The Cycling City of the World

Honestly, Copenhagen should be called "the City of Many Rainfalls"...you'll see why, soon. This past weekend, I met my sister for a second week of exploration. She flew into my new home country of Denmark, so luckily I didn't have to do much traveling to meet her. Not that I would EVER complain about getting to travel. Hell, I'd ride on the back of a camel with a razor hump if it meant I got to see the world! Okay, enough dramatic talk for now.

In a typical fashion, Nickie and I decided to get lunch immediately once I arrived off of the train. Any guesses on where we ate? Would you judge us if I told you that we had chicken fingers and french-fries at an "authentic American diner?" Well...we did. There was a miscommunication between Nickie and the waiter, so we ended up with four baskets of fries. Am I upset it happened? Nah. While we were eating, Nickie told me that the overcast weather we were experiencing was her favorite. I completey blame her words for the fact that it down-poured the rest of the day. We weren't going to let a little, or a lot, of rain ruin our weekend though...so off we walked arm and arm (literally arm and arm becuase we had to share an umbrella) to the Carlsberg Brewery.

The brewery was amazing, of course. My infatuation with the alocholic beverage increased after seeing what it takes to produce it, especisally back in the day. At the end of the tour, we recieved our free beer. It was still raining, so we sat outside under large black umbrellas, causually sipped, and talked. It's been a long time since I've seen my sister and I can't even begin to describe how nice it was to have this one on one time with her. We soon grew chilly and sought refuge in a complimentary tour bus, though it was a short-lived safe haven. We were dropped off back in the city and decided to grab a hot chocolate before continuing on. One thing led to another and hot chocolate turned to hot chocolate, bagels and two comfortable airchairs. With a hot beverage and snack in our stomachs, we resumed to brave the weather and walk around.

It's said the one of the most iconic places to go in Copenhagen is the Tivoli Gardens. The best way to describe Tivoli is as a 19th-century amusement park filled with lush gardens of attractive flowers. We huddled for shelter next to a pizza-to-go establishment for 20 minutes becuase the weather got bad again. Yes, of course we ate pizza while waiting. We were so shocked how all these little children just kept riding rollercoasters while there was a terrenchial downpour. It was a sight all its own.

Exhausted, we went back to the hotel for warm showers and sleep. Maybe it's becuase I had to sleep outside the night before (another story for another time) but I was knocked out within minutes. The next morning, we woke up to...SUN.

We decided to begin our day by shopping on Copenhagen's version of the Magnificent Mile, Stroøget. You'd be happy though, mom and dad! We only bought like, one thing each!...And a street hotdog...and an apple cinnamin waffle. We then moved on to the historical side of town and soaked up the charm that is the Rosenborg Castle and its surrounding rose gardens. From there, we randomly stumbled upon what became our favorite part of the trip--Langelinie, or the pier. We sat for lunch along the water and watched tourists and locals alike take pleasure in the cloudless day. After lunch and despite our full bellies, Nickie got gelato and I had my first taste of churros. All I have to say is WOW. I keep coming across amazing desserts and I can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse.

We had to return to the train station so Nickie could catch her plane back to Germany. On our way back, we stopped by the Amailienborg Palace. Otherwise known as home to the royal family of Denmark. Like every other castle and palace I've come across, it was decandent and stunning.

After we got on our seperate trains, I started to feel emotional in the best way possible. How many people get to travel to some of the most beautiful citites in the world with their older sister? I almost felt overwhelmed with blessings. But again, that's all for another time and another post. Nickie--I hope you enjoyed Denmark and I can't wait to see you in two weeks for Oktoberfest!