Baltic Heritage Cruise August 2000

We had breakfast around 8.30 and then the children went off the the 'Kid's Club' at 9.30am. Beverley then went to 'Bridge for beginners' at 10am:), while I went to a talk on St Petersburg which went on for more than an hour. Very interesting. I don't know what Dave got up to, but met him out on the deck afterwards. Beverley had finished Bridge, so we went and looked at the embarkation and first formal night photos, buying a couple, before watching us come alongside in Copenhagen at 11.30, in front of the Saga Rose on Langelinie. I did take one photo of her stern, and was going to take some more later in the evening when we got back for Mum and Dad, but she had gone by then and replaced by the Norwegian Dream.Not long after we had berthed an open topped chevrolet [one of the old large american type] cruised along the quay with 2 girls, standing up, laughing waving and cheering at everyone on the decks, driven by a chap. Along the side of the car was written 'Museum of Erotica'...Hmmmm, the mind boggles......it was rather amusing as they then cruised along the Saga Rose...wonder how many customers they got from there? When they drove back all were quiet and sitting down:)

We had lunch aboard before setting off. We walked down the Quay in and out of a few shops and along Indiakaj and Oster Voldgade to the main railway station to buy a Copenhagen Card for the day. Cheaper than in Oslo, but only covers all transport and museums. No canal trips included. We then got on the bus through the city. It was a bit overcast with sunny periods and along the main canals in the centre where the canal trips all go from, there was a lot of building work going on, so one couldn't see a lot. The whole place was at least a lot cleaner than Oslo and the parks/squares etc open and airey, but full of tourists. Mainly Italian and Spanish children in hoards!

We finally arrived at Tivoli. The children loved it, so we spent the rest of the afternoon there, on the amusements and walking round the gardens although not a lot remains of them, having made way for more and more amusements. Certainly more than twice as many as when Dave and I visited many years ago. It was expensive for the rides too. We bought a few trinkets before we had to leave.

Tivoli at night

It started to pour with rain and the last bus directly back to the cruise berth area was from Rådhuspladsen a short walk away, but through crowds of people. We had 15 mins and a few tickets yet to use in Tivoli. Beverley went on her last ride and we waited for what seemed ages. I was looking for silhouette people for a friend who had had one done many years ago, but I asked one of the 'uniformed assistants' and although he spoke impeccable english, he had never seen one:( There seems to be 'blow paint' tatooists everywhere instead, in the little booths near the main entrance.We then had to run to the square and try to find the right bus stop. The place is surrounded by them! Eventually we located the right stop 2 mins after the alloted time and it then appeared from around the corner. Phew or we would have had to get another bus and walk a mile in the rain. We got dropped about 50 yards from the ship but still got soaked. Just enough time to change for dinner. Informal tonight thank goodness!

The Little Mermaid

It then brightened up and after dinner it was actually sunny. Howard was dead beat, so Dave took him to the cabin while B and I set off along the quay. Walked round the marina admiring the boats, wouldn't mind some of them. Interestingly one was even registered in Detroit:)

Eventually we came to The Little Mermaid*. Still as small as ever, but at least the concrete prom one had to peer over has been shorn off down to virtually the level of the pavement [roughly I would add, you can see where they've done it] and railings, just 2 bars, have been put in place, so at least you can see it [the mermaid] before walking past and missing it, as before:) There is even a gap where they have removed railings and you can walk down to the rock. Obviously the previous barricade did nothing to stop the vandalism, so they might as let people have access anyway.

I don't think B was particularly impressed. We took some photos and then walked back to the ship. There are some souvenir shops alongside the cruise ship berths and I waited and waited and waited while Beverley decided what she was going to spend her remaining currency on. She went in all the shops about 4 times, commenting that it was a good thing Dave and Howard weren't there or they would be moaning! Well I was anyway. I do think next time she should be with grandma!:)-p Rather similar:)-p

Finally at about 10.30 she had finished and we boarded. They really wasn't enough time to see very much of Copenhagen. Dave was going to take Howard to the Railway Museum, but it closes at 4pm, takes an hour to get to on public transport and they wouldn't therefore have had much time there. Beverley did comment that at least they obeyed the road laws in Copenhagen. Even the cyclists! Woe betide a cyclist jumping a light or cycling across a ped crossing. All the taxis have bike racks on the back and the trains all have one door in each carriage set aside for bikes. Crumbs, try even taking a bike on a train in the UK!

Beverley and I then went to bed. We have not yet been to a midnight buffet, though they have had them every night.

*Hans Christian Anderson was a Danish writer of fairytales in the 19th century [1805-1875]. Born in Odense he ran away at the age of 14 to Copenhagen. He worked in theatre for some time before his employer raised enough money to provide him with an education. Anderson had poetry and prose published from 1822 on, but his first success was A Walk from Holmen's Canal to the East Point of the Island of Amager in the years 1828 and 1829. He travelled extensively and wrote many plays, novels and travel books along with more than 150 stories for children which established him as one of the great authors of world literature. His most famous tales are The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Snow Queen, The Red Shoes and The Little Mermaid. Copenhagen erected a statue of The Little Mermaid at the entrance to the harbour, made of cast bronze.

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