Kings and Churches

After having toured with a guide for over a week, I got to practice being a guide for John.  He didn't appreciated my efforts!!  How dare he! I worked so hard on reading the descriptions from my phone while walking and trying to look for myself.  

We toured Rosenborg Castle and Treasury, Christianshavn, Our Savior's Church and Christiansborg Palace.  We walked over 20,000 steps and climbed well over 500 stairs.  We feel we've seen Copenhagen from the inside to the outside today.

Rosenborg Castle was built in the early 1600's by King Christian IV, one of Denmark's greastest monarchs.  His name is evident almost everywhere we look in Copenhagen.  The palace as a whole is smaller than some we have toured and less grand but it has a very lived in feel to it.  A couple of unique features is the speaking tube that runs through the building to other rooms on the same level or to the kitchen or wine cellar.  There is also floor vents in the diningroom that can be opened so that the music being played one floor down could be heard while dining.  The castle contained many collectables such as china, porcelain, ivory carvings, gold  and silver knick knacks and much more.  We even saw 1640 wine in bottles.  Also the never ending paintings and tapestries.

A short walk away was the area of town called Christianshavn or Christiania where in 1971 squatters took over a military base and created a commune.  Today they are still there but instead of seeing it as a run down area full of junkies, it is a tourist attraction that is still run down.  They don't have hard drugs in the are but you can see and smell pot all over the place! We had a great lunch but turned down brownies for desert!

Not far from there is Our Savior Lutheran Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke) built in 1696.  It has had a recent restoration so it looks very clean and modern except for the ornately carved wood decorated pipe organ supported by two elephants (a royal symbol of the prestigious Order of the Elephant).  The building is topped by a bell tower that has spiral stair steps to the top that we hiked up.  398 steps for a magnificant view of Copenhagen.

Not tired yet (but close) we toured Christiansborg Palace.  The current palace was built in 1928 but it stands on top of the remains of 6 other palaces from 800 years ago.  These either crumpled or burned down.  The current palace has some items that were saved from the last fire.  This is where Queen Margrethe II impresses visitors from the library and dining room to the reception rooms and the thrown room.

Now we are tired and it is trying to rain.