CONCLUDING COPENHAGEN
- Hannah McDonald
- Jul 13, 2022
- 4 min read
LuggageHero (Rosenborg Cykler) • Botanical Gardens • Indian Swaad • 20Grams • Copenhagen Central Station
Today is our last day in Copenhagen, and it is a partial day. Gosh, that went fast! Seeing as this is one of our favorite cities we have ever explored, we are sad to see our time come to an end (but excited for the next adventure). Do not worry! We still have a half day worth of Copenhagen adventures to share. You did not think we took the morning easy, did you? Joelle, of course, started her day with a run, while I got us organized to continue our travels.
LuggageHero (Rosenborg Cykler)
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Have you ever had a whole day left of your trip to have fun but need to check-out of your accommodations by a certain time? What do you do with your luggage while you enjoy your last day? This is the situation we find ourselves in, and we certainly do not want to drag all our luggage with us (although we packed light) on our final adventures. Fortunately, LuggageHero connects us (and by us I mean Joelle) with businesses around the city who offer luggage storage for the day. From my perspective, we pack our bags, take a metro (with our suitcases–yes, we carried them up and down the stairs), walk a few minutes to a bicycle shop, leave our suitcases next to the counter, and walk out of the store to begin our last activities. “Umm, Joelle…are you sure this is okay? You have your passport on you, right?” Many questions percolate in my mind, while Joelle assures me she did much research and identification is checked through the app.
Fast forward several hours…we pick-up our suitcases from exactly where we left them (literally, exactly where we left them…I do not think anyone touched them). Turns out, this is a great system, and we would recommend it.
Botanical Gardens: Palm House and Butterfly House
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After spending much time on cobble stone streets and in elaborate castles, we want to explore something a little different—the Botanical Gardens. City streets turn to dirt paths lined with greenery and flowers and wrapping around ponds. We make our way to the first destination in the gardens: The Palm House. Here, we walk through five greenhouses, each with different climates and plants. We go from being chilled outside (wearing our fleece jackets) to sweating in the warm (humid) tropics to cooling off in drier climates. Plants cover the greenhouses, with small paths wrapping through. In the palm greenhouse, we climb a set of spiral stairs and walk around the upper rim of the building, allowing us to experience the rainforest from above. Walking through the Palm House, we are transported to Professor Sprout’s Herbology class at Hogwarts, since many plants resemble Mandrakes (the mandrake root would scream and cry when pulled from the ground, killing anyone who heard it; used to restorative potions).
The next destination within the gardens is the Butterfly House. I am so excited and hope one will land on me. After a short wait (only so many people can go in at a time), we enter the Butterfly House and immediately see them fluttering around us. There are a wide variety of butterflies, some with blue wings, some with orange wings, and some with transparent, glassy wings. They are fun to watch, flapping their beautiful wings as they go from plant to plant. Some little frogs are spotted as well. A couple butterflies land on other observers; however, Joelle and I do not make any butterfly friends (I am a little disappointed one did not land on me). What a fun change of pace to see something a little different in the city.
Indian Swaad
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Getting hungry, the quest for some good food begins. Unfortunately, this one has to be a restaurant because we ate through our groceries and no longer have a kitchen. One of Joelle and I’s least favorite activities is finding a restaurant while hungry, rather than at leisure. Alas, Joelle finds an Indian restaurant nestled in a side street, and we enjoy lunch on the patio. By the end of our (relatively light) meal, our desperate hunger has subsided, but we are ready for more.
20Grams
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While eating on the patio at Indian Swaad, we eye a cute coffee shop across the street—20Grams—that promises vegan options. In addition to lunch now, we need dinner to take on our (6 hour) train ride to Sweden, so we are on the lookout for yummy vegan sandwiches. After checking this coffee shop and a sandwich shop up the street, we settle on the hummus and avocado sandwiches at 20Grams. With some lingering hunger and time remaining in Copenhagen, we order waffles with fruit and peanut butter to munch on while enjoying the fun coffee shop. Joelle’s first comment upon trying the waffle is “wow, this is so sweet.” Surprisingly (and unfortunately), I do not have the same impression and eat the entire waffle (the ingredients looked clean). Ultimately, that puts my body in a horrid sugar shock (remember, I do not eat processed sugar), essentially making me borderline comatose as we (or should I say Joelle, who was towing me) navigate the train station and board our train. This is now referred to as “the waffle of death.”
Copenhagen Central Station
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Our time in Copenhagen concludes as the train departs Copenhagen Central Station, crossing the water toward Sweden. While a relatively short trip, our days were full and fun, as we enjoyed city life in stark contrast to the nine days spent in Iceland. This is a new favorite city: It is so clean, safe, walkable, and fun, filled with lots of good energy. I can see why Denmark might be awarded the title of happiest country. We hope to return soon!
“If petrified, visit the Palm House,” Lonely Planet Guide.