Copenhagen, briefly

My birthday was Saturday and that was the day we arrived in Copenhagen.  It was switchover day on the ship and about 100 people disembarked and were replaced by newbies.  We hadn't signed up for a tour so we just got off the ship at our leisure and took a taxi into the city.  We went directly to Nyhavn, the pictures below that show the famous scene of the pastel colored row houses along the picturesque old harbor.  We knew we had to catch the last shuttle back to the boat from the Radisson Blu at 2:00, so we didn't have much time.  We got directions and walked toward Tivoli Gardens--which is a vast amusement park with roller coasters and stomach lurching rides and not regular gardens that you can just walk through--toward the hotel intending to find a cafe for lunch.  The walk gave us a feel for the energy of the city, "the coolest kid on the Nordic block" according to the ship's introduction, taking us through a pedestrians only shopping street with all the best shops like Hermes and Michael Kors, and several huge squares flanked with enormous government and religious buildings.  We passed an interesting and vast flea market on one of the squares with covered stalls selling everything from amber jewelry to fake antiques.  I used to love such markets, but have lost my enthusiasm for them and so we didn't linger.  Alas, we should have eaten near the harbor because the closer we got to Tivoli, the more the restaurants became utilitarian hamburger joints for business folk with very few charming little cafes.  We ended up having a dried out hamburger and a beer at a pub which advertised authentic Tex-mex.  We didn't see that sign until we had already committed or I would have run in the opposite direction.  Oh well...chalk it up to the ups and downs of travel.  

A shopping street in Copenhagen loaded with tourists and locals enjoying a beautiful summer day in Copenhagen.

The famous Nyhavn harbor in Copenhagen

A kind lady offered to take our picture.  Note the locks attached to the bridge.   This is a custom which we first noticed on some of the bridges of Paris.  Apparently, it is a custom that goes on in major cities all over the world.  Lovers attach a lock engraved with their names to a bridge railing or post and throw the key into the river below.  This symbolizes their undying love.  Unfortunately, many bridges are suffering structural damage because of the weight of all the locks and are in danger of collapse.  This has prompted the authorities in Paris to launch a "Love Without Locks" campaign urging young lovers to take a selfie instead of attaching a lock to the bridge.  Look at some of these pictures to see the unintended consequences of what began as a harmless little romantic gesture to some of the great bridges of the world.  

Another view of the harbor

Street band playing Stand By Me,  There were lots of people listening, all singing along.

We made it to the last shuttle, thus arriving "home" in time for the mandatory safety drill at 3:00 and the beginning of our second week on the Seabourn Quest.