In Copenhagen - visiting the little Mermaid

Since we cannot travel due to Covid-19, I am digging through my travel memories. 

Day two in Copenhagen (this post is back dated to June 2019)

The Hop on Hop off bus is so nice to have day tickets for. We sat on the very top in the very front and had an amazing tour of Copenhagen. It was overcast with sprinkles on and off, but overall a nice day for sightseeing.

I couldn't believe it how greatly this city embraces bicycles. This is not a new movement, bikes were always favored in this city. 

Look at the size of the bike lanes!

One HoHo bus stop is by the Little Mermaid, and it is quite small compared to all the many impressive statues all over Copenhagen. But, it is an iconic statue, the symbol of Copenhagen and therefore a must-see. The little mermaid is just 4 feet tall, made of bronze and sits on her rock since 1913. 

I was more impressed with the several swan families and their many young ones. Did you know, the swan is the state bird of Denmark?

We were on the first bus of the day, fairly early means less tourists and able to observe wildlife waking up. The one swan family is still sleeping, while a second family are early risers with one parent taking their cygnet for a 'morning paddle' while the other parent fixes the nest with clean pebbles.

Dog roses ramble along the walkway to the Langelinie Park not far from the Little Mermaid statue

Ivar Huitfeldt Column, a memorial for the Naval hero

It was a quiet and peaceful morning, we had the park all to ourselves.

A beautiful statue of Princess Marie in memory of her work on behalf of the mariners and their widows. The sad woman with her boy under Princess Marie is in reference to this. 

Next stop was Nyhavn harbour with its canal lined with colorful buildings, another famous tourist destination. We got there just in time for a delicious early lunch on a small restaurant boat, of course we had smorrebrod and Danish beer and then we walked a few blocks to the boat stop for a canal tour. 

Love locks at the canal bridge at Nyhavn

The large flat boat slowly cruised through small canals where colorful houseboats and small yachts anchored on both sides

Floating slowly under low, very low, bridges with just a few inches to spare all around the boat. 

We liked that canal tour so much, we did a second canal tour at the end of this vacation. 

And one more dragon, a stunningly beautiful one, holding a street lantern

Yesterday we visited the King's Garden and the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens and tomorrow we will visit Tivoli Park.