Copenhagen is Cool!

One of Northern Europe's most populated cities, Copenhagen was the second stop on our June Disney cruise.

Located on two islands (Zealand and Amager) and several islets, the city is known for being environmentally friendly and having a high quality of life. According to Wikepidia, 36% of its citizens cycle to work. This is definitely something that we witnessed. The number of bicycles was astounding and very different from the U.S. Most of the streets are lined with bike paths and every corner has bike racks, making it possible for bicycling as a form of transportation.

We decided to visit Tivoli, the second oldest amusement park in the world. Tivoli is actually more than just rides - it also has gardens, theatres and restaurants. In fact, the park was an inspiration for Walt Disney, who visited before creating Disneyland. The influence is apparent when you visit. Its international theme reminded me of Epcot.

Our tour took us into the park before it opened to be public, giving us the opportunity to view the gardens before the crowds came. The gardens and architecture are beautiful and create the perfect setting for relaxation and fun.

After touring the grounds, we were able to go on some of the rides, including one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the world. The roller coaster only has hand breaks, so one of the staff rides with you and applies the breaks as the cars head downhill. Despite feeling a little weird about the hand break, we really enjoyed the ride. The kids begged to go on it again and again.

While some of the buildings and rides in the park as original, much of the park was destroyed during WWII. The Nazis actually entered the park and set off 5 fire bombs. Some of the buildings were rebuilt, and new buildings and rides have been added over the years.

The second part of our tour took us out of the park and onto a canal boat where we viewed the city. The architecture was breathtaking.

Boating is another popular mode of transportation and entertainment in Denmark. Many boats are docked along the canals, including small house boats, and of course many more were in the harbor. The tour guide shared that some live on the house boats in the canals during the summer. In fact, this is so popular that there is a 25-year waiting list for a space for your houseboat. Better sign up now!

I would definitely recommend visiting this amazing city full of beautiful architecture and culture. Home of Vikings, Hans Christian Anderson and a long history that dates back to the 1100s, you will find much to enjoy in Copenhagen.

Day 3 - Oslo, Norway

On our third day, the Magic landed in our first Scandinavian stop - Oslo, Norway. Home of the Vikings, fjords, a modern cosmopolitan city, and warm friendly people, Norway is also known for glass making and skiing and other winter sports.

We took a shore excursion that featured the heritage of Norway. Our first stop was the Viking Museum. We were most excited for the opportunity to see real Viking ships. The museum has 3 of the best preserved Viking ships that have been found as well as items found on the ships. The ships had been used to bury important people, which is how they ended up being preserved. The composition of the ground, temperature, and other environmental factors helped make it possible for the ships to be preserved and found.

Burial houses were built on the ships and the person's belongings and treasures were buried with them. These items are displayed in the museum as well, including wagons, horses, textiles, jewelery, weapons, and tools. www.norway.com/directories/d_company.asp?id=671

Our next stop was the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, which is an outdoor museum with over 155 houses from all major regions of Norway primarily from the 17th - 19th centuries. There are several medieval houses, including the Stave Church from around 1200 AD. www.norway.com/directories/d_company.asp?id=675

Our third stop was the Sculpture Park. The park contains 192 sculptures with more than 600 figures, all modeled in full size by Gustav Vigeland, who also designed the architectural setting and the layout of the grounds. www.members.cox.net/c.kau/Vigeland/

Finally, we visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. www.visitnorway.com/us/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Attractions/holmenkollen/

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmenkollen_ski_jump

We were quite fortunate on our trip. the weather was unseasonably warm. The weather in Oslo was in the mid-70s and sunny during our tour. It was a beautiful day to be in a beautiful country.

Day 2 - A Day at Sea

Since I only had limited access to the Internet while on the ship, I will be adding a few more posts about our trip. Here is one about our second day.

Our first full day on the ship was relaxed with little on the agenda. This is actually my favorite way to vacation - sitting on a deck chair reading a good book. However, I am most excited about visiting all of our upcoming stops. I am so excited to see all of these places I have never been and cultures that are in some ways so different from mine.

We spent the day in the English Channel and the North Sea. (Lucky for me, the sea has been quite calm and much like the waters of the Caribbean.) Our most exciting site was watching a cruise ship pass us. Yet, watching the sea was quite calming and beautiful.

Most of the entertainment was inside today (the weather has been getting cooler). Disney does a fantastic job with family entertainment. Some of the choices today were making flowers out of paper (origami), a game show where the contestants were children and their parents (sort of fashioned after the Newlywed Game), and Bingo. There was also movies running all day in the theatre and at the Goofy Pool, three pools, and plenty to eat and drink.

In the Kids Club, the children had visits from Peter Pan, Lilo and Stitch, the Little Einsteins, a princess, and more. The kids LOVE the kids club and ask to go there constantly. This makes for some guilt-free couples time.

This evening was the formal night for dinner followed by the play "Twice Charmed" in the Walt Disney Theatre. We also saw a comedian who gave the kids a lesson in how do do comedy. Ben was quick to get on the stage and show everyone his new signature walk.

Amazing Event of the Day: Kristina sat quietly and politely through an almost 2-hour dinner. I think that the dress was transforming for her. I will have to send her in one to school everyday! lol

Ben entertained everyone with nonsensical jokes and funny jabbering He asked his cousin about lacrosse and was told that he called his stick "my spoon." Ben replied "I call my stick 'my fork." Ben added "but I don't really kno0w what you are talking about."

The kids are having the hardest time with the time change. Ten o'clock here is 5 p.m. at home. It is like we are trying to put them to bed at 5 p.m. Yet, when it is time to wake up, they don't want to get out of bed.

Funny story - I was taking some pictures of the kids since they were all dressed up for formal night. After taking a picture, Ben ran over and said that he wanted to see one of the pictures. He looked at it and then said "look mom, that is my first best smile." I must have had a puzzled look on my face, because he added, "see I'm not smiling crooked." I looked at the picture and realized that he was right This was the first picture where his smile was not crooked - his first best smile!

Preparing to Leave

The last two day of the cruise have been at sea. This is actually a great way to end the cruise with days of relaxation and rest. However, these days are bittersweet as we become keenly aware that the trip is winding down. Thoughts of home and work become more frequent. So does the urge to anxiously try to do it all.

And what will we do without the evening magic trick by the waiter, four course dinners, having the room refreshed three times each day, a show every evening, and animals made of towels and chocolates on our bed every night. Oh yes, and childcare available from 9 a.m. to midnight daily.

Actually, Ben is taking a class right now with his dad on making animals out of towels. Maybe he will do this for us at home every night!

Funny story: This morning, Kristina decided to practice her magic tricks on Ben (trying to copy the waiter). She found a couple of coins and was starting her act. Ben said "make more of them. Make a thousand and we will have lots of money."