Tuesday, Day 4, Copenhagen

Apparently I slept through quite a storm last night, as more than two dozen people in the Facebook group for this cruise left comments such as, “Do you feel and hear the ship groaning and the wind howling??” Charlie confirmed that it was quite something, and he had to get up and stuff towels by the balcony door to muffle the whistling, as well as secure banging doors.  Meanwhile, I slept soundly for nine hours….

Here are a few more photos from Oslo and our departure last evening.  Charlie took this one, featuring (top center) the Holmenkollen ski jump, the world’s only steel ski jump, where many of the largest ski jump competitions are held.

The ship left Oslo as we were having dinner in Chops Grille, and the scenery was spectacular.  I loved seeing the traditional colors of the houses on the islands. I found this story about the paint choices.

After checking the Copenhagen weather forecast of 29 mph winds and “feels like” temps in the mid-40s, we bundled up for the day.  The ship docked far from the city center, in an industrial area, so a 30-minute shuttle ($25 each) was necessary. (No one ever asked for our tickets, so….) We left the ship just after 11:00.

The first thing we noticed were all the bicycles! These were parked near the subway entrances.

Other views of the central city:

We spotted a store selling ducks (and duck-related items), so we had to go in with our favorite six year old in mind. (She collected over 50 ducks on her first cruise ship.)

From the shuttle, we had noticed many people carrying fresh flowers, and we soon walked up to a bustling flower and fruit market.  

We had a wonderful lunch at La Perla Spaghetteria. The arugula salads with artichokes, olives, and cherry tomatoes were delicious, and we both enjoyed our pasta dishes.  By the way, if those of you playing along from home are calculating our daily calories thus far, please keep the total to yourselves.

After lunch we toured Trinitatis Kirke, a Lutheran church with an incredible organ. Many concerts were advertised for the summer.  

Detail of the pews:

Another thing we observed (but sadly failed to photograph) were dozens of young people wearing white nautical-looking caps. We asked our server about them, and she explained they’re worn by new graduates of the gymnasium (like high school) this time of year to indicate their achievements. Here’s an article about the tradition. We just happened to be here at graduation time.

Tomorrow is a sea day on the way to Hamburg, so posting may be light!