Copenhagen Calling

Copenhagen Calling
Nov 28, 2005

It was the first time I was feeling lucky about not being able to get the tickets on time. We had just finished module and were supposed to fly back to India. However all flights were booked and that meant one forced day of sight seeing in Copenhagen.

Sight seeing in sub zero temperatures is not exactly my idea of a delightful day but the city looked so unpretentiously charming that we had to step out. It is a tiny city with barely 1.8 million people. The city grew from being a sleepy fishing village to a modern cultural and trade centre. The Christmas spirit had just begun and the city was ornate with serial lights.

The city is tourist friendly with maps and directions at every nook and corner. Nobody is allowed to build more than five stories high, however there is an area where one gets to see some modern skyscrapers etc reserved mainly for offices. Most buildings are identical traditional European 17th century style. The uniform cobblestones add to the uniqueness.

So we began by walking to the city centre and exploring the city from there. At the city centre is the canal. It is the narrow passage of water that unites the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It gently curves throughout the city and is the most ideal way to view the city. The canal tour takes you through all the landmarks of the city with live announcements on the boat. Canal tours are banned in winters so we had to make do with a ferry ride across the city and view the city with the help of a map. Along the canal the charming flotilla of boats and ferries called for a very pretty picture indeed.

We saw the legendary little mermaid. She sat in one corner all by herself and is the city’s most famous landmark. We also stepped into a nice church where we spent some moments in rare serenity.

Our single minded aim for the day was to see Tivoli Gardens. It is probably the city’s biggest amusement centre. Anyone at Christmas time would want to see the lighting. So we were waiting for daylight to fade. At four in the afternoon the sun had retired for the day and we were all set to explore Tivoli.

As one enters, the endless chatter of little children and old people alike simply transform the frigid Scandinavian air. It was unbelievable to see little children, sometimes even infants reveling in the brightly lit ambience. But the entire place was so beautifully lit and that was motivation enough to fight the bitter cold.

Once inside Tivoli, I felt I was transported to Fairyland by the swoosh of a magic wand. It was so enchanting inside with a host of activities to keep you engaged for an entire day. As we entered there nice little shops that were displaying cute Christmas ware. Santa Claus in all shapes, forms and sizes made it a very pretty sight to behold.

As we walked on we realized that the park was demarcated into very specific areas. At the entrance there was a Christmas bonanza. In an artificial snow mountain there were little mechanical elves running on electricity that were made to work very hard indeed. Hovering around was a lively human Santa Claus who was scaring and pleasing little children with his presence.

As we walked further on there was an attempted replica of the Taj Mahal. Though at first glance it does create a faint déjà vu it is not such a memorable replica. Then there was the rides section where the adrenalin was soaring as the roller coaster whirred its way to the zenith and then did almost a free fall like drop to the nadir. It was fascinating. But somehow the chill simply did not inspire me to pull out my cozy gloves and buy the tickets. So we moved on.

Then we walked right into China Town. Typical Three layered tapering tower like structures in hues of red and green added to the cheer. These buildings mostly housed Chinese restaurants. All of them lit by typical Chinese paper lanterns and humming some soulful tunes. And of course some paintings of fire spitting dragons made it a colourful sight.

As we walked out we were led into more Christmas cheer. There was a beautiful crib complete with the Star of Bethlehem and the three kings of Orient holding precious gifts heralding the birth of the savior.

At regular intervals there were heating coal pots to unfreeze our freezing fingers. Never would taking off one’s gloves feel so delightful.

By the exit is a lovely little lake which offers romantic rides. It is so aesthetically done up with lights that it was the most photographed object in the park. Thus we were nearly ending our walk of this versatile park that offered everything from thrilling rides to soothing concert centres.

We walked out into the cold again and had to go a long way to grab some hot roti sabji at a Bangladeshi restaurant. It felt like heaven to be looking at something hot. Then began the ordeal of walking back to the residence. It felt like the longest 2 km walk of my life. And when we finally reached home and plonked ourselves into the soft cushions and bed; it never felt better. I slept soundly that day dreaming of a long and uneventful flight back home to hot and humid Mumbai.