European Street & Wind Farm

Having lived in single family homes in the suburbs of Chicago since 1956, I was looking for what I had in my mind as a quintessential "Europe street" picture. We are so use to space here, it seemed to me that I would see a string of colorful buildings lining a street in more than one European city. Copenhagen gave me the sight of one such street on the way back to the cruise ship.

And in pretty much every country in Europe I saw interesting wind farms. None was more interesting than the one that was located along the waterfront -- and then right on into the water!

Leaving Copenhagen, we turned our attention to Germany. Berlin photos in the next post.

Parking Lot and Tivoli Gate

On the way to Tivoli Gardens, we passed an interesting parking lot. As Americans, we tend not to think of bicycles as being regular, reliable transportation, but in much of Europe, that is exactly what they are. This two-level parking lot was right in downtown Copenhagen, and the more I look at it, the more I see some of the wide differences between European city life and American suburban life.

Tivoli was interesting and beautiful. Our guide was quick to point out that when Walt Disney decided to improve upon the carnivals and amusement parks of America all those years ago, Tivoli was one of the first places he visited. The comfortable layout and the vibrantly beautiful flowers certainly took some cues from this classic park. Some photos inside Tivoli in the next post.

Palaces in Copenhagen

The royal residences in Copenhagen are huge buildings, with four of them built around a public square. In the past, as young members of the family needed separate living accomodations, a new building was added to the complex.

The residences flank a beautiful Lutheran Church. That edifice, and a statue of the most famous of Danish writers, will be featured in the next post.

The Little Mermaid

Our arrival in Copenhagen on a Sunday morning was exciting -- we were off on the adventure of the cruise. The most noted landmark that all tourists expect to see is The Little Mermaid, so the tour bus took us there first.

And she is little. She is smaller than life size, place atop a rock, and if not for the throngs of people and the lines of the tourist buses, she might not be easy to find.

Across the harbor from the Mermaid is a government building which reminded me of a chess piece, standing strong in the morning haze. Perhaps a hint of the royalty that is still quite active in Denmark. In the next post, a look at a royal residence.