Copenhagen, Denmark Day 1

 

I was pleasantly surprised to not only receive one complimentary meal on the airplane but 2.  It was a long trip but so excited to start the journey. Once I arrived in Copenhagen the first task was to buy a train ticket at the airport.  The signs were clear and so many transportation options to choose from. I quickly found the ticket kiosks but I chose to use the GSB app on my phone instead. 

On my walk to my hotel from the train station, I found bikes parked everywhere. Bikes here have a locking mechanism that threads a metal bar through the back tire spoke. Some go one step further and chain the frame or front wheel. 

I arrived at my hotel in the late evening (you wouldn't know it by how late it stays light here) so I got settled in to get some sleep for my first-day adventuring.  

I decided the first day I would explore on foot heading northeast. I first noticed the sidewalk was at a higher elevation than the one-way bike path and the bike path at a higher elevation than the vehicle lane. Not observing driveways, I wondered how vehicles exited onto the street from parking areas behind buildings.  In this specific location, a car slowly traversed the sidewalk, then drove over the curb to the bike lane, and then over the curb to the travel lane.  Throughout the day I rarely saw a cyclist with a helmet and the dress attire was nothing different than what you would see people walking around town in or to work. 

After walking for roughly 30 minutes, I arrived in Nyhavn where I sat down at a cute restaurant for coffee and a bite to eat while observing the scenery and people. 

                                   

I walked aimlessly for hours and then decided to head back to the hotel to freshen up and meet up with Cas who is another professional on the trip. She sent me the location of a restaurant in the neighborhood of Norrebro where she was staying.  I headed northwest for about 25 minutes and found Cas sitting at a table on Blagardsgade Street in a section closed to vehicles. We had such a great time together eating, catching up, and observing the action until we decided to walk around. 

                                  

As we wandered the neighborhood we came upon a combined two-way bike path/ pedestrian path along the water. The path was clearly marked so cyclists and pedestrians knew where to be.

                                 

Cas had mentioned a large dirt/grassy mound in the center of the courtyard where she was staying. People climb up stairs to the top and are able to observe the area.  We walked to the courtyard and sure enough, there was a large mound that seemed to have a building incorporated into it.  We walked downstairs, looked through the windows, and realized there was a large basketball/futbol gym. We walked around the mound to see if there were doors we could access. We walked in and one of the first elements we noticed were marked areas for baby strollers.  As I was on a walk earlier in the day I observed a baby crying in a baby stroller sitting right outside a clothing store alone. Surprisingly, it is common practice to leave your baby in a stroller outside while shopping or apparently in a designated area at the gym.

                                  

After our walk, Cas and I decided to end the day so I walked back to my hotel and called it a night.