[continued: Copenhagen]
Just across the street you will find The Tivoli Gardens. The old 20 acre pleasure park was founded in 1844 by Georg Carstensen. Tivoli is magic and unique, it’s a reflection of the Dane’s desire to have fun in pleasurable surroundings. Visit it by day and in the evening, and you will find two different worlds. There are one hundred thousand flowers blooming at any one time, trees and pathways lit by 110,000 electric light bulbs (no neon here), free fireworks shows three nights a week; and more than 20 snack-bars and restaurants serving everything from hot-dogs to gourmet meals. There’s a Chinese pagoda restaurant beside an arcade of slot machines; a concert hall offering everything from the Berlin Philharmonic to the Copenhagen Fire Brigade Band; some 85 shops; merry–go-rounds and other rides for the kids; a pantomime theatre; colored fountains by the lake and the Tivoli Boy Guard’s Band, marching through like a scaled-down version of the Queen’s Life Guard itself.
Hungry? - Wienerbrød (Danish pastries) are a must. Give up counting calories, and have some pastries. They are a distinctive light and flaky delight. Danes have Weinerbrød with mid-morning coffee or as an afternoon snack. Later you can stop at a pølsevogn (hot-dog stand) where tasty Danish sausages are served in a variety of inexpensive forms. Don’t be surprised by the color; they really are red!
It is easy to get around in Copenhagen. Buses runs often, and the fares are cheap. Or you can take a City Bike, a "free bike." The city of Copenhagen, with help from sponsors, has the pleasure to offer a few hundred bikes, free to use for the public. They will be found in stands spread all over the center of the city. Put 20 Kroner in a slot and you have a bike as long as you like. When you are done riding it, you just put it back in a stand and take out 20 Kroner when you lock it.
Easy and friendly? I think so! It’s just one of many reasons why I like my hometown. Go visit soon; we love guests!
By: Kirsten Owien Nielsen Jaffee
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