This may just look like a shirt and pants, buts it’s actually…. The outfit of the day! I think it works. Complete with the cardigan! Ok it was supposed to be cold in Copenhagen but it didn’t get cold(ish) until about 7pm today… 

This morning we “slept in,” meaning we didn’t set an alarm to get up. That’s  because I didn’t actually have anything booked for the day… just lots of ideas. We were up around 7 am anyway, no longer able to ignore the sunlight invading through our windows. I sauntered around the room getting ready and dolled up for the day while I “let” Matt escape to grab us some coffees from across the street. Going to cafés is one of his favorite European experiences. When he returned, I was just about finished with my face painting. We glanced at all the suggestions on our itinerary, noting that many were within walking distance of our hotel. Matt’s one request for the day was to go to an FC Copenhagen athletic store, and we had plenty of time to do it!

Rosenborg Castle

 Rosenborg Castle was our first stop today, a little jewel box of a palace adorned with intricate tiles, marble of all colors and varieties, and stonework that looks like it should be guarded by dragons or at least velvet ropes… Okay much of it was in fact guarded but I don’t think it was velvet. Built in the early 1600s by King Christian IV—who, honestly, could’ve had a side hustle in branding since his name is everywhere in this country—it was his way of showing off Denmark’s Renaissance bling; there were cases and cases of fine jewelry and trinkets sprinkled throughout almost every room. Mission accomplished, Christian.

I wish I could say I was fully focused on the splendor, but I kept getting distracted by Delta’s latest trick: “upgrading” me to the worst possible seats on our flight home. I didn’t even know that was an option, but apparently Delta did. Will explain more tomorrow. You’ll understand. Maybe. 

TorvehallerneKBH Market

 Afterward, we made our way to TorvehallerneKBH Farmers Market, where I finally got my hands on proper smørrebrød—open-faced sandwiches stacked high with toppings. Okay okay. The first one I had in Helsingør was delicious but I just needed some more. These things are often made with very fiber-full rye bread and if you know anything about keto, that takes away from net carbs… not that we’ve been counting lately. Anyway, they’re colorful, creative, and the kind of food you can’t resist photographing before eating.

Christiansborg Palace

 Next up: Christiansborg Palace, where history is layered like a wedding cake. The basement holds ruins from the 1100s, while upstairs it’s all gilded halls and royal portraits. At one point, I stood in front of a painting from 1883 and thought, “This could have been framed straight into The Gilded Age” (HBO-max, highly recommend).  The pearls, the gowns, the posture— could have easily belonged to New York’s elite. And per the history books, those elite Manhattan families took much of their influence from European Royalty. Nailed it!

Strøget Shopping Street

Between castles and dinner, we strolled Strøget, Copenhagen’s big shopping street, again. Because who doesn’t love shopping. We peeked into YSL, Mulberry, and jewelry shops where the markup had to be twenty times over. We played along, pretending to be serious buyers (“Oh, maybe we’ll think about it”), then walked out giggling about all the practical things we could actually do with that kind of money instead. Although Matt always looks ready to swipe his card, if only I say the words.  He knows though, I prefer to spend the money on memories.  I did, however, try hunting for some fun costume jewelry—especially earrings—but nothing worth bringing home. Now I’m thinking I should have bought the matching earrings for the bangle he bought me from Sweden.  Anyway—great news—we found a sports store along Stroget and Matt picked out an FC Copenhagen Jersey; he now has a “soccer” jersey for every city we’ve been to on this trip… except Swedish ones; I don’t know what their story is. 

Meanwhile, the cobblestones staged their final attack on my ankles. I caved and popped an Advil because at this point, the cobblestones are winning the war. I don’t know how to residents do it. I caught myself scanning every walkway for any flat surface! 

Nyhavn & Dinner Mishap

 The metro ride back was jam-packed—apparently Ed Sheeran was in town and half the city was heading that way; the stations had extra guards organizing everyone and also extra trains heading towards the concert, efficiently using northbound and southbound tracks. They must have some very skilled train-traffic-control.  For dinner, we circled back to Nyhavn, wanting to enjoy the view of its iconic colorful buildings one last time. We had reservations at Hummer, but somehow ended up sitting at its sister restaurant, Bistro Summer, by mistake. In my defense they were right next door to each other and their tables and chairs were identical. The only difference was that servers at Summer wore solids, and servers at Hummer wore stripes. They’re apparently owned by the same family though.  They made us move, and service dragged on so long that it took nearly an hour after sitting down to get our food. We had the seafood tower for two and it was quite good, even after the wait. Ironically, a server with a solid shirt(Summer) helped us the majority of the time because she felt bad we were getting neglected by the Hummer workers. Ok, I’ve said enough. At least the view forgave everything—those cheerful, colorful houses reflecting in the canal make Nyhavn feel like a painting at twilight.

Goodbye, Copenhagen

On the walk back, we realized we still had 700 DKK in cash. So we shopped our way down side streets trying to spend it. I joked to Matt, “Put it in your pocket in case a pickpocket needs it.” He laughed so hard I thought he’d fall over. By the end of the night, we were down to 156 DKK, which we’ll finish off tomorrow at the airport—likely on something glamorous, like gum.

I’ll miss this city: the cobblestones that beat up my ankles, the palaces dripping in chandeliers, the markets full of smørrebrød, and Nyhavn’s watercolor houses glowing against the canal. Copenhagen is regal but playful, refined yet fun. Leaving tomorrow feels like waking up from a really good dream.