Copenhagen to Berlin--out of order!! Should come before the last post

We went down for breakfast in a traditional Danish dining room with warm woods all around us. There were real scrambled eggs not the kind we have been getting, but the kind that the chef breaks into a pan and cooks. It is strawberry season in Denmark and there were delicious berries and melons waiting along with strong Danish Coffee. This hotel was perfect -- only a couple of blocks from the train station headed away from the seedy section. It was older but all was clean and delightfully Danish--even down to the carpet which was Danish Modern Stripes!

We walked to the city center and caught a hop-on-hop-off bus at city hall so that we could see the major sites of Copenhagen. We got off at one of the castles where we watched the royal guards. I have a picture of Jens Einer in his Guard uniform when he and Anita were first dating. We went to see the little mermaid. Jens Einer said the original mermaid is visiting China at present so the one we photographed is not the real thing --- but most tourists are none the wiser.We hopped off again at the canal tour spot where we had an interesting combination of Danish specialties. I ate the fish and Kathy the pork and beef. The platter was enough to feed three or four and was beautiful for the eye to behold. I ate my first pickled herring. It has always looked absolutely repulsive to me, but it was in fact quite tasty. It was served with capers. Then I tackled the caviar, shrimp and smoked salmon which were piled up attractively with a white sauce that resembled tarter sauce, but tasted nothing like it. There was also a batter fried fish with a very light sauce that was very tasty and not at all greasy.
We caught the bus back to City Hall and then walked back to our hotel, picked up our bags and caught a taxi to the port. Once at the port we boarded the ship (there were long long lines --- but because Kathy is in a wheelchair they had us by pass all that.) Once on board we stood in a long line so that Kathy could verify our arrangements to disembark at Kiel, and then we stood in a long line so that she could arrange the shore excursions. It sounds as though St. Petersburg and the Hermitage will be a challenge and none of the palaces permit wheelchair access.....so this was a great disappointment.
Our cabin was quite luxurious more spacious and modern than the one on Royal Caribbean. We have a large window looking out on the lifeboats. But through the boats I could view the ocean, and the cabin is flooded with natural light. To me this was a big plus since it allowed us to wake up with natural light. The twin beds are quite comfortable and we have been supplied with large absorbent robes. The ship is much larger than the one we were on in the Mediterranean. As soon as we did some unpacking we went on up to deck 11 to meet with "Ian" the tour guide expert. He is like a concierge of touring. If you are are traveling on your own and not taking one of the excursions he could be especially helpful in helping you choose what trains and return times as well as where you might want to explore and what might not be so safe.
While Kathy talked to Ian, I met an interesting woman who was an amelioration judge in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her husband had died only one year ago just one day before their 50th wedding anniversary. We had a pleasant chat, and when Kathy was finished we went to dinner in the Lido. This lounge is somewhat of a buffet--but you choose your entree and accompaniments and the chef arranges your plate in a decorative way. The food is also perhaps just a wee bit better than on the RC cruise.
We retired to our cabin and it was already 9:30. There were a large variety of television stations and there is a DVD player with the flat screen T.V. We both had trouble falling asleep, perhaps partly because it stays light so late here, but also no doubt because of all the excitement of the day. It certainly was not because I wasn't tired. We did a lot of walking today, but Denmark is flat and walking is a pleasure. Sometime during the night I awakened to see a big beautiful bridge which we were passing under. I wondered if this is the bridge Anita was telling me about the is maybe 20 kilometers long between Sweden and Denmark. Back to sleep the morning would come all to soon.
We went down for breakfast in a traditional Danish dining room with warm woods all around us. There were real scrambled eggs not the kind we have been getting, but the kind that the chef breaks into a pan and cooks. It is strawberry season in Denmark and there were delicious berries and melons waiting along with strong Danish Coffee. This hotel was perfect -- only a couple of blocks from the train station headed away from the seedy section. It was older but all was clean and delightfully Danish--even down to the carpet which was Danish Modern Stripes!
We walked to the city center and caught a hop-on-hop-off bus at city hall so that we could see the major sites of Copenhagen. We got off at one of the castles where we watched the royal guards. I have a picture of Jens Einer in his Guard uniform when he and Anita were first dating. We went to see the little mermaid. Jens Einer said the original mermaid is visiting China at present so the one we photographed is not the real thing --- but most tourists are none the wiser.We hopped off again at the canal tour spot where we had an interesting combination of Danish specialties. I ate the fish and Kathy the pork and beef. The platter was enough to feed three or four and was beautiful for the eye to behold. I ate my first pickled herring. It has always looked absolutely repulsive to me, but it was in fact quite tasty. It was served with capers. Then I tackled the caviar, shrimp and smoked salmon which were piled up attractively with a white sauce that resembled tarter sauce, but tasted nothing like it. There was also a batter fried fish with a very light sauce that was very tasty and not at all greasy.
We caught the bus back to City Hall and then walked back to our hotel, picked up our bags and caught a taxi to the port. Once at the port we boarded the ship (there were long long lines --- but because Kathy is in a wheelchair they had us by pass all that.) Once on board we stood in a long line so that Kathy could verify our arrangements to disembark at Kiel, and then we stood in a long line so that she could arrange the shore excursions. It sounds as though St. Petersburg and the Hermitage will be a challenge and none of the palaces permit wheelchair access.....so this was a great disappointment.
Our cabin was quite luxurious more spacious and modern than the one on Royal Caribbean. We have a large window looking out on the lifeboats. But through the boats I could view the ocean, and the cabin is flooded with natural light. To me this was a big plus since it allowed us to wake up with natural light. The twin beds are quite comfortable and we have been supplied with large absorbent robes. The ship is much larger than the one we were on in the Mediterranean. As soon as we did some unpacking we went on up to deck 11 to meet with "Ian" the tour guide expert. He is like a concierge of touring. If you are are traveling on your own and not taking one of the excursions he could be especially helpful in helping you choose what trains and return times as well as where you might want to explore and what might not be so safe.
While Kathy talked to Ian, I met an interesting woman who was an amelioration judge in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her husband had died only one year ago just one day before their 50th wedding anniversary. We had a pleasant chat, and when Kathy was finished we went to dinner in the Lido. This lounge is somewhat of a buffet--but you choose your entree and accompaniments and the chef arranges your plate in a decorative way. The food is also perhaps just a wee bit better than on the RC cruise.
We retired to our cabin and it was already 9:30. There were a large variety of television stations and there is a DVD player with the flat screen T.V. We both had trouble falling asleep, perhaps partly because it stays light so late here, but also no doubt because of all the excitement of the day. It certainly was not because I wasn't tired. We did a lot of walking today, but Denmark is flat and walking is a pleasure. Sometime during the night I awakened to see a big beautiful bridge which we were passing under. I wondered if this is the bridge Anita was telling me about the is maybe 20 kilometers long between Sweden and Denmark. Back to sleep the morning would come all to soon.