(Part two of our May vacation in the south)
It's been part of our plan to cross over the bridge from Malmö to Copenhagen and have a brief tour around Denmark's capital city. Anyway, it's just about 30 minutes ride by train, so it afforded us the opportunity to maximize this vacation. But we were not sure which day we would go there on account of the erratic weather, though Saturday was the best choice.
It was showering that Saturday morning when I woke up, but my hubby and his brother decided to push ahead with the plan. And off we went. The thought of riding a train that would pass through that bridge that had awed me made me so excited. And I did feel like a little girl on her first train ride to another country.
Copenhagen is a big city with many tourist attractions, as we discovered after thorough googling , which we usually do whenever we travel to other places. But since we only had about eight hours to spare there, we picked only a few that interested us most.
We arrived at the railway station before noon. As a first-timer to this station of a renowned capital city, I was fascinated by the imposing edifice of the whole terminal.
First in our must-see list is the Botanical Gardens, which host a large collection of flora from different countries. The medley of colorful flowers accentuated the joyful ambience of the gardens. There's also a huge glasshouse containing plants from the tropics.
Next was a castle standing just across the road. Its immense size and the surrounding vegetation stunned me.
Sight-seeing in the city center is also a must. We strolled along the cobblestone squares and streets lined with various shops and outdoor restaurants. I kept looking up at the buildings with designs typical in this country, and my camera went clicking the whole time.
In some street corners, there stood or sat statue-like people wearing attention-catching costumes. They remained still like real statues, and only moved - smiled or handed a rose - when one dropped coins in their receptacles. There were also musicians who sang beautifully and played soulful music with their musical instruments.
One of the most frequented places in the city is Nyhavn, a 17th century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, and is lined by brightly-colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. All the cafes and restaurants were packed with people when we strolled along the canal. This area is also associated with beer-drinking, as people customarily drink beer here.
Our last stop-by was the Tivoli, a popular amusement park similar to Disneyland, though a bit smaller. It's a place for young people and the forever young-at-heart, like me. I was dying to ride the most thrilling ones but my companions had no desire to ride at all, and it would look awkward if I'd be screaming by myself. So I just ambled along, feasted my eyes on the surrounding beauty and kept my camera shutter busy.
Our day in Copenhagen ended with a train ride back to Malmö. Again, it was a day filled with memories of fun and beauty, a day of sheer relaxation.
...a day for which to be thankful to the Provider of such everyday gifts.
...a day for which to be thankful to the Provider of such everyday gifts.
"I have come to know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during one’s life; and also that every man should eat and indeed drink and see good for all his hard work. It is the gift of God."
- King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:12,13)
