I’d never been to visit any of the Christmas-festivities in Europe before, so we decided to head to Copenhagen to check out Tivoli and the Christmas markets around the city. We spent a long weekend exploring Copenhagen–which I loved. It’s probably my favorite European city thus far. Here are some fun shots of the food, drink, and decorations! And imagine the smell of mulled wine. It was stuck in my nose forever. I don’t know how people drink so much of the stuff…it is soo strong…
It was a lot of fun to stroll through the markets – though, I shockingly didn’t bring home any Christmas stuff! I love Christmas, and I loved the markets, but fortunately I’ve slowly become a little more refined in my knick-knack collecting. Not a gnome, not a troll, not a ornament did I buy. Progress, progress. We did try some fudge, however…and I did buy two sketches that I adored in Tivoli.
Copenhagen was so lovely at Christmas, though I’m sure it is lovely and picturesque at other times of the year as well! While it was chilly in December, it wasn’t frigid. Just watch the sidewalks–being near the sea, everything did ice over one night. I love walkable cities, and Copenhagen is very easy to navigate by foot for the most part.
Tivoli, which was an inspiration to Walt Disney, is every kid’s dream–and great for adults as well. It’s beautiful with lights and decorations. Also, it has all the cool games (like shooting old wooden guns at targets and breaking real ceramic plates) that just don’t fly as “socially acceptable” in the United States any more. It’s like a little slice of history – while the rides may have been upgraded – it still feels like an amusement park from decades ago. It’s fun to visit both day and night.
Also, side note: I just remembered driving up through Washington DC yesterday that there is a Tivoli Square (named after a theatre) in Columbia Heights. I don’t know who named it such a thing, but…the irony. Wikipedia says it was designed by architect Thomas Lamb (who also did the Rivoli theatre in Times Square). But Wikipedia also notes that the Tivoli theater has been plagued by “neglect”. Let’s call that the understatement of 2018 and move along; I’ll just say no one visits DC and takes a trip up to Tivoli Square/Theatre.
The food. I didn’t really know how I’d find Danish fare, but we had an amazing meal at Relae (one Michelin star) and good bits and pieces everywhere else we stopped. Of particular interest are the smørrebrød, or open faced sandwiches. Not only do they look beautiful, they are delicious. Ok, minus the fact that I detest rye bread. I know. I KNOW. Many smørrebrød have rye bread. But who eats sandwiches for the bread anyhow? Ok, put your hand down. No one eats sandwiches for the bread. Which is why open faced sandwiches are so delectable. More guts, less bread!
Last but not least, I’ll throw a Little Mermaid picture. It really is little. But it is very picturesque. The swans are also pretty adorable. Bread is obviously appreciated, and they aren’t afraid to peck at a hand that tries to pet them. Or forgets bread. I feel like the Little Mermaid is an iconic Copenhagen tourist vista, but if you miss it – it really does look better in professional photos.
I’ll have more on Copenhagen shortly, including a whole post on Tivoli, and some info on where we stayed (the Copenhagen Marriott).
