Deluged in Denmark

Today we woke to pouring rain. A good day to get in the car and drive to Denmark. Craig been excited to take the Øresund bridge from Sweden to Denmark, built long after he left Sweden.

He is less excited when they charge him 435 Swedish crowns - about $60 - to cross. (Then it cost the same to come back, plus another $30 to take the rental car to another country. All in all, we should have just stayed on the train to Copenhagen.) In the pouring rain the bridge looks a lot like driving to Mercer Island. Whee.

We get to Copenhagen and immediately find that parking is a HUGE problem. It would have been far better to come here by train or boat and take the hop on hop off busses. The traffic here is the most insane I've ever seen with aggressive drivers and pedestrians taking their lives in their hands... umm feet. Craig is up to the challenge and soon driving like a maniac as well. I spend a lot of time with my eyes closed - Wait! I'm missing Denmark - open eyes - shriek as we are nearly smushed by a truck turning left, notice swans on right - close eyes - Wait, were those SWANS? open eyes - bicyclist on hood of car makes a rude gesture - close eyes....you get the idea.

I love the gorgeous white swans - hundreds of them - in every body of water. We even see some "ugly ducklings" with their swan parents. (I've always thought the reason "The Ugly Duckling" is Hans Christian Anderson's most beloved story is that it's one of the few with a happy ending. That was one morbid guy. Have you ever read "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" and "The Little Mermaid?" Let's just say they don't end like the Disney movies. And "The Little Match Girl" come on - that has to be the saddest story ever!) We see the Little Mermaid statue (in the pouring rain, I only have to wait a few minutes for a picture) and go over to visit the Copenhagen Temple. It is right in the middle of downtown Copenhagen. Wish it were open, but it's Monday.

 

 

We see lots of places we'd like to stop, but can't find a place to park. We do manage to walk to a post office to mail a postcard to James. When we finally head back over the expensive bridge, we can say, "Yes. We have seen Copenhagen! (But we have no burning desire to return.)

This is a particularly uncomfortable Danish toilet. Rivets? Are you kidding?

 

 

 

 

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