Denmark: Helsingor, Hamlet and Herring

I have had a wonderful four days in Denmark. I have been staying with friends Matthew and Regine in Helsingor which is just outside of Copenhagen. They have an apartment in the old town so I was quite spoiled with being surrounded by lovely little old houses on cobblestone streets just on the doorstep of the apartment. They took me on an extensive walking tour of Copenhagen on Saturday (I arrived on Friday night) and the weather was perfect for lots of walking. We visited the palace where the Royal Family stay for six months of the year, a tower with a view of the city which was designed to climb by carriage and various churches, the town square and so many other highlights. They share my love of fun facts so I have too many to mention but some include that Denmark has the oldest monarchy in the world and that they have the longest shopping street in northern Europe. It was interesting to hear about the differences between the countries within Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway and Denmark) and their shared history. The history is one of rivalries, occupations and cooperation in a mosaic of history. I have sampled the local fare - Carlsberg beer and Helsingor's own beer, pickled herring and also delicious danishes which ironically aren't called Danishes in Denmark!

During the time I was there the weather was up and down and Monday was very wet. Given Helsingor's location on the water (you can easily see Sweden across the Sound), it is also very windy. I chose to abandon my planned walk around Helsingor and instead visited Kronborg Castle which was the location of Hamlet (Elsinor). Apparently the play Hamlet only happened because some actors in Shakespeare's original acting troupe went to one of the famous parties held there by King Frederik and told Shakespeare about it so he decided to write a play set in what was now becoming the go-to party spot. I liked the castle and a highlight was Holger the Dane. This is a statue of a legendary giant who will waken if Denmark is attacked by foreign enemies. 

It was a very full four days with sightseeing, interesting long conversations and relaxation. It is sad to leave but there are more adventures ahead...

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