June 23, Monday
After a day at sea the Star Princess arrived 7 pm in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This capital city is inhabited by 1.5 million Danes, a fifth of the country’s population. Disaster struck the city in 1801 when Lord Nelson bombed the city -- after the Danes had surrendered and after he was ordered to stop. The city was rebuilt with wide, curved corner streets. Another result of the Napoleonic Wars (Denmark sided with Napoleon) Denmark lost Norway.
Annette, Irma and Mike took the evening tour to Tivoli Gardens for $25 each. Since Copenhagen was a repeat for Fred, he stayed aboard ship.
Tivoli, 150 years old, is the world’s first amusement park. Frommer’s Scandinavia says the pleasure gardens are worth the airfare to Denmark all by themselves. Park has a little bit of everything -- open air dancing, restaurants, theaters, amusement park (where the merry-go-round has a fleet of Viking ships instead of the usual horses). Concerts often free. Exciting at night with the 110,00 electric light bulbs and 160,000 flowers.
The trio tried the famous ice cream cones and other delicacies.
Overnight on the Norwegian Dream
June 24, Tuesday
Early breakfast on the ship.
Fred, Annette, Irma and Mike set out after breakfast for a self guided walking tour of Copenhagen.
Near the foot of the pier was the Little Mermaid (honoring Hans Christian Andersen) which has become the symbol of the city. This life size nudie has fallen prey to vandals (or radical feminists) over the years. Twice she has been decapitated, but the original mold had been retained and made it possible to recast body parts.
The Inspiration for the monument above.
Stop two was the beautiful Gefion Fountain. The sculptor Anders Gefion presents a goddess from Scandinavian myth who has plowed Zealand away from Sweden by turning her sons into oxen. I found one guide book that said she had been promised, in return, as much land as she can plow in a single night.
Also in the area is Kastellet, a citadel constructed in the 1660s. Some of Copenhagen's original ramparts surround the structure. The citadel was the capital’s main fortress until the 8th century, when it fell into disuse. During the nazi occupation of Copenhagen in WW II, the Germans made it their headquarters. Today the buildings and the beautiful grounds of Churchillparken are open to visitors. At Churchill Park’s entrance stands the English church, St. Albans.
The nearby Resistance Museum has an old German armored car outside that was commandeered by Danes to bring news of the Nazi surrender. Previously it was used against informers and collaborators who had helped the Nazis. Resistance against Nazis was fierce here.
The trio walked past and thru Amalienborg Palace, residence of the Danish Royal Family since 1749. Changing of the Royal Life Guard (in black bearskin busbies) at noon on the beautiful square. Around us were four identical 18th-century French rococo mansions.
The present queen lives in the right wing, next to the colonnade.
On the map (right), you can trace our journey. The Star Princess was docked just north of the star shaped fortress on top of the map. We started at the nearby Mermaid Statue and walked on the riverside of the fortress to the Royal Palace just below it. We continued on to the “Y” shaped intersection and down to Frederikirke (Marble Church).
This 200 years old church, with its massive green copper dome (one of the largest domes in the world) is lined with valuable Norwegian marble. Construction was started in the neoclassical revival of the 1750s, but the church was fully completed in Roman baroque style in 1894. Note the lavish decorations and its facade decorated with statues of 16 great figures from Moses to Luther, and below them stand sculptures of outstanding Danish ministers and bishops.
We stopped at an outdoor cafe for a picnic lunch at Nyhavn (New Harbor) and admired the colorful 18th century houses and tall ships moored in the picturesque 1673 canal. Hans Christian Andersen lived at various times in the houses at number 18, 20 and 67 (lived 1845-1864 and wrote tales).
He was not a happy boy so he daydreamed. The Ugly Duckling was the story of his own life.
At the north end of the canal is Kongens Nytorv (on the map it is right at the end of the rectangular shaped canal). Copenhagen’s largest square has an equestrian statue of Christian V in the center.
The large palace to the south is Christiansborg Palace. Until the fire of 1795, this was the official residence of Denmark’s monarchs. The complex holds the Parliament House and the Supreme Court. Note the carved figures on the video tape that represent the taxpayers.
From the square the journey went westward along Ostergade. The Stroget (word means “to stroll”) is a mile long traffic-free pedestrian street that begins here. About a half mile and to our right was the Von Frue Kirke (Copenhagen Cathedral Church of Our Lady), a Greek Renaissance-style church built in the 19th century. Today’s church is a reconstruction. The original was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars.
This church features Thorvaldsen’s white marble neoclassical works, including Christ and the Apostles.
Those who have been in Salt Lake City and visited the Mormon Information Center will recognize that their big status of Christus is a copy of this Copenhagen Christus. I have seen other famous sculptures by Thorvaldsen such as the Lion Monument in Lucerne, Switzerland and the Copernicus Monument in Warsaw. His work may also be found in Rome, but he was allowed to inscribe his name there because he was Protestant.
Just outside the Town Hall was a bronze statue of Hans Christian Andersen, the famous spinner of fairy tales. That wrapped up our tour.
June 25, Wednesday
The Norwegian Dream arrived in Oslo, Norway at 9:00 a.m.
The master builder, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, ordered the town rebuilt near the Akershus Castle. When I taught European history I gave him considerable treatment. He named the new town Christiania (after himself) and that was the official name until 1914, when the city reverted to its former name. The happiest moments in the city’s history was under Christian IV.
Oslo is the 900 year old Viking capital. Today Oslo has only 480,000 inhabitants. Every Norwegian receives at least seven years of English instruction, beginning in 2nd grade. Norway has one of the world’s highest per capita standards of living and income, as well as long life expectancy. Smoking is frowned upon; liquor may not be served (on land) before 3 p.m. and never on Sunday. Violence, even among cartoon characters, is closely monitored.
Our 3 hour tour started at 9:00 a.m. Tour cost was $45. The bus drove us past Akershus Castle (oldest parts dating to 1300 and transformed into a Renaissance palace by Christian IV).
We continued on to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump used in 1952 Winter Olympics. Ski jumping originated near Oslo in 1879.
Highlights of this tour of Oslo included Vigeland Sculpture Park which involved a 45 minute walk.
The lifetime work of Gustav Vigeland, Norway’s greatest sculptor, is on display in the 75 acre Frogner Park. The city gave him all the funds he needed. More than 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and iron are here. Notice the four granite columns, symbolizing the fight between humanity and evil (a dragon, the embodiment of evil, embraces a woman).
The angry boy is the most photographed statue in the park. The most celebrated work is the 52-foot monolith composed of 121 colossal figures, all carved into one piece of granite (270 tons). It took three men 15 years to prepare it. On the video I captured children climbing on the monuments (climbing was allowed).
At the Viking Ship Museum we viewed three Viking burial vessels that were excavated on the shores of Oslofjord and preserved in clay.
After dinner aboard our ship we walked over to the nearby Aker Brygge on the harbor. This steel and glass complex is a rebuilt district of shops and restaurants that was developed from Oslo’s old shipbuilding grounds. It has a fine view of Akershaus Castle across the harbor.
Also saw the Radhuset, the Oslo City Hall. This modern 1950 building has been called everything from “aggressively ugly” to “the pride of Norway.”
Our ship departed at 5:00 p.m.
June 26, Thursday
Formal dinner.
Cruised the North Sea.
June 27, Friday
Arrived at Dover England 5 a.m. and disembarked the Norwegian Dream.
En route to London, our bus stopped at Canterbury. We were given time to eat lunch (fish and chips), to explore a little, and to visit the famous Cathedral of Canterbury. The cathedral was a
real treat. It was within the church that Thomas a Becket was murdered in 1170 by four knights after he defied his old friend and former lord, king Henry II.
After exploring the cathedral, the crypt and the site where Becket was slain, we ventured to the attached cloisters. A choir was practicing, providing beautiful background music to the setting.
Thomas Becket Window (right)
Our bus driver gave us a panoramic city tour of London before dropping us off at our hotel. The Thistle Royal Horseguards Hotel (5 star rating), which overlooks the River Thames, was conveniently located near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square, Hotel listed in Birnbaum’s under ”Best in Town”.
Our hotel on right.
Our hotel on the map
(bold circle, upper left)
In the evening we walked across the Westminster Bridge (lower bridge on map). The view of the Parliament complex (lowest part of map) from the opposite side of the river was dramatic at night when the storybook spires, pinnacles, and towers are floodlighted green and gold.
The London Eye (center of map) on the South bank of the river was open until 8 p.m. so we purchased tickets for around 10 pounds (seniors over 60)
The Eye, built for British Airlines, is now London’s most prominent new landmark. This is a 135m tall observation wheel that revolves slowly and silently over the Thames. The “Flight” itself took 30 minutes.
June 28, Saturday (Fred’s birthday)
Included buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Self guided tour of London. We have been in London numerous times, but we never tire of repeating sites. The hotel was in the perfect location for this walk.
First we walked to historic Parliament Square and looked over the famous statues of Lincoln, Disraeli and Winston Churchill.
We walked around the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
One of the architectural glories of Britain is the Henry VII Chapel. On our way to the chapel we passed the huge white marble tomb of Elizabeth I, buried with her half sister, "Bloody" Mary I; then the tomb of Henry VII with his queen, Elizabeth of York, by the Renaissance master Torrigiano.
All around were magnificent sculptures of saints, philosophers, and kings, with wild mermaids and monsters carved on the choir-stall misericords (undersides) and with exquisite fan vaulting right. Cost of entrance to the Abbey £6.
Something new for us on this trip and very rewarding, was a tour through the Churchill & Cabinet War Rooms (admission charge; headsets for 45 minute walking tour). On my map this is circled in lower side. The Churchill War Rooms is a museum in London and one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum. The museum comprises the Cabinet War Rooms, a historic underground complex that housed a British government command centre throughout the Second World War, and the Churchill Museum, a biographical museum exploring the life of British statesman Winston Churchill.
The underground bunker was built in the months preceding World War II, becoming fully operational on August 27, 1939. However, at this time, they were not bomb proof. Winston Churchill, the wartime prime minister, claimed he had been 'sold a pup' by officials, after finding out that his secret bunker was not bomb-proof.
It wasn't until December 1940 (several months after the most intense bombings of Britain) that a thick layer of steel-reinforced concrete was added to the roof of the bunker, allowing the bunker to resist bombs up to 500 lbs.
The size of the underground bunker expanded as the war progressed, starting relatively small and growing to approximately 30,000 feet. When the bunker was closed down on August 16, 1945, many of the men and women working in the shelter cleaned off their desks, shut off the lights, and went home, never to return to the bunker. This meant that in a number of rooms, the furnishings and all the small details of life in the bunker during the war were kept intact.
The rooms in the Cabinet War Rooms are amazing, in a large part because so much of it was left intact at the end of the war. Many of the furnishings are exactly the ones used during the war, including desks, phones, blackboards, and papers. Even the swivel chair used by Winston Churchill in the War Cabinet Meeting Room remains as it was left.
We then walked over to #10 Downing Street
Looking like an unassuming alley but barred by iron gates at both its Whitehall and Horse Guards Road approaches, this is the location of the famous No. 10, London's modest version of the White House. Only three houses remain of the terrace built circa 1680 by Sir George Downing, who spent enough of his youth in America to graduate from Harvard -- the second man ever to do so. No. 11 is traditionally the residence of the chancellor of the exchequer (secretary of the treasury), and No. 12 is the party whips' office. No. 10 has officially housed the prime minister since 1732. (The gates were former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's brainstorm.)
We had an opportunity to watch the Royal Horse Guards ceremony. At the Whitehall facade of Horse Guards, the changing of two mounted sentries known as the mounted guard provides what may be London's most frequently exercised photo opportunity.
We walked over toward Trafalgar Square stopping at a traditional English pub for fish and chips.
Nelson’s Column (right) The square honors Admiral Nelson who died while defeating Napoleons naval forces at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.
And there were the famous Landseer’s lions (melted down from enemy cannons) and, of course, the teeming pigeons.
June 29, Sunday
Included buffet breakfast at the hotel. Vantage motor coach transferred us to the airport for our return flight home. The flight took about 8 hours.
We arrived in Minneapolis 3:00 p.m. Sunday where Kim, Tom and Matthew were waiting for us.
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