Back in Berlin again

So we arrived on Sunday, April 29 around 7 pm at our hotel the beautiful Hotel Adlon Kempinski at Brandenburg Gate.  As the saying goes, location, location, location and this property has it all.  Out the front door is the Unter Den Linden (Under the Linden trees). Out the back door is the Holocaust Museum although it's called the Museum of the Murdered Jews of Europe.

BTW is was about 70 degrees at night when we arrived.....it felt like summer time in Germany!

In any case we were tired and hungry.  The concierge recommended the Aigner restaurant as it was highly rated yet only a 5 block walk.  We each had Schnitzel and it was very well prepared and excellent quality.  After that meal I was ready for a good night sleep.


Monday, April 30....I first put on my shorts but once I opened the window there was a chill in the air so I changed to my jeans.  After a full on buffet breakfast at the hotel we walked from the Brandenburg Gate through Tiergarten towards the Victory Column.  We passed the Soviet War Memorial

Soviet War Memorial

Brandenburg Gate

Ricardo in front of Victory Column

From here we headed toward Check Point Charlie and took some time to go into the museum

After the museum we needed to quench our thirst....ah a nice dark German beer did the trick.

From here we walked to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

After our usual cocktail hour at our hotel we headed to dinner at 8:30 pm at The Volt

I had the 4 course meal....first the chef provided a Mousse Pate with and apricot....I'm not usually a Pate guy but I LOVED this.  Next I had something I've never eaten before Pork Belly with Craw fish, it certainly wasn't kosher but it was extremely delicious. Next was my main course a wonderfully done Lamb.  For desert a special Baklava.  The only challenge is you need to have a lot of patience as our meal took 2 and 1/2 hours.  I think the German's leave enough time in between meals so everyone can go outside to have a smoke.  In any case thank you to Myra for this fantastic recommendation.

Go night tomorrow (Tuesday, May 1st) is a National Labor Holiday called Maifeiertag, it should be another great day and it should be around 75 degrees!  

Crossing the Baltic Sea

After a wonderful time and experience in Copenhagen our journey continues as we travel by train on Sunday, April 29th from Copenhagen, Denmark across the Baltic Sea to Berlin, Germany.

I was sleepless so I got up early, walked around and took these photo's:

Amalienborg Palace - the home of Danish Royalty (in our neighborhood)

This is NOT on a angle just my photo at 6:30am I'll list the name of this church later

One of the many entrances to the Kastellet fort

Sunrise? over Denmark with Wind Power!

Inside of Kastellet fort

Statue in Kastellet fort to honor all the soldiers who gave their lives for Denmark

This is the waterfront of our hotel Admiral (the brown brick building on the right)

Our ice cream and waffle ice cream spot....I think we had desert here at least 3 nights! Of course I ONLY have ICE for my beautiful part Danish wife Beth! 

Speakers Corner

We had to activate our Eurail passes before our departure.  I purchased a 3 country, 5 day pass.  Meaning I can travel within 3 connecting countries on 5 different days within a 2 month period.  Richard had reserved 1st class tickets with assign seats. While it sounds high end the reality is that we were not rushing to find a seat nor a place to store our luggage.  The benefit of 1st class is that is was empty (although we did receive a coupon for a coffee and croissant).

Our train took us South West towards Hambugh, at RØdby our ICE train drove on to the ferry.  We had to exit the train, as they locked it and we spent the next 45 minutes going via the Baltic Sea from Denmark to Germany.

So some train journey photo's

Saturday... .a traditional SmØrrebrØd and a Museum

The 30% chance of rain happened in the morning, which slowed our start.  The drizzle ended by the time we finished our Smorrebord at Sankt Annæ, what a great find!

First course, Richard had the Pickled Herring and I had the special white asparagus with the fresh caught mini prawns, it was delicious and of course the bread... along with a Riesling and we are off to a wonderful start.  For our second dish Richard had French Tartar and I had the Homemade pork sausage with Jelly ( I took a picture of my sausage).  After some aperitif we felt satisfied with the food, the ambiance/location and the service, excellent experience.

After brunch we took the 2:32 train to Louisiana Museum which was fantastic.

Our train ride was due North of Copenhagen along the Northern coast of Denmark.  You can see Sweden across the water in the sculpture photo

A nice easy train ride back into Copenhagen passing Klampingborg...thinking of Beth....another nice day/ 

Dinner was our "local" Italian place La Sirene, certainly fine pasta and pizza.  So it's packing tonight for our train trip from Copenhagen to Berlin tomorrow. Until then....

A one hour cruise on Amusement Day

Awoke (Friday, April 27) to blue skies and sunshine, which inspired us to get an earlier then usual start,  Off we went to Emmerys for coffee and a croissant.  Then to Nyhaven for our one hour cruise, here are some photos from the boat:

P527 with a shark smile!

All Granite stone on a 7% angle to reflect the water

Bro Taxi to Tivoli

So we took the Bro Taxi to Tivoli and upon entrance saw an interesting cross dresser (man in female clothes) with a female friend taking pictures of him/her.... no photo but a memory none the less as Tivoli is the 2nd oldest Amusement Park in the World (1843).

We had a nice lunch of meatballs and fired fish with shrimp open sandwich with a beer.  When after nine efforts to charge our credit cards the restaurant about us another round of beer until ALL of Copenhagen got their CC changing system up again!

Here are a few Amusement photo's:

On the way home from Tivoli we stopped by to take a day time walk around Christiania (they do not allow photo's, that is why I attached this video) before heading home for cocktail hour.

Our hotel got us into a restaurant called Retour which perfect way to finish off a nice day. I had pommes frites and steak a glass of nice red wine....ahhhh!

Why travel to Copenhagen?

Day one in Copenhagen. We both needed to rest so it worked out that each of us slept in, we had no set plans.

After our morning rituals we set out to find a ATM to withdraw money...we needed Kroners!

So we walked and walked and finally found the pedestrian area. We felt that for sure we'd find an ATM...but our walk continued up Stroget Street, which is the largest and oldest Pedestrian Street in the World, yet we could not find a ATM.  Finally, Richard spotted a Bank sign and we got cash.  Out first objective food.  Right next to the Bank is Cafe Norden it was exactly what we needed.

The entire brunch  I had comes on one plate.  I had a Cappuccino to start, then scrambled eggs served in a small clear glass juice cup, also included were 2 pieces of bacon, 2 slices of danish dark grain bread, a slice of ham, a abundant amount of salmon spread, 2 different cheeses, 2 other slices of white bread, fresh fruit preserve, fresh fruit's, raspberry smoothie, chocolate cake and since I got the Champagne brunch a glass of Brut.....yes a lot of food but then again it was breakfast and lunch!

From here we set out for Rosenborg Castle what a collection of Danish History, just amazing wealth and incredible objects.  Richard said to me that, you must have been here with Beth. When I went down into the Treasury and I saw the Crown Jewels, I knew for sure Beth and I had been here together before!

We had a quick pint to quench our thirst at Bishop's Arm before walking back to our hotel. Richard rested as I walked along the water and down see the famous Little Mermaid.  The sun came out and the day ended beautifully.  We ate dinner in a close Italian restaurant as we were craving some starchy food, pizza and pasta was prefect along with a bottle of red, so another great day on holiday.
Our waitress Sonia, a young local women, as asked us incorrigibly, why would you come to Copenhagen on holiday, there is not as much to do here as there is in other cities in the world,

Here are some photos  of the day to share and a video:

Nyhavn

Rosenborg Castle video below

Denmark produces THE MOST WIND POWER than any other country in the World

Yes, an out door David in Copenhagen

Gefion Fountain

The Little Mermaid

The Royal Danish Playhouse