Baltic Cruise - June 23 - 25, 2015 - Cruising; Copenhagen, Denmark

After eating breakfast, we transferred from our hotel to the Port of Harwich where we boarded our ship, Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas.  

Me, George, Grandson Parker, his friend Ryan, daughter Alison, son-in-law John.

We were given a bagpipe send-off from the Harwich Cruise Terminal in England.

 

 Ryan and Parker as we entered the ship.

Our room away from home for the next two weeks.

We sailed the rest of the day on June 23rd as well as all day, June 24th.  We loved playing card games with the Wildes, along with Joyce and Beverly to help pass the time on the sea days.  That night we had our first formal dinner evening.  It's always fun to get dressed up, and of course, take pictures!

 Parker and Ryan looked so handsome!

 George and Me

 John and Alison

Joyce and Doug

 Beverly and Larry

 Denise and Blair

 Four brothers-in-law:  Doug, Larry, Blair, and George

 Joyce and Doug, Beverly and Larry, Laura and George, Denise and Blair

 Proud grandparents with grandson

 George and me with our son-in-law, John; daughter, Alison; and grandson, Parker

 Sister, Joyce; Daughter, Alison; Sister-in-law, Denise; Me; Sister, Beverly

 John and Alison with their son, Parker

As you can see, we took about every combination we could take, but we surely had fun taking pictures!

 On Thursday, June 25th, we arrived in COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

Waiting at the Copenhagen port for our bus to arrive for the tour.

One of the largest monuments in Copenhagen is this fountain built in 1897-1904 that features a large group of naturalistic strong oxen pulling the plough of legendary Norse goddess Gefion.  

 

 She swings her whip over her the oxen.  At the backs of the oxen, water sprays up from behind the wheels and the plough. The water coming out of the oxen nostrils emphasizes the power and strength the oxen put into their work.

 

 The story originated from Norse mythology goes that the powerful goddess Gefion - was offered as much land in Sweden as she was able to plough during one day and one night by the Swedish King Gylfe.    

To fulfil this task she turned her four sons into strong oxen. Gefion and the oxen did their job so well that they were able to create Zealand the Island where Copenhagen is situated. This great work left a huge hole in Sweden - where Lake Vänern is placed.

Beside the fountain is the St. Alban's Church, locally often referred to simply as the English Church.  It is an Anglican church.

Cathedral of our Lady

The original "Christus" statue is here!!!  The church has always been the main cathedral of Copenhagen since 1256.  The one that stands today was rebuilt in 1811.  

Coronation ceremonies of every Danish king of the 16th Century and a smattering of royal weddings throughout the years have taken place here.  It looks like the front of a Greek Temple. 

 

 Old Testament bronze figures (Moses, above, . . .

and King David on the other side) flank the cathedral's entryway.

Inside, the pagan temple now houses Christianity.  The nave is lined by the 12 apostles clad in classical robes. 
These are all masterpieces carved out of Italian marble by the great Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.

They lead to the Risen Christ standing where the statue of Zeus 

 would have been:...

Rather than wearing a royal robe, Jesus wears his burial shroud, 

opens his arms wide, and says, "Come to me."

Organ pipes at the back of the cathedral.

The cathedral can actually hold up to 1,500 people.

In front of the altar is a beautiful baptismal font made of Italian marble--and shaped like a guardian angel that holds the font.

The font and the rest of the marble works in the church was  

Bertel Thorvaldsen's personal gift to the church.

 

Each apostle strikes a meditative pose carrying his identifying  

symbol.

Paul, who was not one of the 12 apostles, replaced Judas--the sword represents his powerful words!

The Reformation Memorial--in front of the cathedral celebrates  

Denmark's break from the Roman Catholic Church to become Lutheran in 1536. 

Fountain of Charity--in Old Square has provided drinking water to the citizens since the 1600s...

Street sign marking Stroget Street . . . far and away the most famous street in Copenhagen and is Europe's longest pedestrian street.  There are other walking streets in Copenhagen besides Stroget; however none of them can compare with atmosphere of Copenhagen’s best known street.

The street is a wonderful place to go shopping or simply to go for a pleasant stroll, taking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city.

 

The krone is the official currency of Denmark.  It is sometimes referred to as the Danish crown in English, since krone literally means crown.  Historically, krone coins have been minted in Denmark since the 17th century.

And who could pass up the Danish pastry when you are in Denmark!  So many choices!

Palace Hotel

City Hall--is draped inside and out with Danish Symbolism. 
The city's founder, Bishop Absalon, stands over the door. 

Inside the City Hall is Jens Olsen's World Clock, the world's first astronomical clock.  It consists of 12 movements, which together have over 14,000 parts!

Coat of Arms designed by Frederick the III King of Denmark, in 1661. 

The coat of arms of Copenhagen was founded in 1661 the king of Denmark, Frederick III, as a reward to citizens for worthy sustain their heavy siege and storming of the Swedish troops in 1658-1659 - See more at: http://www.denmarkfacts.com/the-coat-of-arms-of-copenhagen.html#sthash.lMJ1t4La.dpuf

The coat of arms of Copenhagen was founded in 1661 the king of Denmark, Frederick III, as a reward to citizens for worthy sustain their heavy siege and storming of the Swedish troops in 1658-1659 - See more at: http://www.denmarkfacts.com/the-coat-of-arms-of-copenhagen.html#sthash.lMJ1t4La.dpuf

Tivoli Gardens--A famous amusement park and pleasure garden.  It is said that Walt Disney got his inspiration for his theme parks from a visit of this 2-acre wonderland.

 

Established in 1843, it is a large cultural and entertainment center with gardens, fountains, lakes, bands, as many as 38 restaurants, and a fun fair in the heart of the city.  (Wish we would have had time to go inside.)

Joyce had been in Copenhagen before, so she walked us to where the large bronze statue of Hans Christian Andersen (who wrote "The Little Mermaid" and other fairy tales) was placed.

Right beside the statue was this beautiful street, lined with grass and beautiful flowers where George took a little rest.

A large Lego store--Did you know that Legos were invented by a  

carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen 

in DENMARK!!!

Picture postcard of Copenhagen.   Hans Christian Andersen lived and wrote his first stories in one of these buildings.

New Harbor (Nyhavn)--Established in the 1670s and part of the original Copenhagen Harbor,  

the canal is now filled with glamorous old sailboats of all sizes!!!  The harbor is lined with brightly colored 17th and 18th Century townhouses and numerous bars, cafes and restaurants where in the summer outdoor parties happen every evening.

 Across the harbor is the Old Stock Exchange--The dragon-tail spire with three crowns represents the Danish desire to rule a united Scandinavia.  Built to promote the mercantile ambitions of Denmark in the 1600s, it was the "World Trade Center" of Scandinavia.

Amalienborg Palace and The Marble Church dome--

The Amalienborg Palace has been the residence of the Danish Royal Family since 1749 and consists of a large square, encircled by four large palaces.

We finally got to see "The Little Mermaid," definitely one of Copenhagen's most popular tourist locations!  It is located at Langelinje Pier and turned 100 years old on August 23, 2013!  She was a gift from Carl Jacobsen, who was Danish, and was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.

 

The fairy tale is about a mermaid who gives up everything to be united with a young, handsome prince on land.

Every morning and evening she swims to the surface from the bottom of the sea and, perched on her rock in the water, she stares longingly towards the shore hoping to catch a glimpse of her beloved prince.

Such a great touring day in Copenhagen!  Soon we were back on the ship sailing out to sea again.
 That evening around 11:30 p.m., we walked up to the 12th Deck to watch our ship barely squeeze under the Store Belt Bridge that goes from Denmark to Sweden.
 

 It was quite a heart-stopping moment!  (All these photo credits go to Joyce!  They are phenomenal!)

 Beautiful sunset that evening.

 

I love how each night as we come back to our room, we find new, cute creatures there!