We had an overnight flight via Iceland and arrived tired, hungry, disoriented and just plain out of sorts. I challenge anyone to arrive in Europe from North America fresh and delightful.
We followed our Airbnb hosts instructions to the tee to get to Charlottenlund. The last bit was: turn left out of the train station and walk through the forest. Well, as Canadians, we were a bit nervous and expecting an actual forest but, in fact, it was a lit and paved path through some trees. It’s all in the translation.
A walk through the forest.
We had three days to explore Copenhagen before we jumped on our transatlantic cruise and wanted to make the most of it, especially since none of us had ever been to any Scandinavian country.
The first thing we did was grab the 2 day Hop On Hop Off bus to give us an overview. It’s something we often do when in a city for the first time.
Well, it rained for our three days but we soldiered on and saw as much as possible. We even took the canal tour…leaky windows and all.
In Nyhavn there are wonderful places to eat and people watch and it’s the perfect place to get some great pics. We caught the canal tour, which was included in our HOHO ticket. If it had of been a nice day the canal tour would have been better, but it was still enjoyable.
Hint: Decent bathrooms very near the dock where the canal tours begin.
Good Eats
If you are looking for a great restaurant that locals frequent then try Cafe Sorgenfri.
We were heading for a restaurant recommended on the net, but it had yet to open for dinner when we arrived. After a bit of grumbling, we looked across the street and saw Cafe Sorgenfri. To say we stumbled on this corner cafe is no exaggeration. We were exhausted when we got there. But then we poked our heads in the door and received the warmest welcome. We all ordered the plaice and shrimp, recommended by the proprieter. Great food, beautifully presented.
Hint: use the maps app and set it to “Walking”. Great way to eliminate the stumbling around and looking for places.
General hint (and one my mother would approve of): Always know how to say thank you in the language of the country you are visiting. Thank you in Danish: tak skal du have (tack skiddle heh) or if this is too much for you, just tak (tack) for thanks.
And Then The Cruise...
Some pics and thoughts from some of the stops.
Aarhus, Denmark
Aarhus is the 2nd largest city in Denmark but when walking from the ship into town it doesn’t feel like a big city. One of our group split off and visited ARoS Art Museum and absolutely loved it. If you have an interest in contemporary art, ARoS is a must see. The “Your Rainbow” art installation on the top of the building is worth the price of admission on its own, with a 360° panoramic view of the city. While she was soaking up the culture, we wandered around town dodging raindrops. It was Sunday so there wasn’t much open…something I find very curious when there is a cruise ship in town. However, cheerful volunteers were out in force passing out maps and pamphlets and giving directions. Passersby seeing old ladies with a map would stop to offer route suggestions. Friendly people. The Latin Section is quaint and a lovely walk about.
Hint: wear solid shoes because the cobblestone streets can be hazardous.
Kristiansand, Norway
From Aarhus, we sailed to Kristiansand, Norway. Arrived in a downpour, but couldn’t miss our chance to stroll around a Norwegian city. We had booked a segway tour, but called ahead to cancel when the rain became far to heavy to be safe. Old ladies on 2 feet in a wind and rain storm was adventure enough, thank you very much. Did a little shopping and then strolled around when the weather cleared.
Thank you in Norwegian : Takk (Ta..h..ch) (Sounds a bit like a stifled sneeze. I think the Danish “tack” would probably work just as well.)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
The Hop On Hop Off tour here was one of the best we’ve ever taken. There were lots and lots of people from the ship wanting to take the tour so the lineups were a tad daunting but the organizers were entertaining and just waiting for the bus was fun. I had been to Belfast once before but I learned a lot during this tour. We didn’t hop on or hop off, just hopped on and stayed there for the entire route because our guide was so engaging and informative. There was one spot he gave us the entire history of Ireland in 3 minutes. Concise and cute as a bug’s ear, a winning combination.
Good Eats
The Morning Star Pub was a real find. The food was tremendous and our waitress very, very entertaining. Our seat neighbors were so friendly….we were buying drinks for each other, laughing together and sharing stories. Would love to return some day. Our food was excellent and we stayed so long soaking up the atmosphere we had to hurry back to the bus that was taking us to the ship. Whilst rushing through the streets we spied lots we would have loved to explore but, alas, our ship was sailing away and we wanted to be on it.
https://www.themorningstarbar.co.uk/
What can I say.
Thank you in Irish Gaelic – Go raibh maith agat (goo rev marth a goat). That will impress them! Or you could just say “tanks“.
Cork/Cobh
Our last port before we crossed the atlantic was Cobh (pronounced Cove). We docked there, but the nearest well-known town was Cork, so we headed straight to the train station which was walking distance from the pier and were off for an afternoon of siteseeing from a hop on hop off bus. Cork is a fine town and someday, perhaps I will return to see it a little better, but in hindsight, with the time we had, I wish we had spent the day in Cobh. We arrived back there in time for a walk up the hill to the massive St. Colman’s Cathedral, a brief stop in the local shops and a last Irish beer at a sidewalk table outside a pub on the main street. A local group of lads were singing their hearts out across the way, hoarse from a day of entertaining, and we hated to leave. Once on board we were serenaded by a brass band dockside playing “Anchor’s Away” and “O Danny Boy”. Enough to bring a tear to a glass eye.
Hint: When cruising, do a little research on the town where the ship will dock, and consider the time you have available before you rush off to the nearest big city.
New York
The first thing we saw after crossing the Atlantic.
Old Ladies Who Travel 
Another great read … keep it up ladies!! 😃
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