The Copenhagen Diaries #2

My first full day in Copenhagen was a busy one so this is going to be a very photo-heavy post, so perhaps grab yourself a cup of tea before reading on! 

After getting a little taste of the city the day before I was more excited than ever to head out and explore some more. My day started a little later than planned, but by 10:30 I was on my way to 42 Raw again for breakfast. Having ogled their various smoothie bowls during my visit the day before, I headed back and ordered myself an acai bowl, topped with blueberries, coconut chips, banana, goji berries and the most delicious honey and almond granola, with a cashew milk coffee on the side. After breakfast I made my way towards the Botanical Garden (Botanisk Have), about a 15 minute walk from 42 Raw. Along the way I passed yet more beautiful architecture and Rosenborg Castle, where I also just so happened to catch the changing of the guards as they moved from the castle to Amalienborg Palace.

I also passed this gorgeous little coffee shop, which I absolutely must remember to go to during my next visit!

At the entrance to the Botanical Garden is a lovely little flower shop selling all kinds of beautiful blooms. Following on from that is a path leading through the outer garden, which is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places I've been yet. The path is lined with dense foliage interspersed with bright sprays of flowers, lakes covered in lily pads peek through the ferns, and tunnels of vines lead towards the stunning historical glasshouse, the Palm House, which instantly conjures up all kinds of romantic images of strolling through the gardens back when it was built in the 1800s.

Inside the glasshouse is a jungle of exotic plants, with great palm fronds forming a canopy meters above your head, a stream running below your feet, and the odd flower popping up to break up the greenery. A spiralling cast-iron staircase leads to a viewing platform right up amongst the palms, where it was so humid my poor camera lens just wouldn't un-steam!

After the botanical gardens I made my way over to Ørstedparken, stopping at a wonderful little bakery called Naturbageriet on the way to pick up a vegan cinnamon bun - after all, I couldn't come to Denmark and not have at least one pastry, could I? Unfortunately Naturbageriet doesn't have a website or appear to be on social media, but if you're anywhere near Frederiksborggade (close to the Botanical Garden, Rosenborg Castle and Nørreport) I would highly recommend popping down and taking a look. They have a wonderful range of breads and pastries, many of which are vegan and some of which are gluten-free, too. With my pastry tucked safely away in my bag I made my way to the park in search of a nice spot to sit down, eat my pastry and plan the rest of my day.

Once I found a quiet grassy patch with a beautiful view of the lake, I set down the seat cushion from my Kanken and enjoyed a quiet half an hour or so, munching away on my pastry, jotting down more thoughts in my journal and looking through my trusty guidebook for inspiration as to what else I ought to do and see. When the grey skies followed through on the threats they'd been making all morning and started to spit with rain, I packed up my bag, walked a lap around the park and made my way back towards the city centre, passing through Nørreport and past Torvehallerne market along the way.

By the time I reached the centre all the exploring had made me quite peckish, so I headed to the Strøget area in search of DØP (Den Økologiske Pølsemand - The Organic Hotdog Man), which I had heard good things about in this article. I ordered the simple 'roasted' hotdog with a tofu sausage and all of the vegan toppings (mustard, ketchup, fresh red onion, crispy onion bits and gherkins), which was served in a wholegrain sourdough bun. At 35 DKK this was such a cheap lunch but still really delicious - so good in fact I went back a further two times during my trip!

Suitably re-fuelled, I made my way back towards the hostel, stopping every so often to peak inside a shop or take some photos. I headed back along H. C. Andersen's Boulevard, and managed to sneak a few snaps of his bronze statue in between visitors posing for a photo. Along the way I found myself near the National Museum, and seeing as it was still quite drizzly I decided to spend the rest of my afternoon in there, immersing myself in Denmark's history, from the Stone Age through to the Viking Age, by which time the museum was set to shut and I had to call it a day. I then made my way back to the hostel, freshened up and went down to the bar for dinner. My plan for the evening was to head to Tivoli Gardens, a beautiful amusement park established in 1843, and take some photos, but after browsing the website and seeing some of the rides I decided I would not just take photos, but also go on a few rides and make an evening of it! So around 8pm I wandered over, only a few minutes' walk from the hostel, bought my ticket, and ventured inside.

There's something very romantic about Tivoli, especially come dusk when the light starts to turn and cast that beautiful warm glow over everything, and all the rides and restaurants are starting to light up for the night. I started by wandering around, taking in the sights and soaking up the atmosphere, then my first ride of the night was Tivoli's most popular and one of the world's oldest, 'The Roller Coaster' ('Rutschebanen'), followed by 'The Mine' ('Minen'), 'The Odin Express' ('Odinexpressen'), 'The Star Flyer' ('Himmelskibet'), and finally a much slower ride, 'The Flying Trunk' ('Den Flyvende Kuffert'), which brings to life some of Hans Christian Andersen's famous tales. By this time the sun was beginning to set, so I carried on strolling around the park before stopping at the bridge over the 'Dragon Boats' ('Dragebådene') to catch the light show at 10:45, just before the park closed. Using smoke, lasers, water and fire, the light show was one of the most magical and mesmerising displays I've seen, and it was such a wonderful way to end what had been quite a magical evening.

I snapped a few more photos on my way out of the park then walked back to the hostel, where I then collapsed into bed, well and truly ready for a good night's sleep to prepare me for another day of exploring.