On a whim, Denmark beckoned, with cheap flights and lots on offer myself and my partner headed for the unknown of Copenhagen.
So many people have called it a beautiful place; claiming there is lots to do...but for two teetotal people who become 'hangry' very easily it would once again be a test of will, oh and love.
Firstly, our flights were cheap, which is always a bonus around £60-70 return including Priority boarding and selecting our seats with Ryanair, an unnecessary bonus fee but I would rather sit next to someone I am comfortable with than a stranger.
The journey from Liverpool to Copenhagen lasted around 1 hour 30 minutes, a lot less than the expected two hours we were originally told, no traffic I suppose.
However upon arrival it was lovely to be in the warmth of a new country, on the verge of exploration and the unknown - that was until we struggled to pick up our Copenhagen Card due to a lapse in concentration possibly due to the new setting, I would highly recommend this card however as it saves trouble with knowing currency for buses, trains and attractions. Linked here:
So after 10 minutes of back and forth contemplating between train travel or taxis we finally located the taxi rank and it cost around 120 DKK which equates to around £14 GBP...for a four minute journey, expensive, you're telling me. However it saved on trouble of trains and hassle and we soon arrived at our hotel.
Arriving at the Go Hotel Copenhagen, the lobby area was lovely and the receptionists were two beautiful ladies who were welcoming and helpful - who surprisingly upgraded us to a Premium room at no extra cost and efficiently we were on our way to our room when as soon as we opened the door, I got...the look.
My girlfriend stared at me with the expression, "what the fuck" I am fluent in Sophie, especially in this sentence as she repeats it multiple times a day; however I was in agreement as we walked into what I can only describe as a storage cupboard, and a hot one at that.
Advertised as simple yet cosy, their marketing team deserve a raise as it was compact rather than cosy. With the room just 20m2, for someone who knows very little about area due to poor mathematical ability this meant nothing to me as all I saw was a small room with an increasing temperature.
Nevertheless, we marched on and battled on through these first world problems and ventured out around our hotel due to the time being around 8pm on a Friday to find a local supermarket to stock up on drinks, oh where we could not store due to no refrigerator but who is complaining? My girlfriend was.
Upon our shopping journey we noticed several students presumably celebrating their end of year graduation in trucks, playing loud music as they tried to get locals to join in, it was intriguing to see these students celebrate in different style to the United Kingdom and an experience you only get to see through travel.
Saturday
The next day after a rough night, with our bodies dehydrated due to the high temperature we ventured off on our first adventure to the Copenhagen Zoo. This has become a ritual for myself and Sophie in every new country or city we visit, and we were not disappointed.
With penguins, bears, polar bears, lions, elephants, hippos, rhinos and zebras this enclosure had some of the largest variety of animals we have experienced (video out soon) and is a highly recommended first place to experience some of Copenhagen.
Next we headed to the most reviewed and magical place of our trip; Tivoli Gardens. This was like entering a new city, like going through the wardrobe into Narnia. With hundreds of food stalls, ridiculous rides and live music it was a constant feeling of exposure for each and every sense.
While the rides were expensive and we were on a budget we decided against it, despite our love for thrill seeking and with the burning heat we were exhausted after constant walking for three hours. However we decided to come back later that night to experience the night life of TG.
After a power nap we were back, ready, oh and hungry but we opted to battle on in search of the most beautiful sight Copenhagen has to offer; Nyhavn with hundreds of bars and restaurants along the walkway you can stop and take in the beautiful colours and amazing ships docked while managing to get a great Instagram picture like the one below.
The Little Mermaid statue was the next stop on our Saturday adventure, a whole 30 minute walk away bear in mind but worth it, as there were plenty of sights and statues to gaze at along the way.
Despite not yet eating we continued for one more stop, a return trip to Tivoli Gardens to take some snaps while enjoying one of the live musical performances before heading to the Hard Rock cafe just a short walk away.
This was a treat for our months of dieting and working out and we savored every bite, the server was fantastic and worth the tip and we soon headed home exhausted after taking in the first day.
Sunday:
The final full day arrived and there was still plenty to tick off the itinerary, first of was the Rosenborg Castle. One of the most spectacular sites in Copenhagen and one for those who love to get their teeth into history.
What I find incredible is just how the structure has lasted the test of time having first been established in 1606, and visualising the sheer thousands of historic figures which have roamed the corridors. Eerie.
The grounds were incredible, with lots to see including the treasury which houses millions worth of guns, swords and valuables that could have been lost to history.
Next just a short 20 minute walk away (to burn off last nights meal) we headed to the round tower for the most breathtaking portion of our trip...literally as it was all uphill in a circular motion, it was a tough ask for those who skipped breakfast.
However for aerial shots of Copenhagen it was everything you could ask for as you can see all around you. The Rundetaarn as it is known in Danish was used as a chapel and is still used for concerts and other events, also it is a working astronomical observatory.
Next from culture, embedded within the history of the most populous city in Denmark to a freetown with less than 1,000 residents; Christiania.
This place is like no other and, like nothing you can expect, with beautiful sculptures and landmarks around every corner you could be forgiven for thinking this place was an art project - however it is an entirely separate community with Danish laws existing within it but not entirely followed.
For example cannabis is freely sold along the streets, prompting thousands of tourists to travel to the breakaway civilization, this beautiful culture is not accepted by everyone but it is a fascinating place to experience to gain a glimpse of an almost apocalyptic style society.
We soon headed home, with four hours of travel and experience and a McDonalds along the way to take in some of the Danish cuisine of course. Later we would go on a journey that would excite and terrify us.
Feeling like making the most of our last full night we decided to find a pizza restaurant, I located one just a 10 minute walk from the city centre with great recommendations Itzy Pitzi Pizza (lovely by the way) but we entered the train station from a different side and it all went downhill from there.
With our train arriving at the scheduled time we hopped on and expected normality, but instead we ended up in a different country. We both recieved a text message saying "welcome to Sweden" and we burst out in a fit of laughter before panicking due to not having our passport.
Luckily it was more of an open border policy but quickly after a 15 minute walk around Malmo we hopped on the train back to Copenhagen out of fear a policeman would somehow know we were here by mistake without the right form of travel pass also!
So after heading to Sweden for Pizza, cue episode of Spongebob, we headed back to our hot room and slept until the next day.
Final Day (Monday):
While we were set to depart Denmark today we still had more exploring to do and this came in the form of the Aquarium, despite managing to get sick and be ruined by hay-fever I continued with the desire to make the most of the final day.
Using the Copenhagen Card one last time we entered and the aquarium is by far the best I have ever seen. With otters, giant sting rays, hammer head sharks, piranhas and bats there was an incredible amount to see and even more to engage with.
For younger children there was an outdoor play area and a chance to touch the crabs, star fish, shrimp and even had a mini spa treatment with rufa fish eating the dead skin off your hand, creepy but a fantastic experience.
Soon we were due to head to the airport, before our plane was delayed but there was lots of shops and food outlets to enjoy at the huge airport and we said goodbye to the beautiful city of Copenhagen.
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