I have just finished my first dinner in the dining room and—very drunk and very full and very satisfied—I am heading to bed while the ship sails north from Copenhagen through the Oresund and into the very long Oslofjord, arriving in Oslo just after noon tomorrow.
Since this is really my first major posting since leaving Tucson, I will fill in the details of travel getting to Copenhagen and the ship—that should cover Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So keep awake while you read.
Thursday 28 July-Friday 29 July: New York City Again
Early morning Delta flights take me from Tucson to Atlanta to New York-LaGuardia for a one night stay with Helen on 15th Street. The weather is much cooler than it was during my visit last week, so on Friday morning I head out for Union Square and a trip to Macy’s to buy last minute stuff for the trip. I had a computer battery death just before I left Tucson, so I had Dell rush deliver a new battery to Helen’s; it arrives at 3 pm and by 3:10 the old battery is out and the new battery in (really easy to do). Good thing the delivery was on time since the car service to JFK picks me up at 5:30 pm. Getting through the Midtown tunnel is hell; the short trip from 15th Street through the tunnel takes 45 minutes—twice as long as it takes from the tunnel to JFK.
My 10:10 pm Delta flight from JFK to Copenhagen boards on time, but we sit at the gate for an hour while they fiddle with the “entertainment” system. Then it’s another hour while we taxi and wait for take-off. We finally get into the air two hours late, but make up an hour during the seven-hour flight. The “Comfort Economy” seat is very nice: extra leg room and reclining pitch—I can stretch my legs out all the way. But strangely, the plane is a Boeing 757, a jet with one aisle and three seats on each side. On the Delta booking page it was supposed to be a wide-body, with four aisle seats in each row (instead of the two on the 757). Needless to say there are a number of unhappy pilgrims who thought they had booked aisle seats but ended up in the middle. I am lucky and land my requested aisle seat.
After a quick dinner of spinach and bell pepper pasta, I settle in for a good five-hour sleep (with the aid of drugs, of course).
Saturday 30 July: Copenhagen
After a very skimpy breakfast, we arrive to sunny skies in the early afternoon and my new “Jeep” luggage (don’t ask) survives the trip quite well and keeps my clothes freshly pressed (there is nothing as good as a cheap suitcase). The Hotel First Vesterbrogade is well-located, just two blocks from the center of Copenhagen—City Hall and Tivoli. And what a treat (for a Tucsonan) to have ice cold water fresh from the tap in the bathroom!
After a quick shower I head for a walk through town, with the help of some very fine pastries from the Hans Andersen Bakery (there was a three for the price of two special). I have an early dinner at an outdoor café in the Stroget, the city’s pedestrians-only main shopping street—the highlight was an ice-cold Tuborg draft. Then back to the hotel and a long night’s rest.
And speaking of rest, I will conclude this entry for now and continue the next blog entry with Sunday morning in Copenhagen and the late afternoon sail away on the Eurodam.
My hotel in Copenhagen (above)
Good night to all.
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