This is COPENHAGEN!

Our last day before flying home, we spent 4 hours touring the city by Copenhagen's favorite mode of transportation- BIKES! After a quick rest at the apartment, we went for a long walk to a delicious dinner at Kate's Joint (so delicious!!!), then home for some rest before our long journey home!

traveling in style :)

Up the round tower we go!

view from above the city

the Little Mermaid

an old windmill 

the Marble Church

colorful Nyhavn

Roskilde and the Vikings

On our final day in greater Copenhagen, we explored yet another castle, church , and visited the viking museum! It was a rainy day so we were happy to peruse the indoor exhibits :)

Fredericksborg Castle in all its glory on a rainy morning. 

Organ in Fredericksborg Castle's church. 

Every ceiling different, each more ornate than the last. 

The gardens as viewed from the warm and cozy castle, the rain continues. 

Fancy art

On to the Viking Museum in Roskilde where they use the old Viking way to build ships. 

Viking ship under construction and yes... it is still raining!

  

One of five old Viking ships recovered from the depths near Roskilde and reconstructed for this museum. 

showing us how the vikings wove their sails for the ships- a very time consuming process!

Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde is the final resting place for 39 Danish Kinds Queens, and some of their family members. 

Gilleleje Havn and Hundested

After Kronborg Castle we drove along the coast to Gillelje Havn for lunch.... Jacob and I got chicken sandwiches...

enjoying the drive along the coast

havn = harbor

Adorable!

Trying not to blow away in the insanely strong wind!

Where they smoke the herring in the morning at Gilleleje

Traditional thatched roof with a lovely rose garden and white picket fence. Can I live here please?

then to Hundested for some sand sculpture.

Hillerod via Copenhagen: Mormor and Morfar

We took a 6 hour train from Hjorring through Copenhagen and on to Hillerod where Jacob's mormor and morfar picked us up! We stayed with them for the next two days, exploring the sites around their town and learning about Danish Royalty and Vikings.

The much-beloved Danish Queen's summer home. Not bad!

Jacob and his morfar taking a quiet walk about the summer house grounds. 

Wildlife we encountered on our walk around the grounds. Almost didn't see this little guy!

Bright orange slug we found on our walk. Jacob's mormor is okay with these slugs but hates the black Spanish slug, a few of which she meticulously stepped on when she came across them. The Spanish slug is a highly invasive species in Denmark. 

A quick visit to St. Olaf's Church in Helsingor. The church has a history going bak to around 1200 but the present building was completed in 1559.

Kronborg Castle, a 16th Century castle with banqueting hall and royal chambers- the model for Elsinore in Hamlet.

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Holger the Dane in Kronborg.

Exploring Jutland

Art Gallery in Lonstrup to visit Uncle Kim's old friend.

We arrived in Denmark on the 4th of July, like any patriotic American would, and were greeted by Jacob's lovely Danish family. 

They whisked us away to Jutland, via a ferry to Arhus then by car to Lonstrup. We spent the next few days beach hopping, walking around art galleries, shops, and ice cream stands in Skagen, Grenen, Klitmoller, and other cities along the way.

We got a history lesson, culture education, and new culinary experience at every turn!

View of beach in Lonstrup. the sun was setting just as we arrived around 10pm local time. 

Our humble abode for the next 2 days. 

4 out of 6 of the Hartzner clan checking out what is left of the partially deconstructed Marup church as the cliff it is perched on slowly crumbles. 

Small cemetery at Marup church that is emptying into the sea as the ocean eats away at the buff.

View from Marup of the lighthouse that is being swallowed by the sand dunes. We walked all the way to the lighthouse and had sand everywhere.

Going for a refreshing dip in the cold water.

Enjoying our first danish "is" (ice cream) with gut and flodeballe.

View of Skagen's yellow houses from the top of the old water tower.

Skagen Harbor for some prawns. 

One of many photos by aspiring photographer Mr. Nikolaj Hartzner (age 7) in the pizzeria at Klitmoller.

Post-pizza surf session in Cold Hawaii

Back in Lonstrup for our last night with Uncle Kim's family.