Krongborg Castle - Hamlet and Holger

Today we saw the Danish castle made famous in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Whether Shakespeare ever visited Kronborg ("Crown") Castle is unknown, but in Hamlet, Shakespeare called the castle Elsinore, the anglicized name for Helsingør, the town next door. (Helsingor is still a fishing village, just with a huge famous castle next to its harbor. Fisherman were heading home with their catch when I snapped this picture, famous castle in background.)

Hamlet was first performed at Kronborg castle in 1816 and famous actors (Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Jude Law, etc.) have come to the castle to peform Hamlet on the premises. Now every August they have a Shakespearean festival.

Hamlet was written in 1602, and Krongberg was likely well known to Shakespeare, even if he never saw it in person. The hook shaped peninsula has had a fort on it since 1420, but was developed into an enormous Renaissance castle by Danish King Frederik II by 1577. The castle sometimes hosted the monarch, but mostly it was used as a tollbooth.

Ships passing through from the Baltic Ocean down to Western Europe had to pay a "Sound dues" to the king as they passed through this 2.5 mile channel between Denmark and Sweden. Our tour guide said dues could be 35,000 Danish Kroner. That's over $4,000 per ship in today's exchange, and this was 400 years ago! On busy days, 50 ships could pay dues. Now you can see why Frederik II could build such an extravagent castle.

As it was an unusually sunny day for October, our tour guide took us up to the roof to take in the vistas. While in the attic, she pointed out the cannon ball that had gone through the rafters in 1658, courtesy of the Swedes. The Swedes and Danes were mortal enemies for centuries. But all has been smoothed out now. I even saw an Ikea in downtown Copenhagen.

But my favorite discovery was of the legendary warrior Holger Danske (Holger the Dane), who sleeps in the castmates (reinforced cellars) beneath the castle. His scuplture was placed there in 1907. Here I'm standing next to the slumbering giant. While the legend of Holger Danske is a thousand years old, Hans Christian Andersen made him even more famous, and placed him at Kronborg castle. Andersen wrote, "should real danger come, old Holger Danske will rise in his fury... and the mighty blows he strikes for Denmark will be heard throughout the world."

Copenhagen - Rosenborg Castle and Christian IV

Yesterday, royal crypts. Today, royal residences. Specifically, Rosenborg the "pleasure palace" and treasure chamber of Danish kings from 1607 to 1853. There were a succession of Christians and Frederiks in this castle (see previous post for Domkirke), but I'll just focus on the most colorful and longest serving at 59 years, Christian IV. It was Christian IV who built the house that would become the palace, staring in 1607. It was more a vacation house placed within his extensive gardens, or, as he initially described it, "the big house in the garden," but grew to its current size by 1634.

The towers kept getting taller and taller. I'm leaning on one of the protective lions just on the other side of the moat that encircled the palace.

But back to my colorful monarch. Christian IV was larger than life. He ate too much, he drank too much, and he had 22 children. And in his 60s, he was still a warrior, losing his right eye in 1644 in a naval battle with Sweden. The painting above shows him injured but alive after the battle and is located at his burial chapel in Roskilde's Domkirke.

Christian IV deliberately saved the shirt and jacket he wore that day. You can see the blood soaked items in his bedchamber at Rosenborg.

Christian IV had a vision of victory at the battle, and also ascending to heaven,and had an artist paint an odd portrait of a svelte shirtless king in the clouds being crowned by a cupid. I suppressed my laughter.

Lastly, Christian IV's crown is on display in the treasury in the basement of the palace. I found it far more fascinating than the later crown worn by subsequent kings. The earlier crown was created in 1595 and is made of delicate enamel and jewels. Here Steven is examining it behind bullet proof glass. Hard to see, but a pelican (or swan) is pecking at her own breast, a sign of the self-sacrifice a king was expected to make. Christina IV had to pawn his own crown after losing one of his many wars, but his son Frederik III managed to buy it back and use it for its own coronation. It was last used in 1648.

Denmark - Roskilde's Domkirke

While I was intent on seeing thousand year old Viking ships in Roskilde, I was unexpectedly awed by the town cathedral. I would argue if you can visit only one site in Roskilde, make it the Domkirke.

The Domkirke began life as a wooden church circa 985, built by King Harold Bluetooth, who had converted to Christianity. (He's reputed to be buried somewhere on the grounds, but no one knows where.) That wooden church was replaced in the next century by a stone church, financed by King Canute's sister. And that stone church was replaced by a far larger brick church sometime around 1170. Over the next 100 years or so, the catheral got bigger and differenter. It is a odd yet charming mix of this and that, and it all kind of works. Here you can see Steven reading a tombstone on the floor. If you were rich enough, you could pay for such a tribute, though only until 1807. (In fact, the nice volunteer docent told us there are a thousand people buried beneath this church!!)

What makes this cathedral extra special is that it has become the final resting place of Danish monarchs since about 986, with some gaps here and there. If you guess that all the King Christians and all the King Frederiks are buried here, you would be mostly right. (The Kings like to alternate between those two names.) Only Frederik I is missing.

There's Christian I (d. 1481) (see his ornate chapel above) through Christian 10 (d. 1947), and then Frederick II, who died 1588, up through Frederik IX, who died in 1972.

Queen Margrete I (d. 1412) is here as well, topped with a marble effigy and gold crown.

Margrete II, the current reigning queen of Denmark, will also be interred in the cathedral, in Saint Birgitta's Chapel, which is decorated with frescos paintedin the 1500s, and includes a delightfully happy horse devil.

The current queen has decided she will be encased in a unique glass sarcophagus, a model of which I viewed. This highlights that each monarch creates their own signature look for their final abode. And that makes this cathedral uniquely fascinating.

Denmark - Roskilde's Viking Ship Museum

This morning we traveled by taxi to Hellerup, the ritzy northern suburb of Copenhagen, where Steven's employer is headquartered, and where we could get a Covid-19 test. A negative test is required for us to board a plan back to the U.S. While we weren't expecting otherwise, we gave a sigh of relief when our tests both came back negative. And then it was off to more sightseeing.

I had a hankering for some Viking history, so we boarded the train to Roskilde, about 19 miles west of Copenhagen. It's said Roskilde was founded in 600 A.D. by Viking King Roar, and was the center of the Viking world before Copenhagen got popular. We visited the Viking Ship Museum (or, as they say in Danish, Vikingeskibsmuseet). This museum is a modern concrete structure that practically floats over the Roskilde Fjord. Within are the remains of thousand year old Viking boats. They had been deliberately scuttled to protect the inlet in the 11th century. They were salvaged in 1962 and over several decades were preserved and pieced back together.

The collection includes a long boat that would have held 60 soldiers or more for days at a time. Each man had space in which to sit on a narrow plank, and that was it. Think being on a unpadded plane seat for several days, but with no flush toilet, no shelter, and freezing salt spray constantly hitting you in the face. Meanwhile, you had to do some hard physically exhausting rowing, while trying not to get seasick. After all that, then you engage in battle. If you made it through all that, you might get to do some pillaging.

The museum has built a replica of the 11th century longboat (pictured above) and I scrambled on board and got a small taste of why the life of a Viking was no amusement park ride. They had to comfort themselves with visions of Valhalla, a sort of heaven for slain warriors.

Copenhagen - Christianhavn

I was intrigued by Christianhavn when I saw it from our boat canal tour. It sits on Amager island, just across from the city center. A very clever pedestrian and bike bridge provides access to the island, which is mostly residential, and many of those residents live on boats and floating homes that line the canals there.

We walked across that clever bridge, which wisely separates walkers from bikers. On a Sunday afternoon, hundreds of bikers whizzed past us, perhaps to visit Broens Gadekøkken, which serves "world class street food." This collection of eateries and outdoor dining is only open April to October. Copenhageners wisely go indoors the rest of the year.

It wasn't dinnertime yet, so we continued walking down the cobbled streets admiring the boats until we unexpectedly came across the church with the spiral staircase, surrounded by apartments. Formally known as Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of our Savior), it was consecrated in 1696, but the unique twisted spire wasn't added until 1752. For a fee, you can climb the 400 steps (150 outside) to the top. We declined, but could clearly see the more adventurous making their way to the top.

Copenhagen Kastellet, Mermaid, and Meyers Bageri

While waiting for the Amelianborg Royal Museum to open* we decided to walk along the harbour up to the Kastellet, or Citadel. The Kastellet didn't make it into the Top 10 in my guidebooks, but it should. These fortifications were begun by Frederik III in 1662, and building continued until 1725. They sit within a star shaped moat, which ups the cool factor.

Upon entering a gate built in the 1600s (guarded by real live soldiers with guns) you are treated to the sight of 359 year-old guardhouses (pictured above), painted a brilliant red. I don't know that red is the best camouflage color for military fortifications, but it sure is pretty. The citadel was built to resist attacks from the Swedes which never materialized, though it did see action with the British in 1807. And though the citadel is still used by Danish military, it's really a park now, with joggers and dog walkers out in force.

The Kastellet is also the site of the famous Little Mermaid sculpture, based on a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. She's not big, but she's as famous as anyone in Copenhagen. She sits on a rock just off the harbour, surrounded by fans from around the world, jockeying to get a selfie. Steven is peering down at her from above.

Getting a little hungry, we stopped at Meyers Bageri (Bakery) as we wandered back to our hotel.

Recommended by Steven's brother, the location we visited was a tiny shop that had the most scrumptious pastries. We got some of those, but also simple sandwiches, consisting of bread rolls, butter and cheese. Quite delectable. There are several locations in the Copenhagen area.

*The royal museum never did open. Had I checked the museum website in advance, I would have learned it was currently closed "as we are preparing a special exhibition on the occasion of HM The Queen’s Golden Jubilee."

Copenhagen Amelianborg Square. The Queen is Out. The Guards Remain.

As we stood in Amalienborg Square, surrounded by the four palaces of the current Danish royal family, a kindly elderly Dane informed us Queen Margrethe was out of town, visiting Greenland. How did he know? The royal Swedish flag only flies above the palace when its occupants are in residence. Only one flag was out today, and that royal member wasn't receiving guests.

Nonetheless, a good sized crowd had assembled. It was time for the changing of the guards. This complicated ritual occurs promptly at noon every day, as traditionally clad soldiers, with swords strapped on, and wearing foot long fur hats, march around the square. They've come from Rosenborg castle, the other royal grounds up the street.

Copenhagen - Frederik's Church, aka The Marble Church

After a latte and a chocolate rum ball (to keep us going), we walked west from the Nyhavn harbor to Copenhagen's most famous church, commonly known as the Marmorkirken, or marble church. It was actually commissioned by King Frederik in 1740, to honor 300 years of Danish royal rule. King Frederik laid the foundation stone himself in 1749 to a lot of fanfare. To be constructed mostly of Norwegian marble, the cost was so great that construction stalled. Finally, after only 145 years, the church was finished in 1894, using more Danish marble and other material.

But the wait was worth it. What a church. It has one of the largest domes of any church in Europe, and with its green copper top, is a significant landmark in this flat city. When we visited, a bride and groom graced the front steps.

And it's a working church. Part of the Danish State Church, it's Evangelical-Lutheran. All can enter for rest and silent contemplation. Just check the hours posted.

Copenhagen Canal Tour

Two canal tour companies ply the waters of Copenhagen, but don't get in each others' way, literally, because they take different routes in the shallow canals that ring the city. For our tour on an unusually warm and sunny day in October, we settled on Canal Tours Copenhagen (www.stromma.com). For a mere 99 DKK (about $15) you are treated to a 60 minute tour starting from either Nyhavn (literally, "new canal") or The Strand. We started from Nyhavn, pictured above.

Each boat has a captain and a hostess. The hostess earns her salary by keeping us in our seats. Really, we have to stay in our seats because the boat passes under bridges so low if you stood up you'd be decapitated. Not a good way to leave this earth. Our hostess had to speak sharply to rowdies in the back of the boat several times to PLEASE sit down. The captain earns his salary by navigating under these bridges. In the picture above, we are about to pass under the narrowest and lowest of these bridges. So narrow, it's been lined with rubber.

But if you stay in your seat and keep your arms in, you will be treated to fabulous water level views of the city. My favorite was Christianhavn (Christian's canal) named after one of the King Christians (can't recall which one). People in this district live in housebouts lining the canal. Many were lounging out on their decks, and four young men, Carlsberg beer at hand, sat on the canal edge, and jovially waved at us, while a couple glided past on paddle boards. This perhaps expresses best the Danish ethos of "hygge" which, to translate, means a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being, regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture. (Note: To help you remember that term, there is a shop by that exact name on the Strøget where you can get a sweatshirt, t-shirt or bag emblazoned with the term.)

Delightful Denmark - Copenhagen Strøget

After a ten hour flight on SAS in which I watched two movies, had dinner and breakfast, and watched the sun rise over Copenhagen as we landed, I am now in the land of the Danes. Steven had come here a week earlier for work. Now I'm here too, but only to do fun stuff. And today we fit so much in.

After a hearty brunch at our hotel, we walked down the Strøget (pronounced stroy-et), which is Danish for "the walking strip." It's a pedestrian-only shopping corridor, and is a mix of slightly cheesy tourist shops and high end shopping (think Gucci), interspersed with public squares. You can enter the Strøget next to the city town hall (pictured above), which looks like a church and warehouse rolled into one. And watch out for bikes; cyclists are everywhere.

It was at at the first square we came to (Amegertorv, I believe), where I spotted the husband day care center sign. Husband day care consists of letting your husband get a drink while you shop. The beverage kiosk sits conveniently behind the sign. Steven failed to take advantage of this day care even though I spent extended time in a shop selling gnomes. (The shop is Det Gamle Apotek, and it is chock full of gnomes and Danish candy. You can't go wrong with picking up a souvenir here.)

Dad's 90th - Birthday Picnic

My dad Roger turned 90 on January 28, 2021. An auspicious occasion, yes, but we waited until July 31, 2021 to officially celebrate. That date coincided with a visit of my cousins, all the way out from Pennsylvania, where my dad grew up. My side of the family gathered en masse for BBQ and cake at my brother Adam's place in Yelm. We spread out on the front lawn, catching up. All Dad's kids were present, plus most of his 8 grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

One of my cousins has traced our family back to the Mayflower. Yes, that's exciting, but it also turns out we are related to Lizzie Borden, so I will just say we are a colorful family. I should add that my Dad's great-great-great grandfather, born in 1780 in Pennyslvania, served in the War of 1812, as we have his paycheck. Apparently, the going rate was $10 a month for soldiering back then. And many of my relatives have served in almost all our wars.

This last picture is of my Mom and the Nonaganerian enjoying cake on the front lawn swing.

San Jose - Winchester Mystery House

In early August, when our son Samuel was visiting, we took him to the local ghost house (there's one in every county). For us, that is the Winchester Mystery House, the former home of Mrs. Sarah Winchester, heir to the Winchester rifle fortune. A refined but eccentric woman, Mrs. Winchester had lost both her infant daughter and husband by 1881. After her husband passed away, the story goes, a spiritualist told her her misfortunes were due to deaths caused at the hands of Winchester rifles. To appease the spirits, she was advised to move West and build a house for the spirits. True or not, she moved out West from Connecticut to visit a neice in Menlo Park and never left the area.

In 1884 she purchased a farmhouse in San Jose, and over the next 38 years, continuously expanded it. This Victorian mansion now has 160 rooms and 7 stories. It is still unfinished. It is this sprawling and odd edifice we visited on a Saturday afternoon in 2021. For a mere $41 you can get an hour long tour of the house. So we donned our masks and took a look. Our tour guide, dressed in period costume, wound us through the patchwork structure.

Mrs. Winchester, who had an unlimited fortune, built whatever took her fancy. That included a seance room (with 13 of everything), and windows in floors, stairs that led nowhere, false cupboards, and a door on the second floor that opened up in a straight drop to the ground. (The latter door we safely viewed from outside.)

She was also fond of spiderweb designs, and had them incorporated into stained glass windows. Standing under 5 feet tall, she had no qualms creating tiny rooms with low ceilings. She also suffered from arthritis, so had special half step stairs built throughout the house. But she was generous with her staff, who she paid double the going rate, and all requests were accomodated.

Here Samuel stands in the unfinished ballroom. Except for the furniture, which her niece sold, the house was left as it existed in 1922 when Mrs. Winchester died. After she died, the grounds were opened to the public, and in fact, the grounds are still used for weddings. Harry Houdini visited the house in 1924 to check for spirits, though what he found or didn't find, was not recorded. I personally am pleased it remains a mystery, like the house itself.

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