Copenhagen 2b

This day is longer in writing than in doing! To finish or not to finish, before I too end up as Yorrick.

• Kronborg continued
• Hansen's icecream

 

 

Kronborg

So the castle is at the entrance to the Baltic Sea and dates back to the Middle Ages when Eric of Pomerania (Pomegranite?) built it. Fred II renovated in the 1500s then after a fire in the 1600s, it was again rredone by Christian IV.

 

Coming through the forecourt into the main courtyard

 

 

 

The castle courtyard was redecorated by Fred 2 (Tywin Lannister lookalike) in late 1500s when the old Medieval castle was "redone"

 

 

 

There used to be a big fountain in the middle of the courtyard but it was taken by the Swedes in after a battle when they took Kronberg in the late 1600s (and they never gave it back!)

 

 

 

Statue if Neptune guarding the forecourt. Not quite Romanesque in stature, in fact quite a bit skinnier than the Neptune in Florence (more aerobic work, less heavy weights)?

 

 

 

 

First, to the Casemates! Wha?

 

 

 

 

 

Casemates, were were educated, mean hoome in the darkness. Here they are two storeys. The upper rooms for stables, guard room and "smithery".

The lower storey was for safe shelter during war. They had barracks for up to 1000 soldiers and large food storage facilities. The built in tanks were mostly used for keeping dairy products cool and for storing salted meats (and I'm sure they also kept food for the vegetarian soldiers).

After walking through, we all have no desire to come back as a Danish soldier of the 1600s - cold, damp and not at all a place to call "home"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Ogier the Dane (aka Holger Danske). Legend has it that this sleeping giant dreams of everything that happens in Denmark and will rise in fury to defend it should Denmark should it be threatened by a foreign enemy. After that long a sleep I would think the thought of being woken by soldiers and loud noise would make anyone rise in fury. Zoe does that after a single early am alarm!

 

 

Pretty impressive. Bright white very large statue after numerous tunnels of almost darkness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason the Castle is where it is. Strategic.

It's built at the entrance to the Baltic sea in the narrowest part of the Oresund. No ship could get in to trade without paying its "dues". It's am easy canonball shot should any ship decide not to fork out. More about the dues in a tiny bit.

 

 

 

The narrow strait guarded by the castle

 

 

 

Inside the Royal Palace

 

 

 

Model of the palace and it's floors

 

 

 

Hopefully a replica of a meal fit for a King or else the Danes use many preservatives

 

 

 

 

You must pay your dues.

This multimedia video shows the strategic use of the castle over the years. It's cool and reminds me a bit of a classic multimedia show with the Hewitt,s many years ago "Amsterdam Experience". Ahhh memories. It was a cracker

 

 

 

 

 

Is it just me or does Fred II of Denmark bear a very striking resemblance to Tywin Lannister?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Queens gallery. Although it doesnt seem like much, it provided direct access for the Queen to the King. An idea very ahead of its time. It is very wide to allow for the mega wide courtroom dresses of the roayl gals.

 

 

 

The Hall to the Queens chambers

 

 

 

Frode Fredegod

 

 

This pic is of Frode III Fredegod (definitely not known to his mates as King Frodo). He ruled Denmark around the BC /AD switchover. He held Denmark, England and great bits of Germany and was so powerful so the story goes that Kings just kinda submitted to him so that there was peace all around!! A kind of early day Caesar - at least according to 12th century Danish historians who may have enjoyed a tad of metaphorical propaganda in order to represent Denmark as a Roman Empire equivalent.

The painting was done in the time of Christian IV - the guy who liked the idea of Denmark as cultural centre of the World (as long as your building wasnt as tall as his).

 

 

 

 

The ballroom below was for hundreds of years the biggest ballroom in Europe. It's paintings are mostly replicas as most were knicked by the Swedes and lost forever.

 

 

Ballroom - who is that half way along?

 

 

 

Ballroom fireplace

 

 

 

A Hamlet of the castle doing a tour in Danish

 

 

 

Nice floorwork

 

 

 

Nice cupboard work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left the palace and headed back to the "shared space". There was a prize winning kids brass band /marching band thing playing in a quadrangle. Very nice.

 

 

They were really good

 

 

 

Final stop ws for a Hanssen's icecream. Old Danish family business that sold out to a multinational. A few years later the grandsons restarted the family company.

f we had gone to the store across the street we would have tried one, but this non-Hanssens store had mega cones with marshmallows and chocolate so the cultural heritage was put aside and our Kroners were transferred from wallet to mega cones.

 

 

 

 

 

You can just see the Hanssen's sign at bottom left

 

 

 

 

 

 

He can sometimes be quite annoying. Waiting at Ulla's car

 

 

 

 

After a long, full day we returned pretty tired. Ulla dropped us off and must have been pleased to get home and put her feet up. Full time tourguide is no easy job and comes with a lot of time and effort for which we are very grateful. We have seen Copenhagen and its surrounds in a way we never would have if it had been us organizing, driving or knowing where to go.

A quick dinner at a café next to 'Bar Barbar" called Café Obelix (shoulda been called café Pretty Damn Average, then back to the hotel to take a breath and get ready for.......TIVOLI.

 

 

Picture of the Central Station at night. Bikes at the front x thousands.

 

 

 

Enough.