Day 22: Ringsted to Copenhagen

August 9, 2013

One of the things about staying indoors is that there is often TV. It can sometimes be amusing, and this time we found Dora the Explorer. Like the Grampies, Dora often relies on "the Map" in her adventures. So naturally we empathise with Dora. (We like the songs too.)

We also like animal shows, and found some this time too. Grampies are easy to amuse.

Well, Denmark has come roaring back as a Grampie playland, at least as of noon today. The run up to Roskilde was painless, meaning that the slopes were very gradual. And when we got here, the road led us quickly and naturally to the main walking street.. Midway on that street was, yes, the city hall, church, and square. But oh, what a hall and church. These are very old and grand buildings, and surrounded by others that are part of a royal palace compound. The compound features that iconic Danish yellow, and all other buildings are done in decorative brick.

We left me to type this, sending Dodie and the camera in for a look at the Dom. I didn't type much, because I anwered some "usual questions" from a German family.It seems I even invented some questions they didn't ask, and answered them, because I was still answering when Dodie and the camera got back.

Actually, they wanted 40 Kroner for entrance to the Dom, and that was afer the senior's discount. So we gave that a miss. also sadly missed was the Viking museum, by the harbour.It is down a big hill and a detour off our main route. Grampies hate hills and detours. So we left town qquite quickly, hoping no doubt to make Copenhagen, where we can contrive no doubt to miss most things as well!

Hwy 14 worked great, for a while, anyway.

This is what our Danish travel has mostly looked like.

Almost everyone uses baby buggies like this

With the buggies you also need minimum two blond babies and a grandma

From Roskilde high street, it looks like purple is the season's fashion colour.

Roskilde church with iconic royal compound yellow colours

I think this vignette shot is pretty representative for European touring

In the Roskilde royal compound, a flower hedge that attracted many butterflies

If you feel like an interesting short historical story, see if you can read this on screen

Steve explains our tour to a south German family

JYSK is a low cost home furnishings outfit back home. Did not know they were Danish untill now

Gigantic megastores far out of Copenhagen

Cars still are a factor near Copenhagen core

One mystery about the river of people was where were they coming from. So we set about following the river back upstream. We came to an intersection, and saw that the river all came from one side, so that's how we went. We turned a corner, and WOW. Here was a walking street lined on either side with gorgeous buildings, full of shops and restaurants, and jammed wall tto wall with people. We dismounted and waded in. All arouund was amazing stuff, and we encountered over the top churches, statues, towers ... the description is cloudy because it was mind boggling. Also, the pedestrian extravaganza went on for more blocks than seemed possible, and we only dared peek up the side streets. We coud have darted this way and that, attracted by dramatic cityscapes, and then been totally lost.

As it was, we did find the main square, the royal compound, and even the Little Mermaid. Hopefully the photos and their captions will do a better job of putting you in the picture than this text is.

We had arrived quite late in the day, but were too excited to pay much attention to the advancing hour. When we finally did head for camping, we crossed a bridge to a south eastern section, and had revealed even more infinitely elegant and extensive streetscapes. We were heading for camping that we had spotted on Google Maps back home, but when we got lost we pulled out the tablet for guidance. The tablet's first comment was that we were nuts if we thought the was camping in the spot that Google had said. Rather, it suggested camping 8 km distant. Ok, we headed off that way. The tablet was probably right, but we ended at "Copenhagen Camping" basically at dark, and of course the reception was closed. Fortunately the gate was not, and we have found ourselves a little corner somewhere in this large complex. Tomorrow we will go to reception and apologize.

There is not time or strength now, though, to sort select and mount the many photos that describe this day.Watch for it tomorrow, though, or whatever that means in your time zone!

Was it worth it to fight our way up to Copenhagen? You bet!

In front of the toy store. Laurie, the Bubbleizer really worked well, but too bulky to mail home.

The river of people is coming from that gap....

This is not the source of the river, it goes on for blocks

We are in the centre of the capital, so this must be real danish.

Another unbiased sample of Danish people!

The famous much photographed New Harbour area

Rather dinky palace guards. Periodically they walk to and fro. Would be good in a cuckoo clock

Some of the people contemplating the mermaid.

Dodie scattered some of her parents' ashes here

Across the bridge to the south - a whole new area

We finally arrived at the camping at night, after a more than full day

Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 1,545 km (959 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	1
Comment on this entry	Comment	0