Viking Homelands: Copenhagen II (8/30/2018)

Thursday, August 30, 2018 (continued)
A construction dead-end forced us to walk around a large city block to Ida Davidsen's for what turned out to be our lunch.

We believe it was a descendant of Ida Davidsen
hanging out in front of the restaurant

I had already planned on visiting this restaurant, but on the Viking Star we had seen a video about Ida Davidsen, the queen of smørrebrød, the quintessential Danish dish which is an open-faced sandwich on buttered rye bread. The idea is to totally hide the bread with any variety of toppings.

Whoa! An iPad menu; all the better to picture the array of options

Danish Krenkerup IPA beer

I had Ida's favorite, the Super Ida (that is caviar
and onion dressing in the center)

Kent had the Smoked Herring, with chives, radish, and egg yolk

Here you see the buttered rye bread, along with
Fernando's sweet marinated herring

Josefina had the Spring Collection with tomatoes, avocado,
egg salad, poached egg, sprouts, with a side of crisp chicken skin

A light but insistent rain...

A World War II bunker in the Kongens Haven/King's Garden
(est 1606), which is the oldest park in Copenhagen

Disenchantment character Princess Bean faces
Hans Christian Anderson (1887-1890,
by August Saabye)

What is that behind the hedges? Roof of an open pavilion

Legespladsen/Play Square (KSS)

Drengen På Svanen/Boy with Swan fountain
(1837, by Hermann Ernst Freund)

Several linden tree allées in the garden (KSS)

Rosenborg Slot/Palace (1606 as summer house,
1624 as the royal residencuntil 1710, by Bertel Lange
and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger,
in Flemish Renaissance style) (KSS)

Livgardens Kaserne/Royal Life Guard Barracks (1670, 1785-1786
converted into barracks by Ernst Peymann) (KSS)

The Royal Life Guards are part of the Danish Army;
no drones allowed (KSS)

It started raining in earnest, so we stopped at an organic coffee shop;
coffee Americano and a Danish macaroon

Urban bird houses (by Thomas Dambo)

Vandkunst/Water Art (1970, by Anders Tinsbo),
which I believe is a fountain! (KSS)

Rundetårn/Round Tower (1642 as an observatory,
attributed to Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger)

The Round Tower is noted for its spiral ramp, ascended by Christian IV on his horse on opening day. In 1716 it is said that Tsar Peter the Great repeated the stunt, this time with his wife behind him in a carriage drawn by six horses. The tower is mentioned in three of Hans Christian Andersen stories.

Metallic tactile bars for the visually impaired
on the cobblestone walkways

Gråbrødretorv/Grey Friars Square with colorful 18C houses

Hermes/Mercury (1892, by Julius Schultz) (KSS)

Three-wheeled vehicle in Grey Friars Square (KSS)

Heiligåndskirken/Church of the Holy Spirit
(1728-1732) with a 17C portal that was meant
for the stock exchange

In 1813, the Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard was christened in this church.

Interior of the Church of the Holy Spirit

Den Ukendte Koncentrationslejrfanges Grav/
Tomb of the Unknown Concentration Camp
Prisoner (1950, by Kåre Klint)

LEGO flagship store window (KSS)

The name LEGO is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt," meaning "play well." The company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and is now run by his grandson and great-grandson.

The neon bicycle wheel rims really stand out in the rain (KSS)

Strøget, Copenhagen's pedestrian shopping street

Nytorv/New Square and the site of the house
where philosopher Søren Kierkegaard was born

On the right is Domhuset/Court House (1803-1815, by
Christian Frederik Hansen in Neoclassical style) was initially
also the City Hall with the raised area in front for the whipping post

Telefonkiosker/telephone kiosk (1913,
by Martin Jensen)

Telephones were expected to be a growing concern due to business communication, but it is said that it was women who insured the success of these new-fangled devices!

Relief on the telephone kiosk of an airplane with bird wings

Caritas Springvandet/Charity Fountain
 (1608-1609, by Statius Otto) is the oldest
fountain in Copenhagen

Water sprays from the woman's breasts
and the child "urinates"

Reformationsmonumentet/Reformation Memorial
(1943, by Max Andersen) for the 1536 event when
Christian II confirmed the Reformation in Denmark

Vor Frue Kirke/Church of Our Lady (1817-1829, by
Christian Frederik Hansen in Neo-Classical style)

Church of Our Lady votive candles (KSS)

Interior of the Church of Our Lady with 12 statues along the sides
of the apostles (St Paul replacing Judas) by Bertel Thorvaldsen

The kneeling angel baptismal font and the Risen Christ
in burial shroud are also by Bertel Thorvaldsen;
all his statues are of Carrara marble

The royal box is not used as Margrethe II
prefers to sit with the people in the pews;
note the double pews where those sitting in the
front of the church can turn around to face the pulpit

The Church of Our Lady has been the venue of royal coronations and marriages, including the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik in 2004.

Universitet/University of Copenhagen's
19C Neo-Classical main building

Bust (by Jørgen Gudmundsen-Holmgreen)
of Niels Bohr, Danish physicist who made
contributions to the knowledge of atomic
structure and quantum theory, and was part of
the British mission to the Manhattan Project

Next: Copenhagen III.