier in the month. We gave up.
By now the skies had cleared so we found our way back to the canal and hopped on a canal cruise boat that took us around town for an hour. It was interesting to see the town from the water. Quite different from seeing it by bus or on foot.
Our plan had been to do the Tivoli Gardens, located across the street from our hotel. It’s a square block or two in size, features flowering plants, of course, but also a number of amusement park rides and several restaurants. Walt Disney is said to have found his inspiration for Disneyland after visiting Tivoli.
We’d booked a table for 7:30, planning on getting there beforehand for a tour. But we didn’t get back until 5, it costs $32 each to enter and Viking has a buffet laid out for us this evening. And we were tired. So, we canceled out and will dine with our fellow travelers.
12,000 steps and 4.7 miles if you’re keep score at home.
Tomorrow it’s on the bus at 5:30 AM for a 9 AM flight to Nuuk where we’ll board the Polaris and head out to see icebergs and chase polar bears.
