After 4 nights in Wonderful Copenhagen, we prepare to head to the Rhine Valley.
Let’s wrap up the highlights of this small part of Scandinavia.
Copenhagen Green Space
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Copenhagen is quite a frantic city, with tourist traps, hordes of bicycles, and
locals and tourists alike partying deep into the morning. The plentiful green
space in the heart of the city provides a tranquil balance - both a chance to
relax, and a safe place for the kids to run around like crazy without the risk
of colliding into an angry local (a daily occurrence on the narrow footpaths of
the city).
Amaliehaven is a small park wedged in the waterfront and Amalien Palace
(home of King Frederik X and Tassie Queen Mary)
The 10-hectare botanic gardens contains Denmark’s largest collection of plants,
including this magnificent example of Allium schoenoprasum, sometimes known as
“chives”
Tivoli Gardens
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another charming escape from the madness right in the heart of the city. Come on
a Friday night for a free concert (“Fredagsrock”). Still to come this year - TLC,
Rick Astley and Flo Rida, along with a host of popular local artists.
The only issue with Tivoli Gardens was the argument over whether 7 hours was enough
or could we stay until 10pm when the rides close.
The Rutschebanen is one of the world’s oldest rollercoasters and meets the exacting
standards of the American Coaster Enthusiasts society, most of which revolve
around a complete lack of safety equipment or comfort.
Scandinavian Cuisine
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Don’t get me wrong - the local smørrebrød med æg og rejer (an open-faced egg
and shrimp rye sandwich) is quite delicious. As are the other main local
specialities - kipper smørrebrød, herring smørrebrød and roast beef smørrebrød.
But they haven’t really nailed the variety component that most famous national
palates serve up.
Oh ok, the hot dogs are pretty good too.
But the most memorable meals we ate were at very nice Cantonese restaurant in
Malmö, followed by Mr Pho and Mr Ramen in Copenhagen.
Beer-off: Denmark vs Sweden
Beers in Denmark consisted of the standard Carlsberg or Tuborg lagers, plus a
handful of middle-of-the-road not-quite-craft pale ales. Not bad, but nothing
memorable.
Maybe it was the local knowledge, but in Sweden we were able to enjoy a variety
of beers, from thirst quenching lagers through to a rather nice black IPA and an
interesting peach sour.
Winner: 🇸🇪🇸🇪 SWEDEN 🇸🇪🇸🇪
Family Catch-ups
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Of course, no wrap-up could be complete without some kind of reunion story. From
the airport, a 20 minute train ride takes you to the quaint town of Malmö (home
of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024). Cobbled streets, a somewhat medieval taste
to the architecture and an almost complete lack of cars make Malmö feel like a real
fantasy village, straight out of a Robin Hobb novel.
Jake soaks up the atmosphere in the town square
A colourful street in Malmö
But of course, we weren’t here to explore the architecture. This was a
highly-anticipated reunion with my cousin Scott, who moved to London for a year
and ended up relocating to Sweden. Apparently the three weeks of Swedish summer
more than make up for the long cold winters. And luckily we came at the right
time of year!
Miles with a strong finish pipped Scott by one shot for the victory
A delicious Cantonese lunch was followed by a wander through town, before a
leisurely afternoon at the aptly named Folkets Park.
But all good things must come to an end, and we hauled our two tired children back
across the Øresund to Copenhagen, for a surprisingly pleasant Sunday night’s rest.
