The trolls love a cyclist

 

Today was about testing the claim of Copenhagen being Europe's most bike friendly city. Check this out for the full route 

A bit of a conversation with our hotel hosts gave us 'paid access' to one of their rather uncool bikes, our mode of transport for the day. Prior to hitting the road(s) we grabbed a bit of breakfast in the hotel, quite a different experience to yesterday, absolute mayhem around 9.30 where it was every man and woman for themselves at the toaster. Madness.

Good to get some fresh air after that, and love a bit of a 2 wheel exploration. Firstly had to master the machine, which was pretty low tech and very different to my normal cycle.. 2 gears and breaking all by back pedalling and some chopper style high handlebars and a basket to take my presents to grandma. Lets say I had more difficulty with the contraption than Chrissi but it still served as a great way to see the Danish capital.

By way of a practice we did a relatively sanitised harbour tour, 3 miles south, cross a bridge, and 3 miles up the other side to where we started.  Not a huge amount to see other than harbourside flats and the action on the water, but a useful way to get to grips with the bike and also build up our cycling proficiency on the Danish roads.  Such great set up, generally your own lane, amongst the bike traffic as much as the car traffic, and parity of esteem for both vehicles.

First port of call was the colourful quayside (port) of Nyhaven, formerly red light district, now the mandatory photo shoot of a trip to these parts.

It was then onto the summer gaff of Frederick X, where the guards were changing and the tour guides were hammering out their facts. Mainly about Frederick V who seemed to be the main architect of some of the big architecture in the 17th and 18th century. Infact he began the work on the major St Peters style Dome (Kirken) which took a bit of doing and was only finished 150 years later. My money is on him not seeing the outcome of his vision. Good old dome though, but you can only go to the top on a Saturday, which was the main reason we wanted to visit.

It was then onto the epicentre of Copenhagen tourism, the little mermaid. Another HC Andersen tale that one, a tall one, unlike the mermaid itself. But nicely positioned on the water, the water area offered many picturesque scenes over the course of our ride, and no more so than here. Once we looked past the hordes of visitors. Was my welcoming committee back in 1989 when I was last in Copenhagen, she hasn't changed much. I arrived with the Little Mermaid, I left with good memories and Disneyland at Dark ... who else has heard of them I wonder?

Back on the bikes, retraced our steps a little and crossed the water and meandered our way up to the street food, shipping container haven of Reffen. Graffiti quirks, liberal arts, shabby, hippy vibe. Food from just about every country and a great place to recharge our batteries with a coffee and a milkshake.

Then it was a generally southward direction, stopping off in the hippy sanctuary Christiania, arriving via a pretty cool wooded, lakeside path. On getting there the feels were again pretty chill, the main street called Pusher Street telling you most of what you needed to know about its past and present. But within that a very green feel, random art and architecture and people who were generally going with the flow man.  The Nimbin of Denmark?  

It was refocus for the next 10 to 15 miles. Not sure what we inhaled but I was determined to find a troll or a giant, big players in this part of the world. Giants or Jotunn the friendlier kind so that is what we set our sights on. So a cycle through urban, rural, wind, bridges and fairy tales got us to the island of Skraederholmenn, an artificial island for a very real giant, we think female, Lange Liv. A creation of the artist Thomas Dambo, 'she' has 5 friends around Copenhagen and many others around the world. May be a new set of locations to aim for as part of our travels. See we are all nerdy collectors at heart.

The cycle back to the hotel was the swiftest with the wind behind us and our job done, we had really done the business today and 2 wheels to see Copenhagen, abso - bloody - lutely.

Bit of a relax and rest at the hotel, social battery restored, and met our friends who had been to another country (Sweden), that's one for the next trip, along with the Faroe Islands. (they hadn't been there!) Our food choice for the evening was the best of the trip, a Thai restaurant in the hotel, called the Blue Elephant.  Lovely spicy food, (Kra Praow chicken )good company, and washed down with cocktails, rose and quality banter.  How many of the 12 in the lift will be firing on all cylinders at Parkrun tomorrow?