Baltic Cruise 1 - Copenhagen

Copenhagen, the capital and largest city of Denmark, was our first port of call. It was a glorious day with blue skies and bright sunshine. Just outside the port, we took an open top hop-on hop-off bus. This is usually a pretty good way to see the city but unfortunately our stop over was short and we did not have time to line up to view the places of interest. A glance at the crowd outside the Trivoli Gardens reinforced this choice.

Copenhagen was crowded with tourists. I suspect that some of its one million + residents were in there somewhere. The traffic was snail-paced so we abandoned the bus and explored the downtown on foot.

Copenhagen is expensive. Dick forgot to pack his swimming trunks and we purchased his most expensive swimming trucks ever there. The hurtful part is that his inexpensive M&S one looks better.

I liked Copenhagen. Its bustling, clean, pretty and not over large. There are canals and pretty waterfronts as the city straddles the islands of Zealand and Amager. If you are wondering, 'Why with all that natural and architectural beauty did I post a shot of bicycles.' It's because I decided to post what struck me most. I said, 'Wow! That's a whole lot of bikes,' followed by 'They aren't locked'. The significance of this is that I've determined (from observation over the past two and a half years) that to secure a bike in Reading three locks are necessary. One for each wheel and one for the frame and you still risk of losing the saddle.

Here's what Wiki had to say:

"First documented in the 11th century, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the beginning of the 15th century. During the 17th century it became a significant regional centre.

Copenhagen is a major regional centre of culture, business, media, and science, as indicated by several international surveys and rankings. Life science, information technology and shipping are important sectors and research and development play a major role in the city's economy. Its strategic location and excellent infrastructure, with the largest airport in Scandinavia have made it a regional hub and a popular location for regional headquarters and conventions.

Copenhagen has repeatedly been recognized as one of the cities with the best quality of life. It is also considered one of the world's most environmentally friendly cities. The water in the inner harbour is clean and safe for swimming. 36% of all citizens commute to work by bicycle. As of 2010, Copenhagen is ranked as the 10th most expensive city in the world according to Forbes magazine."