|
| Monday, April 03, 2006 |
| No.17 Copenhagen ... or København?? |
 Ever heard of the ugly duckling, thumbelina or the little mermaid?? how r they connected to copenhagen? simple .. their writer lived there ... yep .. im talkin bout Hans Christian Anderson!!! Copenhagen is the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark and is known as the City of Beautiful Towers. In ancient times it was called Kømædenes Havn which was shortened to København, as it is now  known.
The area of Slotsholmen, dates back to 1167 A.D.. Slotsholmen is the seat of the parliament, and is located on a small island within the city centre, separated by a moat-like canal.
 The winter residence of the Danish Royal Family is Amalienborg where u can c The Royal Guard. After every two hours, the guards are relieved. There is a red coat in the guard house for bad weather. However, when the change of guard takes place, the officer in charge, looks behind the coat. This is done as earlier guards would sneak a girlfriend behind the coat.
Then comes the Gefion Fountain which is a wishing well. It depicts an legen d telling how Zealand (on which Copenhagen is situated) came into existence. The goddess Gefion was given permission by the Swedish King Gylfe to plow an area in Sweden, and the land she managed to plow within one day and one night, she could use in any way. So, she turned her four sons into oxen to pull the plough. By the end, they got the earth needed to create Zealand. Where the earth was taken, the Zealand-shaped lake Vänern lies today.
 The little mermaid is of course in tribute to Andersen. It tells the story of a mermaid who fell in love with a prince, and often came up to look for her love. The sculpture pictures her as she sits and looks out over the water.
Now, this needs to be said ... There is this place called Kirkegård which is a graveyard. Guess what? I found this description during my research "It is not uncommon for regular visitors to have a favorite grave, where they do their sunbathing." this was accompanied by a completely shocking pic as well ... how disgusting is that??? http://www.copenhagenpictures.dk/assistens-kirkegaard-soeren-kierkegaard.html
In 1885 Frederiksborg Castle was re-opened, as the national portrait gallery. There are paintings of members of the royal families, as well as great Danish personalities. There is also  many objects of historic value and in the castle chapel is a gallery of coats of arms from 1610.
Shakespeare's "Hamlet" takes place in the castle of Kronborg. It has one of the most unpleasant prisons. It is wide up front, and narrows until it's basically not wide or tall enough for a man. Smaller bars were fitted as time went, shrinking the space available until the prisoner could do nothing but stand up at the back of the cell. The temperature in the cell is a steady 6-7 degrees centigrade. On the better side, inside the gates is  the most extensive souvenir shop in Denmark. It is also famous for the legend of "Holger".
Tulips bloom in Tivoli by the thousands, and most of the trees have been in residence since the opening of the Tivoli Gardens. Also, it is a place of lights so Tivoli must be visited twice to see the flowers in the day, and in the night time the many lights and an aura that could be from a fairy tale. 
And now about the food !! The true Danish food is the unique 'smørrebrød' or their open sandwiches !!! it can have any kinda toppings .. Eggs, Roast Duck, Pickled herring, Smoked Eel, Lobster, Cheese, Shrimps, Warm pan fried fish fillets, Cucumber salad, Red cabbage, Parsley, Mayonnaise, Raw egg yolk (ewwww), Chopped onions, Fried mushrooms, Radishes, Olives.
 They apparently r very into seafood !! eh?? But one more thing they are very famous for are their pastries ... so very famous that the world over the pastries are called "danishes"!! what further reason do u need to PIG OUT !!!!! The further adventures will come back to Asia next time with Hong Kong... Again ppl ... plz click on the google link at the top of the blog !! |
posted by Ipshi @ 3:48 pm   |
|
| 2 Comments: |
-
The Mermaid's city seems like an intersting place. I found the idea of sunbathing on graves quite quirky. I can't get myself to think too deeply on whether its offensive and all that, but only those crazy westerners would be willing to go to such an extreme to get what we folks are already blessed with.
-
The whole idea of having an area within the city on an island is quite interesting. The relieving of the Royal Guard, somehow reminds me of the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace. The graveyard episode however, is totally inhuman and diabolic in a way.. (..chills running down my spine!)
The Frederiksborg Castle (nice image) seems to be an interesting place.. especially at the mention of paintings, valuables and arms (wow!! Ipshi, im sure u'll relate to this well). A souvenir shop next to a prison within the same premise.. hmmm, impressive combination; shop-lifters beware!
Oye! And the very mantion of the food got me drooling yaar, just like A true Pnjabi!! Especially the sumptuous array of toppings & sea food.. but seriously raw egg yolk is truely ewwwwwwwwwwwww!
Amazing images & great writing.. keep it up!
With such a beautiful tulip by my side, i could only be a fool to go to Tivoli lookin for them! Wishing you lots of luck and happiness as i virtually toss a coin into the marvellous Gefion Fountain (from a photographers perspective, the fountain so looks like a miniature of the Bellagio in Las Vegas)!! God Bless..
|
| |
| << Home |
| |
| |
|
|
| about me |
 - Name: Ipshi
- Location: Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
It is only in my 30s that I have realised I will never be the elegant lady who can wear white without spilling something on it. I recognise my blessings like my family, my friends & my job & I am letting go of my fears of writing & just jumping in. I love my job. It has given me the opportunity to live in a city where I am surrounded by the most amazing friends in the world & the most surreal experiences. It also gives me the opportunity to read great books & travel to fascinating new countries. Join me as I share these with the world.
View my complete profile
|
| My fotos |
|
|
| My mood right now |
|
My Oniomania |
| |
Links |
|
|
| Rambles in days gone by |
|
| Months of blah |
|
| Template by |
|
|
The Mermaid's city seems like an intersting place. I found the idea of sunbathing on graves quite quirky. I can't get myself to think too deeply on whether its offensive and all that, but only those crazy westerners would be willing to go to such an extreme to get what we folks are already blessed with.