The Eurodam sailed quietly up the beautiful Oslofjord to dock directly in front of the Askerhus Fortress and within spitting distance of City Hall and the city center. The captain had predicted rain but it has been a day of warm sunshine and lilting breezes—a wonderful cliché of Scandinavian weather. I hope he is a better mariner than meteorologist. But first back to Sunday in Copenhagen.
Sunday 31 July: A Short Morning in Copenhagen
The breakfast buffet at the hotel is a typically Scandinavian affair with enough eggs, cold cuts, fruits, salads, and breads to stuff Hans Christian Andersen (if he hadn’t eaten those pastries yesterday). The dining room has an amazing machine that brews seven different kinds of coffee with the push of a button—from straight black to cappuccino to caffe latte.
After breakfast I use the bus and metro to visit Christianshavn, the small island just east of city center with a mix of neighborhoods ranging from the remnants of the old fishing village to gentrified town houses and the new opera house. Lots of small boutiques and craft shops line the narrow, cobbled streets—but window shopping only since it’s Sunday morning. There are, however, many coffee shops open with patrons enjoying the outdoor sunshine along with their newspapers and coffees.
Then a taxi back to the hotel to get my stuff together for checkout and another taxi ride to the northern part of the city where several cruise ships are docked and the Eurodam is waiting. The taxi driver is a young man from Somalia, who just recently gained his Danish passport. When I asked about the difficulty of learning the Danish language, he replied that it was as difficult as the effort a person puts into it. But it took him about two years just to learn enough Danish to make basic communications. Needless to say, he also speaks English quite well. I keep forgetting that this is NOT America and no one expects a tip; my small gratuities are received with graciousness and often a surprised thank you.
Boarding the Eurodam
No free upgrade to a verandah this trip, but I am very happy with my extra-large stateroom on the top deck with a large window looking directly over the bow. The cabin seems almost twice the size of the one Will and I had on Cunard last fall.
A light lunch in the Lido Buffet—where there is no self-service until two days after we leave Copenhagen to cut down the chances of spreading GI ailments. I have been through this drill before and you get used to washing your hands and using hand sanitizer everywhere you go on board. As Captain Nemo once said, “Better clean than scary.” Highlights of lunch are country pate and gravalax—with wonderful chocolate ice cream for dessert.
After making sure that I have a solo table to myself in the dining room, I decide to order the five-bottle wine package. Just because I’m not travelling formal this time, doesn’t mean I have to travel sober. I am sorry to learn that my wine steward friend, Anthony, is no longer on the Eurodam, although the staff members I ask remember him quite well.
Sail Away and Dinner
At the 5 pm sail-away party, the crew serves up a real American-style cookout beside the Lido Deck pool. The aromas are overpowering and I am forced to have a second lunch (it’s been a very active day): barbecue chicken, ribs, and a skewer of vegetables. Yummy.
My dining table is situated perfectly in the center of a small defined area suspended over the atrium that looks down on the lower floor of the two-level room. There are just five two-person tables in the area and it’s quite like having a private dining room. I can see over both sides of the atrium as well as the second floor dining room that surrounds the area. Anthony may be gone, but wine steward Maya, a young woman from the Philippines, makes a charming substitute. The main server, Titus, is perfect too.
But the most amazing thing is that on this first night three of the five tables in the area are occupied—ALL by people from Tucson! Did someone plan this or did some diabolical computer decide to play a wicked joke? What are the odds with 2000 passengers on board? The couple at the table to my right (Melody and Tom) moved from Chicago to Tucson about the same time Will and I arrived and live in the Tucson Mountains, just west of Ina and Silverbell (for other Tucsonans who might be reading this). The couple at the table across from me are snowbirds, who spend half the year in Calgary and half the year in Tucson. Just amazing!
All this magic almost makes me forget to talk about food. Dinner begins with smoked duck carpaccio with figs in a balsamic reduction, with a garnish of creamy coleslaw, followed by hot tomato soup Florentine, with fresh spinach and pine nuts, spice-crusted prime rib (cooked perfectly), with mashed potatoes, carrots, and asparagus, topped off with my favorite dessert: Burgundy cherry ice cream.
Then it’s off to bed and sweet dreams.
The next blog entry will take you to Oslo.
Christianshavn
Sailing from Copenhagen
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