At one point during our last full day in Copenhagen, my sister and I stopped in a little sourvenir shop (to purchase magnets; it's a family tradition), we saw a goofy little t-shirt with the slogan "Get Lost in Copenhagen."
And we laughed.
What we didn't know yet . . . is how appropriate that t-shirt would be. Because we kind of DID get lost in Copenhagen! (But not too badly.)
By this point in our travels, Di and I were SICK of TOURS! Oh, we had been on some very informative, very well-done tours on this trip. All of our tour guides were excellent. We learned a lot. But. After St. Petersburg, we ditched the tour scene entirely (except for the canal trip) and just explored the ports on our own.
We took the shuttle bus from the ship . . . which dropped us off here . . .
in charming, picture-pefect Nyhavn -- the waterfront canal area of Copenhagen you often see in travel brochures.
It was wonderful!
Colorful buildings . . .
Wooden ships. . .
And charming restaurants and cafes everywhere!
(Note the blankets thrown over the chairs. Most outdoor Scandinavian cafes have blankets for patrons who are chilly. Even though it was July and the height of summer, the blankets were welcome when the sun ducked behind the clouds, or when a breeze came in off the water. Blankets were everywhere -- and patrons really did use them!)
Without a tour guide, and too lazy to consult our tour books, we wandered the streets of Copenhagen somehwat aimlessly.
We wandered the Strøget (the world's longest pedestrian shopping street). . .
but much preferred the back alleys . . .
and the architecture . . .
and the side-street shop signs. . .
to the throngs of people shopping (in the same stores we can find in any large shopping area in the US).
Then, we headed out . . . on foot. . . to find the Little Mermaid statue!
Along the way, we stopped for a better view of the Amalienborg Palace
and its impressive courtyard.
We had fun watching the guards. . . but missed seeing them "change."
We walked . . . and we walked . . . and we walked!
Past the sand sculptures. Past the Opera House. Past the waterfront. Past some churches. Over a bridge or two. Through a garden.
And, finally, there she was!
The Little Mermaid!
(And much smaller than you might imagine, actually. She's kind of life-sized, so, basically, the same size as a normal woman there on the rock.)
It was at this point that I put my camera back in my camera bag. I didn't take anther photo for the rest of the day. (Sort of my own personal signal that the party was over.) Then . . . we got kind of lost trying to walk back to our ship (because we were on the wrong dock). So we had to double back and see everything all over again as we headed back for the shuttle bus!
Copenhagen was a lovely spot to be "lost" in . . . but, by this point, we were ready to pack up our bags . . . and head for home!
So ends my travelogue. Hope you enjoyed hearing about my trip as much as I enjoyed re-living it through the blog.
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Don't forget . . . leave a comment for a chance to win a prize! Details here. (The winner will be announced TOMORROW -- August 10. Stay tuned!)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful trip with us Kym. Your stories made me miss my European travel days oh so much.
Posted by: Rachel | 08/09/2012 at 08:43 AM
Thanks for taking us back with you! It was a wonderful journey...and will most likely lead to travels I hadn't expected to take!
Posted by: Patty | 08/09/2012 at 09:06 AM
Loved your travelogue and all the pictures. Fun!
I'm the same way at the end of a trip. I'm usually more than ready to be done and head for home!
Posted by: Marilyn | 08/09/2012 at 10:19 AM
Wow! It's over! I've enjoyed every single minute of the tour, even hearing what you didn't like and how much you wanted to be home. You created good memories and a fun time for us, too!
Posted by: margene | 08/09/2012 at 10:23 AM
A regular reader of your blog; but this is the first comment. I loved reading the travelogue!
Posted by: Deb | 08/09/2012 at 10:32 AM
My legs are tired just from reading this post! I love the idea of blankets on the chairs, that is so charming.
Posted by: Carole | 08/09/2012 at 02:21 PM
Thanks for the travelogue...I really enjoyed it and have wanted to see some of the the places you travelled. I especially enjoyed the photos of Russia. My grandparents on my father's side escaped Russia during the time of the tsar and it was not a romantic time at all.
I agree with how you felt at the end of the trip. It's so nice to come home.
(no need to put me in for the prize; I have 2 set of matryeshka dolls)
Posted by: Barbara S | 08/09/2012 at 03:31 PM
It was great to read about your trip! I am always torn between wanting to go on a tour (thinking that if I don't, I won't really appreciate anything "important" that I see, or that I'll miss something really great), and realizing that I won't remember much of anything I'm told on a tour anyway, so it doesn't make much difference.
Posted by: Cheryl S. | 08/09/2012 at 07:07 PM